How do we prepare ourselves for Easter?

I'm going to do something a little different this week. Instead of writing a long blog on my thoughts about how we are to look at Easter coming up in a few days, I decided to give you a link to detailed notes of my message last Sunday (Palm Sunday). I believe these notes express what the Lord has put on my heart for now, and adding to them here could not add to what I already said. So, if you would like to see those notes, you can go here... http://www.echurchnetwork.net/Assets/Website/200/How%20Do%20We%20Prepare%20Ourselves%20for%20Easter.pdf

You can read it on the link, download it, or print it out for further study. I hope you will ponder the passages I used, and my thoughts on this, and wrestle with it in consideration of your own journey with God. And I should also have the audio feed of this message on our web site by Thursday evening.

And if you have any comments, please leave them here. I hope you are blessed!

God bless,
Mel

What are we shouting about?

"And a very great multitude spread their clothes on the road; others cut down branches from the trees and spread them on the road. Then the multitudes who went before and those who followed cried out, saying:
“ Hosanna to the Son of David! Blessed is He who comes in the name of the LORD!’" Matt.21:8-9

"Pilate said to them, “What then shall I do with Jesus who is called Christ?” They all said to him, “Let Him be crucified!” Then the governor said, “Why, what evil has He done?” But they cried out all the more, saying, “Let Him be crucified!” Matt.27:22-23

As we approach the final week of Easter, I would like us to think about two seemingly contrasting scenes here. I say, seemingly, because they really are showing us the same thing.

For those of us who have contemplated these verses, the absolute irony is stunning. It appears from the story that the very same people who were praising Jesus, laying down their clothes and spreading palm branches before Him, were the same who later shouted to Pilate that He should be crucified. And the question that keeps coming up in my mind when I read this is...what does that tell us about ourselves?

In other words...what am I shouting about?

Do I shout for the Son of God because I've seen Him do great miracles, who healed my body, who answered my prayer, who blesses me in every way...who gives me stuff? Or do I shout for the One who is the source of my constant joy, in spite of what lies before me? Yes, what am I shouting about?

Our expectations are very dangerous things; that is, if you can call them things. For they can blind our view of reality and often lead us to stumble on our journey of faith rather than clear the path set before us. For if our expectations of what we think should happen are not met, it can often lead to disappointment, despair, even anger and revenge. And what should be instructive about this is that our expectations of what God should do, or what He shouldn't do...for us or anyone else...in no way, effects reality.

Think about this...no one...not even Jesus' followers...understood what God's plan really was. Even though Jesus repeatedly told them that He would suffer and die and rise again, in their mind, they were expecting their "King" to enter Jerusalem and conquer all evil...which to them, meant the Roman Empire. Even when Jesus came back to them after His resurrection, we see them asking, “Lord, will You at this time restore the kingdom to Israel? (Acts 1:6)

We also see Judas, who, after realizing Jesus was not going to fulfill his expectations, arrange to have Him turned over the chief priests (Read Matt.26:1-16). I mean...his Messiah talking about His burial and all, how could He! He was supposed to rescue Israel...not this talk about defeat. But are we really any different than Judas? That is, in our own human understanding of things? And do we see how our expectations cloud our vision of what God really wants to do in our lives?

Back to our two texts. First, we see crowds of people, worshiping, honoring Jesus as He is riding into the holy city, Jerusalem, on a lowly donkey. Their King has come, just as the prophets predicted! Finally, God was going to get those Romans! It's pay-back time! Finally...the pagan world would bow to their Jewish Messiah! And likewise, how often we come to Jesus because of a promise to make our lives better now, to solve an overwhelming problem, even make our problems go away. But then, when the circumstances don't change, maybe even worsen, we turn away from Him...He must not be the savior I was looking for...Get rid of Him!

I love the part in verse two of Hebrews 12, where it says, "Because of the joy awaiting him, He endured the cross, disregarding its shame." This joy that He looked to...in spite of the suffering He would have to temporarily endure to realize it...in spite of the chastisement for our peace upon Him (Isa.53:5). Why would He do this? So that He could finish the race His Father set before Him. To proclaim the love of God to the world who rejected Him. For His joy was for our joy...so that we could have the full measure of His joy living in us! (John 17:13).

