"Another Gospel?"

"Another Gospel?" 

Part 2

"For if someone comes and proclaims another Jesus than the one we proclaimed, or if you receive a different spirit from the one received, or if you accept another gospel from the one you accepted, you put up with it readily enough." ( 2 Corinthians 11:4 ) 

On a Sunday morning in June of 1922, Harry Emerson Fosdick stepped into the pulpit of First Presbyterian Church in New York City and preached what would prove to be one of the most provocative sermons preached in 20th century America. If that sounds overly dramatic, just wait. It would be hard to estimate the damage this sermon inflicted on the American mainline denominations. 

In Part 1 I gave the data of the mainline decline that has been taking place in the last sixty years within the seven Christian denominations that were once the pillars of American society, but are now headed toward extinction. 

This is a very condensed explanation of the terminal illness and slow death of these churches, but as always I hope this inspires your own research and a return if necessary to the true, rich theological depth that marks genuine Christian faith. 

Fosdick was a Baptist pastor, which I know sounds a bit odd in a Presbyterian church, and his sermon that morning, entitled "Shall the Fundamentalists Win?" was in response to a decades old debate between those in the church who held to the core doctrines of the Christian faith and those who believed the church needed to adapt to modern ears. 

It was known as the "fundamentalist-modernist controversy." 

Today the term "fundamentalist" carries a bit of a negative connotation to it, but back then it referred to those who held to the core doctrines - the fundamentals - of the Christian faith such essentials as the inerrancy and authority of the Bible and the bodily resurrection of Christ. 

"Modernists" were those who believed that we needed to update the Bible for modern thinkers. We needed to be constantly changing our religious views and "progressing" toward not just a better understanding of Scripture, but new ideas outside of them to fit our culture and become more tolerant. "Seeker-friendly," you could say before that was a thing. 

The sermon would end with a call for the Fundamentalists to reach out to the poor and Foswick would call them to love. I'm not attempting to construct a straw man here - the Fundamentalists, known as today's conservatives admit there is work to do and areas needing major improvement. That's the journey of sanctification as we refuse to disconnect from the only power that makes us like Christ. This is why in a broad stroke today's liberal Christians are known as "progressive Christians." In changing with the times, they've disconnected from our core. I'm getting ahead of myself. 

Between 1905 and 1910, a series of 12 paperback volumes called "The Fundamentals" had been published defending the inerrancy of Scripture and the supernatural beliefs and character of the Christian faith. These were turbulent and scary times in the minds of many Americans who held dear to orthodox Christianity. I'll explain why momentarily. 

In the sermon that morning, Fosdick preached that "we now have new knowledge about human history" as if this is a reason to rethink the doctrines of our faith and be tolerant to others, watering down the Holy commandments of God. 

But we have to be clear here. Fosdick wasn't questioning secondary issues. He wasn't saying that we should show acceptance to those who believe differently about baptism or church government. No, he was arguing that the Fundamentalists should be tolerant of the modernists in their midst - not outside of the church, but inside - who don't hold to, namely. the inerrancy and authority of Scripture, the virgin birth, and the atonement and second coming of Christ. 

Maybe the Fundamentalists didn't always have a charitable attitude as they defended and fought for the core doctrines of the faith, but you can easily see why they would be passionate. These essentials are the whole of the Christian doctrine that we hold dear. Without them, there is no Christianity. There's just an empty shell. 

Fosdick admonished the congregation for "quarreling over little matters."  "Little matters?" No, my dear sir, a different gospel.  

I had a hard time wrapping my mind around this sermon at first because God is supernatural. Jesus said in John 4:24, "God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth." It appeared God was being excommunicated from the church, so a more modern, tolerant deity could take his place. And I guess, one we could see? If we should only believe in what we can see; I'm not even sure how to take that. 

I recommend you google the sermon, reading it in its entirety, but this is the gist: Our beautiful faith was wrung, twisted, and hung out to dry in an already, hotly debated church climate where tensions had been stirring for decades. And Fosdick portrayed the Fundamentalists - those clinging to the core doctrines of Christianity - as bullies I felt. It's a piece of classic liberal rhetoric, and again, I'd love to address all of it.  But you read it and see what you think. 

If you're going to not believe the Bible is the true Word of God nor the sacred doctrines that are held within, why would you even try to hold onto Christianity? Just go start another religion. This has never made sense to me. What would cause a preacher to do this? 

Here's some of the backstory into why: 

The19th century's enlightenment period seemed to be slowly eroding all traces of faith in America, a country that had been founded primarily on biblical principles, replacing it with reason alone, the notion that science and religion couldn't exist in the same atmosphere, but more than anything I believe we can thank the introduction of Darwin's "Origin of Species" for paving the way to secularism and progressive thought in our nation's mainline denominations. After studying this for some time now, I don't think this is too much of a stretch. 

Never before had there been this idea so widely spread in a society that perhaps God didn't really exist after all. And it got worse; maybe we descended from monkeys. Think of the existential despair this must have led to. 

When a society begins to believe that there is no God, no Creator, and we are just the product of random processes blindly moving along with no rhyme or reason after an amoeba grows legs and crawls out of the primordial soup, the fruits of this thought can't yield a healthy crop. Ideas have consequences. 

Even Friedrich Nietzsche the atheist philosopher had the integrity to admit that if we throw out God we've just thrown out our basis for morality. 

I'm not insinuating that we should believe in God just because it's helpful. But instead, examine that fact. In and of itself this longing is a major clue.  And anyway, there is more evidence pointing to God than naturalism by the one simple truth that something can't come from nothing. That should put the whole debate to rest, because not just "something" but something so amazing and finely tuned, inside the universe, but also inside of us! 

I believe the doubts sown in Fosdick's sermon that day in the minds of many American church goers, already contemplating the idea of evolution, didn't at once cause the tidal wave to slam into the shoreline, but it did, as many historians note, give liberalism the push it needed to start the wave rushing toward the beach. 

Or to use another metaphor from God's creation, the seeds of doubt that we were not created by an all-loving, all-powerful and all-wise God from our increasing liberal environment received the manure they would need to germinate and grow. 

And John D. Rockefeller was all too willing to cultivate the weeds growing out of the dung. 

Many people know of him as a Christian, but what they may not realize is that Rockefeller was what we would call today a "progressive Christian" because he enjoyed Fosdick's sermon so much calling into questions the core doctrines of our faith that he had his publicist to print 130,000 copies and send to every Protestant preacher in America. 

Also known as a philanthropist, though his money for medical research and the like usually came with strings attached as he held control over his beneficiaries, Rockefeller would have been 83 years old at this time. He is responsible for helping spread a false Christ and another gospel throughout our nation, attempting to pollute every pulpit in the mainline denominations. He used his wealth to do evil. 

After Fosdick was fired from the Presbyterian church, Rockefeller built him a church of his own. Biographer Ron Chernow had this to say about Rockefeller: 

"What makes him problematic—and why he continues to inspire ambivalent reactions—is that his good side was every bit as good as his bad side was bad. Seldom has history produced such a contradictory figure."

The Presbyterians and Episcopalians were the first of the seven sisters to become embroiled in the battle for the authority and errancy of the Scriptures, fighting against their own seminary professors who engaged in higher criticisms of its content and sola scriptura ( Latin for by Scripture alone ) which our reformation fathers gave their lives to protect. 

I'm skipping a ton of history here, but again I hope this encourages you to engage in your own research. Please have the integrity to look into the church traditions you've grown up with as well as becoming more sure in the core doctrines of the Christian faith and the validity of the scriptures. 

We need to always be studying them deeply while also teaching them to our children; this can only strengthen our faith as we arrive at the knowledge of the truth. And I arrived at the answer to my question which started this whole theological journey. Why was Redeemer Presbyterian in Manhattan so unlike the Presbyterian church I grew up in? 

The answer: Redeemer was a part of the denomination that splintered off of the mainline Presbyterian church ( PCUSA ) finally in 1973. My childhood church was PCUSA, and that's why even though at that time our church still sang most hymns and recited selected passages from the Bible, the Apostle's Creed, and Lord's Prayer, I still had never heard the true gospel preached and explained or sat under expository teaching of the Bible. No sin, repentance, wrath, hell, just a short sermon with a bit of love, mercy and grace mixed in. Those are vitally important, but half a gospel is no gospel at all.  

I am thankful for a Sunday school teacher who took our class through the memorization of the shorter catechism, and for the liturgy and sacraments. Those seeds rooted and grew, late blooming, for sure, but still a tree grows in Bedford. I don't want to seem ungrateful because when I look back, I see God's hand in my life, his eye watching over me. I don't want to leave an ungrateful impression. God works everywhere.

Jesus is neither a liberal or a conservative, nor is he a third way. Jesus IS the way. Jesus supersedes our flawed, human categories. Jesus is the Word himself. When we embrace and are satisfied in him we are eating the sound doctrine of our faith. The two are inseparable. 

Since the late 60s and early 70s when I was a young girl, the mainline churches have slowly let go each passing year it seems of more and more of what makes us a Christian. 

There's so much more to say, but I'll just have to keep blogging. Here's a quote from the PCA's website: 

"It separated from the Presbyterian Church in the United States (Southern) in opposition to the long-developing theological liberalism which denied the deity of Jesus Christ and the inerrancy and authority of Scripture. Additionally, the PCA held to the traditional position on the role of women in church offices."

So, how are we doing without God? 

Someone may say that there are some who still believe and worship God in mainline churches, but I would argue that it is a god of their own making, not the God of the Bible. If they are worshiping the true God and Jesus Christ whom he has sent, it's only a matter of time before their spiritual stomachs start to growl and like so many before them, vacate the premises. 

