Brainwashed or Blessed?

Have you every heard the argument from non-believers or humanists that one must be "brainwashed" in order to believe in the Bible and God?  As I consider this especially in light of our culture, this position simply defies logic.  From the perspective of American culture (and probably safe to say, from any western culture), we are taught from a young age to respect and honor human traditions and accomplishments rather than the sovereignty of God; we are taught about a theory of evolution as fact rather than an unproven scientific theory, and we are taught that religion is a personal choice - that they are all basically the same and all basically useless.  To acknowledge God is considered by some to be a crutch or a show of weakness rather than simply living out what we know in our heart of hearts to be true.

From the creation of the world His invisible attributes, that is, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen, being understood through what He has made. As a result, people are without excuse. For though they knew God, they did not glorify Him as God or show gratitude. Instead, their thinking became nonsense, and their senseless minds were darkened.  Romans 1: 20-21

So our culture teaches us to ignore God, and yet there are still millions and millions of Christ-followers, believers who seek to know God more and more with all of their hearts.  This simple truth is enough for me to push the "brainwashing" argument off the table.  It is not logical to believe in something that cannot be observed in a test tube... or is it?  Even though I have been taught from the Bible and have heard the gospel preached, I have still grown up in this culture of death which teaches me to ignore God.  The only reason that I can still come to know God and have the knowledge of His saving grace is because of the influence of the Holy Spirit.   I am so very thankful for the power and influence of the Holy Spirit in my life; that He has led me to the cross where my sins are forgiven and I am given eternal life... no brianwashing necessary.

Be careful that no one takes you captive through philosophy and empty deceit based on human tradition, based on the elemental forces of the world, and not based on Christ.  Colossians 2:8

Be blessed, my friend...

-Andy G.

Where do you set the bar?

In "religion" we often set the bar very high... too high perhaps.  Every Sunday has to be the "best" worship, the "best" sermon, and we ask ourselves "what did I get out of that sermon... and out of that service?"  Well, consider this: are you setting the bar too high?  Is your faith based on what you can get out a service... or do you expect to much?

Rather, spend some time in reflection, thinking and praying on what you can do for Christ Jesus.  What can you do differently and how can you spend your time and efforts to glorify God and please Him instead of focusing on yourself?

I hope that you will find that we all-too-often set the bar way too high... we expect too much out of other people and out our situations because it is what we have come to expect and desire.  Friends, this is a self-centered approach to faith and religion.

Get back to basics.  Ask God to reveal to you what He wants of you.  You may find that he desires your heart.  Everything else will follow from there, if you are honest.

But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.  Matthew 6:33

-atg-

Get to know Him!

Dear Friends,  I urge you to get to know Jesus.  The first step is believing in God; the 2nd step is seeking to know Him.  If your heart is sincere in this quest, the Bible promises that the Holy Spirit will guide you to know Him more.  This is the most important question you every need to answer in your life here on earth: "Do you know Him?"

"Not everyone who says to Me, 'Lord, Lord!' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of My Father in heaven. On that day many will say to Me, 'Lord, Lord, didn't we prophesy in Your name, drive out demons in Your name, and do many miracles in Your name?  'Then I will announce to them, 'I never knew you! Depart from Me, you lawbreakers!'    Matthew 7:21-23

In this passage from the gospel of Matthew, Jesus is teaching with authority about how to enter the kingdom.  He reminds us that we must actually know Him in order to enter, and that He should know us.  It is not enough just to say "I am a Christian" or "I go to church" or "I read my Bible"... we need to get to know Him.  How do we do this?  Just like any relationship, it takes a devoted effort to spend time with the person, to speak with them, to read their letters, and to share your thoughts and life with them.  Knowing Jesus is even better though, he offers us forgiveness of sins and eternal salvation! 

Friends, please do not take this lightly.  Jesus knows our heart, and when we seek him earnestly and with passion and discipline, He will recognize us when we enter the kingdom of heaven!

God bless you... (thanks, Pastor Bill, for sharing this passage from Matthew which gave me the idea for this blog entry).

-atg-

Trusting God, Part 2

In the previous post, we explored what it meant to trust God to direct our steps, even as we plan our course.  This Part 2 is to remind us that God is just and fair and that He is our final judge.  Why is this important?... because many times when we fail to trust God with the outcome of something it's because we wish to control the punishment or reward for something that others have done or have not done.  A great example of this is whether or not someone has accepted the gospel and given their heart to Jesus, accepting His forgiveness and that free gift of salvation.

Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God and keep His commandments, For this is man’s all. For God will bring every work into judgment, Including every secret thing, Whether good or evil.  Ecclesiastes 12:13-14

In my own life, one of the tendencies that I have struggled with (but the Lord is teaching me a better way!) was to judge those who outwardly did not appear to have accepted the gospel message.  This outward appearance was usually manifest in behavior or attitude (not necessarily in physical appearance).  As I mature in Christ, I now realize that it is not my role to judge.  God looks on the heart... he knows our heart.  It is up to him, not me, to know and to judge what someone does with their heart (Matthew 7; 1 John 3; and Proverbs 21:2). 

My role is to be a witness to the gospel with my life; sometimes with words, but mostly with actions.  Prayer is a powerful weapon in the war to win souls.  God hears our prayers, and he weighs our hearts; and ultimately it is Him who judges each and every one of us.  I will leave that task to Him and continue to do my part... Trusting Him!

Blessings...

-atg-

Trusting God, Part 1

For this discussion, consider how the act of Trusting God can be broken down into two aspects:

1.  Trusting that God directs our steps, even as we plan our course; and
2.  Trusting that God is just and fair and that He will judge everything fairly.

Our duty as a Christ-follower does not entail the need to control everything to the point of questioning "Why?" when we don't get our way.  Seriously, how many times have you gotten "your way" completely?  Yet, oftentimes we continue to expect that everything that we plan and do will be completely within the will of God. 

Proverbs 16:9 states that "A man’s heart plans his way, But the LORD directs his steps."  What a simple verse, but what a difficult concept to understand and to accept.  We often pray for things to go a certain way, and that God will bless this thing.  There is nothing wrong with praying for success in our plans... but we must realize that the important thing is that we must Trust God, no matter what the outcome.  Ultimately, it's the eternity that matters, not whether or not our plans follow through to successful outcomes.

A good friend recently told me about a vision of God going before us and making clear footprints in front of us... and us working diligently to try to step directly in those footsteps as we move forward.  What a great word picture.  If we can be so trusting of God as to look for and step directly into each of those footprints as we go, I think we are well on our way to living out Proverbs 16:9.

Work diligently, as unto the Lord, to make your plans and put all of your heart into those plans asking the Lord to bless them, but don't forget to accept the steps that God directs your feet into, even if they are not where you planned to step!  Trust God!

God bless...

-atg-

What if there was a Battle and only one side showed up to fight?

In the previous posting, we discussed the necessary defense against the schemes of the devil and realized the importance of taking on the full armor of God.  The next step is to actually show up to fight.  As a Christ-follower, how often do you choose to serve your own interests and to coast through the good times you are having rather than to join your battle buddies in combat?  If 1 Peter 5:8-9 is right, then we are foolish for forgetting the importance of showing up to fight by prayer and petition...

Ephesians 6:18-20  reads ... With all prayer and petition pray at all times in the Spirit, and with this in view, be on the alert with all perseverance and petition for all the saints, and pray on my behalf, that utterance may be given to me in the opening of my mouth, to make known with boldness the mystery of the gospel, for which I am an ambassador in chains; that in proclaiming it I may speak boldly, as I ought to speak.


Think for a moment about friends or family members who have fallen in battle recently.  Do you know anyone who is lost in sin, bound by the chains of addiction, hurting and suffering because of their poor choices or the choices of others.  These are the casualties of the combat of which I am writing.  The Bible is clear that we are in a spiritual battle for our very souls, with eternal consequences.  Please remember your duty to fight alongside your brothers and sisters in Christ to defend yourself, your family, your friends, and believers around the world.

I urge you to consider your role in this great struggle against "spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places" (Eph 6:12)  We need you on the front line in this struggle, in prayer for the saints.  Please take time right now, and each day to pray and petition on behalf of you and others to stay the straight and narrow course which Christ has set before us.

Blessings...

-atg-

"Peace be to you all who are in Christ..."

Defend Yourself and the Saints

1 Peter 5:8-9 reads "Be of sober spirit, be on the alert. Your adversary, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. ⁹ But resist him, firm in your faith, knowing that the same experiences of suffering are being accomplished by your brethren who are in the world."  This reminds us not to take our safety for granted, especially our spiritual safety.  We need to be vigilant and defend ourselves with the tools that God has given us so that we can be firm in our faith.

