The Lesser of Two Evils
Bill Fortenberry

Are Christians content to vote for the lesser of two evils?  The Republican Party sure seems to think so.  Their battle cry of “Anyone but Obama” has been reverberating across the land for nearly two years now, but is that really the kind of philosophy that should determine the leader of our nation?  John Jay, the first Chief Justice of the Supreme Court, said that “it is the duty as well as the privilege and interest of our Christian nation to select and prefer Christians for their rulers.”  This election may be the very first election in the history of America in which neither of the presidential candidates from the two major parties can legitimately claim to be a Christian.  Should the Christians of America be willing to vote for the lesser of two evils?

No! We should not.  In Romans 3:7, Paul asks a question that has been the focus of countless debates throughout the whole of human history.  If we know for sure that telling a lie would accomplish more for the Lord than telling the truth, would the lie be justified by the good that it could accomplish?  Verse 8 of the same chapter gives us the answer to that question in saying that we are not to do evil that good may come.  The answer of Romans 3:8 stands in stark contrast to the prevailing philosophy of our day which is based on Voltaire’s pragmatic doctrine of “the best is the enemy of the good.”  This philosophy is often reflected in the political dogma of the major parties, but the answer of God’s Word is very clear.  “Therefore, brethren, stand fast, and hold the traditions which ye have been taught.” (II Thessalonians 2:15)

Consider the instruction given to us in Romans 16:17-20:

Now I beseech you, brethren, mark them which cause divisions and offences contrary to the doctrine which ye have learned; and avoid them. For they that are such serve not our Lord Jesus Christ, but their own belly; and by good words and fair speeches deceive the hearts of the simple. For your obedience is come abroad unto all men. I am glad therefore on your behalf: but yet I would have you wise unto that which is good, and simple concerning evil.  And the God of peace shall bruise Satan under your feet shortly. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you. Amen.

Let’s apply this to the particular topic of politics.  In this passage, God tells us to mark certain politicians and avoid them – don’t follow them – don’t vote for them.  Which ones?  The ones who cause Christians to either divide or offend in a manner contrary to God’s Word.  Notice that he doesn’t speak of all those who cause divisions and offenses, for even the Word of God causes division (Hebrews 4:12).  It is only those who cause divisions and offenses contrary to God’s Word that we are to avoid.  This could be someone who says: “We don’t need to be divided over the issue of whether abortion is right or wrong.  We all agree that there should be fewer abortions, so let’s just join together to accomplish that goal.  Let’s limit our divisions to things like who we want to win the Super Bowl.”  This kind of politician is to be avoided.  He serves not our Lord Jesus Christ, but his own belly, and he uses good works and fair speeches to deceive the people into following him.

Now, verse 19 has direct application to today’s conservatives.  Notice that God begins by praising them for being obedient and having a great testimony, but He said that He would yet have them do something more.  He wanted them to be wise unto that which is good and simple concerning evil.  Notice that the contrast is between wisdom and simplicity not between knowledge and ignorance.  The Bible tells us that a wise man “useth knowledge aright.” (Proverbs 15:2)  Therefore, God’s desire for us is that we will use our knowledge of the candidates correctly by casting our vote unto that which is good.  We are to be simple concerning evil in that we refuse to use our knowledge in a manner that helps these men who are causing divisions and offenses contrary to the Word of God.

Then notice verse 20.  What will be the result of rejecting those politicians who cause us to go against the Word of God?  When we do this, God gives us victory not over our political opponents but over Satan himself, which brings me to I Peter 5:8-9.

Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour: Whom resist stedfast in the faith, knowing that the same afflictions are accomplished in your brethren that are in the world.

What is Satan’s desire for this country?  Is it not the same thing that he desires for every country?  Is it not to turn us away from following God and to cause us to be more and more wicked until God Himself is forced to destroy us?  As Christians, we must remember that Satan is our real enemy, not the other political party.  Perhaps to defeat our political opponents it would be wise to compromise and permit a little bit of evil into our ranks in exchange for more votes, but that tactic will never work against Satan.  This enemy can only be defeated by standing firm and without compromise on what we believe to be true.

Many say that this philosophy is all well and good but that it will never work in the “real” world.  Of course, my first question is which world is more real, the world created by God and subject to His laws or a world governed by the imaginations of mere men?  But I have also asked these people to explain why it will not work, and I always get an answer along the lines of, “He can’t get enough votes” or “He doesn’t have enough money.”  I have never once received the answer of, “Because God will not bless him with a victory.”  In fact, God is left completely out of their explanation as if He doesn’t even exist.  But we know that God does exist.  He does govern the affairs of men, and He never loses.  Therefore, His side of the issue is always the winning side.

I am reminded of the passage in Isaiah 46:9-10:

Remember the former things of old: for I am God, and there is none else; I am God, and there is none like me, Declaring the end from the beginning, and from ancient times the things that are not yet done, saying, My counsel shall stand, and I will do all my pleasure.

However, we must keep in mind that as Christians, sometimes our victory comes in spite of a loss.  According to I Peter 3:14-16, sometimes God asks the righteous to suffer a loss so that He can put the wicked to shame.

But and if ye suffer for righteousness' sake, happy are ye: and be not afraid of their terror, neither be troubled … Having a good conscience; that, whereas they speak evil of you, as of evildoers, they may be ashamed that falsely accuse your good conversation in Christ.

At first, this may seem counter intuitive, but let’s consider two opposing scenarios.  Imagine for a moment that the Republican National Convention has concluded, and a very liberal contender has been announced as the Republican candidate for the presidency of the United States.  There are two possible responses that the Christians of America could have to this decision by the Republican Party.  They could choose to fall in line and vote for the Republican candidate regardless of his anti-biblical positions, or they could reject the decision of the Republican Party and vote for a candidate who has committed to govern our nation in a way that agrees with God’s Word.

Each of these two responses would produce a different result within the Republican Party.  If the Christians of America choose the first option of supporting whichever candidate bears the Republican title, then the leaders of the Republican Party will have once again confirmed their presumption that the Christians will never abandon the Republican Party.  If they have no fear of losing the Christian vote, then they will continue to seek out and support candidates who appeal to the vote which they are afraid of losing – the vote of the moderates and liberals.  On the other hand, if the Christians of America choose the latter option and the Republican Party loses the upcoming presidential election, then the response of the party leaders will be very different.  They will have learned that their abandonment of biblical principles is unacceptable to Christian voters, and in the future, they will seek out and support candidates who appeal to the vote which they are afraid of losing – the vote of their Christian base.  As long as the Republican Party believes that the Christian base will simply fall in line and vote for whatever candidate they put forth, they will continue to seek candidates that appeal directly to voters that are more liberal.

This analysis brings us to the conclusion that pragmatism is self-perpetuating.  Each time that the Christians of our nation give in to Voltaire’s pragmatic approach of choosing the lesser of two evils, we make our plight more difficult.  I am reminded of the nations which occupied the land of Israel after it was conquered by the king of Assyria.  At first, these nations had no fear of the God of Israel, and they suffered major setbacks as a result, but then they came up with a compromise.  They decided to learn about God and tell everyone that they feared Him while at the same time continuing to actually serve their own gods.  II Kings 17:40-41 reveals to us the long-term results of that decision:

Howbeit they did not hearken, but they did after their former manner.  So these nations feared the LORD, and served their graven images, both their children, and their children's children: as did their fathers, so do they unto this day.