Without God and his gospel of the atoning work of Jesus Christ his Son for the forgiveness of our sins and for our redemption, mainline churches have nothing to offer. And people have better things to do on a Sunday morning. 

Sadly, the dwindling numbers each year of attendees in the mainline churches remaining open cause us to prepare and mourn their impending death, and for me to rest my case.  

For now anyway. 

💜

I want to offer two resources for anyone who is interested: 

In 1923, J. Gresham Machen, a New Testament Professor at Westminister Theological Seminary, published a response to Fosdick's sermon and to the liberalism that arose in the early 1900s. He thoroughly explains the importance of scriptural doctrine as his work has become a classic defense of orthodox Christianity. I highly recommend reading Fosdick's sermon and then this book. 

Also, Alisa Childers' "Another Gospel?" is an easy to read, charitable, informative response to progressive Christianity as well with a deep look into the essentials of our faith through her experience in a progressive Bible study. Check out her weekly podcast too! 

The Widow's Faith

Luke 18:  And he told them a parable to the effect that they ought always to pray and not lose heart. 2 He said, “In a certain city there was a judge who neither feared God nor respected man. 3 And there was a widow in that city who kept coming to him and saying, ‘Give me justice against my adversary.’ 4 For a while he refused, but afterward he said to himself, ‘Though I neither fear God nor respect man, 5 yet because this widow keeps bothering me, I will give her justice, so that she will not beat me down by her continual coming.’” 6 And the Lord said, “Hear what the unrighteous judge says. 7 And will not God give justice to his elect, who cry to him day and night? Will he delay long over them? 8 I tell you, he will give justice to them speedily. Nevertheless, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on earth?”

This is a picture of faith.

Will Jesus find this faith when he comes? 
 

Faith is believing God and continuing to pray until you get the answer. 

And sometimes it's not so simple as, "yes, no, or wait." 

There's many reasons the Bible gives as to why we might not be receiving an answer to our prayers: shutting our ears to the poor, sin, doubt, pride, a violent temper, selfish motives, loving your sin, mistreating God's people, husbands not being understanding and honoring with their wives. ( Proverbs 28:27, James 1:5-7, James 4:6, 1 Peter 3:7, James 4:3, Psalms 66:16, Proverbs 3:31-33, Micah 3:2-5 ) 

In other words, it's more complex that what prosperity gospel and word of faith preachers would have you believe, not that they've ever been known for biblical integrity or scholarship, although they're full of special revelations outside of God's Word. Know your Bible; that's the best way to combat this stuff. 

And like the widow, believe and persist. That's faith. Our persistence demonstrates trust in God. Not in our faith, but in God. And in the process, we are growing in our sanctification process. 

And that's what the Bible has in view here. This is important; we can't miss this: 

"For this is the will of God, your sanctification:" ( 1 Thessalonians 4:3 ) 

Don't lose sight of the goal for believers in all the prosperity and word of faith propaganda that plagues our church culture. 

The Scriptures clearly teach us that our sanctification is what is in mind. Not our health, wealth, and success. They move the Gospel out of the center, and in doing so, remove the only thing that can bring eternal life. 

Along the way, as God completes the work he began in us, God meets our needs, more so than his birds and flowers because we are of more worth to him, and this is the beautiful relationship that we develop during our transformational process as a child of God.  ( Philippians 1:6 ) 

Trusting that God knows best for us. 

Not only must we be convinced that God is good, but that he always has good in store for us! We're his children, and if he is not allowing something into our lives that we want, there is a good reason. Trust him. And may we ask the Holy Spirit to teach us and show us our own hearts in our daily walk with him as he is the One conforming us. He knows us better than we know ourselves. 

Do not manipulate God or treat him like a vending machine as word of faith preachers would have you do. Trust him each moment of our lives. Notice that the persistent widow in Jesus's parable didn't attempt to work the situation or engineer any results. She simply kept "asking, seeking, and knocking." 

This is the faith Jesus will be looking for. "That they would pray." Not demand or command or declare or decree. Pray. 

Not getting God to "work for us" or getting the Word to "bring us results" or "act on it" or "be obedient" to get God to "work for you" like it's all based on our performance. It's based on Christ's work at the cross, not ours. If you hear any of these catch phrases, that's word of faith nonsense. Run. 

Who wants a relationship with God like that anyway? He becomes nothing more than a means to an end. It's beyond irreverent.  

Never does the Bible use this kind of language. Never. 

And neither did any of our church fathers throughout church history. In deed, they had their hands full fighting to preserve orthodox Christianity from heresies and false teachers. If word of faith doctrine was a part of the Bible, why didn't they endorse it? It wasn't; that's why they didn't. Think about that, my friends. 

I'm still working on part two of the progressive gospel series, Lord willing, and I'd like to give the roots and history of where some of this prosperity/seed-faith/word of faith theology comes from that poisons our church culture, and most importantly, share the Truth it attempts to replace. 

Happy Thursday Everyone!  

Contend for the faith!

Let's keep running our race! 

💜

This is No Joke

A man walks into a progressive church. 

He's been struggling with sin. He knows inside of him there's this moral code of conduct he should be keeping, but he can't obey it no matter how hard he tries. He's familiar with the Ten Commandments and with a Jesus whom others told him died on a cross for everyone's sins. He remembers hearing about him years ago as a kid at a neighborhood church's Vacation Bible School in the town where he grew up. A boyhood friend had invited him to go.  

Now the man is at the end of his rope and looking for that Jesus. 

The progressive preacher at the church gets up and preaches a fifteen minute message devoid of anything supernatural. He tells the congregation to follow their hearts because the truth is inside of them. The Bible is a myth, he tells them, but they are invited to live by the parts of it they like and disregard the outdated material or anything offensive. He tells them they must create their own truth and identity. "They don't need to change," the preaches says, "God accepts them just as they are."

The man knows he's not acceptable or worthy to stand before a holy God, and he doesn't trust his own heart. The man is further confused by the pastor's words. 

After the service when the man tries to explain the guilt and shame he is experiencing from his sin, the pastor responds that the "sin" the man has been engaging in is, in fact, not a sin at all. 

"The cosmic christ didn't die for sins because you're not a sinner," the pastor informs him. He died to show you love and forgiveness and to be a good example. We don't need all that "bloody sacrificial stuff" to be saved from any wrath of God. In the end God just forgives everyone. That's his job," the pastor asserts. 

The pastor suggests that the man volunteer to deliver food boxes to seniors for the church's food pantry or to help in their substance abuse support group or diversity program. Maybe those things would make him feel better about himself. The pastor said this to the man to encourage him. 

Except the man was anything but encouraged. The man knows deep inside the things he struggles with and the temptations he gives into are wrong; he's tried doing good works already to clean himself up to no avail. He knows he needs something outside of himself. 

The progressive church has nothing to offer to help the man. 

So the next Sunday the man decides he will visit the big box church near his home. 

He's seen the pastor on influential news media outlets and popular talk shows, surely, he thinks, this pastor can help him. When the pastor takes to the stage in the huge, packed-out auditorium, he doesn't mention the words "sin" or "repentance," because he has said that's not his style. 

The Pastor smiles a big, friendly grin and says, "Cheer up, friends, I believe that 99.9% of people are not bad people. Deep down you all have a good heart. You're not sinning; you're just making bad choices." 

Just like he had said on CNN and Oprah. 

Then he goes on to tell the crowd that he will be sharing several points from his new book on how they can all live a successful life and be healthy and wealthy. Those things seemed unfulfilling and shallow to the man; he knew they couldn't satisfy the hunger inside of him or repair his sinful, broken heart. 

To keep up appearances, the pastor cherry picked and then twisted a Bible verse to fit with his lollipop theology. Then he added quickly, as if an afterthought at the end of his message, for the people to accept Jesus as their Lord and Savior if they hadn't already. "Just ask Jesus on into your heart. If you said those words, you're a Christian." 

The poor man leaves not only still discouraged, but now even more confused. He doesn't understand why the 99.9% of people born good would even need Jesus. 

The following Sunday, still feeling distraught and hopeless, the man attempts yet another local church on a wing and a prayer of finding the true Jesus. The preacher at this church gets up and actually preaches out of the Bible, an entire chapter, for forty minutes. In fact, this preacher calls a spade a spade and then some. He preaches the hell out of sin and the law. 

He hollers and admonishes the congregation that they need to stop playing church. He shouts at them that their problem is they don't take their faith serious enough. They need to read their Bibles more. Pray more. Stop smoking that weed and drinking that booze. Stop sleeping with their boyfriend and girlfriend. Stop voting for Democrats. 

They need to try harder the preacher reprimanded them.  

But the poor man knows he has already gone that route, and in spite of doing the best he can in obedience to the what he knows he should be doing, he still falls short. He understands it's God's law, but the weight of trying to earn God's favor is smashing him to death. It's heavy. He can't fulfill its crushing demands. 

The man leaves yet another church still empty. The loving, wise, and deeply unshakeable Jesus the man remembers from his childhood, the One holding children in his arms while rebuking religious leaders and forgiving sinners seemed to be a distance memory fading more and more with each passing week. 

"Then Jesus said to his disciples, 'The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few;'" ( Matthew 9:37 ) 

The man pulls into his driveway after the service. 

He sees his neighbor working to remove a tire from his car as his kids play around him in the front yard. Something inside of the man beckons him to walk over and see if the neighbor needs any help. The truth is that he is just lonely and desiring to connect to something greater than himself, something his sin or material possessions or any amount of good works or anything else this broken world has to offer just can't seem to satisfy. He's empty, in pain and out of options. 

