growth

Why Would God Tell You That?

Is that a question you’ve heard before? Or maybe it was implied by someone’s response to you sharing what’s been on your heart. You felt confident God was calling you in one direction, but those around you couldn’t understand it or thought you’re behavior was irrational. “Certainly God wouldn’t call you to leave what you know and go somewhere foreign.” Or “God wouldn’t call you to quit your job and start something new”. Or “God wouldn’t ask you to go into debt by going back to school”. Or [insert your situation here]. Seeds of doubt get planted, and you begin to wonder if you really heard God.

I think all of us have had at least one moment like that in our lives, and most likely more than one. It’s what we do in that moment that counts, and prayer is the best way to start. How many times in the Bible was God patient enough to encourage those who doubted what He asked or who felt inadequate to complete the task. Moses is the first person who comes to mind, and he helped to free the Israelites from slavery, gave them the Law from God and wrote the Pentateuch. There are numerous examples of God telling people to do things that we might call crazy, like Hosea being commanded to take a harlot as a wife to demonstrate Israel’s unfaithfulness to the Lord, or Noah building the ark, or Abraham leaving his country (especially at an older age) to wander in the wilderness where God led him. But one person stands out especially in this season of Christmas, and that person is Mary.

Many of us have grown up hearing the story of the nativity, and Mary being chosen by God to give birth to the Messiah. What is less taught is how all of this was counter-cultural in their day. According to scholars, Mary would have been a teenager, and Scripture tells us she was betrothed to Joseph. While in our culture, we would view this as an engagement but not an official marriage, in ancient Israel, they were viewed as husband and wife already. In the famously deemed Ten Commandments of the Law, the seventh commandment is “You shall not commit adultery” (Exodus 20:14). But there was much more detail to the Law than the Ten Commandments, especially regarding unfaithfulness. Leviticus 20 is just one chapter devoted to the consequences of the sins of sexual immorality. Usually the result was death. John 8 demonstrates that the practice of stoning an adulterous woman to death still occurred in the first century AD. This practice from the Law is written in Deuteronomy 22:23-24, “If there is a girl who is a virgin engaged to a man, and another man finds her in the city and lies with her, then you shall bring them both out to the gate of that city and you shall stone them to death; the girl because she did not cry out in the city, and the man, because he has violated his neighbor’s wife. Thus you shall purge the evil from among you.”

With this in mind, imagine Mary, a young virgin who is betrothed, winds up pregnant. A virgin getting pregnant would be seemingly impossible, so what would be the alternative thought? Adultery, most likely. Matthew’s account makes it clear that even though Mary and Joseph were betrothed, they had not consummated their marriage yet. Therefore, a pregnancy would’ve been viewed as unfaithfulness. Mary knew the Law, but when she was told by the angel Gabriel that she was chosen by God and that she would become pregnant through His power, she responds, “Behold, the bondslave of the Lord; may it be done to me according to your word” (Luke 1:38). How incredible is that! Knowing that this choice could result in death according to the Law, she trusts in the Lord. Even more, she praises the Lord for regarding a humble person as herself and exalts the Lord for His magnificence (Luke 1:46-55-The Magnificat).

Joseph’s response also demonstrates his exemplary character, and no doubt why God chose him (as well as being of the lineage of David). Matthew describes Joseph as a “righteous man” (Matt. 1:19) and says that “not wanting to disgrace her (Mary), planned to send her away secretly.” While some may find it harsh that Joseph would essentially divorce her, he was actually giving up his right to bring her before the court and have her stoned as the Law states should happen for an adulterous woman. Rather, he was willing to protect her and put the shame on himself. But thankfully, the Lord sent an angel to deter him from this decision and explained to him what happened. Just like Mary, Joseph didn’t question what was told him, but Matthew 1:24-25 says, “Joseph awoke from his sleep and did as the angel of the Lord commanded him, and took Mary as his wife, but kept her a virgin until she gave birth to a Son; and he called His name Jesus.”

If there was any time to doubt that you heard from God, the situation these two faced would be at the top of the list. Everyone knows that they haven’t officially consummated their marriage. Everyone knows that the Law says an adulteress would be stoned to death. But the Lord orchestrated everything perfectly. Since Mary was betrothed, the decision was up to Joseph, who God knew to be a righteous man who wouldn’t harm Mary. He knew Mary would fulfill the task because she was a faithful woman of God and considered God’s choice to be a blessing to her. The story of the birth of Christ is one of hope and amazing love, and it all began with faith that what God said was true and would be fulfilled.

God knew what the Law said—He wrote it! He knew what He asked of Mary and Joseph would not line up culturally. But God is above culture! God is above all things! God speaks to us if we’re willing to have ears to hear and understand. If you know that God has called you to do something, and you’ve gone before Him in prayer (this is important!), have the faith of Mary and Joseph who said, “May Your will be done, Lord.” Their faith resulted in the birth of our Savior who has redeemed us and saved us from our sin.

Even if you feel alone in your decision, the Lord will be there to guide you and provide for you along your journey. Let’s pray together:

Father, we thank you for the truth of Your Word, that it is a lamp to guide us when we falter or doubt. You’ve chosen many people before us to fulfill Your will, and we thank you that we can learn and be encouraged by their faithfulness. We have the blessing to see promises fulfilled that not many of them saw. Help us to hear your voice and drown out the world that seeks to discourage and destroy us. We desire to be a light instead, walking where you tell us to go even when we can’t see the end. Thank you for the gift of Jesus Christ, and the salvation and forgiveness You’ve given us so that we may lead others to Your kingdom. May we not fear the unknown but rejoice that You have chosen to regard the humble to exalt Your name. Give us Your strength and peace even when we feel alone, and remind us that You are always there. We pray this in Jesus’ name. Amen.

A Message to the Bride of Christ: Repent!

Wars abroad and cultural wars at home—evil thrives and preys on the innocent. The sickness permeates everything until we wonder if there’s anything good left. It’s in schools, homes, businesses, media of all kinds, nations, and yes, even in the church. “There is so much evil, how can You stand it, Lord?” I wrote on October 7th in my journal. But then another written thought proceeded, “You see it all that it makes Your love that much more profound and magnificent. Your grace is beyond words, and I’m humbled by Your goodness, such goodness that can’t exist in this sinful world.” While everything seems dark and grim, Solomon’s words ring true, “There is nothing new under the sun.”

Paul wrote in Romans 15:4, “For whatever was written in earlier times was written for our instruction, so that through perseverance and the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope.” Going back to those “earlier times” we read about the birth of creation, and later, the birth of the nation of Israel—a people set apart by God and for God. But if you’ve read any of the Old Testament, it doesn’t take long for their love of the Lord God to turn to lust of other idols and gods. They run with the world and their faithfulness runs with it; more explicitly, they play the harlot. According to the Law, adultery was punishable by death, and so was the fate of Israel. Everything seemed dark and grim (sound familiar?), and often times, God is described as violent and wrathful in the Old Testament. While the wrath of God is real, it’s not without proper cause. His beloved had repeatedly committed adultery against Him (human terms, of course, to help us understand the significance of Israel’s sin). If you’ve ever been in that situation, consider how you felt and still feel—angry, bitter, vengeful, wrathful, broken. The Lord doesn’t mince words when He describes what will become of His beloved. But as I reread through those passages of Scripture, such as in Hosea, the love of God pierces my heart. In addition to a husband role, the Lord God also describes Himself as a father to Israel, guiding and leading them even when they chose to follow other gods:

“When Israel was a youth I loved him,

And out of Egypt I called My son.

The more they called them,

The more they went from them;

They kept sacrificing to the Baals

And burning incense to idols.

Yet it is I who taught Ephraim to walk,

I took them in My arms;

But they did not know that I healed them.

