Category: Pastor’s Corner

From August of 1942 to February of 1943 the world’s deadliest battle raged in a city on the bank of the Volga river in the country of Russia, Stalingrad. Over 2 million soldiers and civilians died during that time when the German army attempted to take the city from the Soviets. In the middle of that city is a famous fountain, famous due to the photograph that was taken during the battle. It is called the Barmaley fountain and its main feature is a circle of children dancing around a playful crocodile. The fountain stood in the center of a square in front of the main railroad station. This square and fountain would be one of the first images travelers would see upon leaving the station and was situated in a park-like setting. It was a place for people to congregate and for children to play. A playground if you will. What many people didn’t know was they were to be witnesses and casualties in an epic battle for survival for themselves, their city and their country. It would be the battleground that would be enigmatic of the war they were all in, whether they wanted to or not.

Such it is with those of us who are followers of Christ. We find ourselves in a war but oftentimes we are not fully convinced of that fact. We are more focused on the fun and frolic of the playground than in the harsh realities of battle. A. W. Tozer puts it this way, “Men think of the world, not as a battleground but as a playground. We are not here to fight, we are here to frolic. We are not in a foreign land, we are at home. We are not getting ready to live, we are already living, and the best we can do is to rid ourselves of our inhibitions and our frustrations and live this life to the full.” Ouch. When I read that it gave me a reason to pause and to consider how I’m viewing my time on this earth. Am I looking to get all I can out of this life? Is that my focus? Do I really consider myself a stranger and a sojourner in this world? How should I live differently if these things are true? Paul says in Acts 20:24, “but I do not consider my life of any account as dear to myself so that I may finish my course and the ministry which I received from the Lord Jesus to testify solemnly of the gospel of the grace of God.” Paul knew he was on the battleground and was willing to give his life for the cause of Christ. Now I may not be in such physical danger but how important is my life, my comfort, my retirement, my time, etc. Am I held back by those things? They are not bad in and of themselves but where do they land on my value list? I think that as we get older and as we go through difficult times and we turn to gaze upon Jesus, God loosens our grip on the things of this world. As the hymn states, “the things of this world grow strangely dim.” But we must submit to this purging in our lives or we face the real danger of becoming quite comfortable in this world that is not our home. One way of noting if we have settled down in this life is to ask ourselves: how often do I long for my heavenly home? Or I can’t imagine living anywhere else than in this world, and heaven isn’t that appealing. Or what is my attitude towards the world? Do I go along to get along? Questions like these can be unsettling. I know they are to me, because they often show me where my heart really is at, and it is at those moments I must confess my wrong thinking and change my thinking and actions to line up with God’s word. 

We live in a battleground, all one has to do is look around at the decay of our society, our morals and our values to know a war is underway. We must have an understanding and conviction that lines up with the truth of God’s word if we are to navigate the bombed-out landscape that is our culture. “A right view of God and the world to come requires that we have also a right view of the world in which we live and our relation to it. So much depends upon this that we cannot afford to be careless about it.” – A.W. Tozer

It is no small thing that the theme of this year’s Mega Kids Camp was “Keepers of the Kingdom”, and in that theme a phrase that was often put to the children to recite was “decide your side”. There are two kingdoms at war: the kingdom of darkness ruled by Satan, and the kingdom of light which the Creator God rules over. You are in one or the other, there is no neutrality. James puts it this way: “What is the source of quarrels and conflicts among you? Is not the source your pleasures that wage war in your members? You lust and do not have; so you commit murder. You are envious and cannot obtain so you fight and quarrel. You do not have because you do not ask. You ask and do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives so that you may spend it on your pleasures. You adulteresses, do you not know that friendship with the world is hostility toward God? Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God.” (James 4:1-4)  There are only two sides and we have to decide which one we are on. There is no middle ground; we can’t just “sit this one out.” We are involved whether we believe it or not, just like those in Stalingrad those many years ago.

Philippians 4:4-9 

⁴  Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice! ⁵  Let your gentle spirit be known to all men. The Lord is near. ⁶  Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. ⁷  And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. ⁸  Finally, brethren, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good repute, if there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise, dwell on these things. ⁹  The things you have learned and received and heard and seen in me, practice these things, and the God of peace will be with you.