The neighbor smiles as the man approaches. He has waved at the neighbor before and exchanged greetings and small talk when the man first moved in several months ago. The neighbor had invited him to a cookout, but the man had made up an excuse not to go. Now he felt sorry for lying. 

"Apparently I punctured a tire on our way home from, church," the neighbor tells him. 

"Really? I was just coming from church myself," the man admits. 

The neighbor looks straight at the man's face as it he could perceive his very thoughts. "Are you sure it wasn't a funeral?" the neighbor says smiling wide, but his creased brow revealed a look of concern. 

"Is it that obvious?" the man says, now smiling a bit himself. 

"Are there any churches in this town that talk about the real Jesus?" the man asked him.  I think I need him.

"Man, don't go anywhere," the neighbor says as he dashes through his front door returning almost immediately with a Bible in his hand. 

The neighbor sits down on the front steps and starts flipping through the thin pages. He stops and holds the Bible out, firm in both hands. "This is the gold standard, by the way, the neighbor says, "There has to be an authority greater than what we can come up with ourselves, and this is it. If you start cutting parts out you don't like, you've just become the authority, and you're back to where you started. 

The man nodded in affirmation. 

"The emptiness and conviction you're feeling," the neighbor begins to tell the man, is a very good thing. Jesus, the real Jesus you're looking for, tells us in John 6:44 "No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws them." So you're being drawn, man. That's why you're searching and hungry. 

"Sometimes God is referred to as "the hound of heaven," the neighbor said, smiling again. 

This is why the writer of Hebrews warns us by quoting Psalm 95, "Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion."  

The neighbor explained to him that God had created the world perfect and beautiful, and when our first parents, Adam and Eve, disobeyed the only commandment God gave them to not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil for in that day they would surely die, all hell broke loose, so to speak.  ( Genesis 1-3 ) 

"Romans 5:12 tells us on that day "sin came to all men through the one man Adam, and death through sin, so death spread to all men because all men sinned."

In Romans 3:10 the Apostle Paul quotes the Psalms also, "as it were written: None is righteous, no, not one; no one understands; no one seeks for God. All have turned aside; together they have become worthless; no one does good, not even one."   

The man felt the weight upon his heart grow even more crushing. God's law had awakened in him conviction. "How can I be accepted then?" the man cried out. "Isn't there anything to help me? I've heard Jesus died for the sins of the world!" 

"You're experiencing the human condition," the neighbor told him. And this knowledge has humbled you; a person has no hope of finding the real Jesus if they are prideful and think they are born good, doing just fine on their own. 

Those folks don't need or want him, like the Pharisees and hypocrites. Jesus said in Matthew 5:20 unless our righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, we will never enter the kingdom of heaven. He didn't come for the righteous, but the sinner." 

And yes, there is help. That's why it's called the 'Good News'" 

"Did you ever wonder why Jesus came as a baby? You've heard the greatest and most well-known Bible verse, John 3:16. 'For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, that whosoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life?'

"Yes," the man said as he continued to listen.

"We're separated from God we sinned against a holy God. We have no idea how holy God is! ( Isaiah 6 ) The commandments in the Bible are God's law - his standard. They must be kept perfectly for us to be holy and be with him. Because of the fall after creation, not only can we not keep God's law, but we must be punished for not keeping it." 

"This is because God is just. If he allowed sin, evil and wickedness, to go unpunished, he would not be just. He would not be good. Who wants to serve a God like that anyway? That's the Christian hope, that one day God will right every wrong. We can believe one day there will be perfect justice executed by our Holy God." 

"And when you attempt to keep the law of God to achieve your salvation, you will always fail. The law teaches us that we are sinners, but it doesn't contain the power to save us. It's our signpost. It points us in the right direction. That's why you have been experiencing so much turmoil. If you know you need something outside of yourself to save you, hearing, "just try harder," only frustrates you more." 

The only thing that has the power to save us is the Gospel of Jesus Christ. 

So, back to Baby Jesus. That's why Jesus came as an infant, to live the perfect life we should have lived and that God requires. He experienced what it was like to be inside of human flesh, the temptations, the daily grind, the ridicule and rejection." 

"When we put our trust in Christ Jesus, his perfect life is imputed to us. In Christ, we are now accepted before God. Jesus is God, and his shed blood for our sins is the only thing that could save us." 

The man dropped his head into his hands. 

"Dear God," he sobbed, "I have sinned against you; forgive me. I'm so sorry. I repent of my unrighteousness and my sins. I need you, Jesus. I can't do this on my own. Jesus, I believe you lived and died for me, and I believe you resurrected from the dead. Now I want to live for you. Help me, Jesus. Oh, Jesus, thank you, thank you, Jesus." 

In that moment the man finally met the real Jesus; he knew the truth. And the truth set him free. 

He was searching for Jesus because Jesus was searching for him. 

He had once been lost, but now was found. 

All of a sudden the law was beautiful to him. He was now under grace, and wanted nothing more than to please God for all he had done for him in Christ and to never sin again. And even though he understood he would still struggle with sin and trouble until he died, he had a new desire and power to obey the commandments of God, and forgiveness when he didn't because he had been filled with the Holy Spirit at conversion as Jesus promised. He was sealed. 

He also felt a new power inside of him to forgive others since so much had been forgiven him. 

He knew it was the unpopular, hard path of life, narrow and less traveled, but there was no where else he would ever want to be. If he was mocked or suffered persecution for Christ's sake, he would praise God that he was counted worthy to suffer for the one who suffered the greatest pain of all for him. 

The neighbor invited the man to come to church with him and his family the next Sunday so the man could joyfully partake in the sacrament of baptism. 

He says that it's a small church, but healthy and thriving with people of all ages and backgrounds. He said they aren't perfect, but they love people and love sound doctrine. Their pastor is going through the Book of Romans currently in Sunday morning worship service, and he thought the man would greatly benefit from the study as a new believer. 

The neighbor said the church also had smaller Bible studies and life groups and community and global outreach ministries. He invited the man to join him at the next men's prayer breakfast.  

"All of the above," the man responded with exceeding joy,"And when is your next family cookout? the man asked." 

The neighbor smiled at him. 

"Soon, Brother, very soon." 

"'therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest.'" ( Matthew 9:38 )  

"Another Gospel?"

"You never know how much you really believe anything until its truth or falsehood becomes a matter of life and death to you." C.S. Lewis 

Part 1 

I know I blog a bit about the prosperity gospel, but today I'm headed in a different direction. 

I'll return to the word of faith theology in future blogs because having been a part of that movement, I'm aware of the history and its foundation that run parallel to metaphysical thought and that needs to be explained and warned against. 

In the WOF church the Farmer and I attended in Texas, we were encouraged to read recommended books on these subjects stocked in the church's bookstore. The Farmer even applied to Rhema Bible College in Broken Arrow, Oklahoma, that promises to "help equip you to live successfully." Because that's our purpose as believers, isn't it? So, yeah, we were in deep. 

I personally just wanted to deconstruct from all of the brainwashing and move on; however, I'm beginning to realize that the word of faith message is picking up momentum in certain circles packaged under different names with a younger generation of rising "stars" being trained to take over the aging founders. Even though Kenneth Copeland "prophesied" that he'll live to 120. We'll see how that turns out for him with his hearing aids and pacemaker. Remember, do as he says, not as he does.

I'm sorry, I'll try to behave for the rest of this. It's just that this false gospel has hurt and exploited so many desperate people when all we needed to do was give them the truth instead of another gospel. Then they would be truly healed enjoying a blessed relationship with Jesus with their names written in the Book of Life. What's better than that? 

As Christians we are mandated by our Lord Jesus to spread the true gospel and make disciples. In countering these false narratives, as Scripture commands us to do, we are helping people to see God's truth. ( Matthew 28:16-20 ) 

That's why I'm compelled to share my story of yet another gospel - the one I believed first in my childhood church. And mixed in between these denominational narratives were hyper-charismatic and grounded Baptist churches. Seriously, ya'll, it's been real. Some people have been in the same denomination their entire lives, but that's not my story. Maybe it gives me a unique perspective, I don't know. I hope some good comes from it. 

Several years ago I embarked on a personal research study into American Christianity that has led me all over the theological map, meandering along paths I hadn't planned to travel, but that's the way research journeys usually proceed, into unchartered, but enlightening depths. 

The whole project started innocently when I realized the Presbyterian church I had grown up in had changed dramatically, or had it? 

As way of foundation: 

Shortly before this venture, I had been listening to the Gospel in Life podcast. My man children introduced me to Dr. Tim Keller's ministry. I shared already about having my heart opened to the gospel at a Passion Conference during a John Piper sermon. God can and does use anything to reach us, doesn't he? Middle age me sitting in the midst of hip college students. 

Well after that, both boys thought separately that Dr. Keller would be a good fit for me and my theological questions. lol GIL runs his old sermon series, three messages per week. 

Dr. Keller, who passed away in 2023, was a Presbyterian pastor. And that was the thing that puzzled me. 

Not that I was even remotely a biblical student back in the day as a teeny bopper, far from it, but Dr. Keller's church, Redeemer in NYC, his sermons not so much the liturgy, weren't anything like the Presbyterian church I remembered from my childhood.  

During the summers as a young girl and then teenager, I spent several weeks with my grandmother in the New River Valley, and we would attend her Presbyterian church together. Dr. Keller's church wasn't like hers either. 

Then one day, listening to a Becket Cook podcast, Becket told how he was taking Church History classes on line from a professor named Dr Robert Godfrey and how helpful it had been. I enrolled before the podcast ended because that was something I was profoundly ignorant, but interested in. 

