The Crux of the Gospel

Believers know, of course, that the cross, the virgin birth, the sinlessness of Jesus - among other things - are the foundation of the gospel and are part of our belief and salvation. As I was reading the Word this morning in John 14:23-24, however, it struck me that this passage is one of the reasons I believe so strongly in living faith rather than simply claiming it. It reads:

If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word; and My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our home with him. He who does not love Me does not keep My words...

So many people argue with Nazarenes because we believe that you have to live your faith; because we believe that if you're a Christian, it will show in your life. (NO, we are not saved by works. But faith without works is dead. That's Bible.)

We don't believe that saying some little "sinner's prayer" gives you reason to believer that you can go back to your former lifestyle, whatever that was - drinking, carousing, lying, or any other form of "scratching and clawing" - and then when you die, spend eternity in Heaven with Jesus. The Word does not bear that out. And this passage is one that assures me of the truth in this conviction.

There are no hidden meanings here. No obscure texts or passages we can't understand. Jesus is very plain-spoken in this passage. If you love me, you'll do what I tell you. Wow, what a novel idea! A Christian will actually follow Jesus. (Yes, I'm being sarcastic... but only in a loving way!)

But the importance of this is that only Christians (born-again, renewed, changed, converted believers in Christ) are going to make it to Heaven.

If you are concerned enough about your eternal soul that you would say a sinner's prayer and believe that Jesus is indeed the only way of salvation, then please don't gamble with eternity by not following Him as He commands in this crucial passage of scripture.

Prayer and God's Confirmations

You may be aware that Greg and I are no longer pastoring, and for pastors, that's a tough spot to be in. But we decided Saturday that we'll get very serious and very specific in prayer, asking God exactly what direction He would have us go.

Of course, we've been praying, but nothing as specific as what we both agreed to this weekend. We began praying specifically about whether or not we should move to another district since there are no churches open in East Tennessee.

This morning, Greg got up before me (as he usually does) and made coffee (as he usually does). While it was brewing, he sat down to read his devotional from Charles Spurgeon's Morning and Evening. The topic of the devotional was on waiting. Basically, wait and let God work, don't do anything that might take you out of God's will or put you in front of His plan.

After he got me up and we had our morning time together, he left for work. So I sat down to have my personal devotional time. Guess what the topic was... you're right! Wait on the Lord.

Now, of course, we've been waiting - what else could we do? But while we were waiting, we haven't been waiting very patiently. These simple reminders, however, encouraged us both and seemed to confirm that God hasn't forgotten us, even though we feel like He has at time. It's wonderful to be reminded that He's still working in our lives and that He does still have a plan for us. We needed to hear that from Him.

Do you ever feel that way? Ever feel like you just need God to re-confirm His word in your life? He will if you ask Him... and wait for His answer. Let me know what He's saying to you.

Better Understanding

I finished 90 Minutes in Heaven yesterday. And I have to say that I feel I better understand why Don Piper went through what he went through (see my earlier post Understanding God if you're wondering what I mean).

Rev. Piper saw something that few - if any - other people have ever seen... Heaven. Then he was returned to earth to suffer excruciating pain and turmoil. While, prior to finishing the book, I struggled with why God would allow that, it seems to me that Piper's experiences have been such a blessing to SO many people, it's easier for me now to accept God's decision. (Not that I questioned His right to make that decision, in my humanity, I simply couldn't grasp God's reasoning.)

According to the book, the glories of Heaven that Rev. Piper saw were so amazing they sustained him through a lot of what he had to face. And his testimony continues to bless others to this day! What he witnessed gives comfort and peace to people facing death or suffering grief from the loss of a loved one. He wouldn't be able to share that testimony without his trip to Heaven.

And he can understand pain and suffering better than most people will ever understand it! Because he's been there. What a blessing to those like the teenage boy mentioned in the book who was hurting so bad, and suffering such emotional trauma. This man - who had faced the same pain and turmoil - was able to encourage him in a way that no one else could. What a blessing! What a fulfillment of a need! But, of course, God knew that need and send the fulfillment - even when we humans didn't grasp why.

I encourage you to read this book... and finish it! Don't stop in the middle thinking God left this man dangling. Read it all and discover the end of the story. After all, isn't that where our encouragement lies... at the end of this life when we see for ourselves that what Don Piper told us about Heaven is real?!

What Do Nazarenes Believe?

A lot of people question me, as a minister in the Church of the Nazarene, about my beliefs. The General Church of the Nazarene has stated clearly and concisely in its Manual of the Church of the Nazarene (PDF) and on their website what Nazarenes believe and why.

There are actually two sections that cover our beliefs, one is the Articles of Faith, the other is our Agreed Statement of Belief, which says:

These are the beliefs Nazarenes hold to be true:

We believe in one God-the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

We believe that the Old and New Testament Scriptures, given by plenary inspiration, contain all truth necessary to faith and Christian living.