The people of those nations chose a pragmatic compromise, and their descendants were never able to turn back from the course which had been set.

It is imperative that we remember the warning given in Hebrews 3:12-14.

Take heed, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief, in departing from the living God.  But exhort one another daily, while it is called To day; lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin.  For we are made partakers of Christ, if we hold the beginning of our confidence stedfast unto the end;

Now, perhaps you are wondering why I skipped verse 15 in my quote from II Peter chapter 3.  Verse 15 of this chapter provides us with a response to those Republicans who insist that we would do more harm than good if we refuse to vote for a liberal Republican candidate.  This verse states:

But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts: and be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear:

Here we see the true genius in deciding to vote according to God’s Word regardless of the consequences.  A Christian who publicly refuses to vote for any candidate that does not adhere to biblical principles will have many people ask him how he can have any hope for the future of our nation when he chooses to vote in such a manner.  What better opportunity could there be for teaching others that our hope is in the Lord?  I have a friend who is an atheist, and he is a very difficult man to witness to; but when I told him that I would not vote for a liberal Republican, he immediately wanted to know why.  My simple stand on the principles of the Bible opened the door for a discussion on the work of God throughout the course of human history.

As we enter the general election season, let us remember that our hope for the future of our nation is not found in a political party but rather in our submission to the Word of God.  It is God who controls the heart of the king (Proverbs 21:1) and the course of the nation.  Let us cast our vote in His favor, and marvel at the work of His hand.  Regardless of the political outcome, we cannot possibly fail as long as we seek to follow Him (Psalm 37:18-20).

In I Chronicles 19:13, Joab decided that he would stand his ground and fight for the Lord regardless of the consequences.  In doing so, he gave his brother the following exhortation:

Be of good courage, and let us behave ourselves valiantly for our people, and for the cities of our God: and let the LORD do that which is good in his sight.

Are you willing to follow the advice of Joab?  I have determined that I will never again cast my vote in support of a candidate who holds to unbiblical principles in areas directly affected by the position that he is seeking to fill.  Will you join me in rejecting the pragmatism of this world and refusing to vote for the lesser of two evils?

_______________________________________________________________

Addendum:

I have received several messages from people condemning me for advocating that Christians not take part in this election.  I would like to make it very clear that I am NOT advocating for Christians to abstain from exercising their right to vote.  I am suggesting instead that Christians should be willing to vote for either a third party candidate or a write in candidate if neither of the two major parties presents a nominee who stands firmly on biblical principles.  For the current presidential election, I highly recommend that the Christians of America give consideration to Tom Hoefling who is running as the America's Party nominee.  I have spoken with Tom on several occasions, and I have yet to find any area in which his principled philosophy of government disagrees with the Bible.  Those interested in learning more about Tom can visit his campaign website at:www.TomHoefling.com.  

Another viable candidate for the Christian to consider is Darrell Castle and the Constitution Party.    http://www.constitutionparty.com/

God's Wisdom

from Sacred Rhythms by Ruth Barton . . . . 

Love is the deepest calling of the Christian life, the standard by which everything about our lives is measured.  It is the standard by which Christ evaluated himself at the end of his life. "Having loved his own who were in the world, he loved them to the end " (John 13:1). Any decision-making process that fails to ask the love question misses the point of the Christian practice of discernment. Discernment is intended to take us deeper and deeper into the heart of God's will:  that we would follow God passionately into love - even if it takes us all the way to the cross.

God does communicate with us through the Holy Spirit and the Holy Spirit is given to help us know the demands of love in our situation. At the end of his life, Jesus said that it was to our advantage that he went away, so that the Holy Spirit could come and live with us, closer to us than our own breath. Christ asked the Father to send the Holy Spirit to be a counselor and a guide for us - one who leads us deeper into truth right here, right now, as we are able to bear it.  In this way the Holy Spirit expands Christ's teaching, taking a particular teaching beyond the moment when he gave it in a particular setting to the moment we are in right now.  The Spirit is given to help us answer the call to love in ways that are consistent with and flow out of our own personality, gifts and calling within our particular situation. We are called to live love in the context of our own destiny as freely and authentically and wholeheartedly as Christ did.

The practice of discernment begins with a prayer for indifference. "I am indifferent to anything but God's will." This is a state of wide-openness to God in which I am free from undue attachment to any particular outcome and I am capable of relinquishing whatever might keep me from choosing for love.  Gaining indifference is one of the most demanding aspects of the discernment process.

Just like everything else that is of significance in the spiritual life, God must accomplish this for us. The question that is most pertinent at this place in the discernment process is, What needs to die in me in order for God's will to come forth in my life?  All we can do is pray and wait:  say to God "I know I am not indifferent. I know there is till something in me that is clinging to my own agenda.  If I am to become indifferent, you will have to do it in me."

The movement toward indifference is the threshold between two worlds:  the world of human decision making and the world of discerning the divine will.  In this waiting room of the soul we are ready to pray the second prayer - the prayer for wisdom.  "If any of you is lacking in wisdom, ask God, who gives to all generously and grudgingly, and it will be given you" (James 1:5). Here we begin to understand why the prayer for indifference was so important: the wisdom of God is foolishness to this world. Discerning people are able to recognize God's guidance sometimes by the very fact that, to some onlookers, it appears at some level to be foolish.  But because we have come to a place of indifference, it doesn't matter.  When we have died to our need to be wise in others' eyes or to prove ourselves according to human standards, we are finally ready to ask for God's wisdom and receive it.

Live Before You Die - day 17

God may challenge us to think differently about things or to reach out to new levels of faith, but He doesn't create confusion or the doubt and strife that often accompany it.

Jesus's voice comes with an awareness of heavenly peace. Sometimes the Lord speaks words of correction and rebuke.  There are also situations when the word of the Lord is time sensitive and immediate action is required.  But most of the time when God speaks, it is not a driving, demanding, high-pressure, "You have to do this right now or else!"

The voice of our own longings, interests, and opinions can easily be confused with God's voice.  To make sure what we are hearing is from God, we must identify our desires and self-interests and, as an intentional act of our will, neutralize them.  Conversely, the quieter the voice of our own will, the louder God's voice will be.  Therefore, if what you are sensing grows quieter as you silence your desires, then it is not from God.  But if what you are sensing grows stronger as you neutralize your own desires, then it just might be from the Holy Spirit.

God seldom speaks to strangers who have no time for Him, and even if He did, they would not recognize His voice.  He loves to speak to people who love Him and desire to live their lives in His presence.  He draws near to those who, as an act of their will, have drawn near to Him (James 4:8).  The more time we spend alone with Him seeking His face through prayer and worship, the easier it becomes to hear and immediately recognize His voice in our hearts.

We can all hear the voice of God if we will learn to listen. "For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God" (Rom 8:14).

Daniel Kolenda, Live before you die

Live Before You Die - day 13

God's eternal glory will penetrate the natural world through broken men and women.  And when the kingdom of God comes into contact with the fallen world, we begin to see heavenly effects:  the sick are healed, the dead are raised, bondages are broken, and the supernatural begins to happen.