This was through Ligonier Ministries, so of course I was introduced to the late Dr. R.C. Sproul's teaching, then Sinclair Ferguson and eventually Derek Thomas - all Presbyterian pastors and theologians, and all unlike the church I remember. 

You might be asking, "What was so different?" I'm sure people associated with the denomination probably have a good idea of what I'm getting at, but to be as concise as I can, I would say, "meat." I was hungry, and they were feeding me something that filled my soul. Prior to this, I had been feeding on the cotton candy theology diet of the prosperity gospel and word of faith sermons, as the Farmer so eloquently puts it, "big nothing burgers," so I was quite famished. We both were. 

I began to dig. 

At this point in my life, it dawned on me that in spite of being in church my whole life, I was the vineyard worker that showed up at 5 minutes to 5; nonetheless, the owner graciously and mercifully paid me for a full day's work. ( Matthew 20:1 -16 ) 

Better late than never. Better to be a late bloomer in the Kingdom of God than to never produce good fruit at all. It's humbling. And that's always a good thing - another biblical truth I would come to learn and experience. Over and over. 

The Presbyterian church is what is known as a "mainline denomination." The Farmer wasn't even aware of the mainline because he grew up in a Pentecostal / Charismatic setting. He said his tradition was birthed early in the 20th century, and he said they weren't encouraged to associate with other denominations. I inspired him to engage in his own homework. He said that's more than his school teachers could inspire. lol   

In case you're curious, America's mainline denominations, also known as the "Seven Sisters of American Protestantism," comprise of the Congregational Church, the Episcopal Church, the Evangelical Lutheran Church, the Presbyterian Church, the United Methodist Church, the American Baptist Convention, and the Disciples of Christ. 

When I was in Atlanta last week visiting my oldest son and daughter-in-law, we got into this discussion as we strolled along the quaint downtown storefronts in some of the smaller, surrounding suburbs about the vintage looking churches that dotted the landscape. They told me that when they inquired into the churches, they were told from the pastors themselves that just a few white haired little old seniors still attended them. 

From my study I already knew that there has been a drastic "mainline decline" going on for decades, but I had no idea how bad it really was.  

Here's some data from an article first posted in "World" and then on a podcast entitled "Lessons from Mainline Decline" - the author centers on the Presbyterian church because that's the one he grew up in as well, but the same thing is happening in all mainline denominations.

"If you aren’t a baby boomer or a student of religious history, it can be hard to fathom the cultural influence and social cohesion that once resided in mainline Protestantism. At its height in 1965, mainline Protestant churches counted 31 million members out of a U.S. population of less than 200 million. Most Protestants were in the mainline denominations, and the country’s cultural norms were set, for better or for worse, by the old school Protestant establishment.

Almost 60 years later, all of that has changed. In its recently released demographic report, the Presbyterian Church (USA) announced it lost another 51,584 members. From a membership peak of 4.25 million in 1965, the PCUSA rolls are now down to 1.19 million. And that membership decline hardly conveys the severity of the situation. In the last reporting year, the denomination dissolved 104 congregations and dropped four presbyteries. More than 40 percent of the congregations have fewer than 50 members. Almost a third of the denomination is more than 70 years old, and another 26 percent are older than 55. Keep in mind that only 16 percent of Americans are 65 or older. The PCUSA is literally dying."

So why is Keller's Redeemer Presbyterian and the others unlike the above Presbyterian? Redeemer is a large, healthy, growing church, in a secular area, no less, with outreach ministries all over the city and world. That's because Redeemer is not PCUSA, it's PCA. 

What does that mean? 

Why is the PCUSA declining? 

The PCA is still a smaller denomination and even though it isn't necessarily growing exponentially, it is increasing yearly within all age brackets. 

I do not mean to imply that small churches can't be thriving and healthy, they absolutely can be! They are a blessing within their communities and globally as they serve the Lord and others with gladness, but within their small numbers they are more like a bubbling, fresh water stream than a stagnated pond. 

In fact, this very day at Heritage Home Lisda and the children are blessed to receive a visit from Cornerstone Presbyterian Church from Fairfax, Virginia. PCA and KPCW ( Korean Presbyterian Church of Washington. ) The Farmer has visited the church many times, and we learn much from God's Word, listening to Pastor Paul's sermons on line. 

So what is the difference in PCUSA and PCA? 

I wanted to know - PCUSA was where I was raised. It concerned and confused me. I had never heard of either - that's how unlearned I was. A quick look at my childhood church's website, and it revealed not only that it is a PCUSA church, but a beautiful, large sanctuary with only a handful of mostly white-headed seniors. 

What gives? 

I know there will be some who disagree with me, but I hope you will at least hear me out. Stay tuned for the backstory on the American Church's Mainline Decline. I'm not trying to create a cliffhanger here; I just want to keep my blogs short. I hope this has been helpful so far and possibly encourages you in your own study, creating a hunger for the Truth. 

💜

 

The Priestly Prayer

"All these things my hand has made, and so all these things came to be, declares the Lord. But this is the one to whom I will look: he who is humble and contrite in spirit and trembles at my word." ( Isaiah 66:2 ) 

"Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need." ( Hebrews 4:16 ) 

And it's always a time of need, isn't it? 

One of the areas I had to relearn and grow in after being in a word-faith church was our most basic privilege: prayer. 

In the Scriptures we are invited to come with confidence and humbly pray to God, to ask him for anything. ( Matthew 7, Luke 11 )  

So, we see that we are encouraged to pray for everything, to ask, seek, knock. Jesus told his disciples parables that they would pray and not give up. ( Luke 18:1 ) 

In Paul's epistles we are told to pray for all manner of things concerning the saints. I recently typed out Paul's prayers throughout the New Testament to pray back to him for my family and for others.  

When Jesus was on earth he prayed. We have the pleasure of being privy to some of his prayers. In John 17, known as "The High Priestly Prayer" we are given an entire chapter of Jesus praying to the Father, humbly and faithfully. For us! He prayed for Peter after satan asked to sift "all of you" like wheat. ( Luke 22:31-34 ) 

 In the Garden of Gethsemane, Jesus "fell to the ground and prayed." ( Matthew 26:39 ) 

Throughout the gospels we see Jesus up early in the morning praying in a desolate place. We see him praying all night sometimes.

Jesus taught his disciples to pray when they asked him. Even people who aren't Christians know "The Lord's Prayer." 

Jesus is our Lord and Savior if we repent of our sins and trust him to save us. He tells us then to take up our cross and follow him. He asked that God not take us out of the world, but keep us from the evil one. God has that power. Of course, he does. 

Jesus is able to save us to the uttermost, since he always lives to make intercession for us. ( Hebrews 7:25 ) That has to be one of the most comforting verses in the Bible. 

Jesus taught us to pray in more ways than one. 

Listen to this verse from Hebrews 5:7; it has guided and changed my prayer life: 

"In the days of his flesh, Jesus offered up prayers and supplications, with loud cries and tears to him who was able to save him from death and he was heard because of his reverence." 

My ESV commentary says that 'supplication' indicates a submissive request. 

Jesus Christ, the Son of God, was heard because of his reverence. 

We never see Jesus declaring and decreeing things from God. 

And it's okay to cry; it means we're weak. It shows we are dependent on him. His strength is made perfect through our weakness. Jesus wept. 

In many churches and movements today, we see leaders teaching their congregations to "decree and declare," "command and demand," "name and claim" No where does it tells us to do this in the Scripture. It took me awhile to get this disrespectful jargon out of my head. 

We've lost our reverence for a God who is holy beyond anything we could ever imagine in our wildest dreams or nightmares. A God so clothed in holiness that anyone in Scripture who came near to his presence was on their face in the dirt. In a nano second, they found out, not only how holy, holy, holy Yahweh is, but how holy they are not. For the most part, I don't see this reverence in the American church today. 

We also see in Scripture that our motivation in prayer is important. God cares about the state of our hearts. 

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

Because what are we approaching when we come in prayer? 

A throne of "grace."

To receive "mercy and grace." 

"Confidently," we can come confidently only because Jesus made a way back for us and now we are God's children. Adopted. Dearly beloved. Created. Not begotten. That's important. We are not little gods. 

Daniel's humble prayer of repentance in Chapter 9 for his people is a wonderful model of what we should be praying for in regards to our nation, not just in light of wicked leaders and a volatile election year, but always. 

We hear celebrity pastors and prophets talk about God in such flippant ways displaying little respect or reverence. They say that God told them this and God told them that, but did God really tell them those things? We need to seriously examine ourselves and what we are hearing. 

Jesus was heard because of his reverence, and he is God. 

If Jesus is reverent toward God, shouldn't we be? 

Jesus commanded the waves and the wind, but he is God. He created the waves and the wind. 

Jesus commanded Lazarus to come forth, but Jesus conquered death. 

Contrary to what is being said in word-faith, prosperity gospel circles, we are not "just like Jesus." All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to Jesus. Not us. Jesus gave his disciples authority for a specific purpose - for evangelism. All authority is given by him. ( John 19:11 ) 

In Christ, we are now clothed in his righteousness. We stand accepted by God through what Christ has done for us. We are blessed in Jesus with every spiritual blessing, and are given all things that pertain to life and godliness. We have God the Holy Spirit living in us forever. We have been blessed beyond measure, beyond anything we can wrap our minds around. ( 1 Peter 1:3, Ephesians 1 & 2, John 14:16 ) 

We have a living hope that one day we will be made holy too. Can you even imagine that? The Farmer and I encourage each other with this beautiful hope as we struggle in our sin and weaknesses during the difficult times. ( Romans 8:30 ) 

This knowledge should cause us to live in a state of thanksgiving and reverence continually to our holy, gracious Father, that he would love and save sinners such as us. 

"Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice. 

Let your reasonableness be known to everyone. The Lord is at hand; 

do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. 

And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus." ( Philippians 4:4-7 ) 

Let this be our prayer today. 

"For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. " ( John 3:16 ) 

T.G.I.M.

"For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sake, he became poor, so that you by his poverty might become rich." ( 2 Corinthians 8:9 ) 

This is the Bible verse that prosperity gospel preachers use to promote their false teaching. 

To be clear, prosperity gospel and word-faith preachers argue that the atonement of Jesus Christ promised us wealth in this life. ( and perfect health, but I'm not tackling this one today ) 

One of the first rules of Bible study is that Scripture interprets Scripture. So right off the bat, we should be asking ourselves, even though this verse is in the context of giving, what did Jesus say about riches, money, and wealth? What does his atonement actually entail? 

He talked about wealth a lot. Why? 

"And as for what fell among the thorns, they are those who hear, but as they go on their way they are choked by the cares and riches and pleasures of life, and their fruit does not mature." ( Luke 8:14 ) 

"And Jesus, looking at him, loved him, and said to him, 'You lack one thing: go, sell all that you have and give to the poor and you will have treasure in heaven, and come, follow me. Disheartened by the saying, he went away sorrowful, for he had great possessions." ( Luke 10:21 -22 ) 

The man's wealth meant more to him than Jesus. 

"For you say, 'I am rich, I have prospered, and I need nothing, not realizing that you are wretched, pitiable, poor, blind, and naked." ( Revelation 3:17 ) 

This verse spoken by Jesus to the church in Laodicea can't help but remind me of the American prosperity gospel message. It reminds me of Jesse Duplantis bragging to his audience that he lives in the biggest mansion in the state of Louisiana, and correcting people that call him a "millionaire," because he says he is in fact a "mult-millonaire," and admonishing viewers during Kenneth Copeland's victory-thon that Jesus isn't coming back until they start giving more money. 

Dear God. How is it that atheists and unbelievers can see that this ludicrous theology isn't orthodox Christianity, but people sitting under these bogus ministries can't? 

I think of John Oliver's crass, but perhaps warranted, episode on prosperity and word-faith teachers who abuse God's good and beautiful seed-harvest principle to exploit people. I think of all of the parodies of these charlatans on line, and it reminds me of Peter's words when he warns of false teachers arising among us: 

"And many will follow their sensuality, and because of them the way of truth will be blasphemed. And in their greed they will exploit you with false words." ( 2 Peter 2:2 ) 

We can see the way of truth blasphemed all over the internet everyday because of these false teachers. They've become a laughing stock. From Copeland blowing on the Covid virus, which went on to take the lives of thousands, to his tax-free, multimillion dollar "parsonage," to his embarrassing interviews, to slitting his wrist with what looks like a lollipop stick pretending to drip his blood in the communion cup. The Farmer said it was real; I don't know. Andrew Womack teaching that God is not sovereign. Good grief. 

However, God will not be mocked. ( Galatians 6:7 ) The seed-harvest principle will catch up with them at some point if they don't repent and turn to Christ. 

Peter goes on to say, "Their condemnation from long ago is not idle, and their destruction is not asleep." 

This is a warning to all of us. 

"And Jesus looked around and said to his disciples, 'How difficult it will be for those who have wealth to enter the kingdom of God!'" ( Luke 10:23 ) 

So my question is this: Why if Jesus warned us repeatedly about the dangers of riches would his atonement attain wealth for us in this life? That makes no sense. It could be like giving us a serpent or a scorpion; he's never going to do that. He loved the rich young ruler - did you see that? 

It doesn't mean rich people can't be saved. I always think of Nicodemus - the rich, Pharisee ( that's got to be a double whammy ). And his heart received the gospel and he was in deed born again like Jesus taught him that fateful night. 

We see the evidence of his salvation in helping Joseph of Arimathea, another rich man, prepare and bury the body of his Lord Jesus. Work reserved for slaves and women, but he did it with joy and didn't care who saw him. He used his money to buy the expensive materials for burial, and Joseph donated his tomb. And yes, Job and Abraham were wealthy. 

Rich people can be saved; Jesus said it was difficult, not impossible. Impossible with man, not with God. 

"Again, I tell you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the kingdom of God." ( Matthew 19:24 )  The poor tend to know they need him. This is what it means to be poor in spirit; to know our dark and desperate situation of the human soul. 

In 2 Corinthians, Chapter 8 Paul is teaching about good stewardship of God's money, and that we are blessed to be a blessing to others, to advance the kingdom of God, caring for our families, helping the poor, the widow, and the orphan, not building bigger barns for ourselves. A farmer - my finger's tremble as I type this. 

I sat under false teaching for years, and even now, I am still working with the help of the Holy Spirit to rid myself of residue from its poison. All of us have a bit of the prosperity gospel in our theology; it appeals to our sinful nature. I understand this because of being in these churches and because of being inside of my sinful flesh; it's a battle we will all fight until glorification. 

So we must continue to share the true, life-giving gospel and pray fervently for others because God has had grace upon us. None of us are off the hook. "Watch and pray that you may not enter into temptation." ( Matthew 26:41 ) 

"For by grace have you been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast." ( Ephesians 2:8 ) 

Faith is a gift from God - we don't conger faith up on our own. 

It's not that Jesus wants us poor in material things, but rather he doesn't want material things to have us. 

He knows the pitfalls of the riches, and he knows what's in us. The Farmer has enjoyed a prosperous work life for many years, and although he hasn't always been as frugal as he is today, he has gladly poured his earnings into the kingdom of God. As his wife, I've watched this over the years, and it's been an example to me. 

He would never tell this; that's why I am. He always acknowledges our partners, and rightfully so. He's helped widows and orphans and the needy, currently we have six new girls without parents coming to live at Heritage who Lisda is faithfully preparing for, but he wishes it were more. We can add these precious ones because older girls now educated with good jobs can live on their own and support themselves and others. To God be the glory. 

Jesus doesn't just warn of wealth - he shows us the better way. 

By his teaching that God already knows what we need before we ask him, to pray and ask for our daily bread, to understand and look at God's beautiful creation and see that he feeds his birds; he clothes his flowers. And we are of more worth to him than those, so we can rest assure as we seek his kingdom and his righteousness - not wealth and riches - all of these things ( food, drink, clothing, daily needs, but more importantly our salvation ) will be added to us. 

I know this is true because I've lived it. 

Jesus also shows us the better way by his life: 

"but emptied himself by taking the form of a servant." ( Philippians 2:8 )  

Don't miss this. Don't allow the prosperity gospel to rob you of the true gospel. 

The prosperity gospel preachers minimize the forgiveness of sins and the imputation of Christ's righteousness in the atonement to proclaim that it granted us wealth in this life. If wealth does come, as believers we have a responsibility to use it for God's kingdom. It's his money. And yes, part of that is taking care of our own families, for sure. 

In everything, we must be humble, poor and needy in our souls, this is knowing that without the atonement of Jesus Christ we could never be forgiven of our sins and adopted by God or have eternal life with him. 

God gives us the faith we need to believe. ( Hebrews 12:2 ) ( Philippians 1:29 ) 

He grants us repentance. ( 2 Timothy 2:25 ) 

Don't let the prosperity gospel rob you of a life with Jesus, a rich life of dependence upon God daily and the awesome opportunity of serving him with gladness with whatever resources he provides us with.

Something happens inside of a trust like this with our Savior that can never develop if we are focused on worldly wealth.

A truly rich life is one that is dependent on Christ. 

For everything. 

"Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven." ( Matthew 5:3 ) 

Baby Geese are the cutest. 

Whistle Work

"For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them." ( Ephesians 2:8-10 )

We are saved by the work of Christ, not by our good works - that's impossible the Bible says. That's why Jesus came to live the perfect life for us; we couldn't do it.  ( Romans 3 ) 

And yet as God's workmanship, God has prepared good works for us to do. 

“Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever believes in me will also do the works that I do; and greater works than these will he do, because I am going to the Father." ( John 14:12 )

Notice that these verses say, "good works," not signs and wonders. In the Greek the word "work" in these verses is ergon translated just that. "Work" 

God still does signs and wonders, but the point being here is that we are called to do "good works." 

In Matthew 7:22 when the false prophets say to Jesus on the last day, "Didn't we do many mighty works in your name?" The Greek word used here for "works" is dunamis meaning strength, power ability. And Jesus tells them that he never knew them. So signs and wonders aren't a ticket to heaven. 

I think it's crucial we distinguish between the two. We are called to do "good works." Again, this doesn't mean that God no longer heals or does miracles, he does. But sometimes we get so focused on signs and wonders and finding God's individual will for our lives that we forget our true calling. We are called to good works. 

What are these "good works?" 

They are the things right in front of us in the Scriptures: believing God to forgive us when we repent of our sins because of the death of his Son, being humble and trusting him for everything, knowing we are completely dependent on him to keep us breathing, clinging to him and not letting go. Those are good works. Maybe you never realized this - I didn't either. And the truth is so life-giving, isn't it? 

It's funny because when we realize the truth it makes us forget about seeking God's will for us as individuals because it's only then that we find our real purpose and have enjoyment in it. When we lose ourselves. 

Loving our neighbor and our enemy. Treating each other better than ourselves. Being refreshed by each other's company. Honoring our parents. Obeying government authorities. Studying the Scriptures. Praying without ceasing. Thanking God in all circumstances. Investing in grandkids and the next generation. 