Anxiety is in the air, blowing hard and steady. And this even among the believers. The mood and views common in the unsaved, are oddly mirrored in those who should be experiencing the peace of God, through the God of peace.  Why would this be so?

Yes, the news packaged for us is resoundingly bad. Unrest and division run deep. The drumbeat of revived tribalism grows louder. Violence in our communities begs identity as demonic. Nations overrun nations; murky alliances destabilize every point on the globe. I’ll leave off pandemics, social engineering, and why the Tigers can’t be pennant contenders. Even the weather is presented to push us to prepping: every snowfall is now categorized by a documentary-worthy title (“Winter Storm Festus.”) Natural disasters stream real-time through our devices, fascinating and terrifying, interspersed with feigned concern and the hawking of freeze-dried meal buckets, “secure” gold, or apocalypse-worthy shotguns.

The solutions for this unrest, flowing down from our elected or appointed voices, are of their own accord contradictory and baffling.  I fail to see wisdom and understanding, for they speak of their own things, and not of the One who is Wisdom and Understanding.

To state the obvious, the unsaved world will naturally run to would-be saviors, get disappointed, and then turn to the next ones. Some choose to simply check out: stuff down the devastations and fleeting vain years, and buy more surgeries, trinkets and experiences. It’s a classic world-view: “When it’s over, it’s over.”  Undoubtedly the pinnacle of reasoning, apart from God. Ask Solomon.

We are invited to join in with these summations and solutions from an unregenerate mankind. Do you see any followers of Christ who are leaving off faith, and lapsing (in attitude, or expressly) into this world-view? I might summarize some prevailing heart-attitudes I am encountering:

“It’s not like God to keep me so disappointed with my world.”

“It’s baffling that God isn’t mowing over the enemies.”

“It’s frustrating that God isn’t conforming everyone in my land to godly standards.”

“It’s unconscionable that churches dismiss God’s Word, yet increase in popularity and sway.”

“It’s uncomfortable that I am no longer comfortable.”

“Where is God in this mess?”

I would wax incredibly popular if I turned now to pen a snappy “3 easy steps to peace” article. How “relevant,” if it could actually be the last word—the true, quick-fix formula—we could all employ for instant and lasting results! If only I could chart out how to do “God by method.” It would probably sell a bunch of copies… maybe launch an e-book, or an Etsy site for themed merch.

Wildest dreams and profits aside, what I want to offer by application is very simple, extremely accessible, and completely contained in the Word of God. The Word that was declared to us, by which we learned the truth about God, our sin, and salvation through faith in Christ alone. I ask you to meditate on these questions, noting the verses of the Philippians passage at left:

:4 Rejoicing in the Lord cannot be sporadic, isolated, or dependent on your mood. What’s your corporate worship quotient? Too busy? Private, God-in-the-everyday evidence? Rejoicing is not for a happy occasion- it is the ongoing theme of the life focused on the great, unchanging Truth of Christ.

:5 Would “gentle spirit” be a description given of you by your mourners one day? Or are you known as “that guy” or “that gal” that couldn’t put up with us mere mortals?

:6 Are you praying without ceasing, or quite frankly, have ceased to pray? What is taking the reins producing in your life? How’s it going for the passengers stuck in your buggy?

:7 How do you experience the peace of God? How do you describe it? Is this a foreign concept to even consider? Are you trying to manufacture your own peace? How is that working out?

:8 Reading this list of worthy things to dwell on, what is your top 10 “dwell list?” News? Politics? The market? Security? Entertainment? Pornography? “Likes” on social tripe? Rest assured your top 10 is showing. It is coming out in speech, conduct, attitude, priorities, demeanor… The bucket draws up what the well contains.

:9 Pay attention to whom you follow. There are multitudes of egos that want you to “follow” them and emulate their poor choices. Their obsessions. Their sensuality. Their godless lives. If you live for their experiences, you will miss out on experiencing the God of Peace. You will enter eternity as a believer, watching your wood, hay and stubble burn. A forfeit of great opportunity for what could have been yours in the new heaven and earth that comes; all for handfuls of tripe in this world.

