The Truth about Election and Freewill...

There were times in my life when I was fully opposed to the notion of God's foreknowledge in the sense of who will and will not be saved. Then I read the Bible. There was a brief moment when I began to lean more toward the opinion that God does not truly allow for choice, but instead predetermines who would be saved. Then I read the Bible. Here is the truth about Election and Freewill...I don't understand how they coincide, but they do. Here's what I do know: the transcendent, self-sufficient, self-regarding God of the Universe who created all things and holds all things together has grace upon sinful, wicked, disobedient, pathetic man. God cannot be in the presence of sin because he is the epitome of perfection, therefore we must consider the kindness AND the severity of God. Man deserves hell. period. We deserve the total and eternal separation from the magnificent presence of God. But God, in His grace and mercy, saw fit to send His son to die for our sins on the cross and to rise again because He loves us and for His glory and name's sake. This is what I understand in regard to the tiring debate between Calvinists and Armenians and everyone in between, that it is about the GRACE of God. It is by grace we are saved through faith, not of ourselves so that no man may boast, it is a gift of God. Whether we are simply granted the gift or if we accept the gift ourselves, the key is that it is grace.

PS: Sorry I have not blogged on here in a while. I have been blogging on http://www.subsurfacetheology.blogspot.com

a word to encourage...

The month of September (and even in to the early days in October) was quite the growing experience. I felt emotions ranging from extreme happiness to the pits of sadness, from accomplished to failure...and everywhere in between. I have dealt with difficult people, situations, obstacles, and ministry woes. I'm sure that I have not been the easiest person to deal with...and to the people who may have been affected by my unintentional wrath...I'm sorry. Some of you will look at me and say, "You've been in a bad mood?" I can wear a mask and wear it well (I'm working on it). While preparing a sermon entitled, "Joy in Tribulation," I was reading through James chapter 1. Now, my outlook is little brighter. After reading that and venting to my wife, I have learned to thank God for the difficulty because it is for my spiritual growth and maturity. Thank God for difficult people, they teach you patience and how to love even when it is not easy. Thank God for hard times, because they make the good ones that much sweeter. I hope this is encouraging to you. Cortney--I love you. Thank you for being so patient. Lily--duh. I love you too.

soli deo gloria,
Heath 

Transformed or Influenced?

Part II. This is a more complete statement on my thoughts that came out of Church History class.

Over the course of the past year, I have dedicated much of my time of study to the book of Romans. The book of Romans is considered to be the masterpiece—the pinnacle of the Apostle Paul’s writing. Many of the early church fathers held the book of Romans in the highest regard. Martin Luther wrote, “Night and day I pondered Romans until I grasped the truth. I felt myself to be reborn. This passage of Paul became to me a gateway to heaven.” John Wesley said of the book, “I felt my heart strangely warmed. I felt I did trust in Christ, Christ alone for my salvation; and an assurance was given me that He had taken away my sins….” John Calvin said, “When one gains a knowledge of this Epistle, he has an entrance opened to him to all the most hidden treasures of Scripture.” Famous 16^th Century Bible translator, William Tyndale, commented, “It is the principle and most excellent part of the New Testament... No man can read it too oft, or study it too well; for the more it is studied, the easier it is; the more it is chewed, the pleasanter it is. . . the more it is searched, the more precious things are found….” The reason that I spend so much time in the book of Romans is because Paul includes the Gospel from Old to New Testament in its entirety, and does not only explain it in its basic detail, but gives instruction as to how we are to live the Gospel in our everyday lives.

Recently, while sitting in my Church History class at New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary, the question was raised “Has Christ ever transformed a culture?” Some would enthusiastically respond, “Yes!” While others would, just as ardently, disagree with them. The professor was sided with the ones who suggested that Christ has never transformed an entire culture. One student, who I consider a friend, was passionately opposed to the professor. The next thirty minutes were intriguing as we heard the opposing arguments to this question. To me, this question seemed to be an easy one in the beginning as I thought, “Yes. Sure Christ has changed a culture.” This brought up thoughts of the Welsh Revival and the Great Awakening. Then, hearing the professor’s arguments, my thoughts seemed to affirm the position against Christ transforming a culture. Then, a question arose within my mind that I truly feel was from the Holy Spirit. What is the difference between transforming and influencing? This is the question that shook up my pre-conceived notions towards the original question. Let’s think about transformation; it is a complete, permanent change. It is when something or someone that has been one way since the beginning is completely altered into something new. What is influence? Influence is the capacity or power of persons or things to have effect on someone or something, lasting or not. The new question that arose in my mind, then, was “Has Christ ever transformed a culture, or has He simply influenced it?” Then as my mind always does, I kept chasing rabbit trails. I cannot answer with certainty the original question, because I departed mentally from the conversation to follow a new question; “Has Christ truly transformed me, or do I simply let Christ influence my life?”

How does this at all tie into Romans? In Romans 12:2, the Apostle Paul writes “Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, so that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.” How many times in ministry have I heard churchgoers ask the question, “What is God’s will for my life?” I cannot count the amount of times that I have heard exasperated church members complain, “God has not shown them what to do.” To that, I used to say, “Just wait. He will show you.” That suggestion is true, but I also realize now that the statement is also incomplete. For us to really discern the will of God in our lives, we need to definitely wait on the Lord, but we also must ask ourselves, “Have we been transformed, or simply influenced, by Christ?”

I am a musician who enjoys many different styles and genres of music. It is very easy to tell what music I am currently listening to by how it influences my style. But that’s the problem with simply being influenced. Every time a new style becomes the predominant style that I listen to, I begin to imitate that style. The problem with having Jesus as simply an influence in your life is that wind of something shiny and new and more appealing to our flesh can carry us away. We see this in Ephesians, where it is written in verse 14, “…so that we may no longer be children, tossed to and fro by the waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by human cunning, by craftiness in deceitful schemes.” Jesus did not die and rise again to be an influence in your life. Jesus is not just a good teacher. Jesus is not a self-help expert. Jesus died and rose again so that you could be transformed by making Him the Lord of your life. See, when we follow Christ, it is no longer you or I that live, but Christ living in us. We are completely transformed. Our way of thinking is transformed into how Christ thinks. Our way of viewing the world is transformed into how Christ would view the world. Our view of love and forgiveness is transformed into how Christ would love and forgive—which, by the way, is unconditionally (and quite frankly, a big deal). Our view of giving becomes one of humble sacrifice, just as Christ’s was. We are completely transformed.