Trusting him with our pain. 

Until recently, I didn't realize the overlap in good works and suffering, but as we, "Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete lacking in nothing." ( James 1:2-4 )  

And we see the purpose of good works drawn out, to transform us into the image of Christ. 

We tend to think a good work is filling a stadium or starting a hundred orphanages or being a faith-healer, but it's obeying right where we are planted. Even if we become bed-ridden, we can be kind to our care-givers and pray for them - that's a good work. So being cared for or being the care giver ourselves of a loved one is a work all the same. And that is what pleases our Father and makes us Christ-like - doing the good works he prepared for us in his providence. 

It's the upside-down kingdom of our Lord Jesus who came to serve, not to be served the Bible tells us. A good church is led by a pastor who models this. Not one with a security detail who is arrogant and unapproachable and more of a celebrity like we see so much today in our twisted "church" culture. 

All of Christ's Church together serving others is a better work than he could do limited to just one flesh and blood body. Now Jesus is working through many bodies. 

This is why Christians can whistle while they sweep floors and change diapers; because we are doing our good work to the glory of God where ever we find ourselves. No matter how daunting the task or circumstance, it's an opportunity to serve our Lord Christ and grow into his image. I've never been able to whistle, but I think how often I hear the Farmer whistling while engaging in his farm duties. My grandmother too, I remember her whistling when I was growing up. 

We know what matters to the heart of God. 

We are not saved by good works, but unto good works. James again speaks into this truth when he says, "What good is it, my brothers, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can that faith save him?" 

Our good works don't save us; they are the proof that we possess saving faith in Christ. 

This fruit springs out of a grateful heart that is transformed by the knowledge of the grace God has given to us. When we understand this biblical truth it changes the way we live. The Gospel is powerful like that. 

God is still working too. 

"And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ." ( Philippians 1:6 ) That's our glorious hope in Jesus - when we realize that God is not done with us either and everything that comes our way, including the suffering and the work we do, is there for the purpose of transforming us into the image of Christ. 

Please don't forget this today. 

We are his fellow workers in all that we do - what a privilege! What a joy! ( 1 Corinthians 3:9-16 ) 

Greetings from Atlanta!

Happy Wednesday! 

💜

all verses from ESV 

The Farmer has worked hard on our new raised beds. 

Our Wits' End

"They mounted up to heaven; they went down to the depths; their courage melted away in their evil plight; they reeled and staggered like drunken men and were at their wits' end." ( Psalm 107:26-27 )  

The context of Psalm 107 is that the members of the community are calling one another to give thanks to the LORD for rescuing them from their distress. There are four specific accounts detailed, and my Bible commentary says, "It is gratitude for Judah's return from exile." 

Verse 27 is the retelling of sailors on an uncontrollable sea who come to "their wits' in" - the ESV footnote says in Hebrew that means "and all of their wisdom was swallowed up." 

This passage in my reading plan immediately reminded me of other "boats" in the biblical narrative on a stormy sea - Noah's ark, the little floating bassinet made by Moses's mother to protect her son from death, the Disciples' storm tossed fishing boat on the Sea of Galilee. 

Another thing I learned from several commentators is that "sea" in Scripture, especially Revelation, is symbolic for the world, evil, and damnation. 

So, in these stories, we see that each boat is a vessel of salvation displaying not man's obedience or goodness, but the mercy of God, first and foremost, "in our evil plight." 

"- but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us." ( Romans 5:8 ) 

Last Friday as I was driving on a two lane back road to North Carolina, I was startled by a downpour from a thunderstorm heavier than anything I can ever remember driving in before. The water was accumulating on the road, but I couldn't stop or see to pull over, even if there was a place. My hands tightened on the steering wheel as my body tensed up, but I knew the best thing to do was to keep inching along through the sheets of rain with my eyes fastened firmly on the dim glow of the taillights in front of me. 

We are in empty, fragile vessels, and until we allow our wisdom to be swallowed up, we will never reach for God because we don't think we need him. Of the world religions including secularism, only the Christian faith answers all of the big questions in our hearts, swallows up the emptiness that the world attempts so inadequately to fill. The Gospel of Jesus Christ alone fits the human narrative. 

In the Christian faith we want everything to be "either, or," and it's just not that way - I think it's part of our human nature to desire this. 

By the way, regardless of what you hear, faith is not a force or a power that we tap into to get God to work on our behalf like a vending machine. Faith isn't a formula. 

"Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things unseen." ( Hebrews 11:1 ) 

Christianity is a reasonable faith, for sure, but reason is not enough. We must take it on faith, that is how God has designed it, meaning we don't always understand everything. If we think we can, then our view of God is entirely too low. 

Yes in Christ as believers, we are in a vessel of salvation, but these lifeboats are traveling through troubled waters as long as we are in this world. Until we come to finally rest on the celestial shores, our journey is above and sometimes through deep waters. ( John 16:33 ) ( Psalm 77:19 ) 

When we finally come to our wits' end, that's where our faith in Christ begins. And in our transformation process as believers, faith doesn't change our situation; it changes us. It changes how we look at the world. Faith isn't so much about how our story ends, but it's how we live in the stormy middle of those stories. 

"Well done good and faithful servant." ( Matthew 25:23 ) 

Ironically even though it feels at times like we are hydroplaning, we are, in fact, deeply rooted to Christ by our faith, a gift given to us by the power of the Holy Spirit to believe in Christ and to live out our lives in him as God's dearly beloved children. These faith roots keep us grounded, abiding in the vine, connected to Jesus as he promises to sustain us to the end. ( Psalm 1 ) ( Jude 24 ) ( 1 Corinthians 1:8 ) 

The flood waters around us become the very thing that allow us to experience the saving grace of God and grow into his likeness, like Moses, Noah, and the Disciples. 

In other words, it feels scary as hades, but in Christ, it's as safe as Heaven. And one fine day, my friends, you will see the glory that all of that suffering was preparing. That's a promise. ( 2 Corinthians 4:17 ) 

"Then they cried to the LORD in their trouble, and he delivered them from their distress. He made the storm be still and the waves of the sea were hushed. Then they were glad that the waters were quiet, and he brought them to their desired haven." ( Psalm 107:28-30 ) 

Be encouraged dear ones in his great and precious promises to us! 

Happy Wednesday 💜

T.G.I.M.

"And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires." ( Galatians 5:24 )

Since yesterday was Mother's Day, I was thinking about my mom a lot. Several years before she died we started meeting regularly for breakfast since both of us were up with the chickens. I remember one day when we were sitting there sipping our coffee at Famous A's mom said, "I just don't understand all of this 'crucify the flesh stuff.'" 

I laughed so hard at her. I said, "Mom, what do mean 'crucify the flesh stuff'? That's a verse in the Bible!" 

"What exactly does this mean because it sounds gruesome." I think that's what she was thinking. I've found this sanctification process in the believer's life to be as mysterious as it is messy. I know it is in mine. It's another one of those "already, but not now kingdom" things. We must become what we are. Mom couldn't quite wrap her mind around the concept, and yet, I believe she was doing it. 

I believe she was crucifying her flesh every time she met God in the morning with prayer and Bible reading, every time she wrote passages on index cards, reciting them to herself until the truth was driven deep and took hold. 

Every time she worshiped with her church family and sat under biblical teaching. Every time she met with her ladies's grace group and allowed other sisters to speak into her life. Every time she listened to someone's story and stepped inside of their pain. Every time she refused to give into gossip or anger or any sin because it so easily entangles. Every time she clung to Jesus in difficulties. Every time she wrote a check for the offering and to help the poor and needy or baked gingerbread for the mission yard sale and her grandkids.  

And you know what? In Christ, you're doing it too - you just might not realize it. You're indwelled by the Holy Spirit of God, and he's helping you crucify the flesh daily by strengthen your spiritual bones through these means of grace. He's helping you become what you already are in Christ Jesus. 

Keep running the race, my friend. 

It's so worth it. You'll see one day. 

Don't give up - you're doing great! 

Happy Monday! 

🌻

A blast from the past - training little Shasta with the chickens.

                                  

"What He's Done"

When I show up for a visit with my grandkids, they come running down the stairs to greet me. My oldest granddaughter jumps up into my arms and will put her head on my shoulder and just hold onto me for several minutes. And I always think to myself, "now I can die happy." lol

I believe this is a picture of how we are to love God. In the morning come running to greet him and just lay our heads upon his strong shoulder, clinging to him, thanking him over and over for all he has done for us. I think of the words from a worship song my church recently sang:

"What he's done. What he's done. All the glory and the honor to the Son. My sins are forgiven. My future is heaven. I praise God for what he's done." 

I want to be like Meadow in the morning and just lay my head on Jesus's shoulder and love him and thank him over and over for what he has done. I want the raw reality to sink in. Loving him, not for what he can give me or do for me, my goodness, but for what he has already done, loving him just for him. 

My mom didn't always get her theology straight, no one does perfectly, but she got her relationship with Jesus straight. If you knew her you know what I mean. It was a solid faith built through years of depending on him in unanswered suffering and deep darkness. I watched God transform my mother through the years. She emerged from her pain as a shining light that lit up any room she entered as she was more than willing to hold Jesus out for others.

That's the legacy my mom left to me. As a young child, she held Jesus out to me, and even though it would be years until I came to faith in Christ, my mother planted and watered her little seeds and prayed. 

And now I praise God for what he has done! 

Thanks, Mom, I miss you terribly. 💔

💜

Happy Mother's Day 🌸

Sunflowers were her favorite. 