I led them with cords of a man, with bonds of love,

And I became to them as one who lifts the yoke from their jaws;

And I bent down and fed them.” Hosea 11:1-4 (NASB)

While Hosea 11 reminisces on the earlier state of Israel, most of the book focuses on Israel’s choices and how they lead to its destruction:

“Woe to them, for they have strayed from Me!

Destruction is theirs, for they have rebelled against Me!

I would redeem them, but they speak lies against Me.

And they do not cry to Me from their heart

When they wail on their beds;

For the sake of grain and new wine they assemble themselves,

They turn away from Me.” Hosea 7:13-14

What stands out to me in this passage, and as I read Hosea as a whole, is that even though Israel has carried out such wickedness and unfaithfulness, the Lord says “I would redeem them.” If only they would turn, all the wrath and anger would turn to forgiveness and compassion, like in the story of the prodigal son (Luke 15).

To be clear, this post about Israel is nothing in relation to what’s happening in the Middle East. Rather, it’s to demonstrate God’s love in the midst of evil everywhere. To reiterate Paul’s words, what was written before is to help us now, so that we would have hope. Israel was set apart for God under the Old Covenant. But now we are under the New Covenant, ushered in by Christ’s sacrifice. The church is now the bride of Christ- God’s elect- that is set apart in this world for the Lord. Yet how often we act like the Israel of the Old Testament! How many idols do we worship? What does our faithfulness look like? Are we faithful at all? We are supposed to be armored up with the truth of God’s word, but we have to actually study and know it and live it for ourselves in order to wield it against the enemy and our flesh.  What distinguishes us from the world? Rather, we have let the world into the church for fear of being “(insert word here)phobic” or being deemed irrelevant when cultural relevancy is all the rage.

The Lord’s love is beyond our understanding, and I can confidently say that He is waiting for us, the church, to come back to Him. The problem is that many of us don’t even recognize that we’ve strayed. We fail to recognize our idols and that we follow a Sunday routine without growth or joy. We fail to question what is taught, and when we feel that tugging in our mind that says “That doesn’t seem right,” we ignore it thinking that the preacher must know what he’s talking about. STOP and LISTEN to the Holy Spirit! In truth, the Lord is angry with the church because it spews lies and appeases people’s emotions. Emotional hype is not spiritual growth—it just masquerades as growth until we realize how empty we are when things get difficult. We are accountable for what we know, and we are without excuse, just like Israel was. They had the Law written for them. They had prophets and priests to guide them. They had tangible miracles to save and provide for them. Yet, they abandoned the Lord. We have much more than they did since all the truth is at our fingertips. We have Christ as the ultimate sacrifice so that we aren’t required to bring sacrifices except to “present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship” (Romans 12:1). Paul continues in Romans 12:2, “And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect.”

One of the greatest lies I’ve given in to is that I don’t have time. I don’t have time to sit down and write. I don’t have time to study God’s word. I have to get this and that done. I know I’m not alone. In this age, we fill up our lives with so much that sometimes it seems we barely have time to breathe. But the excuse of “not even time” is a lie—we choose to create chaos in our lives. I think we even welcome the chaos because it prevents us from truly examining ourselves individually and as a body of believers. Our flesh savors this, and it is a daily fight to push through, take the blinders off, and let ourselves be still with the Lord with all our sin and pain exposed. But only when we do this can we be healed. For the sake of our nation, and really the world, we must go through the pain of recognizing our failure as the body of Christ. But thanks be to God, it doesn’t stop there! Our repentance leads to God’s magnificent forgiveness and love that is beyond human comprehension. When we are right with Him, we can stand as soldiers declaring truth and thwarting the enemy:

“Put on the full armor of God, so that you will be able to stand firm against the schemes of the devil. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places. Therefore, take up the full armor of God, so that you will be able to resist in the evil day, and having done everything, to stand firm.” Ephesians 6:11-13

Let us learn from the past and become a faithful, and spiritually strong bride of Christ. Evil is all around us, but let us stand firm as a light to the nations and demonstrate God’s truth and love.

©Lauren Demuth

Tending the Garden (Re-Post)

I read an article recently titled “The Bond Servant” written by Jack Kelley.  Its contents basically drive at the “once saved, always saved” teaching, which is nothing new but has seemed to grow. I’ve made it clear in previous posts that I disagree with this viewpoint. In fact, I believe it to be heretical. The plan for my next post is to tackle the article point by point. In order to do so properly, I will be taking more time to write my rebuttal. In the meantime, feel free to read Kelley’s article, comment on it on my blog, and/or ask questions that you would like answered. Below is a quote from the article that really provoked me to respond:

“Those who say that since we chose to become saved we can choose to walk away. They are applying human thinking to the equation, thinking it makes sense that it should work that way. But there is no Biblical support for that opinion. In fact, as we’ve seen, it’s not the case at all. As bond servants of the Lord we gave up our right to self determination when we surrendered our life to Him.”

There’s a lot to tackle in that one statement, but more will be coming. For this week’s post, I have re-posted “Tending the Garden,” written a year ago. It is especially fitting since I spent 6 hours pulling weeds today. As awful as that may sound, it was surprisingly refreshing. Not only did I get some quiet time in the spacious outdoors, but it was satisfying to make things beautiful again. Are our lives not also refreshed when we get rid of the ugly and choking things that seek to destroy us?

I hope you enjoy!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Growing up, I helped my mom with her yard work. She has always had a knack for implementing different landscaping ideas, planting beautiful gardens, and maintaining it all to perfection. Unfortunately, I still don’t have a green thumb. I suppose I didn’t pay attention as well as I should have while she worked. However, one thing I did learn well was pulling weeds and other encroaching, undesirable plants. The most important part about pulling weeds is that you never just remove what you can see; rather, it must be fully uprooted. Some weeds are easy to pull up. Just a slight pull and up it comes. Others need a little more attention with a shovel and some digging—and much-needed gloves for the prickly ones. If a person constantly checks his or her garden, the weeds don’t have much chance to grow, and there’s less effort involved. If the garden goes unchecked, the process can be overwhelming, and there’s more of a risk of missing or breaking off substantial roots. These roots can then wrap around the good plants, causing them to wither and die.

As Christians, we can look at our spiritual life as a garden. When we are just starting out, our garden is made up of little seedlings with the goal of bearing fruit for the kingdom of God. But it’s not a matter of if weeds will sprout, but when. Alongside our little saplings, we might notice a little weed here and there—little thoughts from the enemy that start to grow—“Don’t forget about that mistake you made yesterday”; “Do you really think you can change?”; “You’re worthless and will never make it as a Christian.” As Christians, we may still struggle with some sins and face new temptations. With some quick attention to these issues and asking God for forgiveness and help, those weeds—temptations/sins—can be uprooted and no more.

But what happens when we only check on the garden once in a while? We go out and discover larger weeds, maybe some prickly ones that make the task difficult. It’s tempting to just cut the tops off so we don’t have to see the ugliness. No harm, right? Now we can see our beautiful flowers again. But the danger still lies beneath: Roots. Roots can be parts of the past that linger and start to kill our spiritual fruit. To dig deeper means having to deal with the real issues, the underlying weaknesses that we are afraid to see. Maybe they are sins that we are too ashamed of: anger, sexual promiscuity, jealousy, self-harm, stealing, lying, homosexuality, etc. Maybe they are lies that have taken a hold of us, making it difficult to see any truth: unworthy, ugly, useless, could never be forgiven, [insert thought here]. The stronger the weed roots become, the weaker the good plant becomes, hindering it from bearing fruit.