As we travel on the journey of discovering God's will, the narrow road cuts through a dark valley where God tests our hearts and breaks us.  The breaking process is uncomfortable but very important to endure if we want to see God's will done in our lives.  The valley of brokenness is where we learn to say, "not my will, but Yours, be done." This brokenness, while painful, releases amazing power and makes us useful to God.

When we are broken vessels of clay, then God's power shines out, and all the glory is His.  This is why Paul says, "But God has chosen the foolish things of the world to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to shame the things which are strong, and the base things of the world and the despised God has chosen, the things that are not, so that He may nullify the things that are, so that no man may boast before God . . . that, just as it is written, 'Let him who boasts, boast in the Lord'" (1 Cor 1:27-29, 31). God loves to use broken vessels because through them He gets the most glory!

The world values the lofty, powerful, proud, and big.  God values a broken and a contrite heart, a heart that is humble and bowed low before the King.  In Isaiah 66:2 the Lord says, "'This is the one I esteem:  he who is humble and contrite in spirit, and trembles at my word.'"  The psalmist says in Psalm 51:17, "The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise."

A broken person is a person who is crucified with Christ.  It is in this kind of person that God's will is being done and in whom God's kingdom is present and flowing out to the world around him.

Daniel Kolenda, Live before you die

Live Before You Die - Day 12

Where Adam failed in the Garden of Eden, Jesus prevailed in the Garden of Gethsemane. And the key to Christ's victory here was the secret of His whole life, embodied in those seven immortal words, "Not my will, but thine, be done." The Roman soldiers seized Jesus and crucified Him, but they could not take His life, for He had already laid it down in Gethsemane.  "No one takes My life from Me," was Jesus's confession, "but I lay it down of Myself."

Many times people embark on the journey to discover God's will having already made up their minds about what they think God wants them to do.  And often what they are actually seeking is divine validation of what they desire.  If you truly want God's will for your life, you cannot simply pray, "your will be done." You must include, "Not my will."

The kingdom of God is present wherever God's authority is acknowledged and submitted to.  Jesus was praying for God's will to be done exclusively - the way it is done in heaven.  In other words, all other wills bow to the divine will, God's authority is recognized and submitted to, and everything comes into alignment with what the Father desires.

It all begins with the heart - it all begins with us.  Jesus said "The kingdom of God is within you" (Luke 17:21). What was Jesus talking about?  He was talking about God's will being done in the hearts of men.  Human kings fight over land and spoil, but the real estate God desires is that of the heart.

Jesus said in John 7:38, "He who believes in Me, as the Scripture said, 'From his innermost being will flow rivers of living water.'" He didn't say we would see rivers of water flow from heaven - He said they would flow from inside His people! God's kingdom is not coming out of the blue sky; it's coming from within us! God's will is that every believer becomes an annexation of His kingdom, a portal through which He can pour His glory and release His power into the world.  If you want to see God's kingdom come on earth, it starts with God's will being done in earth - in you!

Daniel Kolenda, Live before you die

Live Before You Die - day 11

God's purposes are like a freight train that cannot be stopped, and the most dangerous place in the world to stand is in the way of those purposes because they will not slow down to avoid running over you. If you doubt this, just ask Pharaoh, who refused to let the children of Israel go in the Book of Exodus.  God has absolutely no chance of losing.  We are the only ones who stand to lose when we fail to obey.

We have been placed in this world for a purpose:  to propel God's kingdom forward.  This is more than a preference or privilege; it is a divine responsibility and duty for which we will be held eternally accountable. Propelling God's kingdom forward is not a side issue - it is the reason you were saved, it's the reason you were born.

A voice says, “Cry!”

And I said, “What shall I cry?”

All flesh is grass,

and all its beauty is like the flower of the field.

 The grass withers, the flower fades

when the breath of the Lord blows on it;

surely the people are grass.

Isaiah 40:6-7

 

Behold, the nations are like a drop from a bucket,

and are accounted as the dust on the scales;

behold, he takes up the coastlands like fine dust.

40:15, 17

 

Movie stars, world leaders, and business tycoons all think they are very important, and nightly news reports would have us believe the world revolves around these people and their influence, power, and wealth.  But from God's perspective it is all nothingness and futility.  All of their wars, struggles, and efforts to rise to the top of the ladder are all worthless.  When all is said and done, what is the purpose of everything we do?

 

All the goods we acquire soon rot, precious moments are forgotten, and money evaporates as the dew.  The world keeps spinning and changing as people and kingdoms come and go.  But when we are seeking first the kingdom of God, it means we have made God's kingdom the priority in our lives.  Put God's kingdom first, and not only will you find ultimate purpose and meaning in life, but also even the small things will also take on significance.

 

Careers, life partners, finances, location, and education should never be our chief focus.  All of these things will be sorted out and added to us as we keep the kingdom of God as our primary concern.  As we seek God's will for our lives, we can be sure that it will never move us in a direction that is contrary to God's kingdom purposes.  Jesus says that if we seek the kingdom first, all these things will be added to us.  If you will set your sights on His kingdom and make that your priority, as you move toward it you will automatically come across everything else you need!

 

Many people think the kingdom of God is an ethereal and irrelevant topic, and they prefer to be "down to earth."  They have decided to first concentrate on putting food on the table and paying the bills.  This seems to be the responsible and practical thing to do.

 

But what Jesus taught is quite the opposite.  Jesus said, "Don't worry about what you will eat or what you will wear.  Your Father in heaven knows you need these things, and He will take care of you.  Instead seek first the kingdom of God, and all these things will be added to you." (See Matthew 6:25-33.) Put the kingdom of God first, and everything else will be taken care of - physical, mental, and emotional needs included.  When we put anything ahead of Christ and His kingdom in our lives, not only will we miss God's kingdom, but we will also miss all the other treasures as well. 

 

We do not seek the kingdom however because we love its benefits - we seek the kingdom because we love its King!  When our love for the King becomes our paramount incentive, then and only then do we have things in the right order.  If we are driven by a philosophy or an ideology, a desire to make the world a better place or to see a new order established, then our ambition falls into the same category as communism, Marxism, socialism, and all the other "-isms."  Seeking the kingdom of God is in a category all by itself because it stems from a fountain deeper than any motive in this world - divine, supernatural love for the King.  This love is the foundation and the driving force behind the kingdom that will endure long after all others have crumbled to dust.

 

 

Daniel Kolenda, Live before you die

Live Before You Die - day 10

In the Lord's Prayer Jesus prayed, "Your kingdom come. Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven" (Matt 6:10).

Every one of God's holy prophets since the beginning of the world has spoken about the restoration of all things.  Those prophecies will be fulfilled, the prayer of Jesus will be answered, and God's kingdom will come.  This is what we long for.  This is what we pray for.  This is what we work for - for God's kingdom to come and His will to be done on earth as it is in heaven!  Regardless of what we do as an occupation, we all share a singular calling and mission in this life: to build God's kingdom on earth.

The building of God's kingdom on earth is not just something we should keep in the back of our minds and try to contribute toward whenever an opportunity presents itself.  Seeing God's kingdom come on earth must be our main ambition.  In fact, Jesus said, "But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you" (Matt. 6:33, emphasis added).

I see this scenario play out before my eyes every day in the West.  Our comforts and conveniences have often made us complacent and indifferent to a dying world.  We are often afraid to do anything that might disturb our cozy, pampered lives.