Better than Life

"Thy lovingkindness is better than life." ( Psalm 63:3 ) 

One way you can detect if a teaching is biblical truth or false teaching is that false teachings are "me" centered. In other words, if what the speaker is selling revolves around what "I" deserve and what "I" am entitled to as a believer, if the emphasis is on what "I receive" and not on what "Christ has done," beware. 

We are commanded in Scripture to pray for everything and to pray without ceasing; however, "Jesus promised us an easy life, perfect health, and lots of wealth by his death," says no biblical text anywhere. 

Tell that to Joni Eareckson Tada who has spent the last 55 years in a wheelchair, and yet has done more for the kingdom of God than just about anyone I know. And Joni is solid - there's nothing superficial about her faith. She's just one example.  

We don't need to go looking for suffering or even like it, I mean, seriously, who likes it? Joni joked that one day God will send her wheelchair to hell. She said that when she finally holds Jesus's nail scarred hands she'll tell him,"But the weaker I was in that thing, the harder I leaned on you. And the harder I leaned on you, the stronger I discovered you to be. It never would have happened had you not given me the bruising of the blessing of that wheelchair.”

Jesus told us that we would have trouble in our present life. In John 10:10, the abundant life Jesus says that he brings to us is not even in the context of money or health. Good grief. 

Jesus is better than this. 

And anyway many of the false teachers telling people that it's always God's will to heal and that one just needs to have enough faith are wearing glasses and getting pacemakers themselves. Please don't listen to that nonsense. 

The Bible is so much better than this. 

Friend, Jesus said that all you need to move a mountain is faith the size of a mustard seed. Even though this saying was a common colloquialism of Jesus's day, it means you have plenty of faith. If God withholds something from us, we can trust that he has a very good reason. He's already not withheld his only Son - he's trustworthy. Think about that kind of love. 

Jesus told us in Sermon on the Mount that God feeds his birds and clothes his flowers, and we are of more value to him than they are. Psalm 107:20 tells us that God has already sent his word and healed us. He sent Jesus. 

Ephesians 1:3 tells us that we have been blessed in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places. "Spiritual," not "physical," not in this life anyway, but most certainly in the next. What more could we ask for? 

Listen to these promises: 

God promises he will never leave us nor forsake us. Jesus died for us while we were sinners! The Holy Spirit is with us forever! We are God's fellow workers here on the earth. He equips us and will finish the good work he began in us. He will deliver us from every evil deed and lead us safely into his heavenly kingdom! ( Deuteronomy 31:8, Romans 5:8, John 14, 16-27, 1 Corinthians 3:9, Philippians 1:6, 2 Timothy 4:18 ) 

"Then Jesus told his disciples, 'If anyone would come after me, let him, deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it. For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his soul?" ( Matthew 16:25 - 26 ) 

We can't come to Jesus only if he promises to give us an easy life. The Bible tells us that it's all or nothing. And he is so worth it. 

Remember the enemy embeds a bit of the truth in a false teaching. That's how I fell for it. If we know our Bibles, he can't deceive us. I didn't know my Bible. Some false teachers are pretty slick, but they are depending on the biblical illiteracy of their audience. 

An easier way to spot false teaching is the absence of sin or repentance - and these are core to salvation. In fact, without understanding our sin and our need, and then repenting, we can't come to faith in Christ. 

I remember when I was in a word-faith church they would define sin, on the rare occasion it was mentioned, as "bad choices," "mistakes,"or "not quite living the way we should."

The Bible describes sin as full-on rebellion against a Holy God. God did not send Jesus to die and drink from the cup of his holy wrath and suffer the worst suffering in the history of mankind just for our bad choices and silly mistakes. That has to be blasphemous. 

The Bible is so much better than this. 

Jesus is so much better than this. 

You've heard the claim that doctrine divides, right? It's suppose to. It divides truth from error, light from darkness, the lies of the enemy from the truth. 

And we have to be careful not to label everyone a false teacher or enlist ourselves as the theology police. And getting prideful. One thing I hear from the Farmer on a continual basis when I start to get all fired up over false teachings: "Babe, we used to believe it too." 

"And we're still susceptible," I might add. 

This is why we must know our Bibles. This is why we must obey the command to contend for the faith, but also learn to divide the Word rightly, to examine it and handle it with fear and trembling, not adding to it or taking away from it, to test the spirits, to beg God in prayer for the Spirit of discernment, because it's a jungle out there in the world and inside of my impressionable heart. 

But Jesus has overcome the world and my heart and he's better than life. 

"Thy lovingkindness is better than life." ( Psalm 63:3 ) 

Happy Weekend! 

💜

"Stranger Things"

I've had the pleasure of sharing my testimony with a family member recently and having on-going conversations about the Christian faith with him. When I asked how he was doing with his Bible reading, he confided that it wasn't going so well. He said that the Bible was too hard for him to understand so he was just reading Guideposts. 

I get it. I didn't want to embarrass or admonish him; I just want to come alongside of him, finding ways to encourage him and help explain how important God's Word is for the believer. It's our lifeblood. 

Listen to these encouraging, instruction-filled words from the Apostle Paul to young Pastor Timothy, these words are written for all of us: 

"Indeed, all who desire to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted, while evil people and imposters will go on from bad to worse, deceiving and being deceived, But as for you, continue in what you have learned and have firmly believed, knowing from who you learned it and how from childhood you have been acquainted with the sacred writings, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work." 

Not only does this passage support the doctrine of the sufficiency of Scripture, but it shows us that Scripture has the power to bring us to faith in Christ, to teach us, correct us, train us in right living, make us mature, discern false teachings, equip us for every thing we do for the kingdom of God. 

The Word has the power to transform the life of the believer. We must make every effort to get it in us. 

Here's some biblical, practical points on how to do this: 

1.) Make sure we are in a "gospel-centered" church where we can sit under sound teaching including the core doctrines of the Christian faith. How do you know if the church is gospel-centered, abiding by these doctrines?  Because a church can read from the Bible, but still deny the supernatural components of the faith, like the resurrection, Jesus coming in flesh, and miracles. 

Look at the church's website or ask them for a copy of their statement of faith - what they believe. It should be specific, unless they are hiding something to be seeker friendly. A good standard to follow is the Apostles' Creed. I love to recite this each day; it summarizes the gospel. There's also the Nicene Creed and Athanasian Creed, affirming that Christ is not a created being and the Doctrine of the Trinity respectively. 

Creeds are not extra biblical materials; they are confessions that articulate the basics of the Christian faith. Creeds were not established by our church fathers in times of refreshment, but when destructive heresies threatened to poison the church, much like today. They were put in place to protect us - sadly, throughout history, most people did not own a Bible and had to depend on the church leaders to protect them from the wolves. 

2.) Get a study Bible with a built in commentary and/or get a good lay-person commentary. I like how one pastor responded when a church member asked him what translation of the Bible they should use. The pastor said, "The translation that says, 'Love your enemies.'" 

3.)  In our gospel-centered churches, participate in a Bible study. We need to study the Bible on our own, but also with our church family. Iron sharpens iron. This is not a Bible study where we go around the circle and tell what the verse means to each of us, no, we examine the Scriptures together and see what it means to God and what he is saying to us. ( Acts 17:10-15 ) 

Tonight Pastor Atkins will begin a new Bible study at our church Harvest Ministries on Ezekiel 40-48, "Vision of the New Temple" - you are welcome to join us at 6:00 to share a meal with the study beginning at 7:00. 909 Blue Ridge Blvd., if you're in the Roanoke/Botetourt County area. 

It's funny because the first time I remember reading through the Book of Ezekiel when I finished I said to myself that has to be the strangest book in the entire Bible. I think it's mostly associated with the Valley of Dry Bones, but an ironic thing is that as strange as it was to me, one of my favorite verses now comes from this book. One I pray more than any other for my unsaved loved ones because that's another important reason to read the Bible: It's the best prayers we can pray. All of it - not just the Psalms. 

Ezekiel 36:26-27: "And I will give you a new heart, and a new spirit I will put within you. And I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. And I will put my Spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statues and be careful to obey my rules." 

God's saving initiative. 

Right there in the Bible's strangest book, God gives us his most precious promise. 

I'm excited to learn more tonight. 

Because the Bible is our lifeblood. 

💜

Righteous Wardrobe

"His divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness..." ( 2 Peter 1:3 ) 

Today Pastor Atkins reminded us in his sermon series on faith that we are clothed in Christ's righteousness, and I have been thinking about the reality of this truth and the freedom it brings as Aslan led the way on our walk this afternoon. 

Pastor explained that in Christ, God sees us as if we obeyed all of the righteous requirements of the law, and when God's Word sinks in, it's like a light bulb switches on for us. I get that.  

I never understood the verse in 1 John 5:3: "And his commandments are not burdensome," because secretly I thought they were terribly burdensome. I couldn't obey them; no matter how hard I tried, I always fell short. 

That's why Christ came and lived the perfect life we couldn't live and now at conversion, that life is imputed to us as if we lived it. I see now that when we find the commandments of God impossible and crushing, then we are on our way to understanding the grace, mercy, and love of God in sending Jesus, and the magnitude of what he has done for us. 

Now the commandments are not burdensome to me because of the knowledge of Christ's perfect life and power in me helping me to obey, and the law becomes not a burden, but the glorious lamp from Psalm 119:105 guiding my feet in the right direction and illuminating my way on this path of faith. 

In my beautiful wardrobe of righteousness. 

Let's remember that this week.