Ephesians 6:10-18 reinforces the fact that our battle is "not against flesh and blood", but is primarily fought in the spiritual realm.  How important it is that we realize this and that we prepare ourselves to win this fight!  To ignore this, or to take our safety for granted is to be like going into combat without any weapons, armor, or proper training.  Here are the tools which God gives us to defend ourselves:

• The belt of TRUTH  (this holds everything together)
• The breastplate of RIGHTEOUSNESS (this protects our heart and vital organs)
• Boots of the PREPARATION OF THE GOSPEL OF PEACE (these ensure that we can stand firm on the gospel and have sure footing)
• The shield of FAITH (to extinguish the flaming arrows of the evil one)
• The helmet of SALVATION (protects our mind)
• The sword of the SPIRIT, which is the Word of God (our weapon... the Word of God)

...and I love how it concludes in verse 18 "...With all prayer and petition pray at all times in the Spirit, and with this in view, be on the alert with all perseverance and petition for all the saints..."   We cannot underestimate the power of prayer in all that we do, especially in the defense of our souls against the attacks of the enemy, the devil.  As Christ-followers we must also be alert and pray and petition at all times for all the saints (our fellow believers and future believers).

I pray that you will take this seriously, and take it to heart... we are in a battle and we need you on the front lines of prayer.

Blessings...

-atg-

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Ephesians 6:10-18  The Armor of God


10 Finally, be strong in the Lord and in (B)the strength of His might. 11 Put on the full armor of God, so that you will be able to stand firm against the schemes of the devil. 12 For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places. 13 Therefore, take up the full armor of God, so that you will be able to resist in the evil day, and having done everything, to stand firm. 14 Stand firm therefore, HAVING GIRDED YOUR LOINS WITH TRUTH, and HAVING PUT ON THE BREASTPLATE OF RIGHTEOUSNESS, 15 and having shod YOUR FEET WITH THE PREPARATION OF THE GOSPEL OF PEACE; 16 in addition to all, taking up the shield of faith with which you will be able to extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. 17 And take THE HELMET OF SALVATION, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.


18 With all prayer and petition pray at all times in the Spirit, and with this in view, be on the alert with all perseverance and petition for all the saints, ...

The Promise and the Call (1 Peter Ch. 1)

1 Peter Chapter 1 is a wonderful chapter which you could simply put into two sections: (1) the promise of eternal life and (2) a call for us to be holy and live holy lives because of our salvation.

The Promise:  Verses 3 and 4 say "...he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ ... and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade..." This promise should give us hope that we have salvation and that it cannot be taken away. In fact (v.5), we are "shielded by God's power until the coming of the salvation..." this is awesome! because of this promise, we are called to live holy lives...

The Call:  Verses 13 through 16 deal with this call to be holy, asking that we "prepare your minds for action; be self-controlled; set your hope fully on the grace to be given you when Jesus Christ is revealed..." Because of our salvation, we should strive to be holy in this way. Many of the people that Peter was writing to were using their salvation as an excuse to live worldly, sinful lives. He calls us not to do that.

v.17-19 deal with the fact that we are strangers in this world. I think that the philosophy (and bumper stickers and clothing line) that we are "not of this world" comes partly from this book... The concept is that we live for Christ... and live holy lives because of his promise of eternal life - not in order to gain that eternal life, which comes by grace and not by works, but BECAUSE of that promise we strive to be holy.

Blessings...

-atg-

Fervent Charity

I love the King James version of 1 Peter 4:8  "And above all things have fervent charity among yourselves: for charity shall cover the multitude of sins."  What does it mean to have fervent charity? 

According to dictionary.com, fervent means "having or showing great warmth or intensity of spirit, feeling, enthusiasm, etc."  and charity means "generous actions or donations to aid the poor, ill, or helpless"; although the synomyms for charity are more compelling and will help us better understand it: "kindliness, consideration, humanity, benignity, sympathy"

So, once again, the Word of God tells us to have fervent charity above all things, and that this charity will cover the multitude of sins.  Ask yourself now: "do I have fervent charity?"  How often do you think about your brother or sister in need, or are you thinking mostly of yourself?  Beyond that, who is our brother or sister in need?...  isn't it every human being you meet? 

Since we are all sinners (Romans 3:23), we are all "helpless" are we not?  You may not have seen it this way before, but we are all "poor, ill, or helpless" because of our sin.  This sin of ours comes between us and God, and makes it so that we cannot have a right relationship with Him unless we confess, ask forgiveness, and are purified by the sacrifice that Jesus made for us on the cross.  Jesus said "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me." (John 4:16) 

I encourage you to dwell on this truth and consider where your heart is in this matter.  Have fervent charity towards everyone.  This means to accept them for who they are, as sinners.  You are no better than they; and the only thing that saves us Jesus' holy sacrifice on the cross, his death and resurrection.  Instead of looking down on others, being critical, and judging them, let's have fervent charity for them, offering "hospitality to one another without grumbling." (1 Peter 4:9)  By doing this, you are an important part of covering a multitude of sins... an important witness of God's grace and his perfect plan of salvation.