The gospel is not an optional topic of conversation best left out of the workplace. It is God who gave you your job, and He gave it to you for a reason.  God is calling you into the ministry - even if He positions you in a "secular" occupation.  Your calling is to propel God's kingdom forward in whatever sphere you find yourself.

The money in our bank accounts is not ours - it all belongs to God to begin with.  He is not only the source of all our provision, but He is also the One who has given us the ability to create wealth.  God hasn't blessed us so we can consume those resources on our own lusts and pleasures; He has blessed us so we can be a blessing.

If God has entrusted you with money, you must realize that you are not the terminus; you are a channel through which those resources should flow.  Yes, when water flows through a pipe, the pipe also gets wet!  When God's blessings flow through you, you are also blessed personally, but never make the mistake of thinking you are blessed because you are so special or wonderful, intelligent or talented.  As Mordecai said to Esther, "Don't flatter yourself!"

He's blessed you for a purpose, and your fulfilling that purpose is not a side issue - it's the reason you have those blessings in the first place!  If you won't do what God has called you to do, He will find someone else who will do it with joy!

Daniel Kolenda, Live before you die

For if you keep silent at this time, relief and deliverance will rise for the Jews from another place, but you and your father's house will perish. And who knows whether you have not come to the kingdom for such a time as this?” (Esther 4:14)


 

Live Before You Die - day 8

When you find something that makes you want to jump out of bed in the morning, when you find something that challenges and thrills you, when you find something that you sense you were made to do, chances are you are getting close to discovering God's will for your life.  This does not mean that obedience, death to self, and sacrifice are never required or necessary.  But when a person is doing what he was created to do, there is a taste of sweetness in the sacrifice, a sense of fulfillment in the obedience, and an enduring hope in the suffering.

It was Paul who said, "I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory that is to be revealed to us" (Rom 8:18). And James even goes so far as to say "Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds" (James 1:2).  How is it possible to have joy in the face of difficulties, trials, and suffering?  It is possible because when we are in God's will, there is an unexplainable grace that accompanies us.

"But unto every one of us is given grace according to the measure of the gift of Christ" (Ephes 4:7).  Not only did He give gifts, He also gave grace according to the measure of the gift.  The Bible says this grace is given to every one of us according to the measure of the gift of Christ. Whenever God calls you to do something, He will always supply the perfect measure of grace so you will be able to operate in your gifting.  But whenever you try to operate outside your gift, you will find it difficult, burdensome, and miserable, because there will be no grace for it.

When God's gift and grace are resting on a person for a certain task or calling, he is able to do with joy what would seem difficult or even impossible to others.  Don't make the mistake of trying to force those around you to do what God has called you to do, and don't look down on them for doing something other than what you think is so important. Recognize that, as Paul said, "Each has his own special gift from God, one of this kind and one of another" (1 Cor 7:7).  If you think everyone should be doing one particular thing, chances are, that is what you are called to do!

Daniel Kolenda, Live before you die

Live Before You Die - day 7

"And let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart" (Gal 6:9).

If we desire to discover God's will for our lives, we must learn to recognize the characteristics of His will. 

God has already gone to great lengths to reveal to us in His Word what His will is for everyone - I call this the "standard will of God."  But in addition to His standard will, God has something tailor-made for each of our lives.  I call this the "specific will of God."

The specific will of God for your life will never go against His standard will - what He has already revealed to us in His Word.

God has a "good" will for your life, but He also has a "perfect" will.  His perfect will and the blessings that accompany it are reserved for those who are willing to be radically obedient and to wait when necessary.  There are moments when God's way will seem so difficult, so prolonged, and so unrewarding, while our idea will seem much easier, much quicker, and so much more enjoyable.  But it is only an illusion.

Finding the will of God always requires faith for the impossible and a childlike dependence upon Him.  The Bible is filled with the accounts of men and women who found their destiny in the perfect will of God by doing things that were impossible for them to do on their own.

God has given us the freedom to choose whether or not we are going to follow His will.  Settling for less than God's best for our lives is often the easy road, and good things are often the greatest enemy of the best things.  There is a perpetual conflict in the Christian life between what is "good" and what is "God."  Whenever we choose to disobey and do things our own way, something is lost that can never be restored.  God will forgive and heal, but He will not turn back the hands of time.

Many people have a vision given to them by the Lord.  But a vision that is not embraced and nurtured through the appropriate season of preparation will invariably die.  When God gives a vision, we must take some kind of action, or that vision will never become anything more than a fantasy.

One of the biggest misconceptions about discovering the will of God is that if something is truly part of God's plan for you, there will be no struggle involved in accomplishing it.  That is a myth!  If God has called you to do something, you will almost certainly encounter a significant amount of struggle.  God may actually even allow failures along the way, because He is more interested in the worker than He is the work.  The journey is an important process that matters very much to God.  The process of following Him in obedience, step by step, through many unknowns, trials, and difficulties, is a significant part of our development and preparation.  God uses the journey to teach us faith, to refine our character, and to equip us for the greater challenges that lie ahead.

Don't make the mistake of thinking, even for a moment, that just because you don't know today what God's will is for your life that you are not making any progress.  Something is happening right now.  Your faith is being stretched, and your patience is being tried.  Your spiritual ears are being tuned as you listen to hear the voice of God's Spirit.  God always prepares us in advance for what He has in store for us! That process may be uncomfortable, but it is necessary nonetheless.

Daniel Kolenda, Live before you die

Live Before You Die - day 5

Preconceptions produce misconceptions that can blind us to what is obvious, and this happens to many people as they seek God's will for their lives.

Those things that bring confusion and over analysis need to be dropped.  Start with simple, childlike faith.  Trust that God has a plan He is trying to reveal to you. Believe that He wants you to discover it more than you want to discover it!

God's call to Abraham did not include specific coordinates, just a call to go.  As Abraham obeyed, God revealed His plan one step at a time.  ........more often than not God reveals His will in a much less extravagant fashion, and it often unfolds slowly, layer by layer over time rather than in a single, earth-shattering epiphany.

If God revealed His ultimate plan for our lives from the beginning, we would often find ourselves chasing a dream rather than following Him.  God didn't want to just send Abraham to his inheritance; God wanted to lead him there.

God's will is never revealed in such a way that it negates our need for dependence upon Him.  The real reward for following God is God Himself.  He calls to us to see if we will follow even without knowing all the details.  When He sees that we take a step of obedience, then He gives us the next step.

Jesus laid out a principle in Luke 16:10 that is absolutely essential in the quest to discover God's will for our lives.  Jesus said, "He that is faithful in that which is least is faithful also in much:  and he that is unjust in the least is unjust also in much."  God calls us to small things before He calls us to great things. Many people want God to speak audibly from heaven and give them direction, yet they aren't following the small directions they already have.  If you aren't doing what you already know to do, why should God give you more instructions?  If you aren't being faithful in the small things, why should God entrust you with more important things?

As you follow Him in obedience, step by step and day by day, the picture will become clearer and He will entrust you with more and more. Eventually the day will come when you will look back on the many steps you took in faith and obedience, and you will see how the Lord carefully and strategically orchestrated each one in a way you never could have engineered in your own strength or wisdom.

Daniel Kolenda, Live before you die

Is The Church Headed in the Right Direction?