You may have noticed that I mentioned before that both of these scenes speak about the same thing. Well...they do. They tell us the same story. For in order for us to have joy, peace, and fulfillment, One must die in our stead. Someone must shout, "crucify Him!" for us to shout our praises to Him. And having died for us, in spite of us, we now have life...that is, His life in exchange for ours.

It's true, God's ways are not our ways...they are better ways. And His ways can be trusted, even when we don't understand them at the time. And our hope is not found in our circumstances, but in Him. And as He told His disciples that it was "to your advantage that I go away" (John 16:7)...it indeed was good. And it was good that He would be rejected in shame by the same people who praised Him in triumph...that is...by people just like us...for to us, because He did disregard the shame for joy, we can shout, Hallelujah! And now, because of the joy set before Him, we have this hope living in us that overcomes the world around us..."Now hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us." (Rom.5:5) Amen.

God says, "Why not 'waste' a whole day on Me"

"And He said to them, “The Sabbath was made for man, and not man for the Sabbath. Therefore the Son of Man is also Lord of the Sabbath.” Mark 2:27-28

We just hosted a leadership training last weekend at our church (via Satellite simulcast) and one of the speakers was Pete Scazzero, author of "Emotionally Healthy Spirituality" (Integrity, 2006) and "The Emotionally Healthy Church." (for more information about his ministry, go to his web site is http://www.center4ehs.org.)

One of the statements that he made that was so striking, because it is so true, is that we live in a culture that cannot sit still for any length of time, let alone a whole day! After all, we are busy, we've got important things to do! This is the "dance" of the North American culture; the flute is playing and we are called to join in the dance...and we do. We sing our favorite song, just do it! And I submit, this is especially true for Evangelical Christians. I ask you...have we not fallen into the trap of busy self-effort, (idle hands are the devil's workshop, you know!), and have we not equated our "drivenness" and the multitude of our busyness as a prized value of productivity and spirituality? Even our prayers are hurried monologues with God, full of our words (see Eccl.5:2-3). We prefer to create formulas and programs for success so we can do more. But, as Scazzaro points out, there is something we don't seem to know or value at all...and that is, "It is impossible to grow spiritually without silence and solitude."

This was a well known secret to spirituality in earlier times that's apparently lost on the Reformed, pragmatic thinking of the West. And even though Jesus said that Mary had chosen the "good part" (see Luke 10:38-42) by stopping and sitting at His feet, by our actions, we very much prefer the multi-tasking, distracted "Martha" world over this seeming "waste of time."

So what has this "Martha mindset" actually produced? I submit that it has not produced deeply spiritual Christians, but exhausted, burnt out, and stressed out ones...too often hanging onto their faith by a thread, having their spiritual vitality drained, living on fumes...and even for some, living off of the spirituality of others rather than their own. Bernard of Clairvaux considered this problem long ago and called it "The sin of sloth and laziness" because we "do not have the interior life to sustain our outer life." Considering this, no wonder there is so much moral failure in the church today!

Now, getting back to the text. Why did God give His people the Sabbath? Why was keeping the sabbath the fourth commandment and how does it apply to us today? Well, first of all, we need to understand the why. The word "sabbath" literally means "complete rest." In other words, sabbath means to deliberately do nothing. In the case of a keeping a Sabbath day, to do nothing for a 24-hour period.

Keeping our text from the Gospel of Mark in mind, that the Sabbath was made for man, I ask you, is this a bad thing? Is this some oppressive requirement to put us back into bondage of the Law? I like how Scazarro said it, "It's like having a 'snow day'" (in the Northern part of America, we well know what this means!)..."and God gave Israel 52 snow days right off the top!" You see, God knows our nature...that we will run ourselves right into the ground unless He makes a provision to force us to rest. But, again, let's not get legalistic and lose sight of the purpose here...It's for us! It's for our good!

So is Peter Scazzaro, and now I, suggesting that we do nothing for a 24-hour period of time each week? Yes, I am suggesting that. But I am only suggesting what God provided for us in the first place, long before the Law, that we "waste" a whole day of our busy week on God (which really means, for us). And because I know we will spend our time on what we value; I am really suggesting we look at our current values and make some adjustments...again...for our own good.

What Scazzaro suggests is that we take a whole day (24-hour period) to devote to four things: stopping, resting, delighting, and contemplating. I will very briefly explain here.