What happens if we neglect our garden altogether? It will never grow to its potential. It will be overcome by the enemy. And eventually, it will die. What if it gets to the point that every good thing dies? Scripture refers to two options. First, if the person doesn’t desire to change or pursue God, the garden remains dead. That person has made the decision to walk away from God (Hebrews 6:4-6). However, with the second option, there is hope for the one who has lost his or her way but still desires to follow the Lord (Luke 15:11-32). What must be done? Repentance. Everything of the enemy must be uprooted and exposed, and the seeds of truth and righteousness must be replanted. Without a doubt, it will be painful, but God’s forgiveness, grace, and strength make it possible. Once it has been restored, the responsibility for maintaining the garden remains.

Being a Christian takes hard work. Sometimes it’s easy to forget that we must examine our spiritual lives and be honest with ourselves. Are we being attentive to the little weeds/thoughts/sins that are starting to take root? Do we have deep roots that need to be dug out and exposed to the light? Is our garden overrun by all sorts of dangers that seek to choke out anything good? We have been blessed with having the Holy Spirit within us if we have made that decision to follow Christ, but we still have to listen. We are responsible for what’s growing in our spiritual gardens, but the Lord is there if we call upon Him for help.

Consider Paul’s instructions to the Ephesians regarding their Christian walk:

“So this I say, and affirm together with the Lord, that you walk no longer just as the Gentiles also walk, in the futility of their mind, being darkened in their understanding, excluded from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them, because of the hardness of their heart; and they, having become callous, have given themselves over to sensuality for the practice of every kind of impurity with greediness. But you did not learn Christ in this way, if indeed you have heard Him and have been taught in Him, just as truth is in Jesus, that, in reference to your former manner of life, you lay aside the old self, which is being corrupted in accordance with the lusts of deceit, and that you be renewed in the spirit of your mind, and put on the new self, which in the likeness of God has been created in righteousness and holiness of the truth.” ~ Ephesians 3:17-24 NASB

Let’s gather our gloves and shovels and get to work!

 

©Lauren Heiligenthal

**Photo from https://www.pinterest.com/explore/garden-ideas/?lp=true

 

Tending the Garden

Growing up, I helped my mom with her yard work. She has always had a knack for implementing different landscaping ideas, planting beautiful gardens, and maintaining it all to perfection. Unfortunately, I still don’t have a green thumb. I suppose I didn’t pay attention as well as I should have while she worked. However, one thing I did learn well was pulling weeds and other encroaching, undesirable plants. The most important part about pulling weeds is that you never just remove what you can see; rather, it must be fully uprooted. Some weeds are easy to pull up. Just a slight pull and up it comes. Others need a little more attention with a shovel and some digging—and much-needed gloves for the prickly ones. If a person constantly checks his or her garden, the weeds don’t have much chance to grow, and there’s less effort involved. If the garden goes unchecked, the process can be overwhelming, and there’s more of a risk of missing or breaking off substantial roots. These roots can then wrap around the good plants, causing them to wither and die.

As Christians, we can look at our spiritual life as a garden. When we are just starting out, our garden is made up of little seedlings with the goal of bearing fruit for the kingdom of God. But it’s not a matter of if weeds will sprout, but when. Alongside our little saplings, we might notice a little weed here and there—little thoughts from the enemy that start to grow—“Don’t forget about that mistake you made yesterday”; “Do you really think you can change?”; “You’re worthless and will never make it as a Christian.” As Christians, we may still struggle with some sins and face new temptations. With some quick attention to these issues and asking God for forgiveness and help, those weeds—temptations/sins—can be uprooted and no more.

But what happens when we only check on the garden once in a while? We go out and discover larger weeds, maybe some prickly ones that make the task difficult. It’s tempting to just cut the tops off so we don’t have to see the ugliness. No harm, right? Now we can see our beautiful flowers again. But the danger still lies beneath: Roots. Roots can be parts of the past that linger and start to kill our spiritual fruit. To dig deeper means having to deal with the real issues, the underlying weaknesses that we are afraid to see. Maybe they are sins that we are too ashamed of: anger, sexual promiscuity, jealousy, self-harm, stealing, lying, homosexuality, etc. Maybe they are lies that have taken a hold of us, making it unable to see any truth: unworthy, ugly, useless, could never be forgiven, [insert thought here]. The stronger the weed roots become, the weaker the good plant becomes, hindering it from bearing fruit.

What happens if we neglect our garden altogether? It will never grow to its potential. It will be overcome by the enemy. And eventually, it will die. What if it gets to the point that every good thing dies? Scripture refers to two options. First, if the person doesn’t desire to change or pursue God, the garden remains dead. That person has made the decision to walk away from God (Hebrews 6:4-6). However, with the second option, there is hope for the one who has lost his or her way but still desires to follow the Lord (Luke 15:11-32). What must be done? Repentance. Everything of the enemy must be uprooted and exposed, and the seeds of truth and righteousness must be replanted. Without a doubt, it will be painful, but God’s forgiveness, grace, and strength make it possible. Once it has been restored, the responsibility for maintaining the garden remains.

Being a Christian takes hard work. Sometimes it’s easy to forget that we must examine our spiritual lives and be honest with ourselves. Are we being attentive to the little weeds/thoughts/sins that are starting to take root? Do we have deep roots that need to be dug out and exposed to the light? Is our garden overrun by all sorts of dangers that seek to choke out anything good? We have been blessed with having the Holy Spirit within us if we have made that decision to follow Christ, but we still have to listen. We are responsible for what’s growing in our spiritual gardens, but the Lord is there if we call upon Him for help.

Consider Paul’s instructions to the Ephesians regarding their Christian walk:

“So this I say, and affirm together with the Lord, that you walk no longer just as the Gentiles also walk, in the futility of their mind, being darkened in their understanding, excluded from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them, because of the hardness of their heart; and they, having become callous, have given themselves over to sensuality for the practice of every kind of impurity with greediness. But you did not learn Christ in this way, if indeed you have heard Him and have been taught in Him, just as truth is in Jesus, that, in reference to your former manner of life, you lay aside the old self, which is being corrupted in accordance with the lusts of deceit, and that you be renewed in the spirit of your mind, and put on the new self, which in the likeness of God has been created in righteousness and holiness of the truth.” ~ Ephesians 3:17-24 NASB

Let’s gather our gloves and shovels and get to work!

 

©Lauren Heiligenthal

**Photo from https://www.pinterest.com/explore/garden-ideas/?lp=true

 

Trust and Obey

“Trust and obey, for there’s no other way

To be happy in Jesus, but to trust and obey.”

(From the hymn “Trust and Obey,” written by John H. Sammis, 1887)

 