We can look through history and see times when the Church veered off course, took a wrong turn, lost it's direction.  Obviously there are the biggies - the Crusades, Nazi Germany, the settling of the U.S.  But just as important are the times we often overlook - such as the secularizing of Europe. Given the opportunity to learn and grow from past mistakes, Christianity fails to do so, just as the Jews of the Old Testament repeated their mistakes over and over. 

Our mistakes can often be grouped into two categories:  forcefulness and apathy.  It seems through history we have either committed the crime of trying to force our beliefs on those not interested OR we have become apathetic about those around us, letting society decay.  Of course one can lead to another - our apathy lets society decay and then we turn around and become forceful within that same society.  I believe that is where we are heading today in this country.

Let's consider what Jesus said on this subject:
  "You are the salt of the earth, but if salt has lost its taste, how shall its saltiness be restored? It is no longer good for anything except to be thrown out and trampled under peoples feet.
    You are the light of the world.  A city set on a hill cannot be hidden.  Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house.  In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven."  Matt 5:13-16

We are to be the preservative and the flavoring in our society.  And we are to be the light - the example - to those around us.  Good works are not enough in themselves, but it's the glory we give to God that makes the difference.  Salt and light.  While Christians agree we are to be the salt and the light, it's the implementation we struggle and disagree about.

First, lets note the last part of Jesus' statement - "so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven."   That tells us a lot right there.  Being the salt and the light is how WE live OUR lives, not how nonbelievers live theirs.  No where does Jesus suggest we are to force our beliefs on others.  But by living as followers of Jesus, we will be like beacons on a hill - shining the way for others to follow. 

Let's look at another scripture quoting Jesus:
Salt is good, but if the salt has lost its saltiness, how will you make it salty again:  Have salt in yourselves, and be at peace with one another.  Mark 9:50

Note Jesus is telling us to have salt in ourselves - meaning we are the salt, not the laws we pass or our government.  He was not telling his disciples to make sure Rome was the salt.  We are the preservative and flavoring for the society we live in.  How we conduct ourselves and our relationship with our Savior helps to promote either growth or decay in the Kingdom, depending on the path we choose.  He also tells us to be at peace with one another.  How does it look to the rest of society when Christians are bickering and fighting among themselves?  It certainly doesn't foster the desire to follow in our footsteps.  We should strive to be at peace with ourselves and others..

So, should we, as Christians, participate in boycotts and petitions?  Should we write books and blogs that slam nonbelievers and their lifestyle?  Should we have organizations that single out individuals for ridicule?  And if we do, what will the end result be?  Do we believe we are bringing more people into the Kingdom using this technique?  Holding up signs calling a woman who has aborted her baby a murderer is hardly being at peace or serving her the way Jesus came to serve.  Singling out Ellen DeGeneres as a homosexual who has no business being a spokesperson for JC Penny only fuels the fire of resentment and anger among nonbelievers.  Did Jesus not save the woman from being stoned by the Pharisees and scribes?  (John 8:11)  Have we become more like those Pharisees?

When we try to force society to live under the ways of Christianity, are we, in effect, telling nonbelievers they must "earn" their way to heaven?  That they must live a certain way in order to be worthy of eternity with our God?  And are we not hypocrites when we say this, as we ourselves cannot and do not live this way.  The result ends up being more of a divide between "us and them."  They call us hypocrites - and rightly so -  they are angry because we are so forceful - and ultimately we drive them away from the Kingdom instead of bringing them to it. 

God's grace does not come to people who morally out-perform others, but to those who admit their failure to perform and who acknowledge a need for a Savior.   Timothy Keller, The Reason for God.

For no one is a Jew who is merely one outwardly, nor is circumcision outward and physical.  But a Jew is one inwardly, and circumcision is a matter of the heart, by the Spirit, not by the letter.  His praise is not from man but from God.  Romans 2:25-29

The Holy Spirit changes people's lives. He gives them the power to live in the right manner (according to God's will and purpose for them). The law cannot do this. Yes, we need laws to maintain a civil society, but a society full of Christians should be our goal. Non-believers have been blessed with common grace (Matt 5:45) that includes a consciousness of right and wrong (Rom 2:15) which should promote law and order on its own. However this is not the way to eternal life with the Lord. Saving grace, which comes to us when we accept Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior, is the only way to heaven. Should we find ourselves in a monarchy or a dictatorship tomorrow in this country, our goal as Christians will not have changed. We would lose the ability to strive for our goal openly, but I believe we would probably be more earnest in our efforts.

In closing I challenge Christians to be more concerned with the saltiness of their own lives instead of the nonbelievers' or society's.  The loss of saltiness occurs in the failure of the Christian to daily take up the cross and follow Christ wholeheartedly.  By being a light, we help to lead those in the darkness into God's Kingdom.  Only by staying focused on Christ and being obedient to Him can we expect to remain that salt and light in the world.

Walk in wisdom toward outsiders, making the best use of the time. Let your speech always be gracious, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how you ought to answer each person. 
Col 4:5-6

By Max Lucado

Jesus' Burial

When Pilate learned that Jesus was dead, he asked the soldiers if they were certain. They were. Had they seen the Nazarene twitch, had they heard even one moan, they would have broken his legs to speed his end. But there was no need. The thrust of a spear removed all doubt. The Romans knew their job. And their job was finished. They pried loose the nails, lowered his body, and gave it to Joseph and Nicodemus.

Joseph of Arimathea. Nicodemus the Pharisee. They sat in seats of power and bore positions of influence. Men of means and men of clout. But they would’ve traded it all for one breath out of the body of Jesus. He had answered the prayer of their hearts, the prayer for the Messiah. As much as the soldiers wanted him dead, even more these men wanted him alive.

As they sponged the blood from his beard, don’t you know they listened for his breath? As they wrapped the cloth around his hands, don’t you know they hoped for a pulse? Don’t you know they searched for life?

But they didn’t find it.

So they do with him what they were expected to do with a dead man. They wrap his body in clean linen and place it in a tomb. Joseph’s tomb. Roman guards are stationed to guard the corpse. And a Roman seal is set on the rock of the tomb. For three days, no one gets close to the grave.

But then, Sunday arrives. And with Sunday comes light—a light within the tomb. A bright light? A soft light? Flashing? Hovering? We don’t know. But there was a light. For he is the light. And with the light came life. Just as the darkness was banished, now the decay is reversed. Heaven blows and Jesus breathes. His chest expands. Waxy lips open. Wooden fingers lift. Heart valves swish and hinged joints bend.

And, as we envision the moment, we stand in awe.

We stand in awe not just because of what we see, but because of what we know… We know that when Jesus was raised from the dead it was a signal of the end of death-as-the-end. Never again will death have the last word. When Jesus died, he took sin down with him, but alive he brings God down to us” (Rom. 6:5–9 MSG).



From From When Christ Comes: The Beginning of the Very Best
Copyright (Thomas Nelson, 1999) Max Lucado

Cleansing of the Temple

The following is from an Easter Devotional put together by Covenant Fellowship.............

