Health, Wealth, and Success / Taking the Prosperity Gospel to Task

This week I had the pleasure of riding with the Farmer to Lexington to look at a piece of hay equipment for sale. 

I had not been in those parts before, and it was beautiful country. Even though it was unfamiliar, I won't forget the 'long and winding road' because it was named "Mount Atlas." Since my old boy Atlas possesses mounds of white fur, I've always pictured him more of a glacier, but mountain fits too.

The cattle farm we turned onto was well manicured containing long stretches of green acres and a beautiful herd of black cows resting in an oasis under a cluster of shade trees with their new calves. The intoxicating smell of fresh cut hay immediately filled our car. Ed the owner of all this lush goodness was a kind, older gentleman, and I could tell by his knowledge and appearance that Ed had been in farming his entire life. 

After looking over the equipment and asking some questions, the Farmer finally made Ed an offer. Ed squinted his eyes and thought about it, then he asked, "Cash money?" The Farmer smiled that wide, mischievous smile of his, the one that always gets him out of trouble. "Cash money," he agreed.  

Once he made arrangements to pick up the equipment later in the week and we got back into the car, I knew what was coming next because the Farmer loves the words, "cash money." He wiggled the term into every conversation on the way home and laughed each time he said it. 

Oh, they're a dying a breed, aren't they? These salt of the earth farmers dealing in "cash money." 

I knew what the Farmer meant. He doesn't love money, rather he loves the character of the man standing behind the "cash money."  

The Bible doesn't say that money is evil; it says "the love of money is a root to all kinds of evil." All through the Bible and in current culture we see that man has the continuing temptation to size up a matter by looking at the "outside of the cup" while God is looking inside at the contents. ( 1 Timothy 5, Matthew 23:25 ) 

God is concerned with our heart, our motives, our desires. In other words, we can do the right thing for the wrong reason. 

Over the next weeks and months since I've taken the prosperity gospel to task, it is on my heart to look at what the Bible has to say about health, wealth, and success. After all the overarching narrative is that of a perfectly holy and loving God bringing about redemption for his sinful, wayward children through the atoning, sacrificial life and death of his Son.  

In Scripture we see in every verse that God is moving toward drawing us out of the bondage of sin, out of our lives of slavery, and into freedom and a Promise Land flowing with milk and honey where we will live with him as our Father forever. So in this way, the gospel of Jesus Christ really is, if you will, a "prosperity gospel." 

Today I would like to start by sharing a passage of scripture. 

Contrary to some of our thinking, Jesus didn't say that rich people can't be saved. He said it was difficult for them because of their wealth. We tend to rely on it. ( Mark 10 ) Historically the Christian faith has been one of bringing hope to the poor and marginalized, but God is no respecter of persons. In his sovereignty, he saves rich people too. Some of my favorite stories in the Bible involve wealthy people, and I'm excited to dig back into them for further insight to grow and to share. The Bible is a rich well itself that is never bankrupt of its power to give life. 

In the eyes of God, the only eyes that matter, our net worth does not equate our self worth. 

However in our study of wealth, we must be careful not to swing the pendulum over too far landing us in the "poverty gospel." You know, the one that says, "Look at me; I'm a minimalist. I live on as little as possible so I'll have more to give to God's Kingdom, unlike those snooty rich people over there busy building their bigger barns. ( Luke 12:20 ) I know, seriously, pride gets us coming and going. It's a constant battle. 

I am reminded of the wise prayer for everyday living from Proverbs 30:8-9: 

"Remove far from me falsehood and lying; give me neither poverty nor riches; feed me with the food that is needful for me, lest I be full and deny you and say, 'Who is the LORD?' or lest I be poor and steal and profane the name of my God."  

Here's the thing, the spoiler alert: 

At the end of the day, our health, wealth, and success in this life isn't what is going to see us through. What will enable us to endure suffering, to keep us growing in our faith, and what will carry us securely to the finish line is our intimate relationship with Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior. That kind of life is the greatest gift we can share with our neighbors and family, and the greatest inheritance we can leave to our children and grandchildren. 

