Good News ?

Good News?

Snail Mail, eMail, Twitter, Blogs, Newsletters, Podcasts, Google+, and so many other options for social networking. I should not forget to mention old fashion telephone or face to face conversations. Then there are our television, radio, newspapers and magazines and movie theaters for communicating entertainment, education and news. No doubt we will see the rise of other novel approaches. But then what can be more novel than smoke signals or tapping out a secret code with your pencil in front of an unsuspecting teacher! My how we love to communicate. Good news, right?

We love to inform and to be informed. It actually brings greater satisfaction than risking the pain of really relating. Ever block someone on Twitter because they disagreed with you ? Ideas and beliefs tend to be much more important to us than the person expressing them to us. Confirmation, affirmation, adulation are so valuable. They  become our real motivation for communicating. The response we receive from others reacting to our information or the information we read from others initiations need to be good news or we attack and move on to another source. 

We all need to be appreciated and valued by others in a manner consistent with our own self esteem. Anything else is bad news and worthy of bad news in response. As a result, our relationships tend to be mutual one way streets. You scratch my self esteem back and I’ll scratch yours. The result tends to be very fragile relationships that can not endure seasons of discontent. One offering of bad news can topple a mountain or years of good news. 

Unfortunately, there seems to be a flood of bad news in any given day. The good news is often like an oasis in the days desert of bad news. Indeed, many times the oasis turns out to be a mirage. The result is a society that offers such overwhelming avenues of networking actually  produces great numbers of withdrawn, isolated, lonely people who are growing in depression, anger and violence.

The answer to bad news is still good news. Not just any good news but THE Good News. We call it The Gospel. The Good News. It is good news like no other. All other good news is self contained in goodness. It is good from beginning to end and is therefore in opposition and contrary to bad news. The Gospel is unique, different from all other good news. It is rooted in bad news. Not just bad news but offensively bad news.

1 Corinthians 1:17-19
 For Christ sent me not to baptize, but to preach the gospel: not with wisdom of words, lest the cross of Christ should be made of none effect.
 For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God.
For it is written, I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and will bring to nothing the understanding of the prudent.

Job said it this way:

Job 42:5-6
 I have heard of thee by the hearing of the ear: but now mine eye seeth thee.
Wherefore I abhor myself, and repent in dust and ashes.

The Good News is only good after it is sooooooo bad to us. Then it becomes soooooooo good that nothing can compare. It even makes all other bad news in our relationships with others become an expectation of good news with them as we are free to look beyond our wounds to the pain of others and the pain they cause us. Now that is Good News !!

Don’t Be Hate’n

There is a little phrase that was popular years ago from a secular comedy that I have recently rediscovered. “Don’t be hate’n.” Poor grammar but quaint in expression. Try using it whenever you find yourself in a situation where the temperature is rising. Interesting word temperature. Especially the temper part, don’t you think? This is especially true in modern church circles. It’s all about love. That is unless you want to talk about such hateful things as sin, judgment, death, hell and the grave. If you do, then you become the one exception for the love crowd. They are free to be hate’n you for such conversation. My plea to the emerging church, “Don’t be hate’n !!!” It may turn people off. Then they may never hear the saving Gospel of Jesus Christ.

The Saving Gospel is a message of love that a Holy God, who hates sin and death, fixed His Love upon us while we were His enemy. An enemy that loved ourselves and our sin while hating His Holiness. Yep, we hate holiness and judgment while He hates sin and self-righteousness. Enemies to the end, unable to change. Locked in eternal separation. Meanwhile, He alone being capable of Love, sets it upon us by giving His only Begotten Son to die the death of the Cross to cover our sin. He speaks forth the Saving Gospel of the Cross, “Don’t be hate’n Holiness and Judgment, be Hate’n the things I Hate and the things I find to be an Abomination.”

If we do, then we will be hate’n our sin and self-righteousness and embracing the love’n He sets upon us, finding the peace only He can give in being redeemed from sin, death, hell and the grave! You gotta “Be Love’n It !!!”

