Wilderness People

We are a wilderness people.  We are spiritual sojourners in an earthly land.  On this earth we have no permanent home, no final resting place.  We eat and soon become hungry again.  We drink and soon become thirsty again.  We rest on Sunday, only to work again.  We occasionally vacation, only to have it end...again.

We get on a "work-out-kick" only to stop and see all of the progress fade again.  We build meaningful relationships and often see them interrupted again, by time, by geography, and/or even by death.  We buy the "next best thing" only to see it become obsolete again.  We buy new cars, and against all resolve, we throw trash in the floorboard, leave empty McDonald's cups in every cup holder, and push the oil change limit to 7,000 miles...again.

The above situations would seem to be unfitting for those who call themselves children of the Most High.  But that is exactly what we are.  Our Lord would not have us fill our spiritual cravings with earthly things.  Sure He gives us physical food.  He is our Provider.  But, it is our "daily bread."  We always become hungry again.  Why?  Because of His faithfulness.  It is His gracious will that we become uncomfortable every 3 hours or so to remind us of our Ultimate need of Him.  He has provided us with a build in alarm clock that says, "You were made for Me...this physical hunger is only a sign that you have a real spiritual hunger for Me."

What does it mean to give God glory when you eat and when you drink (1Cor 10:31)?  It simply means that we make the most of out of our hunger.  When we thirst, we direct our attention heavenward where the Living Water is seated at the right hand of God (John 4:13ff).  When we become hungry, we direct our attention - we "set our minds" (Col 3) on Christ, the Bread of Life (John 6).

When earthly things waste away, or when they fail us, it is not because God fumbled or failed to provide for us.  Quite the opposite is true.  When the children of Israel were delivered from Egypt (Exod 14), they immediately became thirsty (Exod 15:22ff) and hungry (Exod 16).  And when they left Sinai (Num 10), where the Lord blessed their socks off (with the Law, Book of the Covenant, the Holiness Code, the Priestly office, the Day of Atonement, etc.) to set out for the Promised Land, they again became physically hungry (Num 11) and thirsty (Num 20).

The children of Israel then longed for Egypt, where they were never physically hungry (Num 11:4) or thirsty.  I have been convicted lately of doing the same.  But understanding that I am a pilgrim here - a "wilderness person"- has helped me to know and acknowledge Christ more.  He is the true Mana from Heaven.  He is the Rock from which Living Water flows.

It is comforting to know that He loves me and cares for me.  It provides me with hope that one day I will crave no more.  It gives substance to my faith that He died, and that I am therefore "filled" in Him (Col 2:9-10).  His eye is upon me.  His hand comforts me.  His Word guides me.  And though all earthly things fail me, that's okay, He who spared not His only Son, will never fail me.  I am His in Christ; and by His Spirit, He leads me along with so many other Wilderness People.

They Reached Me First

I will never forget the serious look on Dr. Richard Pratt's face one Monday night as he was expressing his number one fear for the next generation. It was not alcoholism, or disease. It was not liberalism, or the church's view on women being ordained (or not) in ministry. He looked across the classroom and called all of us to take heed to the Islamic growth in America. One statistic I remember is that the census reported that by year 2025, one major metropolitan city, in America, will be predominately Muslim. I tucked that statistic away, and have not thought of it since...until yesterday.

The doorbell rang. As the dog barked, and as the kids proceeded to run around like chickens with their head cut off, I left Katie to the new baby and answered the door. I was not prepared for my visitors.

I opened the door to find a family of five, dressed in very strict Islamic attire - the husband in a long robe and religious cap; the wife fully covered, except her eyes; and, the children with what looked like small turbans, along with their robes that looked like daddy's. The interaction changed my life. Allow me to share with you some of my observations:

1. They came bearing gifts. The balloon outside on the mailbox that read, "It's a girl!" lead them to rejoice with us that a new life had come into the world. So they gave us a birthday cake of Huggies and a small sun-hat for the baby. What does this mean? Well, first of all, 96 diapers are not cheap. They spent over $25 on a stranger and probably over 2-3 hours at least knitting the sun-hat (the wife made it) and arranging the diapers into a huge display.

2. They were kind. They were not indifferent to our new baby girl. They rejoiced (at least, to some extent) with us. And they were very polite and cordial.