What good is "cash money" if we lose our souls in the process?  

This text, where Paul is addressing proper church order to young Pastor Timothy, speaks for itself. 

To God be the glory. 

"But godliness with contentment is great gain, for we brought nothing into the world, and we cannot take anything out of the world. But if we have food and clothing, with these we will be content. But those who desire to be rich fall into temptation, into a snare, into many senseless and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction. For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evils. It is through this craving that some have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many pangs.

But as for you, O man of God, flee these things. Pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, steadfastness, gentleness. Fight the good fight of the faith. 

As for the rich in this present age charge them not to be haughty nor to set their hopes on the uncertainty of riches, but on God, who richly provides us with everything to enjoy. They are to do good, to be rich in good works, to be generous and ready to share, thus storing up treasure for themselves as a good foundation for the future, so that they may take hold of that which is truly life. 

O Timothy, guard the deposit entrusted to you. Avoid the irreverent babble and contradictions of what is falsely called 'knowledge,' for by it some have swerved from the faith.

Grace be with you." 💜  

( 1Timothy 5:6-12, 17-21 ) 

Health, Wealth, and Success

Although the Farmer and I in recent years have cut back on our TV time, having a farm is a big part of that reason, we do watch YouTube videos when we need to learn how to do something, like work on a particular piece of equipment or help a baby duck out of its shell. This is the useful side of modern technology, and I do appreciate it. 

This past weekend; however, we got into a bit of a binge-watching mode of another sort, and so because of this, it's just on my heart to share this morning. We were watching videos of false teachers, some were the actual footage of the outrageous claims and actions of these charlatans, and others were of true Bible teachers exposing them while helping us to see the Truth.

As we watched the most infamous false teaching couple currently in our culture, dressed to the hilt, arriving I'm sure in their private jet, pray over countless poor people lined up in wheelchairs, exploiting them and their families who were crying as they pushed them forward, some were children, we saw no one healed of their ailments. Not one ever got up and walked or was healed. It was so sad, and I felt dirty and horrible or even watching them. 

I had a flash back of almost twenty years ago when my own young sister was battling cancer. One day when she couldn't even raise her head from the pillow after chemo treatments, this lady calls. She wants to speak to Kathy, and I tell her that she can't because she's so weak and sick. And this woman keeps on. She wants to know if I'll put the phone up to Kathy's ear, and I was getting upset. I said, "What is so important?" She said that if she could just take her to the Benny Hinn crusade that she would be healed. 

And do you want to know something? I was so desperate for my sister to be healed that I would have done it. I would have loaded her in a wheel chair and driven her to the crusade, and pushed her right up to a snake oil salesman in a slick suit with a gold watch and bad hair, believing that he could heal her. 

So I understand the desperation of the people being preyed upon by these prosperity gospel/word of faith false teachers and preachers. I could have easily been standing in that wheelchair row crying to beat the band. 

"If you have a need, sow a seed." That's one of their favorite lines. I attended these churches back in the mid 80s to early 90s; I've seen their tricks first hand. As they appeal to the conditioned crowds at their conferences, it's telling that they never say to sow the seed into your local church or community to help the marginalized or poor. No, you have to sow it into their "ministry" if you want to receive your blessing - your health, wealth, and success. 

There's this saying in the farming community, "Know your farmer." What this instructs is that when you go to the Farmer's Market to purchase fresh local raised goods for your family, ask the vendor questions to see if they are really farmers. Where is their farm located? What agricultural methods do they use to grow their crops? Are they a sustainable farm? What processes do they use in making their goat milk soaps and lotions? 

Did they actually spin the wool into yarn or are they trying to pull it over your eyes? 

"Fake Farmers" buy produce further south and wares from other farms then sneak their goods in masquerading as the real deal. The best way to recognize false teachers, preachers, and prophets is to know your Bible. The more we read and study it, the more we can spot heresies and false teaching. Just like I can go to a Farmer's market now and pick out the phony-baloneys from a mile a way, my Bible study has helped me identify false teaching much quicker these days. 