These are simple words, but the truth behind them is powerful. As Christians we have made the decision to follow God wherever He may lead. This requires our utmost obedience and trust in the Father who knows the perfect path for us—a path that leads to true joy which the world cannot begin to offer. But sometimes following this path means facing our fears.

~~~

Do you know where God is leading you, but you’re having a hard time trusting Him? Is the path one that scares you? Do you doubt your ability to fulfill the task? If this is you, you are certainly not alone.  Not only are there other brothers and sisters out there who feel the same way (including me), but there are some significant Bible figures who went through the same experience. Let’s take a look at one of them.

In Exodus 3, Moses has quite an unusual encounter with God as he approaches an inconsumable burning bush. The Lord entrusts Moses with the task of freeing his people from their oppression in Egypt, and He reassures him that He will work wonders to make it happen. Even though Moses knows the plan, he has some fears.

“Then Moses said, “What if they will not believe me or listen to what I say? For they may say, ‘The Lord has not appeared to you.’” (Ex. 4:1 NASB)

“What if?” I am guilty of starting many excuses with these two little words. This phrase assumes the worst and reveals doubt–doubt in God and doubt in myself. In Moses’ situation, he is worried about what people think. Despite what God has shared with him and the right answers to give, Moses doubts. In truth, I can’t blame him. To walk into another nation and speak to the highest authority there who has continued to enslave his people is not an easy task. But God in His mercy provides a solution. He changes Moses’ ordinary staff into one that demonstrates the miraculous power of God and gives Moses the gift of performing miracles so that His people might see and believe (Ex. 4:2-9, 17).

Yet even with such amazing gifts of power, Moses has another problem. He doesn’t speak very well.

“’Please, Lord, I have never been eloquent, neither recently nor in time past, nor since You have spoken to Your servant; for I am slow of speech and slow of tongue.”’ (Ex. 4:10).

Even after the Lord reassures Moses that He will be his mouthpiece, Moses still wants the Lord to send the message by someone else. At this point the Lord becomes angry (v. 14). And why shouldn’t He be? He’s revealed Himself to Moses, chosen him for this task, told him what’s going to happen, assured him that his people will be set free, and gifted him with miracles. Yet how many times has the Lord worked in our lives and then when a new task comes along, we doubt? We are not so different from Moses. Moses wants to be a perfect messenger, one in whom his people can place their trust, but he feels inadequate. And in the world’s eyes, he is. However, throughout Scripture God repeatedly works through human weakness. In 2 Corinthians 12 God conveys to Paul that power is perfected through weakness. His grace is sufficient (2 Cor. 12:9). The only One we should boast in is the Lord, not ourselves. That’s what the Lord is telling Moses in Exodus 4: “Trust Me.” So Moses decides to take his family to Egypt and meet Aaron who will be his mouthpiece (still with God’s help). Together, they meet with the elders of Israel and share God’s words and miracles. The Lord has heard His people’s cries and is ready to act!

Even with a rocky start, Moses becomes the leader God created him to be. As we know, the rest of the story involves trials and many plagues demonstrating God’s power and glory. Yet Moses’ trust in God brings about a new age for Israel. They are finally free after four hundred years! This is just the beginning of what Moses will do on Israel’s behalf. The Law God gives to Israel through Moses becomes the foundation by which Israel is judged and remains as such until Christ’s death and resurrection.

~~~

I can’t imagine what would’ve happened had Moses turned away from God after “What if?” Perhaps God would’ve chosen someone else. It’s something we can hardly speculate. However, we can look at our own lives. Has God ever asked us to do something, and we didn’t do it? Conversely, have we followed God’s instructions and now can’t imagine what life would be like if we had disobeyed? In my own walk with God I can answer affirmatively to both of these questions.

Sometimes the opportunities that were once presented before us are no longer there. We can’t dwell on them, but what we can do is place our trust in God and ask Him for another chance. Our hearts must be willing and sincere to follow no matter what the task may be. Remember, the Lord works through our weaknesses so that He may be glorified. The Lord will not make Himself look like a fool.

There have been moments in my life when I had no doubt what God was asking me to do. I knew the task would be hard, but I made the choice to trust Him and take those steps. I couldn’t see the outcome, and at times I feared the worst, but God remained faithful. These choices have truly changed my life despite trials and hardships. I wouldn’t change them for anything. Yet even now I face another task, one that for some would be easy: teaching. Like Moses, I feel inadequate, but as we just studied in Scripture, that’s the best time for me to give it all up to God.

I recently heard on the radio that the thing that scares us the most is often what frees us. I think there is truth to that. The enemy would like nothing more for us to be enslaved to fear. He wants to use our weaknesses to destroy us and our faith in God. God wants to use our weaknesses to bring glory to His name. What will we choose today? Who do we want to become? What do we have to lose if we have God and each other (like Moses had Aaron) to lift us up?

Let’s trust and obey.

 

“But we never can prove the delights of His love

Until all on the altar we lay;

For the favor He shows, for the joy He bestows,

Are for them who will trust and obey.”

(From the hymn “Trust and Obey”, verse 4, written by John H. Sammis)

 

For more encouraging words about trusting and obeying God, please check out a wonderful post written by Karina from the blog Karina’s Thought: https://karinasussanto.wordpress.com/?s=trust+and+obey.

 

 

©Lauren Heiligenthal

“Jesus said…”

The Supreme Court’s decision regarding gay marriage shouldn’t have been as shocking for Christians as it seems to have been. Why should we be surprised when the world acts like the world? What has bothered me this week is not so much the gay marriage ruling but the number of various biblical interpretations thrown out there with the postmodern attitude: “All interpretations are right and justified.” It’s the mindset that interpretation is in the eye of the beholder, and that’s OK. I’m not talking about unbelievers who use Scripture against Christians. I don’t put any stock into what they say because a person cannot understand the Scriptures without the Spirit. How can I say that, you may ask? Let’s take a look at 1 Corinthians 2 (NASB):

“And when I came to you, brethren, I did not come with superiority of speech or of wisdom, proclaiming to you the testimony of God. For I determined to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ, and Him crucified. I was with you in weakness and in fear and in much trembling, and my message and my preaching were not in persuasive words of wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power, so that your faith would not rest on the wisdom of men, but on the power of God.

Yet we do speak wisdom among those who are mature; a wisdom, however, not of this age nor of the rulers of this age, who are passing away; but we speak God’s wisdom in a mystery, the hidden wisdom which God predestined before the ages to our glory; the wisdom which none of the rulers of this age has understood; for if they had understood it they would not have crucified the Lord of glory; but just as it is written,

‘Things which eye has not seen and ear has not heard,

And which have not entered the heart of man,

All that God has prepared for those who love Him.’

For to us God revealed them through the Spirit; for the Spirit searches all things, even the depths of God. For who among men knows the thoughts of a man except the spirit of the man which is in him? Even so the thoughts of God no one knows except the Spirit of God. Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, so that we may know the things freely given to us by God, which things we also speak, not in words taught by human wisdom, but in those taught by the Spirit, combining spiritual thoughts with spiritual words.

But a natural man does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually appraised. But he who is spiritual appraises all things, yet he himself is appraised by no one. For who has known the mind of the Lord, that he will instruct Him? But we have the mind of Christ.” (Bold print added for emphasis)

An unbeliever may seem knowledgeable about spiritual matters and talk about Scripture all day long, but unless he or she has the Spirit, his or her words are meaningless.

Back to my original point, what has bothered me are various interpretations given by people who claim to be Christians. How can people who claim to have the same Spirit (which people are indeed doing if they call themselves Christians) proclaim opposing biblical interpretations and divide the church even further? Is the Spirit of God divided or confused? Of course not! So the only answer is that there’s something wrong with the church.

I read an article the other day called “I’m gay, liberal, open-minded–and a convert to Christianity.” I read the article not because I thought I’d agree with the author, but I was more curious about how he was going to justify his choices. The content made my blood boil. Here’s a few excerpts from Jonathan Elliott (author) with bold print for emphasis:

“But last October, I – a 33-year-old, progressive, openly gay man who spent much of my twenties as a crusading atheist and curious agnostic – was baptized and confirmed in the church. I’m unafraid to proclaim myself a disciple of Jesus Christ.” – He is open about his homosexuality and his proclaimed Christianity. The church has placed its stamp of approval upon him.

“I’m still the person I was before I became a Christian, and a baptism isn’t a brainwashing. This change in my life didn’t turn me into a raging nutball – at least, I’m no more of one than I ever was.” – So are other Christians transformed into raging nutballs? Supposedly accepting Christ and being baptized didn’t change him. There’s apparently no need for change. How many of you Christians would say that you are the same person before coming to Christ and have had no conviction to change or repent?

He was diagnosed with diabetes in 2010: “I joined a support group for other newly diagnosed folks, and the therapy involved with this was rooted in a belief in a higher power. Initially, I resisted wholeheartedly. I’d been raised without any faith experience, and to even open up to the possibilities of God was a frightening and conflict-ridden concept. But ongoing discussions with this group made me realize that I was angry at what had happened to me – specifically, angry at God. And that meant I believed.” – It’s not until he feels angry towards God that he believes. OK, so even if this is how someone starts believing in God, you would think that there would be some sort of interest in learning more about Him, right?