First we stop all our normal work activity; we turn off the cell phone, don't check our emails, put all our regular work away...we stop! We don't think about work, call work, or work on work! Got it? Next, we rest...turn off the alarm clock and wake up when we wake up! Take a nap...lay on the couch...go ahead! Third, we delight...now, remember, our first delight should be in the Lord, and we are to make the day holy, so our primary delight should be in the Lord. But also remember, this "sabbath" was made for you. So, do the things you love to do...read books, take a walk...do your favorite hobby. Remember, this is for your enjoyment! But also remember, it's not a work day or even really a family day where you busy yourself with domestic things. It's a "nothing" day! Then finally, contemplate...it's a time to be refreshed in the presence of the Lord...spent time in silence...not time with music or any other background noise, but in silence. If you can't do this at home, go to some remote place where you can.

One more thing that struck me about what Pete Scazzaro said. He lives in New York City and has learned some things from the Hasitic Jewish Rabbis there. He learned that they see their weekdays as leading up to the sabbath, which is the crescendo of their week! It's what they look foward to, long for, cherish, and protect (You know, kind of a like the 80's song, "Everybody's working for the Weekend!") And think about it...they give up, probably the most profitable retail day of the week...Saturday...just to waste on God. Nothing shows their values more than this. And I ask...what do our values show us about ourselves?

Okay, you may say..."But I don't have a day to waste." Oh really? And why is that so? And what will you really miss by "losing" that day? I say, let God show you this...test it out. I think you'll be surprised by how much more you will actually be productive, refreshed, and full of joy if you do this!

As far as which day, it's really up to you. For many people, it could be Sunday...they go to church (keeping the day holy) and do nothing the rest of the day. For me, that's a work day! So I am taking off Mondays (today). My wife is taking off Tuesdays (her day off). We do family and our "busy stuff" on Saturdays. So, having stopped, rested, contemplated, I am now "delighting" by writing this blog! And when I am done here, I will probably read a book...or maybe take a nap. Later, my wife and I may go out for walk. But whatever I do...be sure it will be restful.

You know what? I think God was pretty smart when He gave us these "snow days." After years of doing things my own way, I believe I will take Him up on His generous offer!

Can one person actually make a difference?

"I looked for a man among them who would build up the wall and stand before me in the gap on behalf of the land so I would not have to destroy it, but I found none." Ezek.22:30

"Then Esther spoke to Hathach, and gave him a command for Mordecai: “All the king’s servants and the people of the king’s provinces know that any man or woman who goes into the inner court to the king, who has not been called, he has but one law: put all to death, except the one to whom the king holds out the golden scepter, that he may live. Yet I myself have not been called to go in to the king these thirty days.” So they told Mordecai Esther’s words. And Mordecai told them to answer Esther: “Do not think in your heart that you will escape in the king’s palace any more than all the other Jews. For if you remain completely silent at this time, relief and deliverance will arise for the Jews from another place, but you and your father’s house will perish. Yet who knows whether you have come to the kingdom for such a time as this?” Esther 4:10-14

"If anyone has material possessions and sees his brother in need but has no pity on him, how can the love of God be in him? Dear children, let us not love with words or tongue but with actions and in truth." I John 3:17-18

This Saturday, February 24th, marks the 200th anniversary of the abolition of the slave trade in England. And this is true primarily because of the tireless efforts of one man, William Wilberforce, a devout Christian and member of the British Parliment. Eighteenth century England was, by far, the largest trafficker of slaves when Wilberforce joined the Parliment, and for many years both the government and the church were indifferent to the horrific human suffering it produced. But after 20 years of political rejection, personal humiliation, and persecution, Wilberforce finally saw his bill abolishing this evil practice passed and signed into law. And the movie, "Amazing Grace" starring Ioan Gruffudd, opens this Friday to commemorate Wilberforce and this historic event that saved the lives of so many people.

And while thinking about Wilberforce and his amazing story (no pun intended!), I thought about the question many people often ask, "Can one person actually make a difference?" I recently had this conversation with my son on the subject of voting. His sentiment was that he didn't vote because he didn't see that it made any difference. Truly, this belief is prevelant in our culture today. But is it true? Does it not matter what one person does or doesn't do? Actually, both history and Scripture would say otherwise. In fact, we would see that in just about every case, our way of life was dramatically changed-- good or bad--by the will and persistence of one person. In fact, it appears from Scripture that God would actually require that we all make our own unique contribution to our world.