You might be saying that you can see right through those flashy charlatans, but it isn't always so easy to see. People are deceived. They are wolves in sheep's clothing, and they look like us and sound like us at times. Sometimes they sneak in the name of Jesus. The Bible is our best defense. 

The more familiar we are with the whole counsel of Scripture, not just verses pulled out of context to fit our fancy or prosperity mind-set, the more we can sniff out false teaching. 

"Many" false teachers will go out into the world - 26 out of the 27 books in the New Testament warn us about false teachers. ( Philemon is the exception. ) The Old Testament offers much stronger language concerning false prophets and shepherds, leading God's people astray. 

Notice the Bible doesn't ever say that there will be many "true teachers." The way is narrow, my friends. ( Matthew 7:13-14 ) 

It's not just what these false teachers say, but it's what they don't say: 

They never talk about the true gospel!! The most beautiful news that exists in the history of mankind!!!! That Jesus Christ was sent by God to save us from our sins so we can live with our Father in the family of God for all eternity!!!! What is better than that???? What does the world have to offer that is better than this??? 

"But God said to him, Fool! This night your soul is required of you, and the things you have prepared, whose will they be? So is the one who lays up treasure for himself and is not rich toward God." ( Luke 12:20 -21 ) 

"Blessed are the poor in spirit for theirs is the Kingdom of God." ( Matthew 5:3 )

Even if we die from cancer or whatever illness we have, physical or mental, we're going straight to Heaven! That's something to gather and praise God about! 

When my sister was sick she taught me the greatest life lesson: She demonstrated that true healing, the one that matters, takes place in one's spirit and is found only in Jesus. 

To find this healing is to find true life. 

She flew on home to Jesus because God's will for her life here was done, but not before she resurrected in me a dream of land with God's creatures roaming about, a place for friends and family to gather to enjoy Jesus and rejoice in all he has done. A place of healing, one I would find shortly after her departure. 

She proclaimed to me the true gospel through her life and death; just like Jesus did with his to all of us who believe. And that, my friends, is the best health, wealth, and success that will ever exist. 💜

Beautiful One

I promise this is the last blog ( for awhile ) on Dr. Keller, but please hear me out. It's short. 

One story that I heard, my favorite actually, was told by Kathy Keller to her husband. It sums up what I've been trying to convey, and it goes something like this: 

"When you are preaching I look around and everyone is writing and taking notes, but there always comes this time at the end of the sermon when we lay our pens down and just listen." 

Another Tim, back in 2012, after reading Dr. Keller's "The Reason for God," so changed by the book, began a Twitter account ( now on Instagram and FB ) of one-liner quotes from Dr. K. called "dailykeller"to encourage others. When this Tim finally got to meet Dr. Tim Keller he said that he looked up at him and said, "Tim, I just have to tell you one thing....... You made Jesus beautiful to me." 

And those words are spot on. That is exactly what he did. Others looked at him, but learned to love and glorify Jesus. ( Psalm 115:1 ) 

When I started listening to Dr. Keller it was at a point in my life when I was beginning to see, in spite of all of my church attendance, Bible reading, and praying, just how spiritually malnourished I really was. I had been like the walking dead, stumbling through the disciplines, checking off boxes. There was no life. 

I was blind to the beauty of Jesus. 

My parents left the Presbyterian church we attended and had begun to attend several non-denominational churches starting when I was twelve. After I left home at eighteen and then married, the Farmer and I attended a prosperity gospel mega church in Texas. 

Years later, I had become so messed up and confused in my doctrine. Ironically, it took Dr. Keller, a Presbyterian pastor, to explain the work of the Holy Spirit to me in regeneration and transformation after I was born again, attempting to figure out what on earth God had done in my heart. Dr. Keller had the truth and the Spirit. 

One of his most famous quotes is: "The gospel is this: We are more sinful and flawed in ourselves than we ever dared believe, yet at the same time we are more loved and accepted in Jesus Christ than we ever dared hope." 