We are clothed in Christ's righteousness. 💜

"The Silence of the Lambs"

"but my righteous one shall live by faith, and if he shrinks back, my soul has no pleasure in him." ( Hebrews 10:38 )

A couple of weeks ago after the morning sheep count, a year old ewe came up missing. After a short search I found her standing inside of a small thicket. As I slowly approached her, thankfully, I surmised that she was in normal labor without any extra distress.  

A couple days later when another ewe was absent from the flock, I found her in an empty field licking the remains of a mineral block off the ground. After examining her eyes, gums, and weight loss, I saw that she needed to be treated for parasites. I quarantined her for a bit, and she bounced back nicely. Fortunately, hair sheep have proven to be a resilient breed in our area. 

Still another morning, I noticed a sheep off to herself under the shade of an oasis of black walnut and sycamore trees. Before I got over to her, I quickly turned and headed for the barn to grab my work gloves because I could see that she was all caught up in an old strand of barbed wire. I carefully untangled the mess without much damage to the wool, and she happily joined the flock, leaping all the way. 

Another time when a ewe was desperately baaing for one of her lamb twins, the Farmer and I found the poor little ram with his head stuck in a portion of the woven fence line, no worse for wear. 

One of the first things I learned in sheep farming is that if a sheep is missing from the flock, there's a problem. 

Sheep stay together. Another habit I've noticed is that within the flock, sheep tend to stick with their biological family group. In other words, a ewe with her new twin lambs will usually be resting or grazing next to her older girls with her new lambs and on down the generation line. Also nearby are her castrated rams that the Farmer hasn't found time to butcher and process yet.  

Sheep possess herd mentality to a fault. When one starts running in any given direction, they all follow even if that means going over the edge of a cliff. This makes field rotation either a piece of cake or a pain in my side, depending on what direction they go. You never can tell. And Great Pyrenees aren't herd dogs, they're strictly guardians. So they ensure the sheep are protected while being stupid. No sheep left behind.  

For all of the sarcasm with my sheep, the minute I'm among them, I melt. When they look to me for help or grain or in fear because they have no idea what is going on, their sheep eyes never fail to flood my heart with compassion and humble me into milk toast. I totally get why God compares us to sheep. 

The part I didn't get was church.

The flock.

I never understood how important the church is to God and should be to us. I think it's partly because of growing up in the South in our church culture where often times attending church each week was a bit like attending a a country club. Everyone dresses up and gives God their Sunday best, but after that, you keep the rest. You move through the liturgy and finally the benediction and keep on moving, never taking God too seriously. Otherwise you might look like a Jesus freak in your frills and lace. 

On the road to Damascus in Acts 9 when Saul has his radical conversion experience, Jesus appears to him and says, "Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?" Why did Jesus say that Saul ( Paul in Greek ) was persecuting him? Wasn't he persecuting the church? Yes, and when someone persecutes the church they are in fact persecuting Jesus because he calls us "his Body." In Christ, we are now his Bride, his very own Body. We abide in him - that's how much he loves us. 

And how much we should love each other. 

That's why when someone is missing from church, we need to find out why. It could be something as simple as maternity leave or as difficult as a terminal illness, a season of grief, or an entanglement in an egregious sin. Our pastors, the shepherds, depend on us, the sheep, since we do form into these small family groups doing life together.  

Loves takes many forms. 

Love looks for lost sheep. Love speaks the truth at the risk of offending. Love untangles the mess while preserving the wool. 

I'm one of those introverted sheep that has been silent most all of my life until recently when I began to understand the depth of the love of God for his flock. I also know how easy it is to wander off, and the predators that wait to gobble us up. 

Everyday I pray this hymn:

"Jesus sought me when a stranger wandering from the fold of God. 

He rescued me from danger interposed his precious blood.

Prone to wander, Lord I feel it 

Prone to leave the God I love

Here's my heart, Oh take and seal it 

Seal it for thy courts above."

In writing with the hope of warning others about false teachers and doctrines - wolves in sheep's clothing, I have offended anyone, that wasn't my original intention. 

But then I remember that every time I've grown in my faith, it's usually come through first being offended at the truth. I've learned the truth can indeed hurt and often does; but in the long run the truth proves to be a good and needed pain. 

If I'm wrong, no harm done, right? You have at least maybe been encouraged to listen closer to what you're hearing. But if I'm right, have I kept a lamb or sheep from wandering from the flock like I've done at times? 

What lures content sheep away? Pastures that appear greener, richer, more enticing than the one they're on? Wolves in sheep clothing leading the flock in the wrong direction? Listen carefully to Paul's words in Acts 20:

"I did not shrink from declaring to you anything that was profitable and teaching you in public and from house to house testifying both to Jews and Greeks of repentance toward God and of faith in our Lord Jesus Christ." ( 20-21 )

Paul doesn't shrink from the truth and reminds them of the gospel! That's what he taught them! That is what he said was profitable! 

Then he goes on to warn them in verse 23 that all he cares about doing is finishing his race and testifying to the gospel of the grace of God that he received from the Lord Jesus. He doesn't know what awaits him in Jerusalem - he's about to leave. He's giving them their final instructions. 

He says in verse 29 that he knows "after his departure fierce wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock." 

That scares the hades out of me. 

Keep listening: "and from among your own selves will arise men speaking twisted things, to draw away the disciples after them." 

Who is Paul talking with? The text tells us that it is the elders! The elders of the church in Ephesus. So wolves are going to come into the leadership of the church! Drawing away the disciples - that's the sheep. 

Jesus said that there would be false prophets coming to us in sheep's clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves. ( Matthew 7:15 ) Peter said that there would be false teachers among us. ( 2 Peter 2 ) They look and sound like us, so we need to examine their fruit, Jesus told us. That's the test: "A healthy tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a diseased tree bear good fruit." ( 7:18 ) 

One day, and I know this is big talk, but one day, I want to stand before my Father as a daughter who didn't shrink back, because that has always been another weakness of mine, not speaking up, staying silent. 

Love isn't always silent. 

In the church if we replace the Gospel of Jesus Christ with destructive heresies that just help "good people" become "better people" and our focus is to help them live a better life and obey rules rather than giving them the often painful truth of the Good News, of sin, repentance, and redemption, that contains the power to truly transform their lives, then we need to know we are doing this or at the least be aware of the danger in our midst. I wished someone had warned me. 

Surrounding my property and flock of sheep are hundreds of acres of woods filled with coyote and foxes. Their footprints close to my fencing, their eerie howls, I am well aware of the danger lurking all around the sheep. Sadly some predators managed to creep inside the fencing and steal some sheep. 

That's why I was compelled to place safeguards within the flock and especially for the sake of the vulnerable lambs in the form of Great Pyrenees, livestock guardians. If a sheep still goes missing, any farmer worth his salt will search until they find the lost lamb. 

Just like our Good Shepherd. 

May we go and do likewise. 

💜 

The Oil in our Lamp

"In your righteousness, deliver me and rescue me; incline your ear to me, and save me! Be to me a rock and refuge, to which I may continually come; you have given the command to save me, for you are my rock and fortress." ( Psalm 71:2-3 )  

We hear often that we are living in the last days, and there does seem to be an air of urgency in the atmosphere that the end is quickly approaching. I'm wondering though, since no one knows when Jesus will return, he said himself included, if the weightiness we are sensing isn't so much the end of time, but the end of us. Because the Scripture tells us over and over that our life here on earth is quickly coming to an end, like a vapor, a mist, and a fading flower. 

"So teach us to number our days that we may get a heart of wisdom." ( Psalm 90:12 ) 

"Be ready," we are warned in Jesus's parable of the five virgins who had no oil in their lamps when the time came to go out and meet the Bridegroom. ( Matthew 25:1-13 ) 

How can we be ready like the five wise virgins who were prepared with oil in their lamps?

The message of Scripture is short and direct: "Repent and believe." These words are spoken by the Old Testament prophets; they are proclaimed from the wilderness by John the Baptist. Jesus taught them to those who had ears to ear and eyes to see. Paul, Peter, John, Jude, the writers of the New Testament, all proclaim the Good News of the Gospel. 

What hinders people then from salvation? 

One thing: those with ears to hear and eyes to see know their need. 

The Pharisees grumbled often that Jesus ate and associated with tax collectors and sinners. 

( Jesus ) told them, "It is not those who are well who need a doctor, but those who are sick. I didn't come to call the righteous, but sinners." Mark 2:17 CSB

In the "Upon Waking" devotional day 32 it asks the question, "Do you know what the difference was between the sinners sitting at the table and the sinners pointing their fingers at the table? It's that God had come to save both but only one side knew they needed him." 

Today in our church culture sadly many will not mention "buzz words" like sin, repent, resurrection, and the blood of Jesus so they can be "seeker friendly." How are we being "friendly" when we don't love others enough to tell them the truth?

Repentance shows us our need - we understand that we have not just behaved badly, but we have sinned against a holy God. People are struggling, and rightfully so, with the sin inside of themselves, seeking for help, and the Church must be "seeker friendly" in explaining that Jesus came and lived the perfect life we should have lived, but couldn't, and died the death we should of died for our sins. 

Now when we come to him - and we only come when we understand that we need him and can't save ourselves with our own good works and righteousness - we are clothed in his righteousness. His righteous life is imputed to us. Praise God. 

But we have to know we need him - that's the catch. If we think we are doing okay on our own, in our own righteousness, like the Pharisees and religious leaders of Jesus's day, then we will never come to him. 

He came to save both groups - the righteous and the unrighteous. The younger and the older brother. The Pharisee and the tax collector. The virgins with oil and the virgins without. 

But we must repent and believe.

We have to know we need him. 

💜

There was a farmer who had a dog. And Aslan was his name Oh. ( :