“I spent the next two years bouncing back and forth between nearly 20 congregations of different denominations, serial first dates with church communities. And while I often found comfort and positivity, none felt like home. Sometimes I’d engage a pastor during the post-service coffee hour and find a bit of theology I couldn’t agree with; other times, I didn’t feel wholly welcomed.” – Searching for the right theology, which is…?

“Then, in 2013, I took a job as communications director for the Episcopal Diocese of New Jersey.” [Elliott] “found that the church had the openness, diversity and the clear sense of tradition I sought. It was also strongly inclusive of the LGBTQ community, and welcomed both women and men as clergy members.” – Not sure what the “tradition” part means for him, but it seems that he found a place which supported his lifestyle. He didn’t have to change.

“Our priest preaches sermons that incorporate everything from transgender rights to the theological leanings of Dr. Who.” – What? And how is this preaching exactly?

“And though the fundamentalists scream loudest, there are progressive and inclusive new forms of church springing up around the country, like Capital City Church in DC. Christian businesses like Elevation Burger use faith as part of their culture to inform great products and practices, without aspersions or judgment (take that, Hobby Lobby and Chik-Fil-A).” – Again, welcoming division within the so-called church.

“I acknowledge that Christianity is often countermanded and corrupted for heinous and spiteful things. But I refuse to accept that as the status quo. At the end of the day, I’m a Christian because faith, and our openness to God and to one another, make us stronger and more willing to engage the world as it unfolds and changes around us.”

Not once is Christ mentioned. There is no talk of salvation or Scripture. But the concepts of openness and finding the right fit rise to the surface. There’s no need to change; just be open to God and one another. How is this Scriptural? Does this not bother anyone else? Either the world hears (supposed) condemnation from the church or full acceptance of behavior, which is more politically correct. How has the church arrived to this point? I believe the issue tends to derive from biblical interpretation and the church’s unwillingness to distinguish good from bad fruit.

When discussing biblical interpretation for modern issues, a number of arguments start with “Jesus is in the New Testament, and He says…” Somehow the Old Testament gets tossed aside or is spoken of as barbaric. What most people forget or have not realized is that Jesus is still under the old covenant before His death and resurrection. Sure, someone wrote up a page that said “New Testament” and placed it before the Gospels, but it’s not until after Jesus dies and resurrects that the new covenant begins. A covenant cannot be established unless blood is spilled, and in this case, Christ’s blood (Heb. 9:13-18). So when people try to argue that Jesus is changing the Law with His teachings, they argue in ignorance. How can He uphold the Law and change it at the same time? What is more, why would He violate His own character since God does not change? There is either a lack of understanding or the unbelief that Jesus is God. John testifies to Jesus’ beginning with God (John 1). Jesus Himself testifies that He was before Abraham (John 8:58), and declares in John 17:5, “Now, Father, glorify Me together with Yourself, with the glory which I had with You before the world was.” Since Jesus is God, why would He oppose His own instructions?

As I’ve argued before, would not Christ, who has always been with and part of the Father, understand the Law perfectly? Would not, then, His teachings reflect the intended motivations behind the Law rather than change the Law itself? It is true that we (Christians) are no longer bound by the Law since Christ is the fulfillment of the Law, yet Jesus makes it clear that the Law is not abolished even now: “Do not think I came to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I did not come to abolish but to fulfill. For truly I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not the smallest letter or stroke shall pass from the Law until all is accomplished. Whoever then annuls one of the least of these commandments, and teaches others to do the same, shall be called least in the kingdom of heaven; but whoever keeps and teaches them, he shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven.“ If the Law is the tutor which leads us to Christ (Gal. 5:23); if the Law and the Prophets are witnesses to the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ (Rom. 3:21-22); if Jesus is One with the Lawgiver; and if He is under the Law while He teaches, how is it Christians argue that Jesus opposes the Law?

Many people want to see Jesus as a social justice campaigner, reaching out to the lowest of the low because they’re oppressed. They declare that He changed the role of women. That He simply loved people for who they were no matter what. That He condemned the rich men. Well, if that’s the case I must be reading a different gospel. Because I see Jesus as the holy Son of God who spoke to the self-righteous, rich, and lowly alike. He ate with and taught all of them. Many of the self-righteous, like the Pharisees, ridiculed Him and sought His death. They should have known the truth and taught the sheep, but instead they acted like wolves. Their own arrogance and desire for power and riches from the world drove them away from the Messiah they were supposedly waiting for. Some rich people, Jew and Gentile alike, sought Jesus for wisdom, truth, and healing, and those who had faith received what they asked for. For others, the cost of following Jesus was too high. Jesus interacted with the lowly and outcasts because they didn’t know the truth. They were sheep without a shepherd, the lost and spiritually sick. Those who were supposed to teach them had no understanding even with all of their knowledge, who burdened them with their own additions to the Law and man-made traditions. So Jesus taught them, and many came to believe in Him. And despite what many people are spouting nowadays, they changed because of the truth they came to know.

Zaccheus (a rich, tax collector) no longer stole from people, but gave half of his possessions to the poor and vowed to return four-fold to those he defrauded (all of this given from his heart, not compulsion). Mary Magdalene was no longer possessed by demons but served the Lord (some scholars propose that she is also the sinful woman who wiped Jesus’ feet with her hair in Luke 7:36-50; John 11:2 seems to support this). Jesus told the woman who was caught in adultery to “Go and sin no more.” He also told that to others whom He healed. The power of God was manifested so that they would believe, but they were instructed to no longer live in sin. Many of Jesus’ disciples who heard the teaching, “He who eats My flesh and drinks My blood abides in Me, and I in him (John 6:56),” decided to turn away from following Jesus. Scripture explains they left because of their unbelief (John 6:53-66). Jesus came to bring life to anyone who would heed His words of truth and follow the Father’s will. Salvation is a gift for all, poor and rich, Jew and Gentile alike. This is what Paul means when he writes, “For all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free man, there is neither male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. And if you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s descendants, heirs according to promise” (Gal. 3:27-29). Anyone who claims this to be about social justice or equality is a fool. Such a person takes this teaching out of context which is talking about faith. Any of us who have made the commitment to follow Christ and carry out this commitment are one in Him. We are the body of Christ with each member serving its own God-given purpose so that the body may function properly.

Anyone who says that no change is necessary as a Christian is a liar and not a believer. This goes beyond the discussion of homosexuality. It’s about all sin. If I’m aware of sin in my life, and I do not repent and change, I remain in sin before God. If Israel received wrath from God while He continued to fulfill His promises to them (Psalm 78; 1 Cor. 10), do we think that we would not incur similar judgment if we remain in sin? Paul writes in Romans 6:1-7,

“What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin so that grace may increase? May it never be! How shall we who died to sin still live in it? Or do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus have been baptized into His death? Therefore we have been buried with Him through baptism into death, so that as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, so we too might walk in newness of life. For if we have become united with Him in the likeness of His death, certainly we shall also be in the likeness of His resurrection, knowing this, that our old self was crucified with Him, in order that our body of sin might be done away with, so that we would no longer be slaves to sin; for he who has died is freed from sin.”

He continues in vv. 11-18,

“Even so consider yourselves to be dead to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus. Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body so that you obey its lusts, and do not go on presenting the members of your body to sin as instruments of unrighteousness; but present yourselves to God as those alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness to God. For sin shall not be master over you, for you are not under law but under grace. What then? Shall we sin because we are not under law but under grace? May it never be! Do you not know that when you present yourselves to someone as slaves for obedience, you are slaves of the one whom you obey, either of sin resulting in death, or of obedience resulting in righteousness? But thanks be to God that though you were slaves of sin, you became obedient from the heart to that form of teaching to which you were committed, and having been freed from sin, you became slaves of righteousness.”