Tall, bald, and plain, not possessing a dynamic speaking voice or flashy anything, but he was immensely attractive because he preached the gospel. And the gospel doesn't need a celebrity to proclaim its power; the gospel can do that just fine on its own. 

I thank God for the many humble pastors in the Body of Christ throughout history and today all over this globe doing the same, including my own. Let this be a wake up call for us to pray for them more than ever and ask forgiveness when we have taken any of our pastors for granted and the hefty calling God has placed upon their lives as they equip their flock, serve the Lord with gladness, and make Jesus beautiful to us. 💜

Happy Mother's Day

This morning I got to thinking about my first Great Pyrenees girls, sisters, Natasha and Nicky. Nicky was as independent natured as the breed comes, that's a nice way of saying stubborn. She and the Farmer butted heads continuously because they were so much alike, and at the very same time were the best of buddies. I guess it takes a beast to know a beast. 😂

When the younger sisters arrived, Nicky demanded they bow to her, which they never did. She demanded respect which she never earned. And Lord have mercy, one couldn't even look at her puppies sideways. All animals including Atlas knew to keep their distance from the little darlings whenever Nic had a litter.  

I told the Farmer many times that if I had to be out walking in the woods at night and could only have one dog with me, no question, hands down, it would be Nicky. She wasn't a leader, but she was a heck of a warrior. My crusty old war horse. Never lost a sheep on her watch. 

Natasha on the other paw never demanded a thing. Her guarding style was fierce also, but controlled. She didn't care to call the shots, and yet she did. All of the dogs respected and listened to her, even Noncompliant Nicky. 

I'm so thankful I gave them both the gift of motherhood because now their grand pups run the farm. But I still miss my first girls. 

We can learn a lot from God's creation if we have ears to hear and eyes to see. And if we're not too stubborn. 

Of course this weekend, I especially miss my own mother too. She is a hard act to follow as well, but I'm giving it my best - God will have to do the rest. Which I'm afraid is the bulk. 

Just my Mother's Day Weekend Musings this morning while I wait for our farm vet visit and spring lambs. 🐾💖

Unworthy Faith

A nice elder gentleman I attend church with informed me that sometimes my blogs are too long. I wasn't offended. I welcome feedback. I was thrilled to know he was reading it; and anyway he's right. 

"When he had entered Capernaum, a centurion came forward to him, appealing to him 'Lord, my servant is lying paralyzed at home, suffering terribly. And he said to him, 'I will come and heal him.' But the centurion replied, 'Lord, I am not worthy to have you come under my roof, but only say the word, and my servant will be healed. For I too am a man under authority, with soldiers under me. And I say to one. 'Go,' and he goes, and to another, 'Come,' and he comes, and to my servant, 'Do this,' and he does it.' When Jesus heard this, he marveled and said to those who followed him, 'Truly, I tell you, with no one in Israel have I found such faith. I tell you, many will come from east and west and recline at table with Abraham. Issac, and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven, while the sons of the kingdom will be thrown into outer darkness. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. And to the centurion Jesus said, 'Go, let it be done for you as you have believed.' And the servant was healed at that very moment." ( Matthew 8:5-13 )

If we focus on the physical healing, we miss the big picture. Jesus healed physically then and still today. In fact, we see him healing many in the Scriptures, but he doesn't respond to the others the way he does to this man. What is different with the centurion? 

The centurion indicates that he is 'not worthy.' In other words, he understands the gospel, this Roman soldier, Gentile, considered an enemy of Israel, helping Rome's occupation of the nation. He gets Jesus. Jesus said that he had not found such faith in Israel. This is amazing. Not faith for the servant's healing only, but for the healing of his own heart. 

"Lord, I am not worthy of having you come under my roof....." There is so much more here that I've yet to see and understand, but I'm going to keep digging later. 