In conclusion, take an examination of your life. Are you letting Christ simply influence your life, or are you daily dying to yourself, taking up the cross, and letting Christ be the one who transforms you and lives through you?

Influence or Transformation?

I am sitting here in my Church History class listening to the professor and a student debate about whether Jesus has ever transformed a culture. While listening to the debate, a thought came into my head...Did Jesus ever transform a culture or just simply influence a culture? Then (as is my thought process) I chased a rabbit trail and inquired within my mind, "What is the fine line between influence and transformation?" Then, from there, I began thinking about my own life and the life of my family, friends, and students.The question I asked myself was, "Have I let Christ transform my life or simply influence it?" Is Jesus simply a good teacher or is He Lord of my life? Just a thought. Read Romans 12:2

The Optimist and the Pessimist

I have had a terrible day. There I said it. This morning, I woke up early to get ready to go to school. The day, however, began great. I had the opportunity to sit in my chair and watch TV with my wife and daughter. The time came for me to leave, so I kissed my wife and daughter and walked out the door. When I sat down in my seat, I buckled the seat belt and adjusted the mirror like any good and responsible driver would. I cranked the car...and well let's just say I began day with a near heart attack. The previous day, I must have gotten a little too into Trip Lee's "The Good Life" CD. For those who are movie savvy...the volume knob goes to 11...and it was turned all the way up. After my mild heart attack, I proceeded out of the driveway. The windshield fogged up and would not relent. It was like the atmosphere was determined to blind me so that I would die. Then, waking up a bit, (whether that was from the coffee or the wild white-boy dancing to Trip Lee) I got distracted. I forgot my GPS. I hate Atlanta. I got lost. Then, while trying to navigate my way through the streets (with the help of my dad on my cell phone) I forgot to glance at my speedometer. Instead, I glanced in the rear-view mirror. Blue lights. Polite Officer. Speeding Ticket. Now...I'm lost and a criminal. I finally reached school...greek class. Lost. Speeding Ticket. Greek Class. These three= bad day. Then I read,

5Why are you downcast, O my soul?

Why so disturbed within me?

Put your hope in God,

for I will yet praise him,

my Savior and my God. 

So, as an optimist...bad days are merely opportunities to see how God can transform a bad situation into good. How? By simply remembering his mercies. 

'Be Jesus'

This phrase "Be Jesus to the world around you" has been getting under my skin lately. Not necessarily in a bad way, just in a sense of--well--I have just grown more cautious to it. This is a phrase that requires careful consideration and examination. I guess you could say that sometimes this phrase scares the bejesus out of me. My apologies. Terrible joke. Anyway, the way I see it...there are two ways to go about looking at this phrase. First of all, we must understand that you will not find the words "be Jesus to the world around you..." anywhere in Scripture...but you will find the concept if looking in the right context. If by "Being Jesus" you are implying that others should be able to imitate you as you imitate Christ, then it is a worthy cause and the phrase is used appropriately. Basically, you are striving to give the world a visual model to look to...you are shining the light of Christ in a dark world. This is exactly what Christ talked about when He said that we should be as a city on a hill...the light of the world. Paul urges the Corinthians to be "imitators of me as I imitate Christ." This is a very biblical concept that should be lived out by believers. The problem with the phrase comes when people begin to convince people that they are the Christ. Most of the time, this is a very unintentional thing. They begin to take on this role of Messiah to people. They begin to send mixed signals (not on purpose) that the people around them will never be saved without them. This is where the lines blur and confusion sets in. I remember in my later years of high school...I had a friend that I was bringing to church. I desperately wanted to be a good influence on her...but my desire to be a good influence turned into a Messiah-Complex...I thought, "She will never be saved without me." This is where I took "be Jesus" too far. We are not trying to confuse people into thinking that we are Jesus...we are trying to point them to Christ with our lives. I have seen students take this phrase and use it to be the "be-all-end-all" righteous judge of their peers. So, youth pastors, if we use this phrase...please be extra cautious and explain it well. I have to tip my hat to my cousin Chris, he explained it well by quoting Paul's words to the Corinthians. Basically, help your students see it in the right context, as with everything in Scripture. With real estate, it's all about location, location, location. When it comes to theology, it's all about context, context, context.

Thy will be done...

I am re-reading the book, "The Reason for God," and my eyes are opened wider each time I read it. When I line this book up with scripture and modern thinking, I find it to be filled with truth from God. In the book, Tim Keller quotes C.S. Lewis and it really made me think. Lewis, in summary, says that there are really only two kind of people in the world. There are those that say, "Your will be done," to God. Then there are those to whom God says, "Your will be done." The atheists delusion is that if they glorified God, they would somehow lose power and freedom, but in a supreme and tragic irony, their choice ruins their own potential for greatness. Hell is, as CS Lewis says, "the greatest monument to human freedom." In the end, God gives people what they most want--whether that be their desires or Him.

