Stairway to Heaven?

In the 4th century, a set of marble stairs known as the Scala Santa were transported from Jerusalem to Rome.

What is so special about these steps that someone would go to such trouble? The Scala Santa are the stairs upon which Christ stood before Pilate. Over the centuries, the Catholic Church has granted indulgences (pardon from the temporary punishment due to sin) for climbing the stairs on the knees.

Allegedly, Martin Luther climbed the steps in 1511 while quoting the Lord’s prayer at each step. However, as the story goes, Luther became disillusioned during the process. Upon reaching the top, he is rumored to have said regarding the promise of indulgence, “Who knows whether it is so?”

With those words, Luther drilled into to the heart of legalism. Legalism is simply trying to claim divine promises through human effort.

Legalism adds commands to God’s Word.

It isn’t enough that scripture says our bodies are temples. Legalists miss the intention of the text and treat this as a platform for a Christian health initiative. Ironically, the point of the verse is that the Holy Spirit dwells within us to guide us into truth. However, legalists have no need for the Spirit –they’ve taken matters into their own hands. As long as we don’t smoke cigarettes or drink alcohol, our souls have a chance.

Legalism is full of double standards.

Of course the double standards are everywhere. The same guys who don’t smoke or drink are often on the brink of heart attacks from their addiction to fried chicken, chocolate pie, and ice cream. Then, of course, they just joke that they are building a bigger temple for the Lord (apparently with plenty of insulation). The problem with man’s laws is that they are incomplete. However, God’s law is perfect.

Legalism doesn’t trust the sufficiency of God’s Word.

Ultimately this means that legalism doesn’t trust God’s Word to be sufficient and powerful for everything (II Timothy 3:16). This is in direct contradiction to what God says.

Basically then, legalism is an attempt to “help God out.” Just think about the blasphemous implication: God needs help.

Legalism is limited.

The problem with man trying to “help God out” by adding on extra laws to God’s word, is that 1) God doesn’t need help, 2) God’s word is perfect, and 3) Man is limited.

Whereas God’s word transcends space and time, man cannot see past his own biases, cultural contexts, traditions, and misunderstandings.  Legalists adopt cultural standards under the guise of “God’s law.” They stretch verses to meet their needs. Instead of allowing God’s Word to inform their worldview, they impose their worldview on God’s Word.

After the invention of electric clippers and the mass production of scissors, legalists transposed their personal preferences for men’s hairstyles on everyone using God’s Word as to make their case. After all, didn’t you know that Sampson’s long hair got him in trouble? Interestingly, the generations prior to the twentieth century didn’t see that vital truth (haven’t you seen Michael Landon’s hair on Little House on the Prairie?)

Of course, we all battle legalism. Every time you judge someone by the way they dress, the words they say, or the car they drive; legalism is at work. When you criticize a church that is different than your own or run down a pastor who preaches in a style you don’t prefer; legalism is driving the conversation. When you judge a person by the books they read, the friends they keep, or the culture from which they emerge; legalism has a foothold.

The implications of legalism are incredibly offensive to God. That’s why Jesus was critical of the Pharisees –a highly legalistic group of religious people.

Ultimately, legalism creates an idol of man. It exalts man’s wisdom over God’s laws. So, if legalists don’t trust in God’s Word, then what do they trust in? The answer lies within themselves. They are narcissists who make idols of themselves. In a sense, they subconsciously become their own Gods (of course they would never realize or admit that is what they are doing).

In fact, they whole-heartedly believe they are doing God’s work. After all, if it wasn’t for them, the world would be full of long-haired smokers who dance and play cards. And we just can’t have that.

And here lies the rub: Legalists try to make changes from the outside and God makes changes from the inside. Unlike the legalists, God is not intimidated by a world full of sinners. And he certainly does not attempt to push them aside and isolate himself from them. Instead, He sent His son into the midst of them.

That is a novel idea for legalists. Why? Because it hits at the core of their issue: control.

In God’s redemption plan, He and He alone is in control –not man. We are called to trust and obey Him as He redeems the world in His own way –not ours.