3. This family was not (from what I could tell) from another country. They were African American; which, from what I understand is a demographic that is converting to Islam by the droves. 59% of Islamic converts in America are African American - most of whom convert from Protestantism. Big players in the African American community are promoting the religion and are having a strong influence. Ice Cube (who converted in the 90's) has been quoted saying, that the Nation of Islam is "the best place for any young black male."

4. They were dedicated as a family. Their attire alone showed their strict devotion to the religion. And they practiced as a family. I have read somewhere that each Muslim family produces, on average, 8 children per family unit. Not only is Islam growing by conversion, but its main objective is to grow (exponentially) by reproduction. This is a God-given mandate and process that all Christians must understand and at least acknowledge.

Muslims understand well that predominant and typically affluent cultures atrophy over small amounts of time due to decreased marriage and reproduction rates. Europe is a great example. To shed light on this point, consider a country isolated without the possibility of immigration. If family units have, on average, just one (or less than 2) children per unit, then it is mathematically impossible to maintain the population over just a few generations.

Family units in most European countries (like Greece, France and England) have roughly 1.3 children per unit (under 1.6 it is mathematically impossible to rescue the culture). It has been this way for some time. But, here is the kicker - the populations of these countries have grown! And they are being swallowed up by Islam.

5. My next point about this family is that they were evangelical. So, not only were they converts (probably), and not only were they furthering the Islamic agenda through reproduction; but they were also reaching their immediate world for "Allah" through evangelization. I am more aware of the Islamic presence in my geographical region. Every morning on my way to work I see more and more Muslims. This particular family lives three houses down from me. They are reaching their neighborhood (which is also MY neighborhood and has been for over one year now).

My final point is this...They reached me first.

I am now resolved, by the strength and perseverance of God's sovereign grace, to reach those around me quickly and consistently with the true Gospel of Jesus Christ. Shame on me for being silent this long. Yesterday is the day that God used a strict Muslim to get this PCA pastor off of his rear end.

The "Busy"ness of Laziness

If there is one thing that I am good at it is "busyness." I am a busy body. I have a phone on my hip (yes, I do wear a holster...go ahead and laugh) that constantly demands my attention. I have appointments galore and a list of honey-do's that is almost a mile long now.

In the midst of all of this, however, I am both convicted and warned by Scripture. God's word is true and will immediately cut through diversions. We could have every second of every day occupied with very good things (and even some bad things); but our Lord is not fooled. If we are avoiding the "right" things, the indictment is the same as if we were watching TV on the couch all day long eating goldfish and drinking all the kids' capri suns. In all of our busyness, we are lazy.

2 Thes 3:11 "For we hear that some among you walk in idleness, not busy at work, but busybodies."

So what are we to do? We have to avoid moralism. It is so much more than "doing the right thing(s)." It is more like, we must love and desire the Right ONE. In a culture where people hardly know anything of forgiveness and true acceptance, it is easy to see how we long for the next text message, or email, or facebook update, or friend request - all of this so that we can know someone is thinking of us. And, God forbid we miss the call or fail to immediately respond! They might not like us any more!

But what if we were fully aware of the price that was paid for our justification? What if we knew that we were completely and fully loved by God? We could say "No." more. We could put the phone down. We could have a few good friends instead of a thousand (online) acquaintances. We could finally rest.

Note the next verse: "Now such persons we command and encourage in the Lord Jesus Christ to do their work quietly and to earn their own living."

Christ is more than enough. Set your minds upon Him. Think often of the intricate details of the Cross transaction. Think of the nature of the love that God (Father, Son and Holy Spirit) has for you. If you don't know - ask a Christian (this is called fellowship); or read your Bible (this is called devotion). Ask God (this is called prayer).

Slow down. Be still. Be quiet. Prioritize. It's okay...busyness will not save you. Onward Christian Soldier...be killing busyness or laziness will be killing you.

Out of Bounds.

There is one thing we all must understand. We are a wilderness people. Like the children of Israel, we have been delivered from our former land of slavery (Exod 20:1-2), by the Lord and Creator of the universe. His name is the LORD. He is Yahweh.