God--The Maker

The Sun. The Moon. The Stars. The Skies. Did you or I create these things? The Mountains. The Forests. Rain. Wind. Did you or I create these things? The Animals that tread the land. The animals that swim in the seas and oceans. Man. Woman. Did you or I create these things? No we did not. If you are a follower of Christ, you believe that in the beginning God created the heavens and the earth and in six days (with a 7th day of rest) He created all of these other things. So, if YOU or I did not create these things, and we believe God created them, who gave us the right to tell God who He is? We have adopted this poisonous “My God. My Rules,” belief in the Church today.  We say things such as, “I don’t believe in that part of the Bible.” We continue on with things such as, “Well that part was just their culture and is not relevant for today.” We have fallen into this arrogant belief system that our culture has advanced so far that some things do not apply to us anymore. Let’s shift gears for a second. Some of us believe in this way, “This is the way it has been since I was a child, so it must be true,” or “This is what my parents believe, so it must be the truth.” We try to humanize the God of the Universe. We dismiss commandments of God as suggestions. When the Bible says “Go into all the world…” we say, “That’s for the missionaries.” When the Bible says, “Make disciples of all nations…baptizing them in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit…” we say, “That’s for the Pastors.” When the Bible says to train up your children in the ways of Christ…in things such as prayer, we say “We need to vote so that the school’s can teach them how to pray.”
    When we take the word of God and cut away at some of it to fit into our mold we have rejected the ENTIRE word of God. The word of God comes as a package deal, not a plan with options. If you have taken bits and pieces of the word of God and applied them but dismissed others, I’d like to welcome you to the Gospel of Personal Preference. This is not the gospel of Christ. This is not belief in Christ. This is a selfish, prideful, arrogant belief system that is serving no one but the Enemy that demands repentance. These ideologies have spread like wildfire among young and old believers alike. People who claim that they are followers of the Way have begun to try and squeeze God into their mold. Last time I checked the word of God, we were made in His image, not vice versa. It was God who knew us even before we were in our mother’s womb. It is only God who is good and righteous, not us. The Bible says that “no one is righteous...not one.” Who are we to try and create God in our image. When has a clay pot ever molded the potter? When has a painting ever created an artist? When has a building ever drawn out the plans for an architect? When has anything created ever been able to limit their creator? Never. Not in the past. Not in present. Not in the future. God CANNOT fit into our self-righteous molds. To try to contain God is like a flea trying to hold back a lion…it can’t be done. To try to contain God is to place yourself on a pedestal higher than God. If you place yourself, your opinions, or your so-called beliefs, your comfort on this pedestal higher than God then you have just fallen into idolatry…and what a hard, painful fall it will be. Have no other gods before me. Love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength.

Christianity and Peach Preserves

     I have been reading, quite literally all day, Bob George's "Classic Christianity." At the rate I am going, I should be done with the book by this weekend at which point I will give a complete review. However, I wanted to share one part of the book which has finally explained what I have been feeling about faith in a very simple and yet profound way. I have been feeling lately, as I study scripture, that we are giving an incomplete gospel to people when we merely preach accept Jesus and ask forgiveness. It seems that we may even be teaching believe Jesus and fix yourself. But the gospel is not simply about being forgiven and going to heaven. The gospel is about new life. George had this (in summary) to say about preaching a half-gospel...
     The process of canning is an excellent illustration of the two parts of the gospel. Let's say you are going to preserve some peaches, what is the first thing you have to do? Sterilize the jars. Imagine a husband walks into his home and his wife is boiling jars. He asks her what she is doing and she replies, "Sterilizing jars." He then asks what she plans to do with the sterilized jars and she replies, "Keep them clean." That does not make sense right? The only reason one would sterilize jars is to fill them with something. We would not expect a person to be apart of simply half of the canning process by only sterilizing jars. However, this is what we do with the gospel! We have separated God's sterilizing process--the cross--from His filling process--Christ coming to live in us through His resurrection. By separating the forgiveness of sin from the message of receiving the life of Christ, we have not only missed out on life, but also on the purpose of forgiveness in the first place. The reason one sterilizes a jar is to prevent spoiling in the preserves. The reason God had to deal with sin once and for all was so that we could be filled with Christ "without spoiling." As a matter of fact, there is one more step after sterilizing and filling--sealing. After sterilizing the jars and filling them with preserves they are sealed. Sealing keeps the good things inside and keep the bad things from entering. The scriptures say that having believed in Him, we have been marked with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit. Cleansing, filling, and sealing is a wonderful picture of the full picture of salvation. Once we see that the whole purpose is not simply forgiveness, but bringing the dead to life, it is easy to see why Christ had to deal with sin issue once and for all.
     All throughout the Bible, from the Old to the New Testament, there is one theme that runs throughout and that is new life--restoration and resurrection. Don't miss out on the life Christ wants to live through you. 

When Creation Sings...

Lately, I have been spending a lot of time in my own personal sanctuary a.k.a my back porch that overlooks Cort's grandfather's pasture. I spend time reading and thinking, and then the sunset catches my eye. In moments like these my reading and thinking seems to move to the back of my mind and in the forefront it is replaced by a very simple, effortless worship. This morning (for clarification--mostly for my dad--I reflected on what I had seen the night before), I even wrote my own personal "psalm" about the beauty of God's creation and how it reflects the beauty of our great God, who created it all. One of the lines in the song is, "When creation sings it sets a mind to wandering. How can you have love for one like me?" In these sunset moments, I feel so small. When I think about the vastness of the stars and skies, the sun and moon, the entirety of the universe, I am overwhelmed with praise because God is still mindful of wretches like me. When creation sings, my heart echoes the song.

Moderately Christian

C.S. Lewis said, "Christianity, if false, is of no importance, and if true, of infinite importance. The only thing it cannot be is moderately important." The Scriptures address the issues of casual Christianity numerous times, and elaborate on the strong consequences of one who claims Christ but follows self. We see examples in Revelation in the letter written to the church at Laodicia, also in the Gospels when Christ presumably turns away potential followers on multiple occasions by making them count the cost of following Him. Now, think about Lewis' statement...there is no casual Christianity. To be casually Christian is to be fully hypocritical. This is the danger in selling Christianity like a high-pressure time-share. We offer this awesome vacation next to a crystal sea and golden roads if we will just 'accept Jesus right now'. I am a Southern Baptist, and this is a very hot topic right now. David Platt brought this to light, and I tend to agree with him for the most part. I fear we are selling people a faith built on sinking sand rather than a solid foundation. Let me summarize this post...IF YOU ARE CASUALLY CHRISTIAN...RETHINK YOUR SO-CALLED FAITH.

Content in Christ

A few years ago, a sunset was merely a sunset and nothing more. Tonight, I walked through my new yard hand in hand with my beautiful pregnant wife and looked at the sunset. In that brief moment, I did a quick reflection on my life. I used to think that like was about how many treasures I stored up here. It's funny how God works sometimes...this morning I taught 1 Timothy 5&6 in Sunday School. In 1 Timothy 6, the Word says...
     "But godliness with contentment is great gain, for we brought nothing into the world, and we cannot take anything out of the world. But if we have food and clothing, with these we will be content. But those who desire to be rich fall into temptation, into a snare, into many senseless and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction. For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evils. It is through this craving that some have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many pangs.
    But as for you, O man of God, flee these things. Pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, steadfastness, gentleness."