Legalists can’t handle the control issue. They would rather climb a staircase on their knees than live by faith. So, they take over situations in an attempt to force their small-minded opinions on others in the name of making people holy. Legalists attempt to build a stairway to heaven. They force people to walk up their man-made stairs of rules and regulations to meet unreal expectations. Ultimately, legalism has no need for the gospel –or God for that matter. It is man-worship disguised by a cloak of religion. In the midst of climbing these never-ending stairways, they get busy (mistake it for being spiritual) and never get around to what’s important… the gospel.

And that is where Martin Luther’s question at the top of the stairs comes in: “Who knows whether it is so?” In other words, show me the authority confirming that if I meet this expectations, God will be happy.

Luther eventually answered the question from the only source of authority in this world when he read Romans 1:17, “The righteous shall live by faith.” Not works, not man-made, man-exalting works. Not by legalism. Just by faith in God. Faith alone.

You see, the only stairway to heaven is the stairway by which we walk in faith.

Why Gay Bashing Betrays Christ

I have quite a few friends who are gay. Often, as I scroll through social media, I will stop to read something one of them has posted.

I cringe when they re-post and comment on a Christian article condemning homosexuality. My frustration is not over declaring homosexuality is a sin. That is a biblical statement upon which the church must not compromise.

The reason I cringe is because of how many Christians declare the message. Have we forgotten that corrupting talk is also a sin (Eph. 4:29)? There is a difference between using judgment (honestly declaring truth), and being judgmental (putting down others).

My gay friends are quick to point out the unchristian attitude in which the articles are often written. I cringe because they are usually right.

The sin of others does not justify the sin of taunting, belittling, or berating sinners. Instead, it betrays the cross of Christ in which Christ endured such afflictions upon himself for the sake of sinners.

In Genesis 1, the Bible explains that God created man and woman in His image (Gen. 1:26). Being created in the image of God places humans in a special position to reflect God’s glory in a way that the rest of creation is unable.

In Genesis 3:6-7, the first couple rebelled against their Creator and the image of God, in which they had been created, was marred. Likewise, all humans following the first couple have been born into sin. We can understand from this that:

  • All humans are made in the image of God.
  • The image of God in all humans has been marred and is in need of redemption.

Keeping this in mind, as believers, we have no hesitancy speaking of our newborn and unborn babies as “made in the image of God.” And we love to remind one another that we are created in the image of God for a purpose and therefore we have a responsibility to honor God with our lives.

Unfortunately, we are slow to extend the sentiment to certain people living in certain sins. We are quick to condemn people involved in gay and lesbian activity. We feel justified in putting down those who have fallen prey to drug abuse or drunkenness. We don’t think twice about belittling the hardened criminals locked away in our penitentiaries.

In the midst of this, we ignore the fact that they too are created in the image of God. Like the men surrounding the woman caught in adultery, we are eager to cast the first stone –ignoring our own sin. The stones we cast today bear words such as “degenerates,” “animals,” and “freaks.” Of course, we are the ones holding the stones. What does that make us?

We would never let anyone talk about our own children that way. Have we forgotten that we all sin and fall short of the glory of God? What is the difference? Is it that we believe some people have hope of changing while others are beyond hope? Or have we taken upon ourselves the role of declaring some sins unforgiveable. If that’s the case, I find it strange that the unforgivable sins always seem to take place outside our own churches.

It seems to me that we as believers need to remember that everyone –not just ‘our own’- are made in the image of God. And just as Christ has redeemed the marred image of God by conforming us to His image, so too, He can restore God’s image in “the vilest offender who truly believes.”

It is difficult to verbally assault and socially neglect a group of people while simultaneously focusing on the fact that they are created in God’s image. That is not to say that we neglect our responsibility to be honest about their sin and its consequences. However, the way in which we address the issues determines whether or not we reflect God’s glory and honor the image of God in which they have been created.