We believe that man is born with a fallen nature, and is, therefore, inclined to evil, and that continually.

We believe that the finally impenitent are hopelessly and eternally lost.

We believe that the atonement through Jesus Christ is for the whole human race; and that whosoever repents and believes on the Lord Jesus Christ is justified and regenerated and saved from the dominion of sin.

We believe that believers are to be sanctified wholly, subsequent to regeneration, through faith in the Lord Jesus Christ.

We believe that the Holy Spirit bears witness to the new birth, and also to the entire sanctification of believers.

We believe that our Lord will return, the dead will be raised, and the final judgment will take place.

If you still have questions, let me know. I'd be glad to clarify if I can.

Understanding God

A friend at church loaned me the book, 90 Minutes in Heaven by Don Piper. This book isn't turning out to be what I expected at all.

I had in mind this was a happy, cheerful book filled with images of Heaven and encouragement for getting there. I'm up to about page 100, and Boy, Was I Wrong! If you've read the book, maybe you'll understand my thoughts on this. But I've really struggled with the WHY of this book... as in why did God give this man a vision of the glories of Heaven and then allow Him to suffer excruciating pain as he did?

Okay, before you fuss at me, realize that I do trust God - no matter what! I know He is sovereign and I trust Him completely. I also believe that He has the right - as King and Creator of the entire Universe - to do what He chooses without regard to what we piddly humans think. But I also know Him to be love as the Bible tells us He is in 1 John 4:16. And I believe Him to be capable to change ANYTHING He chooses. So my question is why didn't He stop this man's suffering? Why, in fact, did He compel another Christian to pray for Don Piper and then resurrect him after he had been dead for 90 minutes, only to allow him to suffer tremendous pain? I have to wonder WHY.

Now as a pastor, you may think I need to keep my questions to myself. But I'm a firm believer that God knows my heart (He knows everything!) so even if I keep them to myself, He knows they're there. Why shouldn't I be honest and voice them as I search for answers? I believe I can. God's big enough to handle my questions. He knows my heart and attitude are respectful. But that doesn't mean I wouldn't like to understand.

It came to me as I was considering this issue that many non-Christians struggle with this same question. They don't understand God, they don't know Why He acts a certain way, so they dismiss Him and refuse to serve Him. As far as I'm concerned, there's no basis for that attitude.

I love my husband, but he does things I don't understand. Does that mean I shouldn't love him anymore? Of course not! Nor does that reasoning apply to my sisters or my son, or anyone else. In the words of Mr. Spock, "it's illogical."

So don't get me wrong! I may not understand God. I may question why He has acted a certain way. I may want to know Him better and feel it's a losing battle at times. But I Trust Him completely. And that's never going to change. Hopefully, when I finish the book I'll have a better understanding of Mr. Piper's situation. But even if I don't, I'll still trust my Lord. But that doesn't stop me from honestly wondering Why.

Making a Difference

Isn't that what we all want to do? Make a difference. In our families, our jobs, our churches, our lives. I know I do! What does it take to make a difference? Nothing big like we tend to think.

We can make a difference in the lives of our families by spending time with our kids and our spouse, by showing concern and interest in what they have to say, by loving them openly and with everything we have.

We can make a difference in our jobs by working hard, doing our best, treating our co-workers and boss with respect, showing honesty and integrity in every area of our life at work, living the Golden Rule with everyone we meet.

We can make a difference in our church by being there whenever the doors are open, faithfully giving, volunteering to help in whatever way we can, doing our best to get along with others, encouraging our brothers and sisters in Christ, supporting our pastor, living a good Christian example in front of others.

We can make a difference in every area of our life by being the best we can be in all the little things we do.

Micah 6:8 exhorts us to, "Do justly, love mercy, walk humbly with [our] God." Those aren't big things, but doing them can make a HUGE difference in our lives and in the lives of those around us. What an example of the perfect Christian walk, don't you think?

Standing Up for What's Right

I watched a video this morning about how to use social media (Facebook, MySpace, Twitter, etc.) to build a business and increase the traffic to a website. One of the tips the presenter gave was to "Be Controversial." It struck me that if I'm doing my job as a Christian properly, that one comes naturally.

Standing up for what's right is often controversial. Too many people want to impose their lack of morality on Christians because they don't want to be held accountable for their own actions, or maybe because they can't deal with the guilt that comes from the conviction of the Holy Spirit speaking to our hearts when we've displeased God. Whatever the reason, there are people every day who try to force their liberal ideas down the throats of those of us who still believe the Bible is truth and still plan to live by it. That causes great controversy.

I'm here to tell you that if I'm the only one left standing, I will remain true to God's word. I will continue to speak out against sin as the Bible defines it. And I will do my best to live as a Christian every day... not just on Sunday, not just when I'm around other Christians, not just when it's easy. I will stand up for Christ so that when Jesus returns for me (as He promised He would in Matthew 24), I'll be ready for Him.

Want to stand with me?