God has blessed me so richly in my life. I have a roof over my head, food to eat, and clothing. He has blessed me with an amazing Godly family and in-laws. I have been given a beautiful, loving wife and a beautiful soon-to-be born daughter. Most of all, I have been given the greatest gift of all--the grace that comes from Christ Jesus. Because it is God that has blessed me so much, I am going to pursue God.

And he answered, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind, and your neighbor as yourself.”

This is the only way to live with perfect contentment.

Reflections of Romans- Chapter 1

 ROMANS 1

  Writer: Paul

Audience: The Believers in Rome

Things to Remember while reading: Paul was both Jewish and a Roman Citizen. 

Purpose in writing: He is longing to visit those believers in Rome because he has heard of their faith, so until that comes about, he writes them a letter reiterating their true faith.

Analysis: Here is a quick analysis/outline of Romans. You can break it down in two ways. The first way is in two parts. Verses 1-7 are considered the salutation, while 8-32 are the introduction to the entire book of Romans. You can also break chapter 1 down in three parts: 1-7 is WHY we tell, 8-15 is WHO we tell, and 16-32 is WHAT we tell.

EXPOSITION:

V1: "Paul, a bondservant of Christ Jesus, called to be an apostle, set apart for the gospel of God..." 

     First of all, this is Paul we are talking about here. This is the same man that approx. 25 years earlier met Jesus on the road to Damascus while he was on his way to execute genocide on followers of the way. Paul thought that he was doing what God wanted him to do, but then he came face to face with the gospel that he was trying to silence. Jesus asked him, "Paul why do you persecute me?" Paul inquired, "Who are you, Lord?" That is when the truth was revealed to Paul and from that time on, he would serve God exclusively. 

     Paul calls himself a bondservant of Christ Jesus. What does this mean? If he is now free in Christ how, then, is he a bondservant or slave? Apart from Christ, we are slaves to our sinful passions and desires. Christ, with his blood, bought us for a price...we are no longer our own. We are free because, thanks to God's perfect atonement, we are no longer slaves to our sin.  

    Called to be an apostle. Apostle simply means "one who is sent, or missionary." Paul is called to be an instrument of the gospel. He is called to be set apart for the gospel. There is some interesting undertones in this phrase set apart. There is the obvious meaning of set apart, which is also the same meaning as Holy. We are called to be set apart from the world while we are here. Furthermore, set apart also has a literal definition meaning horizon. This could mean that he was called to have an entire field of view that radiates the gospel. 

V2: Christ is the focal point of prophecy, and has been since God promised it beforehand. Christ is God's plan for the restoration of His original relationship with man.

V3: This shows that Jesus was fully human since he was physically descended from David.

V4: This shows that Jesus was also fully God which is proved at the Resurrection which shows that the chief end of human life has no power over Him.

V5-6: It is Christ who has saved us and sent us for the sake of being obedient and spreading His name to the nations. (Matthew 28:19)

V7: Final Salutation to the Roman believers...

V8-10: This is a beautiful picture of how we should treat other believers. We should spend time in prayer for them, asking God to use them in a mighty way for His glory. Instead of trying to convince people to live another church to come to ours, we should be in prayer for them and that church, so that they may also further the Kingdom. Paul is longing to go to Rome.

V11-12: He is dying to visit the Romans, but he knows that it must be in God's timing. When he says, "I long to impart to you some spiritual gift...," this does not mean that he is trying to place a gift in them...in fact,he explains himself. He wants to encourage them and be mutually encouraged. 


V13: He reiterates his longing to visit the Romans. He wants to reap harvest among the Gentiles, which at this time was unusual and a pretty big deal. 


V14-15: The gospel is for ALL who will call on the name of Christ. So, Paul realizes the urgency of the gospel and the need for the discipleship of everyone we meet.


V16: This is the key verse of Romans in my personal opinion. This is the very definition of the gospel. It is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes. Notice, it is not simply for everyone. If one does not believe, then they do not reap the results of believing in Christ.The view that God gives everyone a second chance after death is not found in scripture.

V17: God calls us to be righteous.

V18-32: This will be a quick summary of this section. Basically, God has revealed what he requires of man in order to be saved. He also has established the law for the purpose of letting us know that we sin. Man rejected it, so he let man become slaves of the flesh. Therefore, man must recognize their helplessness, and that only God can save them. This will be a theme that is running all the way through that will be added onto.

   

Genuine Worship- Part 2 & 3- Who God is and What He has done...living accordingly

...So when we realize who we are and what we have done...there should be this sense of brokenness. We have sinned against God. Perhaps, I should have reversed these two aspects of worship, because when we realize who God is and what He has done, there would be genuine brokenness over who we are and what we have done. Nevertheless, this is who God is and what He has done.

When we give in to temptation and cave...when we try to cover our sin and lose our faithfulness, there is one thing that remains faithful...God sees and knows it all.

2 Samuel 12
1. God already knows
     David has seemingly escaped consequence without a hitch. He has successfully rid himself of key witnesses by disposing of them. He has made his relationship with Bathsheba legitimate while making it look heroic to the public. David is probably feeling relieved. He forgot, however, that God knows already. God sends Nathan to David. Nathan tells a story to David about a man who killed another man's beloved sheep. This story was actually an analogy to the sin that David was engrossed in. David was angered by the story and pronounced a judgment on the man in the form of a death sentence. Then Nathan said to David, "You are the man!" Now, David has more choices...He can realize what he has done and repent or he can kill Nathan for accusing the King. God has just reminded David how he became King in the first place and has reminded him exactly who He (God) is.

2. God desires repentance
     David made the right choice and repented. The consequence (which still exists) was that the child dies. David however did not count this as unfair or unjust. He did not get angry with God. Instead, he does the right thing and gives praise to God in the midst of this huge storm. During this, he wrote Psalm 51 where we learn the next section...