It often doesn't take long for heartfelt devotion and passion for God, to drift toward simply going through the motions.  Left unchecked, it can lead to hypocrisy - living your life with the appearance of devotion and love toward God that is not really there.  That's what happened to the Jewish people in New Testament times and the fig tree was a perfect illustration of this.  Jesus approached a fig tree with big, shiny leaves but no fruit.  On the outside the tree looked well, but it wasn't doing what it was created to do - produce fruit! So the Lord cursed the fruitless tree.  When Jesus approached the beautiful marble walls and gleaming gold pillar capitals of the temple with throngs of worshippers gathered around, all looked well - on the outside.  But the Jews received his strongest rebuke.  Jesus cursed the blatant hypocrisy and greed by turning over the tables and condemning their selfish practices.  The temple court was meant to be a place of prayer and worship for the Gentiles.  It was a place where men and women outside of Israel could seek God.  But it had become a den of robbers that hindered the Gentiles from praying and seeking God.  The same can be true today.  When we claim to have faith in Christ, but don't live lives transformed by his love and grace, we may hinder men and women from clearly hearing and responding to the gospel.  Unbelievers can see right through an outward "show" of religion.  Jesus wants us to know that how we live matters.  It matters that we pursue purity and obey God's Word.  It matters that we pray and seek God with sincere hearts.  Jesus died to free us from the trap of hypocrisy and to give us His Spirit, who purifies us and empowers us to live lives in line with the truths of the gospel.

Pray that God would help us to live pure lives that are dedicated to the glory of God, obedient to the Word of God and committed to prayer.

Tozer

  Nothing can take the place of the touch of God in the soul and the sense of Someone there.  Real faith, indeed, brings such realization, for real faith is never the operation of reason upon texts. Where true faith is, the knowledge of God will be given as a fact of consciousness altogether apart from the conclusions of logic.

Max Lucado's

Jesus Washes the Disciples Feet

It has been a long day. Jerusalem is packed with Passover guests, most of whom clamor for a glimpse of the Teacher. The spring sun is warm. The streets are dry. And the disciples are a long way from home. A splash of cool water would be refreshing.

The disciples enter [the room], one by one, and take their places around the table. On the wall hangs a towel, and on the floor sits a pitcher and a basin. Any one of the disciples could volunteer for the job, but not one does.

After a few moments, Jesus stands and removes his outer garment. He wraps a servant’s girdle around his waist, takes up the basin, and kneels before one of the disciples. He unlaces a sandal and gently lifts the foot and places it in the basin, covers it with water, and begins to bathe it. One by one, one grimy foot after another, Jesus works his way down the row.

In Jesus’ day the washing of feet was a task reserved not just for servants but for the lowest of servants…The servant at the bottom of the totem pole was expected to be the one on his knees with the towel and basin.

In this case the one with the towel and basin is the king of the universe. Hands that shaped the stars now wash away filth. Fingers that formed mountains now massage toes. And the one before whom all nations will one day kneel now kneels before his disciples. Hours before his own death, Jesus’ concern is singular. He wants his disciples to know how much he loves them...

You can be sure Jesus knows the future of these feet he is washing. These twenty-four feet will not spend the next day following their master, defending his cause. These feet will dash for cover at the flash of a Roman sword. Only one pair of feet won’t abandon him in the garden. One disciple won’t desert him at Gethsemane—Judas won’t even make it that far! He will abandon Jesus that very night at the table…

What a passionate moment when Jesus silently lifts the feet of his betrayer and washes them in the basin!

Jesus knows what these men are about to do. He knows they are about to perform the vilest act of their lives. By morning they will bury their heads in shame and look down at their feet in disgust. And when they do, he wants them to remember how his knees knelt before them and he washed their feet…

He forgave their sin before they even committed it. He offered mercy before they even sought it.

Ten Signs of a Culture's End

There are ten signs that depict the end of a culture. Great civilizations of the past were destroyed when people saw these signs but failed to act. Each of these indicators is with us today.

The first sign of the end of a culture is that of a society which no longer worships or acknowledges God.
Christianity had played a significant role in the discovery and settlement of America. It had provided a standard in judging education, legislation, and behavior-both public and private. In the 1990s, it has actually become unpopular to advocate traditional Judeo-Christian values, such as the Ten Commandments. Thanks to Political Correctness, the popular culture ridicules those who worship God as the sovereign creator. Instead, it is popular to put our faith and trust in ourselves or in other creations of God.

A second indicator of the end of a culture is the decline of the family.
Just 40 years ago families usually lived close to grandparents. Fathers were responsible for the welfare of the family. Moms generally stayed home. It was safe to walk to school or go to the movies unattended. Today, statistics show divorce is at an all time high in the United States. It is now so common for young people to grow up in divorced households that the term "broken family" is now a forgotten expression in the popular culture. Fathers are living apart from their natural children. Mothers no longer stay at home, but work as a head of the household. As a result, women in our society have lost their feminine identity. As worship has declined, the spiritual values communicated by mothers have all but ended with a generation. The moral authority of fathers is undermined by a society that no longer embraces the structure of the family.

A third important indicator of cultural demise is a society's low view of life.
Today, the popular culture now views abortion as a "right." The failure of our government to outlaw partial birth abortion for such a long time demonstrated how intolerant of life the culture has become. Steadily, society's undermining of life has grown to include calls for legalizing euthanasia, assisted suicide, and scientific experimentation. But history warns no society can last without a high view of life.

Another sign of the end of the civilization is the prevalence of base and immoral entertainment.
In its last days, Rome had become a society with an insatiable appetite for debauchery and immorality. Perverted entertainment translated into perverted speech and behavior. The Roman society began to accept and encourage open homosexuality. The people turned away from God and forgot his commandments and precepts, and Rome crumbled. And today, our culture has begun to embrace the same kind of entertainment. In music, a song eulogizing a murdered rap star has held the top spot on the charts for two months. Many of our movies now feature heroes who triumph by copying the vises of the villains. Television has scuttled its family hour for more dramas and sitcoms that treat perversion as normal behavior. Wholesome entertainment is becoming a forgotten relic.

Still another troublesome indicator of society's demise is the increase of violent crime among young people.
Riddled with gang violence, many of our inner cities have become powder kegs portending future collapse. Today, young people think about death and dying more than any other subject. In fact, surveys indicate they think about death even more than they think about the opposite sex. There's a popular new sport called extreme fighting, in which combatants injure one another like the gladiators of Rome. The demise of the traditional family and absence of religion have combined to create a culture of children who are morally retarded. In the wake of this, our Politically Correct society offers young people no consistent arguments against violence.

Another key cultural indicator is the declining middle class.
Politicians have discovered one of the keys to reelection is to advocate more spending and government programs for the poor. The traditional middle class is now defined as rich. The work of the federal government has become the business of redistributing wealth through taxation and new government programs. After years of bureaucratic growth over the last fifty years, the United States has witnessed shrinking numbers of middle class wage earners, many of whom have become the working poor. The family structure has disintegrated over the last twenty-five years in part because of the economic pressure for women to join the workforce. This has lead to the increased polarization of the working class and the wealthy. Russia witnessed just such a polarization before a revolution ushered in the communist era.

Yet another sign of cultural demise is that of an insolvent Government.
The French Revolution occurred against the backdrop of a bankrupt government. Today, our government has not managed a balanced budget in nearly thirty years. Beneath the annual budget lies a debt of unmanageable proportions. History warns that a government rendered insolvent cannot quell its disenchanted masses.