What does it mean to be a wilderness people? Negatively stated, it means that we are no longer under the reign and rule of our previous master (sin) - or, Egypt to keep the Israelite analogy. Positively, it means that we have a new master. But here is the "wilderness-rub" so to speak; we are not yet in the Land that He promised us. We are in the "in-between" - in the wilderness. Things aren't perfect yet, though we are under the care of He who is perfect.

It is important to manage expectations in the Christian life. One is easily persuaded (because of our moralistic society) that to be a Christian means to be perfect - to be sinless. Perfection, however, is not characteristic of a wilderness people. We will be perfected; but not until glory. Here is where our expectations must be managed and brought quickly into Biblical reality. In the wilderness we will have hardships and trials. We will get hungry (Num 11). We will get thirsty (Exod 17). These physical cravings are meant to remind us of our spiritual nature. Remember this. And the Law of God (Exod 20), gives us the boundaries that are needed in order to keep us spiritual and not earthly.

Here is the point. Understand, Christian, that you are a spiritual stranger in an earthly wilderness. The indigenous of the [earthly] land would have you stay earthly. So would your "old person" who tempts you to follow along with them. But our gracious Father, who is Spirit, and who is worshiped in Spirit and in truth, has given us His Law to let us know and guide us in Christ, in our true spiritual home - where we are completely filled and accepted.

What is in your life that tempts you to reach beyond the boundaries of His Law? What things attract you and pull you so much that you are willing to forget God? Is it work? Is it money? Is it sex? What, in other words, are your idols (Exod 20:4)?

Here is the truth to sooth your weary soul. You, Christian, are a spiritual being in an earthly wilderness. Earthly things are created by God for your thankful enjoyment. In short, they are meant to glorify God and not to become glorified. They are given by God and were never meant to give what only God can give (satisfaction and acceptance). When a grateful child receives a toy, they throw the toy down and hug the Giver of the toy (then proceed after a time of thanksgiving, to play with the toy). An ungrateful child, on the other hand, takes the toy and runs to play - who cares who gave it. In this case the toy is the idol.

What are the toys in your life that cause you to either use God or forget Him?

I challenge you and encourage you now. The next time you are tempted to reach out of bounds for some earthly toy, simply direct your attention and thoughts heavenward; where Christ is. Then say a small prayer and declaration - "Thank you Christ for making me perfectly acceptable to God the Father. Thank you Christ for filling me and satisfying me. I am fully accepted, loved and satisfied in You. Holy Spirit, help me to resist this temptation. Thank you. Amen."

Onward Christian Soldier. Murder your idols. Dethrone them, in Christ, forever.

Walking in Light. Glorifying God.

Some time ago, I was confronted with a very unusual Scripture. In his first letter, the apostle John writes, "If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us" (1:8). You may ask, What is so strange about this? Well, if you look at it, sin and truth dwell in the same vessel. And, in order to walk in the light, without deceiving ourselves [and others], we must confess [or "say"] that we have sin. In other words, if we are to be truthful in this life, we must say that we sin.

Has the irony hit you yet? If not, let's look at it more closely. Many look past the word "sin" without really understanding all of the word's implications. Sin is not merely something within us that is bad; but it is more importantly, something within us that is bad towards others. Sin always affects someone else.

So, imagine discussing the fact that you have the Truth with someone against whom you have sinned. Now do you see the irony?

In our moralistic society, we have made the Christian life into something that it was never intended to be. Because we are not overwhelmed by the gracious and total forgiveness of God in Christ, we go about life hiding our sins - wait! I should have said, "hiding our sins against others."

The conversation goes something like this: Someone says, "You have sinned against me." And we say, "No I haven't." There are a number of ways to say "No I haven't." We blame other people. We blame "uncontrollable circumstances." After all, it wasn't our fault! We are very crafty hiders. And because we are, people that we have hurt and abused are left feeling less-valued as humans and simply put, lied to. Christianity, they say, is a life of lies (or untruths). People know when they have been hurt. They also know who hurt them. We can say we are not guilty all day long. But the megaphone of life speaks louder than our whispering lies.

Moralism demands a perfect people - a sinless people. The Gospel, on the other hand demands a repentant people. Moralism holds itself far above the reach of every sinner in need. The Gospel, on the other hand, comes down to every sinner in need. Moralism says, If the truth is in you, sin cannot be in you. The Gospel says, If the truth is in you, untruth cannot be in you. Therefore, we tell the truth. What is the truth? We are sinners...saved by Grace...by the One who is sinless...Jesus Christ.