3. God washes us clean (forgives)
Read Psalm 51
David realized who he was and what he had done, and now he is beginning to realize who God is. This is the same God who destroyed Sodom, but also the same God who is faithful and just to forgive. David has now surrendered his life and is begging forgiveness. Our God, who is full of love, grace, and mercy, forgives David and washes him clean from all unrighteousness. This is the same God that is faithful and just to forgive us. God desires that our relationship with Him be restored. That is the whole point of the gospel. We sinned and God wants to restore our relationship. Think of it in the sense of adultery. We are the bride of Christ and we have chased other lovers. God, however, does not long to divorce us, he wants to restore the true relationship. God will forgive you for your sin. God forgives me for my sin. All we need to do is come humbly before God and beg forgiveness and He will do it, according to the Word. This is who God is (the Holy God who is perfect in every way) and what He has done (sent His son to die for our sins so that our relationship can be restored).

As a result, we who claim to follow Christ should live each day, each second, as a display of praise to God. Dr. Pete Sanchez Jr. told my class one time that worship is "Praising God for all that He is with all that we are." That is worship. We realize that we are sinners and not worthy of forgiveness, yet God in his infinite mercy forgives us, therefore we should live our lives as a bondservant of Christ because we do owe our lives to Him. Not to earn salvation...we do not work to earn salvation. We have been saved, therefore we work.

Worship is realizing who we are and what we have done, who God is and what He has done, and living accordingly.

Quick post in response to a question...

Q: How do you forgive someone who know that what they did was wrong and was not sorry for it?

A: Forgiveness is ultimately an act of obedience to God. It is true that people will wrong you (or someone close to you) and refuse to apologize. However, our duty as believers...our allegiance is ultimately to God. Therefore, we should strive to obey God, not strive to change that person. Only God can truly change a person. So, if we forgive them (and let them know that we forgive them) the hope is that they will see the glory of God through the act of forgiveness. In summary, we forgive because we were forgiven. We show grace because grace was shown to us. We have mercy because Christ had mercy. We love because Christ first loved us.
SIDE NOTE: It does take time...just pray for God to reveal His heart to you through the situation.

Genuine Worship- Part 1- Who We are and What We've Done...

    I shared this thought/message in the form of a sermon one Sunday night. To give it a little introduction, I was contemplating worship and I wanted to give it a personal definition to where I could really grasp what it is. Weeks went by, and I was preaching through a series with the youth entitled "Blueprint" where we covered the foundations of our faith, and the time came for "worship." So, I sat down and contemplated what worship is. The first draft of the definition was "When we realize who we are and what we have done, and then realize who God is and what He has done." It wasn't a bad definition...but still something was missing. Later, I was on the phone with my best friend, Jared Carter, and I told him the definition. Then we brainstormed and added a little more to the definition which, I feel, gave a strong ending to the definition. The revised definition was, "When we realize who we are and what we have done, who God is and what He has done, and we live accordingly." Then I wrote it down, and preached from 2 Samuel 11 & 12, which is the story of David and Bathsheba. This is a summarized version.

  GENUINE WORSHIP
     ''When we realize who we are and what we have done...'', what does that truly mean? This means that we must come face to face with our complete helplessness. Look at 2 Samuel 11:1...and I think we will see an example of just how sin can overtake our lives.

11:1     In the spring of the year, the time when kings go out to battle, David sent Joab, and his servants with him, and all Israel. And they ravaged the Ammonites and besieged Rabbah. But David remained at Jerusalem.

That phrase, but David remained at Jerusalem. What does this tell us? David was not where he should have been.  The Kings were off at war fighting with the soldiers, but David remained in Jerusalem.

1. David was not where he should have been.
Often times, sin will overtake us because we are simply not where we should be...whether that be spiritually or physically.

2. David dwelt on temptation.
In verse two we see the temptation of the Enemy creep in.

11:2   It happened, late one afternoon, when David arose from his couch and was walking on the roof of the king's house, that he saw from the roof a woman bathing; and the woman was very beautiful...David has a choice at this point. Bathsheba bathing on a roof was not an attempt on her part to lead the King into temptation, but rather she was simply taking a shower. This was not an uncommon practice in this time. David should have looked away and retreated. He had the choice to flee from sin, but instead we have verse 3...

11:3 And David sent and inquired about the woman. And one said, “Is not this Bathsheba, the daughter of Eliam, the wife of Uriah the Hittite?”

So David, being King, could have multiple wives...it is not a suggested thing at this time, but it is also not forbidden. He certainly had the means to support them. David is not desiring to sin at this point, it was common for a King to seek a wife. We see that sin was not his desire because he did inquire as to whether she was married or not. Then they tell him that she is the wife of Uriah the Hittite. This should have been where David dropped it. He should have said, "Ok," and walked away...but no. He chose to dwell on the temptation. Instead of taking Bathsheba as a wife, he now desired to simply take Bathsheba.

3. David caved to temptation.
We cannot control temptation...temptation will come. We can however choose to resist it by not dwelling on it. If we don't dwell on it and instead we seek God, then surely we will not cave to temptation. David, however, did the opposite. He dwelt on his temptation, therefore he caved.

11:4-5  So David sent messengers and took her, and she came to him, and he lay with her. (Now she had been purifying herself from her uncleanness.) Then she returned to her house. 5 And the woman conceived, and she sent and told David, “I am pregnant.”

4. Sin has consequences.
In my own experience, I have seen and felt the consequences of my sin. I have felt the broken heart, the contrite spirit. I have seen hearts that I have broken because of my actions. I have been to the pit of despair. These experiences have served to teach me that my sin has repercussions. There is two ways to go about the consequences. 1.) Man up or 2.) Cover up. David has yet another choice. There is a great consequence to his sin in the form of a child. David can either say, "Yes. I had an affair. She is pregnant. I was wrong. I beg forgiveness. Now, I will raise this child," or he can say go with option 2 which is, "The baby is not mine. I am not the father. I did not have sexual relations with that woman."

THE COVER-UP
David knows he's in for some serious consequences, so he decides with the cowardly second choice. He calls in Uriah from the battlefield and tries to get him to have intercourse with his wife so that the conception will seem to be his. (This is a summary of verses 6-26). What David did not expect was that Uriah would be a man of character and integrity. He was a man who was not only loyal to his soldier-brethren and his nation, but also to his King, David. He would not, even while intoxicated, sleep with his wife while the other men were out fighting. David sent a death sentence (by way of Uriah, mind you) to the commander. The commander did as was told and withdrew soldiers and left not only Uriah, but other good soldiers, in harm's way. There Uriah perished along with other men.