This is a call for return. For revival. It’s a fallen world. You cannot navigate your way to true peace, if you’ve left out the God of peace. Try it without Him, and see if I am a liar. Or maybe you’re trying it now, and getting the resultant anxiety and fear. Where have you gone? How is that working out for you? Have you found another path, another savior, another source of peace?

⁶⁸  Simon Peter answered Him, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have words of eternal life. John 6:68 

The peace is presented. It does not have to be pled for, earned, or discovered. It needs to be appropriated. Walk in the Truth you have received. The God of Peace is within, and by walking by His Spirit, you will walk in the Peace of God.

²⁷  “Peace I leave with you; My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Do not let your heart be troubled, nor let it be fearful. John 14:27 

We all want to be accepted. We all desire to be welcomed. No one likes to be rejected or told we don’t measure up. But does the message of inclusion that is often presented today contradict what Scripture says, or is it in line with the heart of God?

Many of us have stories or know of others who have shared how and when they came to Christ. In the depths of despair and sin we cried out to a God who is there and who hears. We heard the message of grace and responded. No, we didn’t have to “clean up” our lives, to somehow make ourselves acceptable to God. No new suit and tie or new lifestyle, we simply came as we were and surrendered.

One story I recall is from a friend of mine who has had a profound impact on my life. He is a teacher, shepherd and missionary. Yet when he encountered the Savior, he was in the midst of the 70’s drug culture. He was high in a hotel room and spent a night reading the Bible. When I say he was reading the Bible, I mean he read the entire Bible (a couple of times through!) He knew that things were not right in his life and that the direction he was heading was a dead end (see previous article by Pastor John). That night he read how God sent His only Son to live as a man and go to a cross to die in our place. He understood that this gift was his to receive if he only believed what he was reading was true. That night this man, a sinner, was forgiven and made right with God and his life has never been the same. How is that different from the message we often hear today? Today it is often stated that God loves everyone and accepts us as we are, that we are good enough. Is that true and why if it is not?

The real question is does God exclude anyone? The short answer is yes, the Gospel message is very exclusive. Jesus was eating with tax collectors and other so-called sinners. There were some religious leaders who saw this and questioned His disciples as to why Jesus would do such a thing. Jesus overhears their questions and replies, “It is not those who are healthy who need a physician but those who are sick; I did not come to call the righteous but sinners” (Mark 2:17). At first glance it seems that Jesus was very welcoming and accepting of those “sinners”, and He was, but look at how he describes them. They are sick and need a physician and they are sinners, not righteous. He knew they were not right, that they were lost, that they needed a savior and that He was that Savior. He says at another time that He is the way, the truth and the life and that no one comes to the Father but through Him. So the good news of Christ is only for those who are in need, for the sick and sinners. Those who don’t need a savior, are those who are righteous. These people can stand on their own merit before a Holy God. They are good and can enjoy unhindered fellowship with their Creator. Well… there is a problem: “There is none righteous, not even one; there is none who understands, there is none who seeks for God; all have turned aside, together they have become useless; there is none who does good there is not even one” (Rom 3:11-12) and “for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Rom 3:23). The Bible is clear, all of us are sick and are sinners in need of a savior. God doesn’t accept us as we are and leave us there, He saves us as we are and changes us to something completely new. That brings us to the second point.

We can only be made right with the Father through Jesus Christ. By surrendering and trusting in His work on our behalf will we become “born again”. There is no other way. God will not accept us “as we are” because “as we are” is not good enough. When our message is that God accepts us as we are, we become the ones who make the rules and standards. We negate the need of the cross, we present another way to God and make Christ a liar. That is a hard message to hear but it is a needful message.

So when we water down the message of the Cross in order to become more accepting (as the world defines it), we are actually putting road blocks in the way of those who need this truth. We are not acting in love. We as a church must be open to all who may come, and we must remove any hindrances. We must be kind and loving. We must be open to all, because the ground at the foot of the cross is indeed level. But the message must be clear: we are sick sinners in need of a Savior and that Jesus is THE way, THE truth and THE life, and that no one comes to the Father but through Him. Let this message be available for all to hear.