If we truly love our neighbor as ourselves; if we honestly want to see sinners come to Christ; if we really believe “God so loved the world,” then we must respect the dignity of every human created in the image of God. And, if we really care about God’s glory, we will carefully give thought to how to communicate the gospel with respect and care modeled after Christ. Otherwise, we betray the gospel, dishonor God, and disrespect His creation.

Why I Never Scheduled a Revival

As a pastor, church members would occasionally ask, “Why don’t we have revivals?” To which I would sometimes answer, “I don’t know, but I wish God would send one soon –don’t you?”

Of course, I knew what they were really asking. “Why don’t we have a series of services set aside each year for preaching and singing?”

First, let me say that I love preaching and I love singing. And I don’t have a problem with setting aside a series of services. However, I do have a problem with getting the cart before the horse.

Revival is the supernatural moving of the Holy Spirit in the hearts of men drawing them to repent of their sins and follow Christ more vigorously. During revival, the backsliders become worshippers, the self-absorbed become Christ-infatuated, and the nominal become evangelizers. True revival is evidenced by vast changes in the way believers talk, serve, work, and live.

Over the history of Christianity, God has never sent revival because a church scheduled services, hired a preacher, arranged for musicians, or invited crowds. (This is where the cart gets before the horse) Instead, God has promised revival “if my people who are called by my name humble themselves, and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and heal their land.” (II Chron. 7:14)

This is the way it has always worked. Pick any famous revival in history (First & Second Great Awakenings, Welsh Revival, etc.) and you will find that they all started the same way: By men and women pleading with God to awaken their souls by the power of the Holy Spirit.

Then, God begins moving –not in specially designed services, but in weekly scheduled Sunday services. When the Holy Spirit moves it can spread like wildfire.  Families spend hours upon hours together in worship. Some depart from the services evangelizing throughout the community and returning to report to the church family.   Others go directly to the homes of loved ones who have strayed from the Lord in order to plead with them for their souls.

Often during revival, so many people are being revived that they determine to meet again before the next Sunday. Wouldn’t that be wonderful to experience? Won’t you pray, “Will you not revive us again, that your people may rejoice in you?” (Psalm 85:6).

Don’t get me wrong, I don’t think it is wrong for a church to hold special services. I don’t even think its wrong to call them “revival services” as long as it is communicated that the purpose is to ask God to awaken His people. We must remember that genuine revival is scheduled by Him and not us. For that reason, I would suggest the following:

  • Encourage your church to pray for revival -not just when its time for special services.
  • Consider renaming the services something like, “Spiritual Emphasis.”
  • Be clear about the nature of genuine revival -we plead for it, God grants it.
  • Never suppress revival. If God is moving, be open to extending a service or adding more services (that goes for normal Sundays just as well as for special meetings). Don’t let schedules, routines, and traditions cause you to squelch the Spirit.

Are Missionaries Unbalanced?

I recently came across this article by T. Norton Sterrett. It made an impact on me and I wanted to share:

Are missionaries unbalanced? Of course, they are. I am one; I ought to know.

A missionary probably began as an ordinary person. He dressed like other people, and liked to play tennis and listen to good music. But even before leaving for the field he became “different.” Ad­mired by some and pitied by others, he was known as one who was leaving parents, prospects, and home for a vision. Well, at least, that sounded visionary.

Now that he has come home again, he is more different. To him some things, seem­ingly big things, just don’t seem important. Even the world series or the Davis Cup matches don’t stir him much. Apparently he does not see things as other people do. The chance of a lifetime to meet Tosca­nini personally seems to leave him cold. It makes you want to ask where he has been.

Well, where has he been? Where the conflict with evil is open and intense—a fight, not a fashion. Where clothes don’t matter, for there is little time to see them. Where people are dying for the help he might give, most of them not even knowing that he has the help. Where the sun means 120 in the shade, and he can’t spend his time in the shade!

But not only space; time, too, seems to have passed by. When you talk to him about jive, he looks puzzled. When you mention Duke Ellington, he asks who he is. You wonder how long has he been away.

All right, how long has he been away? Long enough for thirty million people to go into eternity without Christ, with no chance to hear the Gospel. And some of them went right before his eyes, when that flimsy river boat turned over; when that  epidemic of cholera struck; when that Hindu-Moslem riot broke out.