5. Your Sin affects others
This is not longer David's secret sin. Men have now died. Bathsheba is mourning the loss of her husband. Now, before we begin to judge Bathsheba, remember that she could have been killed for refusing to have sex with David (yes...she could have refused...I got that). So she is mourning, the family of the other soldiers are mourning...and David still covers up. He takes her to be his wife quickly. Was this genuine or an attempt to look good to the public eye? We are not 100% sure, but it adds to his cover up. He did not reveal the truth.

We, like David, have fallen to the temptations of sin. We have caved just like Him. The first step in true worship is realizing who we are (fallen man) and what we have done (sinned against God).

PART TWO COMING LATER TONIGHT... WHO GOD IS AND WHAT HE HAS DONE!
READ 2 SAMUEL 12
 

The Pretentious Church

     I wrote in an earlier post on one downfall of the American Church--distraction. Through the reading of the Scriptures, specifically Jeremiah, I have come to the realization of yet another issue of faith within the American Church. This is not a fresh idea by any means, it is simply that God has revealed to me something that I, too, need to improve upon by growing in faith and in the Word. Jeremiah is boldly proclaiming a prophetic word from God to Israel, and then he addresses for a moment the state of Judah. He speaks of them, "...Judah did not return to me with her whole heart, but in pretense, declares the LORD." I was floored at the reading of this. Where down the line did we fall away from the true faith and decide to follow in pretense only? This brings me back to my current chief argument of the believer and the government. Those who claim conservatism say that they represent the values of our founding fathers, correct? They even go so far as to claim that the founding fathers were Christians, and that everything that they represent is founded on scripture. So, likewise, the conservatives are trying to preserve Biblical authority when it comes to the Constitution. Ok. Cool. My issue is not over the moral standards of a nation, but rather how we go about preserving moral values. If we say we are going to uphold a Biblical standard, then every aspect of our lives should reflect that. The way that many Conservative spokesmen present this argument of Biblical standard is unbiblical. How do they go about doing this? They slander. The quarrel. They gossip. They are rebellious and disrespectful. They say things such as, "He's not my president." They have simply done, as some fathers of our nation did, and taken parts of scripture and followed them, while dismissing others as not applying. They are obedient to God on the things that make them look good, but reject the Word when it comes to the spiritual integrity and discipline that should be reflected in their own lives. Not to be confusing, I am a moderate who leans more toward conservatism...if I must define myself by a party. I am simply saying, first and foremost, I am a follower of Christ, and if we are going to push Christian standard, then atleast follow them. When we take parts of scripture and apply them, and then reject others, we are simply following in pretense, not whole-heartedly.
     There are some who have claimed that I am merely paying lip service to God when I speak against the slandering of our leaders. To them, I say that if I speak with my vote (which I intend to do) then God knows my heart and therefore I am not paying lip service. Somehow, the remedy for lip service has become speaking loudly and angrily...and if that is the remedy for lip service, then Christ paid the Father lip service--which is a claim I would never dare to make. I am not saying that if the government decided to infiltrate their way into the church that we allow for that to happen. I am saying that until the time the government decides to regulate how the Church operates, we should respect them because as Romans 13 says, "Let every person be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those that exist have instituted by God. Therefore whoever resists the authorities, resists what God has appointed, and those who resist will incur judgment." The early Christians, under the reign of Caesar, refused to hail Caesar as LORD. Had they done so, they could have worshipped as they pleased. This, however, was a cutting line where they had to refuse to place anything higher than God. Until we reach this point (which very well could happen one day), we must submit and give respect. I must reiterate my point on respect, in Titus, Paul reminds him, "Remind them to be submissive to rulers and authorities, to be obedient, to be ready for every good work, to speak evil of no one, and to show perfect courtesy toward all people. For we ourselves were once foolish, disobedient, led astray, slaves to various passions and pleasures, passing our days in malice and envy, hated by others and hating one another. But when the goodness of God our Savior appeared, he saved us, not because of works done by us, but according to His own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit, whom he poured out on us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior, so that being justified by his grace we might become heirs according to the hope of eternal life. The saying is trustworthy and I want you to insist on these things, so that those who have believed in God may be careful to devote themselves to good works. These things are excellent and profitable for people. (boldness added) But avoid foolish controversies, genealogies, dissensions, and quarrels about the law, for they are unprofitable and worthless. as for a person who stirs up division, after warning him once and then twice, have nothing more to do with him, knowing that such a person is warped and sinful; he is self condemned." This is a big deal. Now comes to the point of true examination of our hearts.
     Are we merely pushing Biblical standard to impress people and somehow impress God? Or are we truly following whole-heartedly. I dare to say that if we were truly following, and truly following the American way as some claim, then we would spend less time slandering and more time praying for our nation. We would talk less and let our vote speak for us. The old saying is true that actions speak louder than words. I am, with a slight strain of selfishness, ready for those who claim to be defenders of the faith to start living their lives according to Scripture. It is about spiritual integrity not politics. My fear is that the Church in America has, like Judah, begun to follow Christ only in pretense. Pray for our leaders. Bless our leaders. Respect our leaders. This pleases God (according to Scripture).