To be clear, 'not worthy' doesn't mean we are trash and junk. No, mankind is created in the image of God. We have intrinsic value. This is why we should fight for human life from the baby in the womb and beyond until the tomb. But sin has entered into each of us through the fall of Adam and Eve and made us unworthy sinners. ( Romans 3 ) 

Through Jesus's sacrificial atoning death, we are set free from sin and death when we are born again. ( Book of Romans ) 

The centurion understood this. My Bible commentary says, "'I am not worthy' reveals the centurion's humility. 'Say the word,' reveals his great faith. The centurion responds in effect, 'I too can do things because of the authority given to me, so how much more can you!'" 

If you want to argue about the physical healing, Mark tells us that the servant was healed "at that very moment." Everyone Jesus healed in scripture was healed immediately ( except the blind man who saw people like trees, but he did see properly before Jesus was done with him. ) Unlike today's "faith healers" who tell people to just keep believing and you'll receive if you just keep believing. Then when the healing doesn't come, the poor person thinks it is because they didn't have enough faith or didn't follow the formula. Sometimes our physical or mental healings do come to us slowly, but when Jesus healed someone in the Bible it always came right then and there. There was no waiting period. That's the difference between Jesus and the false prosperity gospel healers/teachers to remember when they claim to be like Jesus, little gods, in other words. We must test the spirits. ( 1 John 4 1-6 )  

We don't have to follow a "faith healer" to get healed. There is no middle man to God. Jesus has given you access to your heavenly Father. You can go boldly to his throne, the throne of grace to receive mercy. ( Hebrews 4:16 ) He may not answer the way we want him to, but he "hears the prayer of the righteous." ( Proverbs 15:29 ) And he never stops working in the believer's life. (John 5:17, Philippians 1:6 ) You can be absolutely sure of this promise. If you are in Christ Jesus, you are his! ( John 17 ) Don't ever let anyone make you feel like you didn't receive something from God because you didn't have enough faith, my friend. 

The greatest faith is the unworthy faith of humility present in our salvation, like the centurion. 

In the Gospel of Mark when Jesus saw the paraplegic lying on the mat, carried by his friends, he said, "Son, your sins are forgiven." You can almost hear the man and his friends say, "Nice, but that's not why we're here. That's not why we about broke our backs lowering our crippled friend through that roof to you." 

Jesus was telling the man, his friends, and the crowd. Forgiveness of your sins is the greater need. You need salvation. 

Pray for healing, physical, mental, emotional, financial, spiritual. Pray for it all. Our Father wants us to, but just remember: 

Everyone Jesus healed physically eventually died. 

Everyone who understands that outside of the grace of God, we are unworthy has the greater faith. 

And they will never die. 

John 11:25-26:  

"Jesus said to her, 'I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live, and everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die. 

Do you believe this?" 💜

Today's Recommendation. Sometimes it is hard to discern if someone is a false teacher or not. I've found that often times the person is not a false teacher instead they are just off in their doctrine because they are still growing and learning which has happened to me numerous times. So we need to be careful - in our accusations and in our study. If you are concerned about whether or not someone you are following is a false or true Bible teacher, the Farmer and I watched a YouTube video of Costi Hinn being interviewed on Allen Parr's show The Beat that will help you. Costi tells his amazing testimony of being born into the Hinn Dynasty and working under his Uncle Benny. He exposes all of the tricks of the trade, and explains how we can spot false teachers. I also recommend Costi's podcast "For the Gospel." Its purpose is to teach lay people like myself sound theology and doctrine - he and his team of pastors cover a broad range of topics, and I've learned a lot since I became a follower. 

To God be the glory! 

Happy Monday! 

The Sinner's Prayer

I wanted to keep blogging into Easter Monday, however; springtime at the farm directed me otherwise. We are preparing for lambing season amidst the usual livestock care, maintenance, and housekeeping. A big shout out to the sheep, birds, and especially our small, humble herd of cattle for being the efficient, natural lawn mowers God created those lovely beasts to be. "Work smarter, not harder," they said. Amen to that. 

Continuing from the last blog; so there is much evidence to examine in the case for the resurrection of Jesus Christ, and again, I plead with everyone to please have the courage to look into it before you dismiss Jesus. You owe it to yourself to have the integrity to at least investigate the claims of the most influential person to ever walk the face of the earth. You don't want to tell your friends what you're doing at the moment? Fine, but just do it. 