How long has he been gone? Long enough to have two sieges of amoebic dysentery, to nurse his wife through re­peated attacks of malaria, to get the news of his mother’s death before he knew she was sick. How long? Long enough to see a few outcast men and women turn to Christ, to see them drink in the Bible teaching he gave them. Long enough to suffer and struggle with them through the persecu­tion that developed from non-Christian relatives; to see them grow into a stable band of believers conducting their own worship; to see this group develop into an indigenous church that is telling in the community.

Yes, he’s been away a long time. He is so different; but unnecessarily, so it seems. At least, since he is in this country now, he could pay more attention to his clothes, to what’s going on around the country, to recreation, to social life. Of course, he could. But he can’t forget, at least most of the time, that the price of a new suit would buy 3200 Gospels; that, while an American spends a day in business, 5000 Indians or Chinese go into eternity without Christ.

So, when a missionary comes to your church or chapel, remember that he is likely to be different. If he stumbles for a word now and then, he may have been speaking a foreign language almost exclu­sively for seven years, and possibly is fluent in it. If he isn’t in the orator class, he may not have had a chance to speak English from a pulpit for a while. He may be eloquent on the street of an Indian bazaar.

If he doesn’t warm up to you as quickly as you want, if he seems less approach­able than the youth evangelist or the col­lege professor you had last week, remember that he has been under a radically different social system since before you started at high school, college, or business. Maybe he just forgot to bone up on Emily Post.

Sure, the missionary is unbalanced. But by whose scale? Yours or God’s?

Why You Must Embrace Your Limits

A friend of mine spent years as a high-school counselor. One day, a senior girl came into her office crying. She told my friend that her mom wouldn’t let her attend the college of her dreams. Even though she had been offered a scholarship for her high GPA and test scores, the remainder of tuition and fees would cost more than her family could afford. The girl would have to go to her second choice school instead.

Then the girl told my friend something that really stuck out to me. She said, “All my life, my mom told me I could do anything if I just tried hard enough. I tried as hard as I could, and it didn’t work.”

May I suggest that the idea of a limitless future is a recipe for disappointment?

Everybody has limitations. For instance, it doesn’t matter how long I practice, I will never slam dunk a basketball or win an Olympic long-jump event.

Until you learn to accept your limits, you will always be frustrated –especially in our achievement-driven culture.

Today’s word of the week is “limitations.”

Limitations usually have a bad wrap –nobody wants to hear about them. But limits are actually a blessing.

  • Time-limits help us stay motivated toward finishing a project.
  • Speed-limits protect us from reckless drivers.
  • Limited lifespans encourage us to set priorities on what is important.
  • Talent and skill limitations help temper our pride.

In the Garden of Eden, God created man and woman with limits. They had limited knowledge, limited power, and limited rule. Most notably, God limited them from eating of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil –for their own good!

It wasn’t until Satan tempted them with the promise of unlimited knowledge that sin entered into the world.

In Genesis 3:5 Satan dangled the carrot of an unlimited, god-like state before Eve when he said, “God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.”

The desire to remove all limits from our life –whether limits of skills, abilities, knowledge, or morality- is a temptation to take God off of his throne and place ourselves in his seat. That is dangerous ground. Limits remind us that we are the creation and God is the unlimited creator!

So we ought to praise God for limits –and for the painful reminder of our limits when things don’t go our way. Why? Because they point us to our need for a savior. Christ’s power to save has no limits. There is no sin too grave and no sinner too foregone to escape the saving grace of Christ.

And, by the way, you will never come to fully embrace the blessings of your limitations until you trust in the unlimited sufficiency of Christ’s grace.

When Reading the Bible Isn’t “Safe”

It is exciting to watch my son learn to read. From road signs to menus, magazine ads to library books, Bryce loves to “sound it out” and declare his new knowledge to everyone (mispronunciations and all) However, his learning progress is really keeping me on my toes.