I included the Scripture passages above because they speak to us about how God looks for men and women to make a difference in the affairs of this life. That our faith is not one of indifference. The first, from Ezekiel, shows God's lament that He could not find a man (or woman) who would intercede for His people. The second passage, we see the reluctant courage and faith of one young Hebrew woman, Esther, raised up as Queen in a foreign land "for such a time as this" to save her people from extinction. And John instructs us in his first epistle that we cannot even say we have the love of God in us if we do not consider the suffering around us and seek to remedy it in a practical and tangible way. Of course, I could name many other examples of men and women of the Bible who rose to the occasion to fulfill their destiny and place in history.

So, on this anniversary, my thoughts go back to William Wilberforce. He was referred to by biographers as a radically God-centered Christian. He argued that good morals cannot be divorced from Biblical doctrine. (Something our liberal social activists would do well to heed.) But like us before we came to Christ, he wasn't always such a noble person. He came from a wealthy family and he spent his early years living a self-indulged life of ease without any real purpose. At age 21, he basically bought his election into Parliment and, in his own words, did nothing for several years. But something happened at age 25; he had a dramatic conversion to Christ through the influence of two men. One was his old schoolmaster, Isaac Milner; the other, an old family friend, John Newton (who wrote the hymn "Amazing Grace,"hence the title of the movie).

Now what's interesting here is that John Newton was once himself a slave-trading sea captain, who was converted to Christ and then afterward renounced this evil practice and became a minister of the Gospel. And Newton mentored young Wilberforce in his waning years as a minister. He wrote these words in his last will and testament, "I commit my soul to my gracious God and Savior, who mercifully spared and preserved me, when I was an apostate, a blasphemer, and an infidel, and delivered me from the state of misery on the coast of Africa into which my obstinate wickedness had plunged me; and who has been pleased to admit me (though most unworthy) to preach his glorious gospel."

And it was Newton's advice to William Wilberforce not to leave Parliment for the ministry, which is what William was considering after his conversion, but instead, serve God in his political office. Newton said this, "It is hoped and believed that the Lord has raised you up for the good of His Church and the good of the nation." So we see God's "amazing grace" at work here; using a former slave trader to touch the life of a self-centered, turned God-centered aristocrat, who would be instrumental in ending the practice! Only God could write such a script!

And consider the obstacle young Wilberforce faced. Nobody of his day thought that abolishing the slave trade was even a remote possibility. It was widely thought vital to Great Britain's economy, and that the nation could not survive as a world power without it. But nevertheless, it was indeed abolished by the persistent courage and faith of this man. And the abolition of slavery was not William Wilberforce's only concern. As John Piper puts it, there was a steady stream of action to alleviate pain and bring social (and eternal) good. At one point he was involved in 69 different initiatives! These included child labor reform, prison reform, labor reform, and even took to seeing that Britian evangelize and educate its colonies in the ways of God! All of this while suffering for years with ulcerative colitis, curvature of the spine, gout, and increasing blindness. Why do I mention this? Because this was a man who didn't excuse himself from the service of God because of his limitations, or in any of the various ways we so easily do.

So on this anniversary of such a history-changing event, let us remember that we are made of the same stuff as Wilberforce and our heroes of the faith. We have the same Holy Spirit. We may not have the same mission, but nonetheless, we have our own part to play in history. By God's grace, let us serve Him with the same resolve.

And with so much narcissistic drivel and meaningless entertainment as our normal movie fare, let us rejoice that once and awhile a film comes along that is not only worthwhile but can move our very soul, allowing us to momentarily peer into something much bigger than us all... something worthy of a life lived, of a quality I believe precious to God's heart.

So I encourage you to see this movie. Bring your children. Talk about it. Wrestle with it. Pray about it. And let God speak to you and inspire you to greater things for His Kingdom. Remember...we can do all things through Christ who strengthens us!

"...but the people who know their God shall be strong, and carry out great exploits." Dan.11:32

For information about the movie "Amazing Grace" and theater locations and times, go to this web site... http://www.amazinggracemovie.com

The Generation of Jacob

"Who may ascend into the hill of the LORD? Or who may stand in His holy place? He who has clean hands and a pure heart, Who has not lifted up his soul to an idol,nor sworn deceitfully. He shall receive blessing from the LORD, and righteousness from the God of his salvation.
This is Jacob, the generation of those who seek Him, Who seek Your face. Selah" Psalm 24:6

What is it about Jacob that God would say this about him? "The generation who seek Him, who seek Your face..." Did you ever wonder about that? Selah! Well, I have wondered, and I would like to share some thoughts with you on my wonderings.