The great thing about the Christian faith is: "God has worked it out so that we don't have to take the resurrection just on trust, he actually made it 'verifiable.'" Kathy Keller 

So true. 

But here's the thing: 

Even if we are totally convinced, the evidence alone can not save us. 

You may have heard of the "sinner's prayer," especially if you grew up in the Bible Belt. 

It goes something like this: "Lord Jesus, I know I'm a sinner. I believe you died for my sins and rose again. Please forgive me for my sins and come live in my heart." 

Fear drove me to pray the "sinner's prayer" numerous times as a child, teenager, and young adult. Honestly, I never felt or acted any different afterwards, other than trying to behave and that was exhausting. I grew up in a Presbyterian church until the age of twelve, but I heard about the "sinner's prayer" at a VBS I attended one summer with my friends at a local Baptist church. 

Not that I'm being down on my childhood church, not at all. Even though it would be years before I was born again, it was there I heard sound doctrine and theology in the rich hymns we sang each Sunday, along with the reciting of the Apostle's Creed, the Lord's Prayer, and the Catechisms. I believe now having those seeds planted inside of me was like fertilizer to my soul when God by his grace did draw and save me. I guess you could say that in so many ways, like my pasture-raised, happy hens at the end of the day, I too have come home to roost. 

Before my actual conversion though, whenever I spoke the words of the "sinner's prayer," I didn't actually trust Jesus. I may have made a profession of faith with my mouth, but it wasn't in my heart. I took care of myself. I dealt with my own pain while living by my own rules. I didn't understand in the least the concept of sin and how desperately I needed God's grace.  

I read my Bible on a surface level, never digging deep into the bountiful soil, but instead raking verses into big piles like fallen leaves, completely out of context, and then plucking a scripture from the mixed bunch ever so often, twisting it to fit my current life struggle or something I wanted from God. I learned this technique at a word of faith/prosperity gospel mega church the Farmer and I attended years ago in Texas. I think I've attended just about every Protestant denomination at one time or another over the course of my life, even the false ones. 

That church in particular encouraged a superficial, mechanical relationship with God, one where it was about getting God and his Word "to work for us," not a close, personal, abiding relationship with God as our perfect Father and we as his beloved children whom he worked all things for our good and his glory according to HIS purposes.  ( Romans 8 ) We were never taught how to properly read and study the Bible as a whole, one overarching, entire narrative in the redemptive work of God in mankind. What they taught was so "me centered" and continues to lead many people astray because it tickles ears, including mine. 

Prosperity gospel teachers are constantly encouraging people to believe for wealth and health and all kinds of favor and blessing, but fail miserably to realize and glorify the miracle Christ has already done in the believer's life in saving them from their sins, the ultimate favor and blessing. What material blessing could be greater than that? The blind leading the blind. Ironically, the church did nothing to help grow my knowledge of God or my faith, but it did increase my pride exponentially. The more I began to read my Bible properly the more I could spot false teaching and erroneous interpretations. 

Funny, I've never been able to find the "sinner's prayer" in the Bible.

Until recently:

Luke 18: 9-14 : ( My arrows ) 

"Jesus also told this parable to some who ➞➞➞trusted in themselves⬅⬅⬅ that they were righteous, and treated others with contempt: Two men went up into the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. The Pharisee, standing by himself, prayed thus: 'God, I thank you that I am not like other men, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week; I give tithes of all that I get.' ➞➞➞But the tax collector, standing far off, would not even lift up his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying, 'God, be merciful to me, a sinner!' I tell you this man went down to his house ➞➞➞ justified rather than the other. For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but the one who humbles himself will be exalted." 

Right here - this is the sinner's prayer; the posture of coming to Jesus is shown in the tax collector's prayer. 

This is a depiction of true Christianity, in salvation and then remaining throughout our sanctification process. Humility and repentance. Jesus says that the tax collector who could not bring himself to look to heaven because he understood he was a sinner who needed God's mercy received justification, but the self-righteous Pharisee did not. 