If there are people who claim Christ but don’t acknowledge sin, they do not speak the truth. For what is the purpose of coming to Christ if we don’t believe we need to be saved from our sinful ways? If we believe we live rightly before God, why (as in Jonathan Elliott’s case) would we seek God since there should be no fear of eternal judgment?

Here’s another word from Paul regarding so-called believers who choose to continue in their sin: “But actually, I wrote to you not to associate with any so-called brother if he is an immoral person, or covetous, or an idolater, or a reviler, or a drunkard, or a swindler–not even to eat with such a one. For what have I to do with judging outsiders? Do you not judge those who are within the church? But those who are outside, God judges. Remove the wicked man from among yourselves” (1 Cor. 5:11-13). Paul’s not talking about unbelievers who are coming to the church to learn about God. He’s talking about people proclaiming to be Christians but continuing in sin without repentance. It is the church’s job to rid itself of people who profane Christ’s name by choosing to live wickedly (knowingly).

Jesus says to His disciples,

“If the world hates you, you know that it has hated Me before it hated you. If you were of the world, the world would love its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, because of this the world hates you. Remember the world that I said to you, ‘A slave is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted Me, they will also persecute you; if they kept My word, they will keep yours also. But all these things they will do to you for My name’s sake, because they do not know the One who sent Me. If I had not come and spoken to them, they would not have sin, but now they have no excuse for their sin. He who hates Me hates My Father also. If I had not done among them the works which no one else did, they would not have sin; but now they have both seen and hated Me and My Father as well.” John 15:18-24

He continues His teaching by talking about the Spirit to come (Whom we now have as believers):

“But I tell you the truth, it is to your advantage that I go away; for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you; but if I go, I will send Him to you. And He, when He comes, will convict the world concerning sin and righteousness and judgment; concerning sin, because they do not believe in Me; and concerning righteousness, because I go to the Father and you no longer see Me; and concerning judgment, because the ruler of this world has been judged. I have many more things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now. But when He, the Spirit of truth, comes, He will guide you into all the truth; for He will not speak on His own initiative, but whatever He hears, He will speak; and He will disclose to you what is to come. He will glorify Me, for He will take of Mine and will disclose it to you. All things that the Father has are Mine; therefore I said that He takes of Mine and will disclose it to you.” John 16:7-15

We either follow the teaching of the world or the teaching from the Spirit. If we proclaim to be Christ followers we should no longer live according to the world’s sense of morality (if it has one). If we are one body in Christ our understanding of truth must be the same. We may disagree on music styles or small church vs. big church (the petty things we fight over; read Romans 14), but the essentials should be the same. How we understand sin should be the same. Do we want Christ to see us as a bride defiled by the world, or a pure, spotless bride?

When we encounter the lost our hope should be that they want to change to be more like Christ. How can we remain the same when we’ve been given so great a salvation? Is not His abundant mercy and grace reason enough for us to fall on our faces and repent because of our own wickedness? “For while we were still helpless, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. For one will hardly die for a righteous man; though perhaps for the good man someone would dare even to die. But God demonstrated His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from the wrath of God through Him (Romans 5:6-9).” If we know that there is wrath to come for those who do not believe (who are slaves to sin), why do we think that this wrath will not come upon us if we ignore sin, whether our own or that within the church? Is this not taking advantage of God’s grace, thereby slapping Him in the face?

The gospel of Christ will offend those who desire to be part of the world, but for those who seek new life, it is freedom from sin. It is eternal life. It is hope. We should not be ashamed of the gospel and fall in line with the world. If we follow the world then we are worse than unbelievers because we know the truth and turn away from it. Instead, may we serve God with the same Spirit, with the same understanding of truth.

Jesus said,

“I am the way, the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me” ~ John 14:6

 © Lauren Demuth

Faithfulness

In all out confession I’ve been struggling with my faith and confidence in the Lord. I’ve let worry and stress overtake me, and then I feel awful that my faith wavers so. God has never given me a reason to doubt Him. Rather, when I think about past situations I remember that He’s provided an abundance of reasons to put my hope in Him. More than I deserve, I’m sure. As I’ve been told by the Lord many times through various instances, it’s time for me to grow up. It’s time to be in the world and learn how to function as a Christian among the darkness. It’s time to remember all the words I’ve written on this blog and live and grow in ways I’ve encouraged others to live and grow. As a start to moving forward, I wrote this poem:

Faithful 

I am surrounded by a culture

That loathes my King,

That abhors truth,

That seeks corruption and lawlessness.

 

Yet I have to be in it

Like all who strive to serve Christ

For it is not the healthy who need healing

But the sick.

 

To be in the world

I must guard myself

From my sinful nature,

The beast that longs to be set free again.

 

For Christ has set me free

From sin.

Instead, I have become a slave

To the true Master of all.

 

Yet the world beckons me to worry,

To fear,

To revert back

To who I once was.

 

My faith slips,

And I feel ashamed.

How can my confidence in Him be so fragile?

How can I fail my God?

 

I’ve had faith many times before,

And the Lord never failed me.

Rather, He led me down beautiful paths unknown.

By walking in blind faith I learned to see the truth.

 

It is time to grow up

And eat spiritual meat,

To be a vessel used

For God’s glory.

 

I desire to walk in faith again,

To leave the petty worries behind

And remember that the Father has been,

And will always be

Faithful.

 

Indeed, the Lord is always faithful: “It is a trustworthy statement: For if we died with Him, we will also live with Him; If we endure, we will also reign with Him; If we deny Him, He also will deny us; If we are faithless, He remains faithful, for He cannot deny Himself” (2 Timothy 2:11-13 NASB). The Lord is faithful whether I’m faithful or not, but I believe it is a much better journey to have the faith to walk with Him. As another blogger (Unshakable Hope) reminded me today, “Therefore we do not lose heart, but though our outer man is decaying, yet our inner man is being renewed day by day. For momentary, light affliction is producing for us an eternal weight of glory far beyond all comparison, while we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen; for the things which are seen are temporal, but the things which are not seen are eternal” (2 Corinthians 4:16-18). Sometimes it’s hard to remember that I live for the eternal instead of the temporary, but I must choose this mindset every day. Will it be a struggle? Sure. But I believe it’ll be worth it in the end. 

 

©Lauren Heiligenthal

The Sermon on the Mount: A Message for Jesus’ Disciples- Part 3

Judgment. Not exactly a popular word in the church. Yet this is the topic Jesus talks about next in Matthew 7. I feel like most people want to start and stop in v. 1, “Do not judge so that you will not be judged.” There you have it, folks, the Bible says do not judge! Or does it?

If we read beyond v. 1, we will discover that Jesus gives reasons not to be too hasty to judge. First, by the way I judge others, I will also be judged (v. 2). Does this say that I shouldn’t judge? No. What it does say is to be careful because if I judge harshly, I will also be judged harshly. Second, if I judge others before I recognize and deal with my own sin, I am a hypocrite (vv. 3-4). Notice that vv. 3-4 do not say that we shouldn’t judge; however, we must look at ourselves first before we judge others. Verse 5 clarifies that thought even more, “You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother’s eye.”