In the past, ordering at a restaurant was easy. I simply narrowed down the children’s menu to two choices to make it quick and easy. Now, he spends a lot of time (think eternity) contemplating over all the options.

And whereas in the past I could keep my Christmas shopping list on the kitchen counter; now, I have to hide it from his anxious eyes.

Bryce’s reading ability has even changed the way I drive. No longer can I pass billboards advertising landmarks and attractions without him begging to go.

Probably the most eye-opening experience of Bryce’s passion for reading came from reading the Bible. Every night, we open up the Bible and he reads a few verses. It is such a blessing to hear his young voice resonate with Scripture.

We started in Genesis 1:1 and slowly worked our way through several chapters. Then, it happened: One night, Bryce pulled out his Bible, and opened it to the last page where he had left off.

I sat back and prepared to listen and be blessed. Bryce started reading, “Genesis 4:19: And Lamech took two wives.”

Uh oh, I should have prescreened the text! Quickly, I blurted out, “Um, amen! Now let’s pray!”

Fortunately, Bryce didn’t feel like going into twenty questions mode after the prayer. After I tucked him into bed and kissed him goodnight, I walked out of his room thinking, “That was a close one!”

Its funny, but it never occurred to me that I might need to protect his young eyes from selected passages until he is a little more mature. I mean, when was the last time you heard your pastor declare the Bible as “dangerous” for young minds?

Don’t get me wrong -I’m glad that children’s Bibles aren’t censored for content. We need the truth, even when it is brutal and ugly. Scripture does not hide the fact that everyone –even patriarchs and their families are sinners. In fact, it has been said that the Bible is a book full of sinful men and a good God.

Part of my responsibility as a parent is to feed my son the truth gradually and with discretion. In the same way that he progressed from milk to baby food to solid food, I must be responsible to regulate his Scripture intake appropriately (I Peter 2:2). If I don’t give him milk, he’ll never eat steak. But if I give him steak to early, he could choke!

While I might not be ready for Bryce to hear the details about all of the sins of Lamech, Abraham, Noah, or David; I do want him to understand that we are all sinners in need of a savior.

In fact, that’s something I need to keep on reading as well.

Dual Discipleships

The Bible describes two discipleships: human & divine.

Human discipleship takes place as one human disciples another human. When we make statements like, “Joe discipled me,” or “I’m discipling Kristy,” we are referring to human discipleship.

Divine discipleship takes place between Christ and man. We refer to Christ’s discipleship when we talk about “following Christ,” and “being Christ’s disciple.”

The relationship between these two types of discipleship is seen all throughout Scripture. One example is found in I Thessalonians 1:5-7. Paul, speaking to the disciples at Thessalonica explains:

…our gospel came to you not only in word, but also in power and in the Holy Spirit and with full conviction. You know what kind of men we proved to be among you for your sake. And you became imitators of us and of the Lord, for you received the word in much affliction, with the joy of the Holy Spirit, so that you became an example to all the believers…

Notice the two discipleships in the phrase, “you became imitators of us and of the Lord.” Paul had invested in the Thessalonians in such a way as to build their allegiance to Christ –not to himself.

We have to be careful in our disciplemaking to avoid falling into a “messiah complex” where we redirect the allegiance meant for Christ to ourselves. This means, as disciplemakers, we must constantly be pointing all glory and attention to Christ. When we say “follow me,” we must complete the sentence with “as I follow Christ” (I Corinthians 11:1).

One of the best ways to avoid this trap is to always root your advice and wisdom in Scripture. Never set yourself up as the “wise old sage” who has unlimited self-wisdom. Instead, consciously reveal your source of wisdom by pointing out how your advice comes from God’s Word. Instead of acting as an independent master of the faith, model a lifestyle of being dependent upon the Word.

I suppose it was that kind of example that allowed Paul to state:

…our gospel came to you not only in word, but also in power and in the Holy Spirit and with full conviction. You know what kind of men we proved to be among you for your sake…

What kind of men did they prove to be? The kind who saw their discipleship as more than their own words, but also “in power and in the Holy Spirit and with full conviction.”