If we say we have no sin, not only do we deceive ourselves, but we lie to others. We give broken sinners a devastating lie - that, to be a Christian, you must be sinless. You must think of God every day, all day. You must read your Bible for hours, upon hours, upon hours. You must pray long prayers. You must share your faith with every person you see.

The truth is however, that you must do NONE of these things to be a Christian. You only need to feel your need of him; and, in repentance and faith - confess, that you are a sinner in need of the Savior. This is all. Christ alone. Faith alone.

And now, for you moralists out there (myself included) - once faith and repentance is granted, we CAN enjoy reading our Bible. We CAN think of God often. We CAN share this wonderful faith with others. We CAN pray simple, childlike prayers. We can do all of this without hiding the fact that we don't do these things as often as we should - or as often as we'd like. We don't have to hide anymore. We are forgiven. We are filled. It's okay to say that we are all jacked up. But it's only okay, while reflecting the only One who is not - The One who saves jacked up people like you and me.

Onward Christian soldiers. Tell the truth. Walk in light. Glorify your Maker.

True Freedom - Dave Matthews Almost Gets It.

Many of you know that I teach Spinning at a local gym. I love it. It is a time that I can fellowship with the crazy people (who are not paid to come to the class like I am) who wake up to sweat and exhaust themselves on a stationary bike; many of whom have been coming to my class for years. Did I also mention that I get paid to exercise (and a free membership)! Most who come to my class know that I also have a love for live Dave Matthews music. I play at least one of his songs in every class.

But there is one song, called Cornbread, where he begins by saying, "Sometimes I do what I got to do. Sometimes I do what I want to...and, Sometimes...what I got to do and what I want to do, is the same thing!" Wow. I was thinking about that the other day during the class; and I said to myself, "He almost has it! He almost understands true Freedom!"

As humans we want what we want and when we want it. If anything comes in between us and what we want, we don't like it. This gives us a clue as to what bondage really is - wanting something and not being able to attain it. Before someone is born again, he/she wants everything but God; but God will have none of that. What one HAS to do, then, is not necessarily what they WANT to do. There are usually two ways that people proceed.

First, they shell of God altogether saying, "God! How dare you not give me what I WANT. I don't care what you WANT me to do. I am going my own way - I am going for what I WANT. This is called anti-nomianism (or, against (anti) law (nomian)). Its is a fantasy really. No one can run from God. He is everywhere. And His obligations are binding on every one of His creatures. It is the very nature of humanness to be dissatisfied until satisfaction is found in God. This is doing (as Matthews says) "What I want to do, and not what I have to do." This is bondage.

Second, the person can do what they HAVE to do, albeit, begrudgingly. This is legalism at its best. They say, "Okay God. I'll follow your rules. But that's not what I really WANT to do." This is doing "what I have to do, and not what I want to do." This, too, is bondage.

But, what about the believer? The believer experiences true freedom, through repentance and faith in Christ. They have been given a new heart and can now, by nature, do what they want AND what they have to do! They have to love God. That's GREAT! That's also what they want to do! Its like being married. In marriage we are commanded to love our spouse - its what we HAVE to do. But there's more! It's also what we WANT to do! In this life however, the "lusts of the flesh" still linger within us. Those "lusts" cause us sometimes to WANT what we cannot HAVE. This is freedom, but not total freedom.

There will be a day though, in glory, when we will be perfected in holiness. We will be glorified. On that day, and from that DAY on (for eternity), we will finally be free (Rom 7). We will be able to change Dave Matthews' lyrics into, "ALL the time, what I want to do and what I got to do is the same thing!" Can you imagine? In glory, we will never be inconvenienced again! We will never say, "Do I really have to?" We will never try to get out of something. We will never have to fight fatigue, laziness, procrastination, and sin. We will always do what we want to do - and that, by the amazing grace of God, will be exactly what we have to do.

That, my friends, is something to look forward to. That is true freedom. Loving God and loving others forever, and loving every single minute of it!