Hope

 Hope deferred maketh the heart sick: but [when] the desire cometh, [it is] a tree of life.  Proverbs 13:12

As a young boy I was often caught between a rock and a hard place. Years later in preparation as a Psychologist I learned that this was called a double bind. It is the basis of our understanding of several mental disorders. Perhaps that explains a lot about me but let’s reserve that for another discussion.

One such dilemma I remember experiencing occurred whenever I really wanted something important like a new bicycle or a trip to Disney Land. One response was “someday.” I’m certain this is one reason I really dislike the musical “Annie.” Tomorrow, Tomorrow !! The other response would be “don’t get your hopes up!” I have concluded that one responsibility of parenting is to drive your kids crazy so they will know how to raise their own children one day.

A sure sign of maturity is mastering synergistic perspective. While doing so, one must use unnecessarily large words to disguise any remaining childish attitudes. Hey, this is my story and if you don’t let me play my way I’ll just take my vocabulary and go home! Now, as I was saying, maturity knows how to be reasonable with expectations.

Reasonability keeps our sights from being set too high. This assures any disappointments will not be too devastating. Unfortunately, it also means any fulfillment will not be too exciting. This “maturity” seems to break down as the hoped for substance increases in importance to us. Reasonability must be replaced by faith.

Faith in worldly factors will fail us. We become broken, depressed and bitter. Now, faith in our Lord and His Word will see us through every heart sickness of worldly despair. He becomes our evidence of things not seen. New life is created in His provision even in the face of the loss of worldly desires. He creates in our hearts a desire for better things, then gives us the desires of our hearts!

Hope for the Fundamental Church

What the emerging church hopes the fundamental church will never read from Matthew Henry on Romans 14.

      The apostle having, in the former chapter, directed our conduct one towards another in civil things, and prescribed the sacred laws of justice, peaceableness, and order, to be observed by us as members of the commonwealth, comes in this and part of the following chapter in like manner to direct our demeanour one towards another in sacred things, which pertain more immediately to conscience and religion, and which we observe as members of the church. Particularly, he gives rules how to manage our different apprehensions about indifferent things, in the management of which, it seems, there was something amiss among the Roman Christians, to whom he wrote, which he here labours to redress. But the rules are general, and of standing use in the church, for the preservation of that Christian love which he had so earnestly pressed in the foregoing chapter as the fulfilling of the law. It is certain that nothing is more threatening, nor more often fatal, to Christian societies, than the contentions and divisions of their members. By these wounds the life and soul of religion expire. Now in this chapter we are furnished with the sovereign balm of Gilead; the blessed apostle prescribes like a wise physician. “Why then is not the hurt of the daughter of my people recovered,” but because his directions are not followed? This chapter, rightly understood, made use of, and lived up to, would set things to rights, and heal us all.

So True

Oh, my job keeps getting easier
As time keeps slipping away
I can imitate your brightest light 
And make your night look just like day
I put some truth in every lie
To tickle itching ears
You know I’m drawing people just like flies
‘Cause they like what they hear
I’m gaining power by the hour
they’re falling by the score
You know, it’s getting very simple now 
‘Cause no one believe in me anymore
Oh, heaven’s just a state of mind
My books read on your shelf
And have you heard that God is dead
I made that one up myself
They dabble in magic spells 
They get their fortunes read
You know they heard the truth
But turned away and followed me instead
I used to have to sneak around
But now they just open their doors
You know, no ones watching for my tricks
Because no one believes in me anymore
Everyone likes a winner
With my help, you’re guaranteed to win
And hey man, you’re ain’t no sinner
You’ve got the truth within
And as your life slips by 
You believe the lie that you did it on your own
But don’t worry
I’ll be there to help you share our dark eternal home
Oh, my job keeps getting easier
As day slips into day
The magazines, the newspapers
Print every word I say
This world is just my spinning top
It’s all like childs-play
You know, I dream that it will never stop
But I know it’s not that way
Still my work goes on and on
Always stronger than before
I’m gonna make it dark before the dawn 
Since no one believes in me anymore
Well now I used to have to sneak around
But now they just open their doors
You know, no one watches for my tricks 
Since no one believes in me anymore
Well I’m gaining power by the hour
They’re falling by the score
You know, it’s getting very easy now 
Since no one believes in me anymore
No one believes in me anymore
No one believe in me anymore
 
Keith Green

Exhortation

Exhortation

Stick with your work. Do not flinch because the lion roars, do not stop to stone the devil’s dogs, do not fool away your time chasing the devil’s rabbits. Do your work. Let liar’s lie, let sectarians quarrel, let critics malign, let enemies accuse, let the devil do his worst; but see to it nothing hinders you from fulfilling with joy the work God has given you.