Theological Integrity/Sound Doctrine

I fear that we, the American Church, have begun to weaken in the cause of sound doctrine. This is not merely credited to Liberal Christians, but the Conservative as well. On the one hand, there is moral decay and a lack of Godly expectation for believers. On the other hand, there is staunch legalism that is reminiscent of the Pharisees of old, who would add to the Law things that were not black-and-white, but gray areas. This is a charge to the Church (as well as myself)...be of sound doctrine. There are those that think that doctrine is not important...that it is all about how you live your life. While the way that we live our life is of the utmost importance, without sound doctrine, what impact can we truly make? If we are an inch off of sound doctrine today, then we will be miles away in a years' time. We need to first make sure that this life we live is in concordance with the doctrine of the Scriptures. We need to live a life that maintains theological integrity. Dietrich Bonhoeffer said, "If you board the wrong train, it is no use running along the corridor in the opposite direction." C.S. Lewis wrote in Mere Christianity, "Every­one has warned me not to tell you what I am going to tell you in this last book. They all say ‘the ordi­nary reader does not want The­ol­ogy; give him plain prac­ti­cal reli­gion’. I have rejected their advice. I do not think the ordi­nary reader is such a fool. The­ol­ogy means ‘the sci­ence of God,’ and I think any man who wants to think about God at all would like to have the clear­est and most accu­rate ideas about Him which are avail­able. You are not chil­dren: why should you be treated like children?" We need to be weaned off of the spiritual milk that we have been drowning on for years, and begin to feed on the meat that is sound doctrine.
-Heath
Soli Deo Gloria

Poetry #1: "The Regeneration of Man" by Heath Walton

The Regeneration of Man

O, what a prideful being!
Plagued by sin and darkness of heart!
Who is man to imagine that he can resuscitate himself?
Deceived! Again, I say, “Deceived!”--
O, how our Divine Father detests sin!
In indulgence, Man becomes completely estranged!
Estranged! Again, I say, “Estranged!”--
O, how majestic is our God!
Willing to exchange a throne for Man’s Transgression!
Holy! Holy! Again, I say, “Holy!”--
O, how we have suffered your sting all the days that we breathe!
Who else can reap such trepidation in the depths of man?
But why fear? Again, I ask, “Why Fear?”--
O, blessed hope that prohibits the sting!
Death is no more! No more!
Again, I say, “No More!”

broken over others' brokenness

     I have recently been engrossed in the book "Bonhoeffer: Pastor, Martyr, Prophet, Spy: A Righteous Gentile vs The Third Reich." I promise you that by the end of the summer I will do an in-depth review of this book, but I currently want to post about something I have noticed that I have been lacking in my own life. Bonhoeffer, through his travels around the world, always seemed to be broken over others' brokenness. He, for example, saw the plight of the African-Americans in the mid 1900s and was amazed at how a country that claimed to be one founded upon the principles of God could allow such an atrocity. Little did he know that in Germany, the same thing on a bigger scale was beginning to erupt. However, Bonhoeffer--an outsider--was given the opportunity to look in and see that something was wrong. Lately, I have noticed that not only in the Church, but in my life, that there is little to no brokenness for others. The reason is very simple--self-absorption. We have become the center of our selfish mini-worlds. Ego has replaced the very heart of being a Christ follower. Now granted, there is some issues that I have with people who follow simply a social gospel [if you don't SHARE the gospel, all the work is in vain]. However, at least they are doing something. Christ did not sit back and strategically plan how to draw people into the Church. He was on the front lines. He was in the trenches. He was at the table with sinners and tax collectors. We have become the Pharisees who pick and choose who should be allowed to follow Christ. How dare we. How dare I. From this moment on, I am going to go reach others for Christ. I am going to go at least attempt to make disciples. I am going to go and share the Gospel of Jesus Christ. I am going to go preach the Word. The Word is the only source from which we can know true salvation. This is our purpose. Don't believe me? Matthew 28:19.

No Sugar Added INTRO

Over the next few days, I will be making a series of articles available through my blog entitled, "No Sugar Added." This is nothing but a look at the Gospel in its rawest form, with no cliche's, no step-by-step methods on "How to get saved," none of that. Just simply, purely, the Gospel. I hope that you will enjoy it. Please leave comments after they are posted and let me know if you agree or disagree, if you like or don't like, or if you understand it or don't understand it. I will be glad to clarify or discuss. -Heath

The Pragmatic Gospel

Let's pack the church with as many people as possible. Let's draw them in with various activities and outlandish stunts. Let's give the people what they want. After all, our success is counted by how many people are present at church. So this is the purpose of the church? To give the people what they want? Don't want to confront sin? Fine. All of our sermons will be light hearted and make you feel good about being in church. Don't want to talk about the expectations of a follower of Christ? Fine. We will sale you short by telling you that as long as you sign this card..you are saved. So this is the purpose of the Church. [note: sarcasm...as this is in fact a direct opposition to what the Church is supposed to be...but sadly, it's what it has become.]

The New Day

There is a line in one of my favorite worship songs that says, "and I don't have time to maintain these regrets when I think about the way that He loves us." It was only recently [after about 1000 times of singing it] that I truly grasped the power in that line of the song. For years, I have let my mind and heart dwell on past mistakes that I made. It was as if I did not believe the scripture where it says that "God is faithful and just to forgive." I did not really grasp that God throws our sin as far as the East is from the West. Then I realized, I had been humanizing God. I also realized that I had not forgiven myself for all the horrible things I had done. Then one day, as I was singing "How He Loves," it clicked. One of the tools the Enemy uses is a sense of being rendered useless. Then I remembered David. David messed up big time when he had the affair with Bethsheba and then had Uriah killed intentionally. David kept hiding his sin over and over...trying to brush away his tracks so as to not be caught. God knew his heart. God revealed his heart through a prophet. David owned up to his sin. Did David spend the next years lying there [like a corpse at a wake]? No. David begged forgiveness, asked God to give him a clean heart and a clean slate. God was faithful and just and forgave him. This is a big part of the hope of the gospel. That God will forgive if we ask. Futhermore, If God has forgiven us...we need to learn to forgive ourselves as well. Don't let Satan bind you in the oppression of harbored guilt. Be released from the chains knowing that our God does not lie...therefore you are forgiven if you ask and if you forgives others for their sins as well. Each new morning produces a brand new day...don't dwell in yesterday, stay focused and stay the course. Pursue Godliness.

a deadly cancer

NOTE: THIS WILL BE VERY BLUNT

There is no good form of cancer, right? No one sees the report from the doctor and says, "Yes! I got lymphoma!" [If they do, they have issues beyond my expertise]. We have a cancer spreading through the Church today [that has really been infecting us since days past]. This cancer is gossip a.k.a. slander a.k.a. [as my father would humorously phrase it] diarrhea of the mouth. Gossip in its rawest form is casual or unconstrained conversation or reports about other people, involving details that are not confirmed as being true. A study has shown that there has been a cure for this condition. The cure is to take a big dose of Extra Strength Shut-Up. Gossip does nothing but causes quarrels. It is a sickness. It is a sin. The true remedy for this is Christ--not the dose of sarcastic medicine [although that helps]. What does the Bible say about gossip and slander?