Related to this, a government that lives off of society's moral decay is another sign of the end of a civilization.
The Roman civilization crumbled under the weight of an immoral and corrupt government. Over the years, our government has devised the creation of whole agencies that exist for no other reason than to manage some of the most immoral aspects of the culture. The National Endowment for the Arts and the Legal Services Corporation are examples of agencies that foster society's decline. Within the judicial branch of government, judges accountable to no one have helped undermine the religious freedoms that were once the centerpiece of our society. Laws once protected children and families. Criminals were punished severely for rape. People were arrested for cohabitation and adultery. Sodomy, outlawed in every state, was listed in the newspaper as a "crime against nature." A couple having a child out of wedlock was ostracized, and homosexuality was as foreign to the world as walking on the moon.

One obvious indicator that a culture is in decline is when the ruling class loses its will.
Our nation's leaders no longer see the world according to right and wrong. Instead, the objective of today's foreign policy Establishment is to maintain the status quo. In like manner, our elected leaders have lost their moral authority. Elected officials no longer seek office for the good of the country but instead seek reelection to further lucrative careers within the Washington Establishment. Also, our nation's defense Establishment has traded military readiness for social experimentation with a feminized military.

The final indicator of the demise of a civilization is the failure of its people to see what is happening.
In nearly every case, citizens of past civilizations which ended witnessed all of the signs of demise but failed to act. Today, the popular culture has helped society forget the lessons of history. In school, teachers used to teach the basics; children received report cards that actually reflected what they had achieved. In 1973, the NEA president said, "The day of basic skills is over . . . we will be the conveyor of national values" Today schools teach self-esteem and is a major tool used to indoctrinate our children. It's not uncommon in science class for children to be taught that humans evolved from a lower lifeform and that trees have the same right to life as humans. Children learn that it is okay to have two mommies and no daddy. Kids today are adept at using a calculator, but have no concept of multiplication or division. They cannot make change but score high in self-esteem.

All of the signs of the demise of our culture are with us today: the hostility toward religion, the breakup of the family, the declining view of life, the appetite immorality, the violence and crime, and the declining middle class are coupled with an federal government on the brink of insolvency, whose leaders are living off of society's moral decay leading to the loss of leadership and moral will. The education system has robbed our of a classic education; seduced them through deceit and outright lies; the court system has given us "rights" we never owned; the criminal justice system does not provide justice for those who are mistreated; legislators have legalized immoral behavior; and our national leaders have set an example of immorality.

In the days of Noah, God warned a faithless, immoral and violent civilization of the imminent catastrophe that was about to take place, but few listened. Tonight, our civilization is at the crossroads, but few are noticing the signs that are before us. It is time to take notice, and to pray for spiritual awakening in this country, before the light of our civilization goes out.

Prayer for March 5

O God, Because I acknowledge that I can only live with discipline, you give me that discipline; such knowledge is a great mercy.  Thus I ask you most humbly: Cleanse my heart and make it holy through repentance and faith, through the Holy Spirit and through rebirth.  Strengthen me, so I do not let any impure spirit control or possess me.  Amen.

Draw nigh to God, and He will draw nigh to you.  James 4:8

The Center of Your World

Narcissistic Personality Disorder may soon be dropped from the current Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders.  Why?  Essentially because it's now considered just a manifestation of normal personality.   But here is the problem - dropping it from the manual is essentially throwing in the towel and waving a white flag where self-centeredness exists.  It will basically be telling our culture it's OKAY to be a narcissist, just not an extreme one - well, not for now anyway. 

We have become such a society of me, me, me.  The minute our feet hit the floor in the morning it's  - "how do I feel?"  "I need a cup of coffee."  "What do I feel like doing today?"  "Which outfit should I wear?"  And it only gets worse as the day wears on. "I'm hungry, I'm thirsty, I'm tired, I'm bored, I'm lonely, I'm rich, I'm poor, I'm fat, I'm thin, I'm just right, I'm smart, I'm dumb," etc.  It's not necessarily what we are, it's that we're constantly thinking of ourselves in every thought throughout the day.

Now one would think that a culture filled with people looking for self-gratification would be brimming with lots of self-fulfilled, satisfied people. But they couldn't be more wrong. Our culture is actually brimming with divorce, drug use, spousal abuse, child abuse, alchoholism, crime, suicide, etc.  There is just one problem with the theory that self-gratification leads to self-fulfillment.  Self.  We cannot look to ourselves for any kind of gratification or fulfilment.  It's impossible.  Our fulfillment comes from the One who created us and gave us our purpose to begin with - God.  And He created us to bring Him glory.  So how could we be fulfillers of our own desires?  Wouldn't we then be giving ourselves the glory?   But we weren't created for that purpose.  And when we don't fulfill our purpose we end up with a society full of miserable, misguided people looking for happiness in all the wrong places.

Then there are those who believe that helping others will bring them happiness. After all, they've taken the focus off of themselves and placed it on others.  Or have they?  We look to their motivation and often find they are patting themselves on the back for a job well done - whether publicly or privately. And the happiness is fleeting.

Our goal is not to do good on this Earth. Our goal is to do God's will and then give Him the glory. And by doing that we no longer puff ourselves up thinking we are "good" when in fact, we are fallen.   When we are in the center of God's will, we have a sense of peace and joy.  We can know that we are fulfilling our purpose on this Earth by bringing Him glory. It means we have truly taken the focus off of ourselves and placed it on God, who will then guide us to those He wants us to serve. 

We don't need to "know ourselves" - at least not the way all the self-help books and programs tell us we should.  By listening to them we only continue to put ourselves in the center of our world.  Jesus is the one we truly need to know and place in the center of our lives.  He will then help us to know his Father.  And it is He who knows us better than we could ever know ourselves.  God created us to bring Him glory and with a purpose in mind.  He will guide us to accomplish that purpose if we allow Him.

Prayer for February 20

O Lord, Heavenly Father, from whom all good and perfect gifts come. O Father of light, who causes us both to desire and to do your good pleasure; O Lord Jesus Christ, the author and perfecter of faith; O Holy Spirit, who works in all things according to your plan: We ask you to continue the good work that you began in us, until the coming of Jesus Christ.  May we become richer in all kinds of knowledge and experience so we may learn what is best.  May we remain pure and blameless.  May we be filled with the fruits of righteousness, which were produced in us by Jesus Christ, for the glory of God.  Amen.

Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ.
Philippians 1:6

LOVE

Since we are approaching Valentine's Day, I thought an article on LOVE would be appropriate! 

Loving Our Enemies the Way God Loves His

Scott Armstrong, Issue Number 9, June 2006

The king of cutthroat, Donald Trump, superintends—no, he rules—a TV show called The Apprentice, a reality television program where young professionals vie to be the last one standing, the grand prize a position in Trump’s company. If you’ve seen the program (or any of many reality shows like it—Survivor, The Bachelor, etc.), you know that when faced with elimination, the competitors can be vicious, each one hoping to persuade “The Don” that the others are weaker and undeserving. In turn, their victims wait to mete out revenge. It is a dog-eat-dog, survival-of-the-fittest world.