Prayer: 
Lord, please help me with this.  Help me to have fervent charity towards others.  It is so easy to judge and look down upon others because they are different than me, or they are from a different place than me, or they live a lifestyle that is different than mine.  Rather than judge them or condemn them... Lord, help me to love them as they are and to pray for the salvation of their souls.  By showing them love and acceptance (loving them, but hating their sin), praying for and with them... I hope, Lord, that your Holy Spirit will be revealed and they can have true knowledge of you and your grace.  In Jesus' name, we pray.  Amen

What kind of soldier are you?

I was talking to a friend today and we were talking about the impact of prayer in our lives.  Prayer affects so many areas, on so many levels; it is so compelling to consider how it not only changes things... it changes us!

Consider this:  A soldier in the Army goes through basic training to learn the "basics" about how to be a soldier: how to march, follow orders, handle a weapon, to work as a member of a team, etc.  After that, they can serve as part of the Army along with tens of thousands of other regular soldiers. 

Now, consider the special forces soldier:  Besides basic training, the special forces soldier goes through months of additional specialized training to learn how to become an expert - an expert marksman, an expert in weapons, an expert in following orders, an expert in leading others, an expert in working as member of team, and he gains specialized training that other soldiers don't get.  They do this willingly and they do this over the course of weeks and weeks of training.  It does not happen over night.  It happens because of a steady pattern of discipline and devotion to duty.  Special forces soldiers get assigned the most specialized missions, often the most important missions, and often very dangerous... but they are prepared for it.  They are the best.

Now, back to the original thought about prayer...  A life devoted to prayer prepares the Christ-follower for the most important missions.  By devoting our hearts to prayer on a regular basis, with a pattern of discipline and devotion, it prepares us to hear God's voice (above our own), to know and recognize His wisdom, and sense the Holy Spirit's leading.  In this way we can be used by God for His most important missions - those that reach others for His kingdom and those that impact lives with His love!

What kind of soldier are you?

Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power.  Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes.  For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.  Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand.  Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace.  In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one.  Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. 
And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people.    Ephesians 6:10 - 18



-atg-

Endurance Inspired by Hope in our Lord Jesus Christ

1 Thessalonians 1:3 - this verse ends with the wonderful reminder of what we hope in.  We hope in the certaintly of God's promise of salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ.  "We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure. It enters the inner sanctuary behind the curtain..." (Hebrews 6:19)

How do you build confidence in the hope that is within you?  The Holy Spirit gives us this confidence.  The Christian has the Holy Spirit to guide and teach them, and through hope to inspire us to endurance in this life until that day when we go home to be with our Heavenly Father.   "And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us." (Romans 5:5)

We must do our part and invite the Holy Spirit's presence into our daily life, and we must seek wisdom in the word of truth.  Colossians 1:5-6 says that "the faith and love that spring from the hope that is stored up for you in heaven and that you have already heard about in the word of truth, the gospel that has come to you..."  The more you read and immerse yourself in the word of truth, the Bible, God's word, the more you will understand the gospel and prepare the way for the Holy Spirit to guide and teach you.

As for endurance - the power and strength that you have to endure your life's challenges will come if you have the hope in our Lord Jesus Christ to inspire it.  With endurance comes the ability to impact and influence the outcome in those challenges as well.  "Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God." (Philippians 4:6)

Grace and peace to you...

-atg-

Labor prompted by Love

It's easy to justify laboring for those you love.  In practice, it's those we love who sometimes get the leftovers.  Ask yourself what you labor for.  Labor is usually associated with work, and if you have a demanding job or career then you may find that your labor is balanced more towards that rather than directly towards those you love.  Labor is good and God blesses us through it.  But ask yourself now: "is my labor prompted by love?"

In 2 Thessalonians 1:3, the letter draws a connection between a growing faith and an increasing love for one another within the community...  "We ought always to thank God for you, brothers, and rightly so, because your faith is growing more and more, and the love every one of you has for each other is increasing."  As your faith grows, does your love for your Christian brothers and sisters increase?  It should.  Also, the love you have and show for your family members - your spouse, your parents, your sons and daughters - may need to increase as well.  These are the relationships that are often the most strained.  Ask God to help you realize and see that need for growing in faith and the resulting increase in love for them.