Who is the one being judged in these verses? Jesus does not refer to everyone, but refers to one’s brother. Even though the church hasn’t been officially formed yet, I believe that Jesus is talking about other believers. Paul teaches the same thing in 1 Corinthians 5:9-13 after addressing a serious issue of immorality in the Corinthian church:

“I wrote you in my letter not to associate with immoral people; I did not at all mean with the immoral people of this world, or with the covetous and swindlers, or with idolaters, for then you would have to go out of the world. But actually, I wrote to you not to associate with any so-called brother if he is an immoral person, or covetous, or an idolater, or a reviler, or a drunkard, or a swindler—not even to eat with such a one. For what have I to do with judging outsiders? Do you not judge those who are within the church? But those who are outside, God judges. Remove the wicked man from among yourselves.” (NASB)

Seems harsh, but is it? Paul isn’t talking about people who sin and repent. When we repent, we are washed clean. Sins are forgiven and the Father remembers no more. Rather, he’s talking about people who continually sin. They are unrepentant, yet they call themselves Christians. For example, in 1 Corinthians 5 Paul is addressing the church because there is a man who has his father’s wife, and the church has done nothing about it. Paul is angry about that and says in vv. 3-5, “For I, on my part, though absent in body but present in spirit, have already judged him who has so committed this, as though I were present. In the name of our Lord Jesus, when you are assembled, and I with you in spirit, with the power of our Lord Jesus, I have decided to deliver such a one to Satan for the destruction of his flesh, so that his spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus.” What is the purpose of judgment here? Addressing sin will hopefully lead to repentance and salvation.

Here is another example of judgment with the purpose of helping a fellow Christian:

“Brethren, even if anyone is caught in any trespass, you who are spiritual, restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness; each one looking to yourself, so that you too will not be tempted. Bear one another’s burdens, and thereby fulfill the law of Christ. For if anyone thinks he is something when he is nothing, he deceives himself. But each one must examine his own work, and then he will have reason for boasting in regard to himself alone, and not in regard to another. For each one will bear his own load.” ~ Galatians 6:1-5 (NASB)

Judgment, when used properly, can lead to spiritual growth. It can also weed out the false Christians in the church. Let’s see what Jesus has to say in Matthew 7:15-23:

“Beware of the false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly are ravenous wolves. You will know them by their fruits. Grapes are not gathered from thorn bushes nor figs from thistles, are they? So every good tree bears good fruit, but the bad tree bears bad fruit. A good tree cannot produce bad fruit, nor can a bad tree produce good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. So then, you will know them by their fruits. Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father who is in heaven will enter. Many will say to Me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and in Your name cast out demons, and in Your name perform many miracles?’ And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness.’”

We should know who true followers of God are because of their fruit. What is good fruit?

“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.” ~ Galatians 5:22-23

People can say all they want. Some may appear righteous–like the Pharisees who had all that knowledge and pomp–but they bear bad fruit and do not follow the Lord’s will. What is bad fruit?

“Now the deeds of the flesh are evident, which are: immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmities, strife, jealousy, outbursts of anger, disputes, dissensions, factions, envying, drunkenness, carousing, and things like these, of which I forewarn you, just as I have forewarned you, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.” ~Galatians 5:19-21

Even worse, false Christians may lead people astray. Here’s some strong words from 2 Peter 2:

“But false prophets also arose among the people, just as there will also be false teachers among you, who will secretly introduce destructive heresies, even denying the Master who bought them, bringing swift destruction upon themselves. Many will follow their sensuality, and because of them the way of the truth will be maligned; and in their greed they will exploit you with false words; their judgment from long ago is not idle, and their destruction is not asleep.

For if God did not spare angels when they sinned, but cast them into hell and committed them to pits of darkness, reserved for judgment; and did not spare the ancient world, but preserved Noah, a preacher of righteousness, with seven others, when He brought a flood upon the world of the ungodly; and if He condemned the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah to destruction by reducing them to ashes, having made them an example to those who would live ungodly lives thereafter; and if He rescued righteous Lot, oppressed by the sensual conduct of unprincipled men (for by what he saw and heard that righteous man, while living among them, felt his righteous soul tormented day after day by their lawless deeds), then the Lord knows how to rescue the godly from temptation, and to keep the unrighteous under punishment for the day of judgment, and especially those who indulge the flesh in its corrupt desires and despise authority.

Daring, self-willed, they do not tremble when they revile angelic majesties, whereas angels who are greater in might and power do not bring a reviling judgment against them before the Lord.  But these, like unreasoning animals, born as creatures of instinct to be captured and killed, reviling where they have no knowledge, will in the destruction of those creatures also be destroyed, suffering wrong as the wages of doing wrong. They count it a pleasure to revel in the daytime. They are stains and blemishes, reveling in their deceptions, as they carouse with you, having eyes full of adultery that never cease from sin, enticing unstable souls, having a heart trained in greed, accursed children; forsaking the right way, they have gone astray, having followed the way of Balaam, the son of Beor, who loved the wages of unrighteousness; but he received a rebuke for his own transgression, for a mute donkey, speaking with a voice of a man, restrained the madness of the prophet.

These are springs without water and mists driven by a storm, for whom the black darkness has been reserved. For speaking out arrogant words of vanity they entice by fleshly desires, by sensuality, those who barely escape from the ones who live in error, promising them freedom while they themselves are slaves of corruption; for by what a man is overcome, by this he is enslaved. For if, after they have escaped the defilements of the world by the knowledge of the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, they are again entangled in them and are overcome, the last state has become worse for them than the first. For it would be better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than having known it, to turn away from the holy commandment handed on to them. It has happened to them according to the true proverb, ‘A dog returns to its own vomit,’ and, ‘A sow, after washing, returns to wallowing in the mire.’” (Bold print for emphasis)

Jesus also says that before His second coming, “false Christs and false prophets will arise and will show great signs and wonders, so as to mislead, if possible, even the elect.” ~ Matthew 24:24

Why must we judge between good and bad fruit? Paul tells the Corinthians in 1 Cor. 5:6-8, “Your boasting is not good. Do you not know that a little leaven leavens the whole lump of dough? Clean out the old leaven so that you may be a new lump, just as you are in fact unleavened. For Christ our Passover also has been sacrificed. Therefore let us celebrate the feast, not with old leaven, nor with the leaven of malice and wickedness, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth.” If we allow even the smallest piece of wickedness to remain in the church, the entire church becomes full wickedness. Scripture is full of warnings to stay away from evil. From Genesis to Revelation, the message does not change: Be holy. Be different from the world and all of its temptations. Show reverence for the Lord God. Live righteously. For our God is a consuming fire (Hebrews 12:29).

If we claim to know and follow truth, why do we not act when there’s wickedness in the church? Why doesn’t it bother us? Why don’t we see the danger in letting the leaven of wickedness permeate the entire church? Why do we let culture dictate what is acceptable?

The idea of judgment is challenging or even uncomfortable because we are taught that we shouldn’t judge. The world preaches tolerance even if something is abhorrent. And the church has chosen to follow this teaching instead of Scripture. When we read Scripture, we learn about grace, forgiveness, mercy, and compassion. But we also learn that there is no tolerance for a person who practices wickedness (1 John 3:4-10). There is a difference between someone who sins and repents and someone who continually sins without repentance. That is why judgment looks different in each circumstance.

In Matthew 7, Jesus warns His disciples to be slow in their judgment toward one another. In the way that I judge someone I should be prepared to receive the same kind of judgment. That thought is humbling. It should make us think before we judge someone. Jesus points His disciples back to themselves first, and since we are also Christ’s disciples, we should first ask ourselves before any kind of judgment, “Do I have sin in my life that I have not asked forgiveness for? Am I walking righteously and in line with God’s will?” Before we can help a fellow Christian with his or her spiritual walk, we better be right with God first. If not, we may be perceived as a hypocrite, or we may fall into temptation when trying to help. Once we are in right-standing with God, we can restore someone in gentleness if they are caught in sin (Gal. 6).

If someone in the church continues to sin without repentance, they need to be removed. The purpose for their removal is so that their wickedness does not permeate the church, and it is also for them to recognize their sin and repent. Our motivation should not be out of malice but for that person to come back to Christ.

Now there are those who actively work against God. They are the wolves in sheep’s clothing. We know them by their fruit, and if this fruit is bad, they must be thrown out. They do not follow God’s will but lead the flock astray. This is not tolerable. Peter says that judgment is already reserved for them.