He has not commanded you to be admired or esteemed. He has never bidden you to defend your character. He has not set you at work to contradict falsehood (about yourself) which Satan’s or God’s servants may start to peddle, or track down every rumor that threatens your reputation. If you do these things, you will do nothing else, you will be at work for yourself and not for the Lord. 

Keep at your work. Let your aim be as steady as a star. You may be assaulted, wronged, insulted, slandered, wounded and rejected, misunderstood, or assigned impure motive; you may be abused by foes, forsaken by friends, and despised and rejected of men. But wee to it with steadfast determination, with unfalter zeal, that you pursue the great purpose of your life and object of your being until at last you can say, “I have finished the work which Thou gavest me to do.”

Trophy

Memories are a funny thing. They often just spring up from the depths of our souls as though they had a mind of their own. One of my more recent encounters was with a memory of my childhood where I was exploring the many treasure that could be found along the little flowing creek behind our church. These treasures were worthy of collection and storage in a shoebox kept in my closet. Most of these little gems were nothing more than pebbles and stones of various size, color and intrigue for an eight-year old explorer. They were hand selected, polished and gathered as trophies.

Nothing was more encouraging than for me to hear the story of David collecting the five smooth river rocks to be used in his sling against the giant Goliath, and latter his four brothers. I had to wait two years before I was considered old enough to get a slingshot. By then I had quite the collection. Just think of the number of giants I could take on if called on by the Lord !!!

As a much older man I reflect upon those stones in a different way. They now remind me of the white stone the Lord will give me bearing the name He has selected for me throughout eternity. He selected the name because He selected the stone. The stone was actually representing me. Before He made the world he already knew where and when He would reach for me and take me to Himself from the creek of sin !!! Now, no longer lost and damned, but a trophy of His Grace !!!

Spirit Filled

Spirit Filled

I sometimes grow weary dealing with the deceptions of the new, emerging church. Perhaps because they are so successful and are clocked in deeper spirituality. Much of their success comes in a smug disdain of the faith of the generations before them. 

I need to not be weary in well doing. I need to face the reality of the ever growing responsibility to earnestly contend for the Gospel. I need to seek out and avail myself to fellow laborers in the fight for the salvation of souls in the bondage of false gospels. I need to help restore the Ancient Paths. 

With this in mind, let me encourage as many as I can in the Lord. Let me begin with the words of a man of God who encourages me:

“I’m tired of these deeper-life conferences…. D. L. Moody and R. A. Torrey and Billy Sunday had the deeper life. You can tell, because they bore fruit. The deeper life is keeping people out of Hell. That is what brings eternal rewards and causes rejoicing and hand clapping and bell ringing and singing the ‘Hallelujah Chorus’ up in Heaven. If you don’t win souls, then you are not abiding in Christ.” – John R. Rice

I Love Godfathers Pizza

From time to time I have suffered the loss of a favorite restaurant or sandwich shop closing or just leaving our area. So much so with Godfathers Pizza that I actually started to investigate the possibilities of acquiring franchise rights in order to open one for myself. Nice idea but unfortunately too expensive a fix for my addiction! The search, however, proved to be very educational. Given the proper financial backing, franchising offers a win-win potential for all parties.

Now, when I am out and about, I pay attention to different types of stores and wonder if they could be a franchise. To my surprise, most of the establishments that I find the most interesting turn out to be a family based, local labors of love. How can you franchise that? I guess that depends on the capacity to somehow package that love factor. Love for the product, customers and the families involved. When it turns into more of a purely financial interest then it seems a franchise difficult to maintain successfully over the long run.