The way into the Kingdom of God is down, down on your knees without one plea. Jesus spent his entire earthly ministry demonstrating this concept in his life and death. 

"God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble." ( 1 Peter 5:5-6, James 4:6-7 )  

And if we are going to be born again, we must have the grace of the sovereign God of the universe extended to us so we can find salvation in his Son. 

The human condition, and everything else concerning mankind, for that matter, can be traced back and explained in Genesis. Here is found the doctrine of sin after the fall and the dreadful plight of man in this world without God. As Pastor Alistair Begg said, "Mankind has fallen and can't get up." 

We shouldn't make coming to Jesus complicated, but it mustn't be trivial either. An understanding that we are sinners and in need of a savior must be realized. 

All the times I prayed the "sinner's prayer" I was sorry for getting caught. I was sorry for the consequences and ramifications to follow, but I was not sorrowful that I had sinned against the Holy God who created me and everything else in creation and who had set his divine order to it all. 

However, God wouldn't leave me alone. I felt so much spiritual turmoil inside of my soul. I felt vexed by the devil himself, but afterward I realized it was the grace of God not allowing me to become content and comfortable in my sin and waywardness. I didn't know it at the time, but I was hearing his voice. This often is how God calls us, through our pain. He knows how to get our attention. 

"As it is said, 'Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your heart as in the rebellion."' ( Hebrews 3:15 )

Our difficulties are an example of God giving satan enough rope to hang himself. What the enemy means for bad, God uses for good, even darkness, especially darkness. God uses the sin in our messy lives to humble us and bring us to the end of ourselves and into the reality that we need him and can not save ourselves. Sometimes I think the worse thing God could do is to give us everything we want. He doesn't cause sin or suffering, it's a broken world. But he allows it and uses it for our good. Now, I thank God for the darkness and suffering he allowed in my life because it brought me to him and continues to form me into the image of his Son. 

Like the tax collector. 

And when Jesus really did come into my heart and take up residency, there was no question he was there. I've never prayed the "sinner's prayer" again. And when I prayed it that time I simply cried, "You have to help me because I'll never be able to do this on my own." I knew that I could not save myself; I was at the mercy of God in total surrender and humility and at the end of myself. I understood for the first time that I was a sinner, but at the same time how ferocious God loved me in sending his Son. That's what it took. God drew me and humbled me. 

"No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him. And I will raise him up on the last day." ( John 6:44 )  

It's extremely important to remember that it's not so much the words we say, but the condition of our heart that matters. 

"The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart ( that is the word of faith that we proclaim ); because if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved." ( Romans 10:8-9 )

One of the thieves who was crucified next to Jesus rebuked the thief on the other side who was ridiculing Jesus. He said that Jesus was innocent, but they were getting what they deserved. His "sinner's prayer" was simply: "Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom." Jesus told him that today he would be with him in paradise. It was the condition of the thief's heart that mattered; the words he spoke were not our traditional "sinner's prayer," but flowed out of his believing heart. And they were good enough for Jesus. 

No one gets theology exactly right. As my youngest man child reminds me in our discussions: "No matter how hard we try we can't tie up theology in a neat little, perfect package." Not on this side anyway. Not with a God as unfathomable and glorious as ours. 

The Holy Spirit does something inside of us that we neither expected or can fully explain. It is not just trying harder to be a better person, turning over a new leaf; it is a supernatural explosion of new life like a dead acorn seed embedded in the rich, woodsy soil of the forest that germinates, springs up, and grows slowly into a strong and stately oak tree. 

What people fail to see, and what I always failed to see before, is that in God's kingdom, everything is upside down and completely contrary to this world's system. We see this in the life of Jesus. You die and then you live. You die to yourself. The Pharisee in Jesus's story didn't understand how badly he needed Jesus; before we can be found, we have to know we are lost. 

If you are in Christ Jesus, you might have walked an aisle. Everyone's experience is different. And we are all different so it makes sense that God draws us all differently. But it is the same Jesus, same God, and same Holy Spirit, the same Bible. You don't need to remember the date you got saved to have your name written in the Lamb's Book of Life, but it's okay if you do remember it and celebrate it! Your new birth made the angels in Heaven rejoice! Think about that. 