The people that we shouldn’t judge are those in the world. This doesn’t mean that we should be ignorant or walk into wickedness. This also doesn’t mean that we accept what they do. We judge the church because the church knows the truth. We should know better. We do not judge the world because the world doesn’t know the truth. As Jesus and Paul indicate, disciples are supposed to be in the world as witnesses of the gospel. Paul makes it clear that God judges non-Christians. But we should be able to determine the good and bad fruit amongst the body of Christ.

Even though “judgment” isn’t the only message in Matthew 7 I believe it is important for the church to understand. We are accountable for what we let into our lives. If we don’t judge between good and bad fruit, we will suffer spiritually. We may possibly face God’s wrath for not seeing what should be obvious and acting upon it.

Judgment is not something to take lightly. In truth, it should direct us to ourselves first. But it also isn’t evil if our motives are in line with God’s will. The Word teaches us to always be ready for Christ’s return. Part of being ready is judging what is good and evil so that we may not be lead astray. And what better way for the enemy to lead Christ’s bride astray than to do it from within the body of Christ.

The Sermon on the Mount- Part 1

The Sermon on the Mount- Part 2

©Lauren Heiligenthal

 

 

The Beauty of Restoration

Last week I spent time doing some much needed cleaning. I had my mind set that I would clean everything that I could, but I didn’t realize how much really needed to be done. I began to notice the areas that tend to be overlooked and the small, seemingly insignificant objects that attract a terrible amount of dust. The hours passed as I noticed more areas that needed work. Sometimes I would get frustrated, or I’d initially say to myself, Well it seems clean enough. But in truth, nothing was clean enough. It wasn’t until I was scrubbing oven racks over the kitchen sink that I took the time to the listen to the Lord.

I was reflecting on the past days of cleaning and realized that I enjoyed seeing items restored to what they should be (or as close as possible). I had allowed myself to get so used to how things are that I didn’t realize their full potential. I thought their shine was bright enough, but I was wrong. Then I believe the Lord spoke a few things in my heart.

First, when I was thinking about the beauty and joy of seeing things restored, He reminded me that this is how He feels about people who are restored to Him, whether it is an unbeliever coming to Christ or a believer who is getting rid of junk in his or her life. He rejoices in our restoration! Second, there were some things I wanted to overlook cleaning because they seemed good enough, but when I took a closer look they were disgusting. There are a number of things in our own lives that we overlook because we don’t take the time to look close enough. We get used to how we live and who we are right now. We put off cleaning up until we convince ourselves that our shine is bright enough. I can’t speak for anyone else but myself, and I can honestly say that my shine can be brighter. There are things I’ve had to change and still need to change in order to be a more mature Christian. For a long time I got used to how things were, but the problem is that the longer something sits, the harder it is to clean. It is not impossible because Christ makes it possible, but it does make it more difficult to get rid of in our lives. Third, I was reminded again that Christ is the ultimate Restorer. Even when we clean something it is never as perfect as when we first bought it, but the longer we keep it clean the longer it lasts. Everything we do as Christians should result in becoming more mature in Christ. We will not be perfect until we are with the Father in heaven nor will everything be fully restored until Christ returns, but Christ has the power to renew us, to wash us clean, to scrub out the rough spots. He has become a sacrifice for our own sanctification and no matter how difficult a stain may be, He can remove it quickly and permanently.

As I stood at the sink and pondered over these things I couldn’t help but tear up. The Lord desires for us to be renewed and restored to Him for our own maturity and for His glory. It is not a punishment to get rid of things in our lives that keep us tied down to the world. In truth, it is a beautiful reward. We have Christ who makes us new. We have the opportunity and ability to be a brighter light because of Him. We have a means to escape the temptations of this life. We have the choice to be closer to the Lord by getting rid of the dirt and grime that keep us distant from Him.

May we choose to look closer at who we are and become who the Lord has made us to be.

“11 And He gave some as apostles, and some as prophets, and some as evangelists, and some as pastors (or ministers) and teachers, 12 for the equipping of the saints for the work of service, to the building up of the body of Christ; 13 until we all attain to the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a mature man, to the measure of the stature which belongs to the fullness of Christ. 14 As a result, we are no longer to be children, tossed here and there by waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, by craftiness in deceitful scheming; 15 but speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in all aspects into Him who is the head, even Christ,16 from whom the whole body, being fitted and held together by what every joint supplies, according to the proper working of each individual part, causes the growth of the body for the building up of itself in love.17 So this I say, and affirm together with the Lord, that you walk no longer just as the Gentiles also walk, in the futility of their mind, 18 being darkened in their understanding, excluded from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them, because of the hardness of their heart; 19 and they, having become callous, have given themselves over to sensuality for the practice of every kind of impurity with greediness. 20 But you did not learn Christ in this way,21 if indeed you have heard Him and have been taught in Him, just as truth is in Jesus, 22 that, in reference to your former manner of life, you lay aside the old self, which is being corrupted in accordance with the lusts of deceit, 23 and that you be renewed in the spirit of your mind, 24 and put on the new self, which in the likeness of God has been created in righteousness and holiness of the truth.” Ephesians 4:11-24 (NASB)

Choose to Build Up

After taking down the Christmas tree and decorations I had the thought that it’s a lot easier to tear down than to build up. I’m sure many people have used this same analogy to describe our own behavior, but it’s true. Is it not much easier to give in to our flesh and think of the pessimistic side of things? I have struggled in this area quite a bit. Is it not easier to pick out everyone else’s faults or even our own instead of building each other up? Is this not prevalent in the body of Christ? The world approaches life from the flesh, but we have been blessed with the Spirit. We don’t have to think and act the way we used to. Rather, we are commanded to do the opposite:

“8 But since we are of the day, let us be sober, having put on the breastplate of faith and love, and as a helmet, the hope of salvation. 9 For God has not destined us for wrath, but for obtaining salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ,10 who died for us, so that whether we are awake or asleep, we will live together with Him. 11 Therefore encourage one another and build up one another, just as you also are doing. 12 But we request of you, brethren, that you appreciate those who diligently labor among you, and have charge over you in the Lord and give you instruction, 13 and that you esteem them very highly in love because of their work. Live in peace with one another. 14 We urge you, brethren, admonish the unruly, encourage the fainthearted, help the weak, be patient with everyone.15 See that no one repays another with evil for evil, but always seek after that which is good for one another and for all people. 16 Rejoice always; 17 pray without ceasing; 18 in everything give thanks; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus. 19 Do not quench the Spirit; 20 do not despise prophetic utterances. 21 But examine everything carefully; hold fast to that which is good; 22 abstain from every form of evil.” ~ 1 Thessalonians 5:8-22 (NASB)

“12 Take care, brethren, that there not be in any one of you an evil, unbelieving heart that falls away from the living God. 13 But encourage one another day after day, as long as it is still called “Today,” so that none of you will be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin.” ~ Hebrews 3:12-13

Let us love and encourage one another. May our attitudes reflect Christ in our lives. It may be harder to choose to live by the Spirit rather than the flesh, but as Christians, this is the life we have chosen. This is following Christ.

Here’s a poem I wrote a little while ago about my own struggle with pessimism. I hope you find it encouraging:

Pessimism (written November 29, 2014)

That voice, I hear it

as it sneaks in insidiously,

telling me lies;

and I believe them.

 

A hopeful thought

becomes distorted,

crushed,

no more.

 

I convince myself that these invading thoughts

are more realistic,

preparing me for potential failures,

not realizing that they hinder me from success.

 

Where is my hope?

Is it not in Christ?

Then why be fearful?

Why let the light fade?

 

Confidence is not the same as arrogance.

Experiencing failures provides new opportunities for growth.

Being adventurous can reveal a world unknown.

Joyfulness will not only uplift myself but others.

 

Positivity is a choice, my choice.

It can change a life, my life.

What will I choose?

Who will I become?

 

©Lauren Heiligenthal