First, what about Jacob's qualifications? You know, what made him this patriarch of those who can "ascend the hill of the Lord." Hmmm...let's see...he was shrewd, cunning, conniving and deceptive, a coward, a momma's boy, a thief, a usurper, and frankly, not all that perceptive (after all, he didn't know the difference between Leah and Rachel, sheesh!)...should I go on?

Okay, you might bring up the fact that Jacob was Isaac's son, heir to the throne so to speak, next in line to be God's man and all that. So, certainly, God would favor him and bestow the aforementioned honors and accolades.

Oh...did I forget to mention that Jacob had a twin? His name was Esau. And not only that, but Esau was born before Jacob.

So, I ask myself...why doesn't Psalm 24:6 say,"This is Esau, the generation who seek Him, who seek Your face"?

And our plot thickens, as it were, regarding Esau's lot...God goes on to say in Romans 9:12, where Paul is quoting from Malachi 1:3, "Jacob I have loved, but Esau I have hated.” Whoa! What's up with that!

In other words, I am asking why God would love a shrewd, cunning, conniving, deceiver, momma's boy, who was a coward and a thief; but hate Isaac's actual first born, Esau, who was none of these things?

So why Jacob and not Esau? I believe the answer is that Esau was indifferent.

Esau did not value, therefore, was indifferent to his birthright; actually, he despised it by giving it up for a bowl of soup. God was not impressed.

Jacob, on the other hand, was anything but indifferent. He fought, wrestled, and even connived for everything he got. You could certainly question Jacob's motives, but you could never question his diligence and persistance. And, because of this, on that night with God--Jacob's divine appointment--it says that he wrestled with God until daybreak and would not let Him go until He blessed him. God apparently was impressed...and did just that. Even gave him a new name, Israel, and the rest...well...the rest is history as they say.

Hebrews chapter 12 is all about people just like Jacob. A "generation" who, unlike Esau who was apathetic about God's inheritance, will diligently lay aside every weight and sin, looking unto Jesus, resisting sin even unto bloodshed, gladly receiving God's correction and discipline as His sons, pursuing His peace and holiness...because we have not come to a mountain that may be touched, but have come to "Mount Zion and to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, to an innumerable company of angels, to the general assembly and church of the firstborn who are registered in heaven, to God the Judge of all, to the spirits of just men made perfect, to Jesus the Mediator of the new covenant, and to the blood of sprinkling that speaks better things than that of Abel." (Heb.12:22-24)

So, as this chapter goes on to say, since we are receiving a Kingdom, and God will shake everything that must be shaken in us to make us ready to receive it, for He is a consuming fire, let us diligently serve Him in reverential fear, strengthening our hands that hang down, and looking up to the One who calls us...Jesus Christ, the author and finisher of our faith!

This is the generation of Jacob. Those who seek Him, who seek Your face. Selah.

Does it really make any difference if I pray?

"In this manner, therefore, pray: Our Father in heaven, hallowed be Your name. Your kingdom come, Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven." Matt. 6:9-10

I've been thinking lately about the whole concept of prayer. And while doing this, I was reminded of a magazine article I read a while ago (don't recall which magazine offhand) about some scientists and researchers who conducted a study on the effectiveness of prayer. They apparently came to the conclusion that you couldn't scientifically prove that prayer actually works. Duh! Really?

Anyway, it does bring up something that a lot of the faithful do wonder about...that is, do my prayers really matter? I mean, if God's will is going to be done anyway, does it really make a difference if I pray? And, if He knows my needs before I even ask, why do I still need to ask? And by their actions, you might conclude that many Christian's answer to these questions would be in the negative. For if we really thought that prayer did indeed make a difference, we would pray about everything! But most believers admitedly don't pray like this. My desire here in this blog is to share some thoughts that will hopefully motivate you to pray more.

Part of the problem that I see is that we're confused about our relationship with God in the outworkings of His eternal plan. While we know that God's will indeed will be done and His ultimate plan cannot be thwarted, we can, if we're not careful, begin to at least subconsciously adopt a Christian version of a que sera sera, whatever will be will be..." attitude. I contend that this rather fatalistic view is not taught in the Bible, nor do I believe that God wants us to believe that our prayers don't matter.