Back to the original question about labor prompted by love: ask the Lord to help you to better understand the relationship between love and your labor.  Remember that labor (at home, at work, at church, in your family, in the mission field, throughout your day) always has some result.  If it is prompted by love, hopefully the result will be an increasing love for others... as you grow in faith.

"Grace and peace to you..."

-atg-

Work Produced by Faith

1 Thessalonians chapter 1, verse 3 refers to "work produced by faith."  Let's explore the concept of work, and what it has to do with faith.  First, by "faith", I refer to a faith in God... that kind of faith that produces action.  Hebrews chapter 11 sums this up very powerfully:

"Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see."  Hebrews 11:1

So what does work have to do with this?  Real faith produces action, and action is almost always manifest in some kind of work.  An obvious example is the type of work we do to keep ourselves and our loved ones healthy, happy, and safe.  If we don't do this, we have faith that we will probably see some sort of trouble in the future (perhaps starvation or illness, for example).  ... but looking beyond this, what does God's word say about work?

1. Work is a blessing from God.  Genesis 1:28 "God blessed them and said to them, “Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it. Rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky and over every living creature that moves on the ground.”  This is God blessing his creation, Adam and Eve by giving them the work of tending to the earth, ruling over nature.
2. God commands us to work.  See Deuteronomy 5:13 and Psalm 104:23.  There are many other examples as well.
3. Laziness is disgraceful and leads to poverty, while work is wise and diligence in work brings wealth.  Proverbs is full of examples and wisdom on this; from the example of the ant in Proverbs 6:6-11 to what appears to be good management and accounting advice in Proverbs 27:23.  Proverbs 10:4-5 and v. 14:23 are blunt and clear about this: "All hard work brings a profit, but mere talk leads only to poverty."
4. Work brings credit to God.  1 Thessalonians 4:11-12 "...and to make it your ambition to lead a quiet life: You should mind your own business and work with your hands, just as we told you, so that your daily life may win the respect of outsiders and so that you will not be dependent on anybody."  In this, Paul is instructing the Christians in Thessalonica to work for a living, to support themselves even as they serve God and their community, so that they would not have to rely on handouts or the support of others, especially those outside of their Christian community.

Ask yourself today: "is my work produced by faith?  What can I do to acknowledge the four Biblical truths listed above in my daily life?  Is my faith producing a good work ethic in me?"  Consider your responses and pray about it.  Ask God to give you wisdom and guidance in how you manage yourself in work from day to day... ultimately this is God's work for those who live by faith in Him.

God bless your work!

-atg-

What do FAITH, HOPE, & LOVE have to do with WORK, LABOR, & ENDURANCE?

In the letter called "1 Thessalonians", the apostle Paul writes encouraging words, thanking God for the Thessalonians' faith, mentioning them in prayers. He goes on to say that he remembers their "work produced by faith", their "labor prompted by love", and their "endurance inspired by hope in our Lord Jesus Christ." (1 Thessalonians 1:2-3).

Let's think about what we are reading here for a minute...  Most of us have heard the wonderful things about "faith, hope, and love".  They make us feel good just to hear those words.  It may remind us of a song we like, our families, a great insprirational calendar page, or piece of art, or perhaps for some they even remind us of God and His great provision for us and the promise of eternal life. 

We don't often (if ever), think or say those words "faith, hope, and love" and also think about "work, labor, and endurance"... do we?  So, why is this letter linking them together?  Consider these facts:

1.  The Bible often shows us the great work that is produced by those who are faithful to God.  They are often very productive in work done for the kingdom.  They do not sit by and watch... they are people of action because of their faith.  In fact, we also read "Thus also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead." (James 2:17)

2. When it comes to those that you love, aren't they often the ones that you willfully labor to help and serve?  What about those that you don't even know?... what motivates you to feed the hungry, help the homeless, volunteer at the school, or whatever?  Isn't it love?  Is your labor one of love?

3.  When we read about amazing feats of endurance and perseverance, they are often of people who have faith in God.  However, beyond this human level of endurance, there is a special kind of spiritual endurance which is inspired by the hope that we have in Jesus Christ.  The Bible says that "For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life." (John 3:16).  Well, if that fact isn't enough to give you endurance for whatever is it you must endure, then what will?

May God grant you wisdom and understanding of this great blessing: that you will be remembered in loved ones' prayers for your "work produced by faith, your labor prompted by love, and your endurance inspired by hope in our Lord Jesus Christ."

Blessings...

-Andy G.