Union with Christ and the Glorious Gospel

When we sin, we have an innate and real impression that we deserve death. Death, in this sense (that is, the Biblical sense) is relational in nature and not merely individual. On a human level, when we sin against another, we understand that the other person has every right to dissolve the relationship and to demand that payment be made – a payment that is more than the transgressor can afford. The payment amount has every judicial connotation in that it is directly and judicially connected to the worth of the person who was transgressed. Our value as human beings, created in the image of God, is so high that when it is crossed, the payment must be as valuable.

Therefore, the transgressor understands that death is the due payment for his transgression. He is now faced with two options: 1) he can lay himself at the feet of the transgressed and take his due, or 2) he can abandon the relationship for fear of death. The first is honest and noble. It places the sinner in the hands of the one who alone can handle the situation. He is there quite vulnerable, as the transgressed has every just reason to inflict punishment – death; or dissolution of the relationship. The second option is dishonest and contrary to human reality. The sinner will transgress again – it is his nature. And this will place him, yet again, in the damnable situation of loosing his life – the life of relationship.

Biblical death is not merely the cessation of the heart; but more meaningfully, it is the cessation of and judicial prohibition of the enjoyment found in relationship with our Creator.

When a person transgresses God, the body of sin, takes the law and makes it ultimate – that is, it avoids the vulnerability of confession and repentance, and opts for making payment himself by way of law (which is an utter impossibility). This is how the moralist seemingly avoids Christ by trying to avoid sin; and he tries to avoid sin by fulfilling the law. Finding justification in the law is what I mean by making the law ultimate. Pride and sin take hold of the ladder of the law, and attempt to climb up to the Throne. The law will have none of it. Its way of throwing them is called condemnation. This is what the Apostle means when he says, “The very commandment that promised life proved to be death to me. For sin, seizing an opportunity through the commandment, deceived me and through it killed me” (Rom 7:11).

This is living to self – doing good things to try and justify self. This is not living to God – doing good things in response to God’s justification in the Gospel.

And this is the message of the Gospel. That in Christ’s death, we were there “with Him” (Rom 6:1-14; Gal 2:20). His was a “death to sin.” And b/c of our union with Him, so we “died to sin” (Rom 6:2). Death, therefore is no longer a threat to us. The relationship [with God] will not be broken. We can therefore, come vulnerable, open, repentant, without the fear of death; without the fear of loosing our greatest enjoyment and satisfaction – God (cf. Heb 4:16). The “body of sin” will deny this historical reality saying, “Sinner! If God finds out about this transgression, you will surely die! He will deny you and you will be without enjoyment forever. Here…take this law…it is easier than God’s law. Do it and do it well. This will atone for your small blunder.” If we forget our historical death [in Christ], we will hide that sin within us, trying to wipe it away and pay its punitive damage. A life lived this way, in reality, is a life of bondage to sin. The “easy law” is no law that can justify. It will be insufficient. It will change. It will condemn. Ultimately, it will keep us from God our Creator and our Life (Jn 17:3).

But if, by faith, we remember, embrace, and reflect upon our union with Christ – our dying and being raised with Him – we will have no fear of death as a consequence for our sin. That death has been accomplished at Calvary. How do we know it was sufficient? Because we were also “raised with Him.” The sacrifice that Christ provided paid the just penalty and was thus acceptable to the Father. We are now “seated with Him” at the right hand of God. This is no place for the unrighteous. How then are we there? How can we be at such a heavenly place?? Christ became sin that we might become the righteousness of God (2 Cor 5:21). In Christ we are “safely hidden” (Col 3:3). Not as sinners hiding from the justice of God; but as sinners who have died (with Christ) and have been raised with Christ, hidden in Him safely until the end of the age (Col 3:4). Our perseverance and glorification is secure IN CHRIST.

In Christ, God the Father is pleased with us – just as He is pleased with God the Son (Jn 15:9). In Christ, we are eternally accepted (without the threat of death); without the threat of loosing our greatest enjoyment. Praise Christ that our sins have been paid for. Praise be unto Christ for His death, burial and resurrection! If this Historical progression should never have taken place, we would be still dead in our sins and without any hope of life in this world (cf. 1 Cor 15:17). “But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ – by grace you have been saved – and raised us up with Him and seated us with Him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, so that in the coming ages He might show the immeasurable riches of His Grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus” (Eph 2:4-7).