We live in a kingdom of this world that, at its core, trades on retribution and revenge. Like the Middle East past, present (and undoubtedly future), the “eye for an eye” culture is full of enemies to be pilloried and hated. And though many people want peace, the cost of giving up the right to exact judgment or collect on debts is too great. Proud and wounded hearts simply do not understand how great their own debts of darkness are. Loving an enemy makes no sense in a non-Christian worldview. Enemies are enemies and they deserve judgment for their sins against us, and since there is no implicit trust in a God who will carry out justice, it is up to us to impose it, and to keep the score even.

The Extent of Radical Love

So it is no wonder that Jesus’ audience was incredulous about His teachings on relations with the enemy. In Matthew 5:43-48, as part of His Sermon on the Mount discourse, Jesus says that, contrary to the popular belief of the time—hate your enemies—they should love them instead. In verse 44, he describes one way that we can do that: Pray for them. Luke 6:27-36, a parallel passage, goes further: Don’t just pray; bless them. Give them things they don’t deserve, and generally do good to them. Loving an enemy is not simply a thought in the mind, but an action of the heart that involves godly movement toward an enemy. Jesus is no-holds-barred here, and doesn’t hold back the radical extent of love. No wonder he made so many enemies.

 

Why does Jesus say such radical and unpopular things? “Because, as Bono and B.B. King have both said, “Love came to town.” And it was coming to all sorts of people, including the traditional enemies of the Jews. In the Matthew passage, Jesus tells them to consider the love of the Father, who has mercy on the unrighteous by sending them the life-giving rays of the sun and water for their basic needs. He wants them to see His love for the enemy.

He then challenges His own people. He reminds them that the hated tax collectors are capable of basic love toward those they worked with, and that run-of-the-mill sinners were capable of simple love for fellow sinners. Are they then not much more responsible to love others radically? God’s people, after all, know His abundant and lavish mercy (Luke 6:36).

And what, according to Scripture, might happen if our enemies are loved radically and unexpectedly? They will either have their evil intent and shame exposed (Proverbs 25:22) or they will be become friends (Romans 5:10). When evil encounters love, it must either flee or be transformed.

In the Presence of Our Enemies

New Testament scholar Craig Blomberg says, “The true test of Christianity is how believers treat those whom they are naturally inclined to hate or who mistreat or persecute them.” In other words, loving our enemies is at the core of our faith and our witness.

So do we love our enemies well? If your first thought was, “What enemies?” you may be limiting your definition of an enemy.

Webster says it is “one who feels hatred toward, intends injury to, or opposes the interests of another; a foe.” That may include Osama Bin Laden or a criminal who victimizes you, but from time to time it will be your spouse, child, parent, friend, or co-worker. Where there’s fear, hatred, contempt, unrighteous anger, or a similar feeling, there’s an enemy.

This explains why, when we get cut off on the highway, we angrily call the offending driver a “jerk” or something much worse. When a friend hurts us with words, we relish a good comeback (even if only in our mind). We want to punish people for their sins, to become God’s vigilantes. Giving mercy instead of revenge feels weak to us and doesn’t bring a satisfaction to our bloodthirst. Jesus tells us that our hearts are full of a raging darkness that has nothing in common with following Him.

Why is this so hard? It is because we forget who we are and what we’ve been given. This is Jesus’ point in both the Matthew 5 and Luke 6 passages. When we can no longer see the mercy that’s been given to us, we don’t give mercy to others. (See the parable of the unmerciful servant, in Matthew 18: 21-35.)

This should sober our hearts. We were once the enemies of God, won to Him by His unexpected and radical love toward those pitched in battle against Him! The bottom line is this: When God’s mercy grips our hearts and we are able to see the true depth of our sin, then extending mercy to others—especially those who do us evil—becomes just possible, but desirable. We begin to want for them what was given to us.

Love Must Be Sincere ...

But hold on a second. How do I love an enemy who keeps abusing me? Does turning the other cheek mean I lie down and let myself be stepped on repeatedly?

Indeed. It is one thing to be caught off guard by an enemy’s attacks, but quite another to be in regular relationship with someone who seeks your harm.

Author Dan Allender defines a true offer of love to enemies: “Love can be defined as the free gift that voluntarily cancels the debt in order to free the debtor to become what he might be if he experiences the joy of restoration.” It is a gift, but a gift can be refused. And if it is refused, there can be no restoration.

The love Jesus refers to must be genuine and bold. Romans 12:9 states, “Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what it good.”

Love is Not Indifference

“Turn the other cheek” does not mean that Christians should simply allow enemies to routinely abuse them. We teach fellow Christians to “forgive and forget,” telling them that when they are sinned against, it is their responsibility to offer forgiveness and move on, even when the abuser (enemy) remains unrepentant.

But Scripture clearly teaches that forgiveness and restoration only come to those who desire it. Not confronting an enemy who is full of unrighteousness is not love—it is indifference. Jesus’ command to love our enemies meant caring for them, and that requires us to move in close enough to invite a relationship that is built on mercy and care. In all situations, we should offer an enemy mercy which, Allender points out, necessarily means that we must “revoke revenge.” The goal is always to bring about healthy shame that causes repentance (Proverbs 25:22).

Allender states that, “Bold love is a commitment to do whatever it takes (apart from sin) to bring health (salvation) to the abuser.” There cannot be true love without a hunger for justice, and doing good for the enemy may not always feel good to the enemy.

This can mean setting up appropriate boundaries that protect a person from future abuse; it may mean asking God to bring the enemy a “severe mercy” that would cause them enough pain and grief to bring them to spiritual surrender; or possibly even cutting off a relationship that is destructive as a way of saying, “I will stop pretending we have a relationship until you repent of your wickedness.” The difference between revenge and love, then, is not the absence of pain or conflict, it is one of motivation and desire—the former desires to get even and leave a person in destruction, the latter revokes revenge in favor of bringing about restoration.

No two situations are the same. Some require more passive confrontation (not responding to an attack other than to offer forgiveness), while others will require a bolder form of love (perhaps cutting off a relationship to expose an enemy for the purpose of repentance). In each case, though, our response must be predicated by a desire to love rather than to seek retribution or revenge, which belong to God only—this is the whole of His teachings.

The World’s Experience of Our Love

“That is all fine and such,” a skeptic says, “but talk is cheap—Christians don’t really practice this.”

As my wife, daughter, and I plant a church in an urban area, we encounter neighbors who wish they were in a “blue state,” are highly interested in spirituality, and some of whom are homosexuals and have adopted children. Others display tattoos and piercings, and quite a few of them have a strong and distinct opinion about “born-again” Christians: we are bigoted, narrow-minded, hate-filled, war-mongering hypocrites with a poor track record for love of the “other,” especially those opposed to our faith.

Is this caricature of believers correct? Sometimes, absolutely. And so the Church of Jesus occasionally makes unnecessary enemies and responds poorly to true enemies of the faith.

And yet, more often than not, I know that love of an “enemy” is often either ignored or overlooked by a world wanting to avoid the lordship of Christ. I have seen an international church community persecuted to the point of death in places like China, the Sudan, Indonesia, and India, respond with mercy and forgiveness toward their tormentors. It seems that we are to come with open hands to our enemies and ask for forgiveness for the times we have failed to love them.

And then, even our failure affirms the grace and mercy of a God who continues to love us.

Scott Armstrong is a pastor currently planting a church in the historic city neighborhood of Candler Park in Atlanta, Ga. He lives there with his wife, Kerstin, and daughter, Karis.