Now, there are certainly other reasons that we don't get our requests answered. One notable reason is that we are praying contrary to God's will and, really, contrary to our own best interests. Other reasons would be that prayer is for us, to help us come into a better understanding of God's will for something, or to cast our anxieties upon Him, to find peace that passes all understanding. Another obvious reason to pray is to commune with God, to draw near, for no other reason than to spend time with Him and grow in grace. I do not want to discount those important reasons nor do I wish to minimize their purpose in prayer. But I also believe that there is much more to prayer than this, and so it's imperative that believers understand this so we can work more effectively in the Kingdom.

First, we need to remember that the Bible does indeed tell us to pray. In fact, we are to told to pray without ceasing (I Thess.5:17) and if it were not so, Jesus would've told us to pray, even to be persistent in our asking. In Matt.7:7 (NLT version), “Keep on asking, and you will receive what you ask for. Keep on seeking, and you will find. Keep on knocking, and the door will be opened to you." Of course,we also know that Jesus prayed constantly during His earthly ministry and now, we see in Romans 8 and Hebrews 7, that both the Holy Spirit intercedes for us, and Jesus ever lives to make intercession for us before God (to "intercede" literally means to meet, to stand up for someone else). So,prayer and intercession are obviously important to God!

That our prayers really matter is the underlying principle Jesus is teaching in the so-called "Lord's Prayer" in Matt.6:9-13. We notice three things right up front about this prayer:

First, that we address God as our Father...He's our Father! This speaks of intimacy and special priviledge. Because of faith in Jesus' Blood shed on the Cross for us, we have access to our heavenly Father, the Giver of all good things. He is someone we can approach with confidence, and where we can find grace and help in time of need (Heb.4:16)

Second, hallowed be Your name...we worship Him as God alone, acknowledging the exceeding glory of His holiness. That He is our only source and supply. That we put no other gods before Him nor do we look to any one else to get our needs met.

Third, Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven." We invite God's rule, His activities into our lives here on the earth. The rest of the prayer deals with doing exactly this in our everyday lives.

Now, before I go further, let me say that God doesn't need to do this. But, for His own reasons, He chooses to include us in His affairs. And let me also say that this does not diminish His sovereignty in any way. In fact, it's part of it! Also, it doesn't mean we can get whatever we want if we pray. The key to this, and to prayer in general, is that prayer is connected somehow with God's will being released on the earth as it's already done in heaven. And if it didn't matter if we prayed for His will to be done on earth, Jesus' instructions here would be absolutely pointless.

Here's what Andrew Murray said about prayer..."God's giving is inseparably connected to our asking...only by intercession can that power be brought down from heaven, which will enable the Church to conquer the world."

Now, before you say that this is heresy, consider this...

God sent Israel into captivity because there was no one to intercede for them..."So I sought for a man among them who would make a wall, and stand in the gap before Me on behalf of the land, that I should not destroy it; but I found no one." Ezek.22:30. Therefore, Israel had to be put in God's furnace of affliction for 70 years because no one was praying or interceding.

This begs the question...what if someone would've "stood in the gap" and prayed for them? Would the outcome have been different? The answer can only be, yes, otherwise God would not have said so. This doesn't change His foreknowledge of Israel's future, or His ultimate will, but only how He waits for men to partner with Him through prayer and intercession in order to effect outcomes.

Still not convinced? Then consider these examples...

Abraham saves Lot from destruction by interceding with God when He planned to destroy Sodom and Gomorrah (Gen 18)

Moses intercedes for Israel when God was determined to totally destroy them and start over while they were in the wilderness because they refused to enter the Promised Land (Num.14).

Daniel prays for God's will to be done after finding out that the time of Jeremiah's prophecy, that Israel would be in captivity for 70 years, was about to come to an end (see Daniel 9:1-3).

The question is, what would've happened in just these few examples, if no one had set their hearts to pray or to intercede? You can't say that these situations would've still turned out the same. Certainly, Lot would've died in Sodom, Israel would've perished in the wilderness, and at least there's a possibility that the outcome of Israel's return from captivity would've been different too. You can only rightfully say that God foreknew what they would do and planned for it in advance. But either way, from our perspective at least, it makes a huge difference whether we pray or not. Whether we choose to cooperate with God's plan for our generation.