When you were born again, you may have been sitting silently in your seat as the pastor explained the gospel. You might have been at church camp or like me, tossing with anxiety in your bed, or with a group of friends or at work or school. Although salvation ( regeneration, justification, belief, repentance ) all happen together in a split second, sometimes believers feel the change gradually. However sometimes it is radical and known immediately or somewhere in between. There are as many different conversion testimonies as there are members in the Body of Christ, but again, it is the same Jesus who saves us all through his sacrificial, atoning work on the cross. 

It's not the location of our bodies or the correct grammar of our words that matter, but the position of our hearts. 

You don't have to understand all of the vocabulary words or theology to be saved. Once you start the transformational process on the path of life, also known as "sanctification," you'll learn as you grow. "We become what we are." 

Here's the thing: 

If thinking of what Jesus has done for you on Calvary creates tears of thankfulness and joy to swell up in your eyes and in your heart, even in the midst of suffering, even in the midst of your coworkers or neighbors, or when you're praying or even driving along in your car, I would say that you have a thorough understanding of the mercy, grace, and salvation of God. 

And this supernatural change in the heart and life of every believer, the immeasurable greatest of God's power toward us who believe, that he worked in Christ when he raised him from the dead, ( Ephesians 1:19 ) is more convincing evidence for the claims of Jesus. It's my favorite evidence. It's our testimony. 

If you're not saved, but are hearing his voice:  

"Jesus came into Galilee, proclaiming the gospel of God, and saying, 'The time is fulfilled and the kingdom of God is at hand, repent and believe in the gospel." 

"'Why does he eat with tax collectors and sinners?' And when Jesus heard it he said to them, 'Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. I came not to call the righteous but sinners.'" ( Mark 1 & 2 ) 

This is the Bible verse I want engraved on my tombstone: "You will call and I will answer you; you will long for the creature your hands have made." ( Job 14:15 )

Come to Jesus. 💜

And Many More

"Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and hold fast to his wife, and they shall become one flesh." Genesis 2:23 

I want to wish both of my daughters-in-law a very happy birthday today as their birthdays are one day apart - April 28th and 30th. 

This morning I am reminded of a summary of marriage I recently heard that described what a possible conservation should ideally start like between two Christians before entering into the marriage covenant designed by God in the Book of Genesis. It made an impression on me. It went something like this: 

"I'm not sure of the future, but what I'm sure of is that God is growing us both into the image of his Son. He will use trials, tests, and sufferings along with the joy to burn off the impurities, to refine us so that we become like gold. I see glimpses of what you are to become, and it excites me. I want to be a part of that process in your life, and I want you to be a part of that in mine as we grow together in the purposes of God....." ( Job 23:10) 

Isn't that beautiful? A solid foundation to build upon, for sure. 

I know it seems funny, but fitting to quote Job when writing about marriage. Job learned a thing or two about God's purposes in suffering and joy, and he emerged a stronger man with a more realistic picture of who God is and who man is in relation to God, but also how unfathomable and trustworthy he is. 

I believe this is God's design for marriage, and we see it throughout Scripture. It is another evidence for Jesus that lies embedded in God's eternal purposes, deep inside the framework of marriage, mirroring his Son's relationship with his bride, the body of Christ, in the overarching Bible narrative of God's redemptive plan to save his people and make them like his Son. In this, marriage has great meaning and purpose, working to further our growth and secure our hope.   

I'm truly grateful that I see this devotion in both of these marriages. I'm proud of them and thankful for wives who love and support my sons so well. That is what I am thankful for, and I am committed to being a part of that growth process by God's leading and never taking anything in this broken world for granted, standing with them in fervent prayer through good and hard times. I am honored to be a small part of the process that God uses in our transformations. I am also thankful and driven by the faithfulness of all those who have steadied me and my Farmer in a multitude of ways throughout the years. 

Happy Birthday, lovely girls! And many more. 

💜