The opportunity that surprised me the most turned out to be the “hottest” franchise going today. Perhaps you have been helping prosper this franchise. It is called The Emerging Church. Quite the package deal with the right financial interests. Religion has always been a ripe market for financial rip offs, but this new move towards franchising has made it rather main stream. Marketing is the key to success. This requires the re-packaging of the local church and the old time gospel.

Out with the tough-sale focus on sin, death, hell, the Old Rugged Cross, repentance, the Precious Shed Blood of The Lamb, being Born Again, Holiness, fear of God, judgment, etc. In with love is all you need. This use to be called heresy, apostasy, error, confusion, deception, etc. That is when the emerging was limited to a local church. Well, franchising has changed all of that! It’s not called a franchise. That would be obvious. It needs to keep the local image of Biblical Christianity that loves Jesus and carries out the great commission of soul-winning.

Thus evangelism has to be re-packaged into non-judgmental efforts that presume all men are on a journey in Gods love. They just need help connecting with God. The church is this helper. Replace Biblical Evangelism with Church Planting. The more churches you plant, the more people can be connected with God. That way it is very difficult to argue against the church planting franchise because it looks like the older Biblical mission church outreach to establish local, independent churches that would practice Biblical Evangelism. Just add the term missional to your church planting franchise of an emerging church and you corner the market. Actually, missional has nothing to do with soul-winning, but with social ministry outside of the local church setting or pastoral covering.

Let’s keep Jesus the Head of the Blood Bought Church and not reduce Him to a franchised market driven product for our own financial and social advantage.

Ugly Worms

I never really got very excited about fishing but I enjoyed the outings with my Dad as a kid. I so enjoyed the outdoors, the boating and watching the wildlife. Minus the snakes and hornets that is. I learned a lot about my Dad during those trips. He was so disappointed to find out that I did not share his affections for sardines and Saltine crackers with a side of Vienna Sausage for our lunch breaks! Then there was the scaling and gutting of our catch that didn’t help my appetite.

Freshwater fishing from a boat gives plenty of time for a Dad to teach his son a few critical truths about life. In-between the bigger life issues there were the practical fishing truths to pass on to the next generation. My personal favorite actually turned out to be one of the more significant truths I needed for Pastoring. It has to do with baiting your hook. Earthworms and crickets were the usual. I must confess, getting them on the hook was not my favorite activity. In an attempt to find a less yucky bait to use, I asked my Dad why we were using such ugly bait. Could we not use something like the Vienna Sausages we had for lunch. They would no doubt be easier to put on the hook. Dad let me try it out. To my amazement no takers, not even a nibble. Now, Dad’s worms were bringing them in right and left.

After asking why the ugly worms worked, Dad assured me that beauty is in the eye of the beholder. To the fish, my sausage bait were the ugly worms and the earthworms were the pretty worms. Thus the proverbial truth for fishing and for Pastoring: never fish with ugly worms! Now, in Pastoring I must accept two truths. First, we fish for men. Second, men are easily caught with pretty worms. Put a pretty worm on a hook and men will always bite. That is why Satan fishes for men with pretty worms of the flesh on a hidden hook of damnation.

Fishing is an art of deception when you use pretty worms and hooks. That is why our Lord Jesus uses a net, without hooks, to cast upon men in the depth of this sea of sin. As He uses the Preacher to cast His Word Net, His Precious Holy Spirit draws them to Himself. How Beautiful is His Mercy, Love and Grace, but not as bait, as Promise! There He reveals to the man that he is but an ugly, wretched worm in the sight of a Holy God. How He then sets His Holy Love on such an Ugly Worm, bringing the fishing deception of Satan to an end !! With Deception gone, foolishness or faithfulness must respond. The fish who has nibbled successfully at the pretty worm without being hooked may just swim away. Those who have suffered yet escaped the hooks pain and horror may yield to a new appetite.

I grieve that so many today no longer fish with Jesus because they see the offense of the Cross, Sin, The Blood, Repentance, Death, Hell and the Grave as ugly worms. I can only presume they themselves are in Deception and still crave pretty worms!!