Let me close with this...that God is more amazing than we can imagine! Now, there's nothing surprising or revelatory about that statement, but it's much more than that. While He knows the end from the beginning, and He establishes our way, and His plan cannot be thwarted, yet...He waits for us to ask, to knock, to seek...to release His will upon the earth. That is mind-boggling! Do you realize what this means, mighty saint of God? It means that we have a part to play in history and what we do does make a difference! And like Abraham, Moses, Daniel, Jesus, and those faithful who have gone before us, we can partner with God...as His friend...Who, as we draw near and abide in Him, tells us His secret things (Gen.18:17-19:Psalm 25:14; John 15:7-8) in order to execute His plan and purposes and, thus, glorify His name on the earth!

I hope that you will pray and seek His face. And may His will indeed be done in you, and me, as it is done in heaven. Amen.

Just how do I keep my salvation?

"Looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith..." Hebrews 12:2a

Nothing like giving a provocative title to a blog, eh? Let me just jump right into the middle of one of the biggest Christian debates in all history. I'm feeling rather theologically mischievous today, but I really do have a good point to all this that may help you, so please bear with me.

Okay...this really conjures up the old question, "Can I, or can't I, lose my salvation?" Which is right? Or...maybe...it's not really either choice; that is, as most of us understand the question...and maybe...both are right. Maybe we don't even understand what we're asking. Let me explain...

First, the argument. There is one side of evangelical Christianity that says that if salvation is a free gift of God's grace (unmerited favor), and it has nothing to do with us, and if we can't possibly come to God on our own or save ourselves, then we can't lose it either. In other words, "once saved always saved." It's a compelling argument that can be substantiated in Scripture. A champion of this theology was John Calvin, a noted theologian in the 16th Century. American preachers like Jonathon Edwards, reformation theology in general, and a host of other evangelicals adopt this view. While I tend to agree with most of Calvin's postulates, I believe that some of his defenders, zealous to prove God's sovereignty, have taken it to extremes, thus putting God in this box, making Him some control freak that's really doing little more than playing games with souless human robots. He created us in His image with a will to choose, only to totally take it away from us! And He further compounds the ridicule by telling us to choose! This extreme Calvinistic argument is a bit ridiculous in my view.

On the other side of the debate, there are people who believe man has, at least, limited free will and responsibility (meaning "response-ability"); thus they can indeed lose their salvation. These people, too, substantiate their view with just as many Scriptural references as the Calvinists. The champion for this view was a theologian named Jacobus Arminius, who was born shortly after Calvin. Interestingly enough, Arminius was actually taught by Calvin's son-in-law and was himself a "Calvinist" until he heard someone argue the other side better than he so he rejected pure Calvinist teachings. John Wesley, founder of the Methodists, was also a preacher of note who adopted many of the Arminian beliefs, along with many Pentecostal and holiness persuations. I will add at this point that some have taken this position to mean that if we died while "sinning," we've lost our salvation, which I personally think is as ridiculous as extreme Calvinistic views.

I must also mention here that both sides believe that a person cannot save himself but only by God's grace drawing him. And neither believes in man's unlimited free will. But these are the two basic views given in a very simplistic fashion.

Ok, enough with the history. Which one is right? Or are they both wrong? Are they both right? Is there yet another option? (Did I get you to say hmmmm yet?) Actually, in a way (and I mean, a way), all of these answers could be right.

We must understand that Scripture does indeed teach us that our salvation has nothing to what we have done but what we believe. So...just what are we to believe then?

The first thing we need to understand is that our sin nature condemned us to die and be forever separated from God ("death" means separation). Without going into detail here on that, suffice to say, there are many Scriptures to support this truth. The second thing we need to understand is that God must have justice for our sin, our violation of His creation purpose (to glorify God), and that this justice was satisfied by Christ Jesus. More on this later. But first I want you to notice something about the following passage.

In 2 Corinthians 5:18-19 “All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting men's sins against them.”

Notice here that we had nothing to do with this exchange and payment for sin. God reconciled us (straightened out man's sin problem) through Christ. In other words, we weren't involved in this "reconciling" equation at all. But there is another thing we must know about this reconciliation. It is a gift from God that no one deserves. Of course, Paul plainly says this very thing in Ephesians 2:8-9...
"For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast."