In other words, they were able to offer human discipleship that helped their disciples grow in divine discipleship because they were completely submitted (full conviction) to divine discipleship (in the Holy Spirit) in their own lives. The result was that the Thessalonians disciples carried on the discipleship process to others becoming an “example to all the believers.”

So, right now, ask yourself: In my efforts to disciple others, have I walked away from the Holy Spirit’s discipleship of me? In other words, “am I a hypocrite for encouraging others to submit to Christ’s discipleship when I am not submitted?”

And secondly, “Am I consciously pointing my disciple to greater dependency on Christ and less dependency upon me?” “He must increase, I must decrease” (John 3:30).

Why is this so vital? Because human discipleship is a temporary –divine discipleship is eternal. When you are gone, what will you leave your disciple with –fond memories of you or a vibrant relationship with Christ?

Road Trip: Poplar Bluff, MO

Beyond the Arkansas boarder, the foothills of Southeast Missouri are beautiful. Recently I traveled up Highway 67 to visit the congregation of Mount Zion Baptist Church in Poplar Bluff.

Pastor Matt Johnson serves bi-vocationally. More and more, I am becoming convinced that bi-vocational ministry is not a limitation –but an opportunity (to learn more read this). Matt agrees. His career as a human resources director for a large corporation enables him to meet unbelievers and relate better to the members of his church. He explained that when a member realizes that their pastor is ministering in addition to a 40 hour-per-week job, they feel like he is “one of them.” This creates an environment where members are more prone to share ministry responsibilities and take ownership in the work of the church.

On Sunday morning, you can feel this sense of shared responsibility within the congregation. During morning worship, a myriad of volunteers led music, played instruments (the church is full of talent), and conducted elements of the service.

Also during the service, I noticed a full range of age groups represented. Young families with children sat next to retirees and middle-aged couples. A sense of family filled the environment.

The church was gracious in allowing me to preach and share about the ministry of DiscipleGuide. I certainly hope to visit again soon!

Are You Offended?

Quick…think of something you can do that won’t  “offend” somebody!  Having trouble?  No matter what you do, it seems like there is someone who takes “offense” to your actions -or do they? Perhaps our culture’s tendency to “look out for #1” has caused us to stretch the meaning of the word “offend.”

The dictionary describes the word “offend” as this: “to violate or cause to sin.”  In other words, an “offense” either causes you legitimate harm or causes you to react in a sinful way.

So let’s test this definition with a few common situations:

  1. “John told me that he thinks I need help with my temper.  I’m offended.”
  2. “Sally spoke to everyone in the room except me.  I’m offended.”
  3. “I didn’t like the song the choir sang today.  I’m offended.”

Do any of these situations harm someone or cause them to sin?  Certainly not.  In these cases, “offense” has been confused with “preference.”

But what about situations that deal with moral issues?  Try these situations:

  1. “I can’t believe Ed said a curse word when he hit his thumb with the hammer.  I’m offended.”
  2. “Did you know Jenny ate at a restaurant that serves alcohol?  I’m offended.”

In these two cases, nobody has been harmed or caused to sin.  Here “offensive behavior” has been confused with “questionable behavior.”

Let’s try again:

  1. “My husband left my children and me.  I’m offended.”
  2. “Bill has slandered my name in the community.  I’m offended.”
  3. “Kelly gave drugs to my daughter before she passed out.  I’m offended.”

Here we finally have instances that could legitimately offend.  Each situation can either harm someone or cause them to sin.

One more quick thought on the issue: Not only must we be careful as believers to not offend, but we must also be careful not to be offended!  In other words, we must grow some thick skin.  Nobody likes to hear a crybaby fuss about getting their feelings hurt -and it certainly isn’t glorifying to God.   By the way, its not always wrong to offend.  After all, scripture says that the gospel is an offense to unbelievers!

So let’s all take a deep breath and reconsider what really offends us.  And likewise, don’t let our culture’s “overactive” demeanor stress you out.  It is good to be sensitive. However, if we are constantly looking over our shoulder in fear that we might offend someone, we will never do anything for the kingdom!

Did that offend you?