Leviticus 19:16 – “Do not go about spreading slander among your people. Do not do anything that endangers your neighbor’s life. I am the Lord.”

Proverbs 11:13 – “A gossip betrays a confidence, but a trustworthy man keeps a secret.” 

Romans 1:29 – “They have become filled with every kind of wickedness, evil, greed and depravity. They are full of envy, murder, strife, deceit and malice. They are gossips.” 

1 Timothy 5:13 – “Besides, they get into the habit of being idle and going about from house to house. And not only do they become idlers, but also gossips and busybodies, saying things they ought not to.” 

Matthew 7:1 – “Do not judge, or you too will be judged.”  

Proverbs 18:8 – “The words of gossip are like choice morsels; they go down to a man’s inmost parts.” 

A few signs that you may be in denial about gossip:

Do you always seems to be in the latest drama?

Do you speak ill of people behind their back?

Do you always feel people are out to get you? [note: they wouldn't be if you wouldn't gossip]

Do you betray/ get betrayed by your friends?

Truthfully, examine your life. If you are a gossip...repent and turn from that sin. Let's start loving people and building them up rather than tearing them down to make ourselves feel better. OBEY CHRIST.

Forgiveness [it's kind of a big deal]

  One of the hardest things for fallen man (and woman for you TNIV fans) to say and mean is "I forgive you." Some will cheaply throw this phrase around while still harboring the same resentful feelings of borderline hatred that they held to prior to the making of the statement. While others openly harbor resentment and refuse to ever let these words cross their lips. Perhaps the greatest faux pas on this blog post lies in the subtitle..."It's kind of a big deal." Forgiveness to God is a very big deal...in fact we find that it has very strong implications if we refuse to do so.

            For if you forgive others their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you,  but if   

                 you do not forgive others their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.

 Matthew 6:14-15 

  

 In a slightly less-than-reputable song called, "Forgiveness," less-than-mediocre actress, Anna Faris sings, "Forgivess....is more than saying sorry..." Thank You Anna...this is so true. God is not concerned if you merely say "I'm sorry," or "I forgive you," He wants your heart to be in congruence with your words. Funny things is, this is a standard that Christ upholds in many situations. Ever the antagonists, the Pharisees constantly questioned the motives of Christ because his outer appearance looked different from their holier-than-thou masquerade. Christ, however, saw through their pious fashion and saw that their hearts were filthy. But I digress. If we say we forgive someone, we must forgive them. In fact, I would urge people to be quick to forgive. I realize that this is easier said than done. Yet, if we keep in mind that despite our wretched state, God saw fit to forgive us and extend grace, we mind find it easier to do the same for others. We have ALL sinned. If I have sinned against you in any way in my past. Let me be the first to apologize. I have been immature, deceiving, inconsistent with the faith that I claimed, hateful, spiteful, and slandering. For that, I beg forgiveness. Once again, I digress. We all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God. We all deserve eternal hell. Yet, Christ extends grace and mercy because He knows that we are sinful individuals. We should strive to be Christ-like and forgive. If we do not forgive, our heavenly Father will not forgive us. That is Biblical. Pretty serious, right?

 

Dear Facebook Friends...

This article was written as a response to some of my facebook friends' posts regarding politics and the government...enjoy!

The Christ-like Approach to Politics

Social Networks have rapidly become a primary method of communication that transcends generations. It seems, with the invention of status posting, that our everyday lives are now being lived out as a narrative. Not only that, social networking has now made the opinions of people—good and bad—easily accessible. Lately, with the upcoming elections, Christians have become more vocal about subjects such as homosexual marriage, abortion, and other hot topics. Some, unfortunately, have confused taking a stand on moral preservation as an excuse to slander our country's leaders. This is not only immature and unhealthy, it is strictly forbidden according to scripture.

In Romans 13, the Apostle Paul urges followers of Christ to be subject to their governing authorities. He reminds us that God is the ultimate authority and that those who exist in office are appointed by God. He warns that whoever resists these authorities, resists what God has appointed and will incur judgment. In Titus 3, Paul not only reiterates these statements, but expounds upon them. He elaborates that we should be ready for every good work, speak evil of no one, avoid quarreling, be gentle, and show perfect courtesy toward all. He reminds us that we were once foolish, disobedient, easily led astray, slaves to our passions and pleasures, passing our days in malice and envy, hated by others and hating one another. Then, one glorious day, the goodness and loving kindness of God our Savior appeared, and he saved us, not by our works, but according to the mercy and grace that He so richly blessed us with. He then goes on to say, with this truth in mind, that Christians should devote themselves to good works, which is excellent and profitable for people.

It is here that Paul urges followers of Christ to avoid foolish controversies, genealogies, dissensions, and quarrels about the law, because they are unprofitable and worthless. To accent the seriousness of this subject, he suggests that we confront brothers and sisters who stir up such division. After warning them once and then twice, if they still continue in useless quarreling, to avoid them because they are warped, sinful, and self-condemned.

Our duty as followers of Christ is not to spend our God-given time slandering our president, but rather confronting the real issue. My pastor once said to me, “The heart of the problem is the problem of the heart.” The real issue is not abortion, homosexual marriage, or even Barack Obama. The real issue is that we live in a sin-fallen world. There is only one remedy for sin. It is not our constant badgering of our country's leaders. The remedy is not found in protests and petitions. The remedy is in Christ Jesus alone. Our job is to share Christ with a lost and dying world. We are to be the agents who bring peace and hope to a lost and dying world. One of the greatest tools that the Enemy uses is distraction, and he uses it brilliantly. We have lost sight of our true mission—abandoning it for useless second tier issues. Christ came to save sinners, and we should be the light that Christ has called us to be.

In conclusion, as followers of Christ, we should live quiet, respectful lives because this pleases God. We should not ignore these sensitive issues, but instead be wise in our approach to them. If you do not agree with the President's stance on different issues, speak with your vote. That is the beauty of democracy—everyone has a voice. This is the Christ-like approach to politics.

-Heath Walton