So this salvation is a free gift. (that's an important point) For a gift is not something we have anything to do with other than to "receive" it graciously from the giver (or Giver, in this case). Just like if you gave me a gift, maybe a box of candy. I had nothing to do with whatever it took to make the candy, nor do I necessarily deserve it; the only thing I can do is respond to you by receiving it from your hand. I do this because I believe you when you say you're giving it me. And after receiving it from you, it is now mine.

And I say this because it is not mine until I accept the fact that the gift is actually mine. Before my receiving it, it was only potentially mine; in other words, it was indeed a gift provided for me but might as well not even have existed unless I actually "receive" it. And with regard to the free gift of salvation, there is nothing I can do except receive it by believing that God's justice has been satisfied on my behalf.

Why this is important is because Scripture says that Christ died for the sins of the "whole world" (I John 2:2). As I already pointed out, it is a free gift from God for all mankind, but nonetheless, until a person actually accepts this free gift...or "receives Christ by faith" ...this free gift does them no good. In this regard, everyone who is lost is already forgiven, as well as everyone who is saved. The only difference between the two is that the latter are saved by faith (having received the free gift), and the former are lost because they did not believe, thus, did not receive it by faith. Again, it had nothing to do with whether they lived a good life, lived a wicked life, obeyed or disobeyed all the commandments, but whether they received by trusting in the free gift of God.

Back to the "exchange" in 2 Cor 5... The question is, if it was all Christ's work that God is satisfied with, then what has changed about this, or will ever change about this historical fact in the future? For that matter, will anything about the gift change? You're right, nothing will change becuase it's already done...it is finished! And it had nothing to do with me or my performance. Christ's Blood satisfied God at Calvary 2,000 years ago...it still does now...and ever will satisfy God in the future. So, the question is, if we had nothing to do with satisfying God's requirements to make us right before Him, and it's a free gift, then how can anything you or I do ever change that? For if I sin, even in the future...did Christ's atonement still satisfy God? Yes. Did it change anything concerning my salvation? No. So does Jesus' Blood shed still atone for all I have done or ever will do? The answer is still, Yes.

Sounds like Calvin was right...but hold on a minute....what about all the Scriptures about people who have left the faith, those apostates, and those who have turned away from the grace of God? Furthermore, why did Paul and the other writers spend so much time telling believers to "keep the faith" and persevere if "falling away" was an impossibility? Arminianists may point to many Scriptures like the following:

"For it is impossible for those who were once enlightened, and have tasted the heavenly gift, and have become partakers of the Holy Spirit, and have tasted the good word of God and the powers of the age to come, if they fall away, to renew them again to repentance, since they crucify again for themselves the Son of God, and put Him to an open shame." Heb.6:4-6

Sounds to me like believers are able to walk away and even go past repentance (like Esau). And I know full well our Calvinist friends have their answers to these apparent warnings, but even our beloved salvation verse, John 3:16 says “anyone who believes” does not mean anyone who believed at one point in time, but rather, it is a continuous act of believing. Numerous epistles in the New Testament also exhort people to overcome and promise eternal life to those who do so. If overcoming was guaranteed upon salvation, the exhortation would be foolish. The point is, both sides can make equally compelling arguments, and both sides have problems with their arguments. I am not going to belabor those differences anymore here.

Okay, again, you may ask...what is it? What's your point, Mel? Well, here's my point...if salvation is already settled in heaven, not based on anything I do, and at the same time, I must somehow persist and persevere, it must mean something else to "keep the faith" (otherwise it's pointless to tell me to do something God will do for me anyway).

I believe that it means what I said at the beginning...that our salvation is not based on what we do but what we believe. My "keeping" and "persevering" is only in my continuing to believe and trust in what Jesus did, not what I do or don't do. For nothing ever changes about God's salvation. And as long as I continue to believe that, I have "kept the faith."

So you see...it has absolutely nothing to do with whether I still sin or not...God has already given up on me anyway! My flesh will always be my flesh. God is not interested in redeeming my flesh! To think otherwise is to still be arguing with God! But it has everything to do with whether I give up (renounce) any other way but to put my entire dependence upon God and know that He is satisfied with Jesus' payment for me on the Cross. Whether I sin or not is entirely a different matter...only by walking in the Spirit, in other words, using my will to yield to God's will, can I overcome sinning. The flesh is always the flesh; the spirit is the spirit. But that's another subject...

So when I'm "looking unto Jesus," I have been saved...I am being saved...and will be saved. But, on the other hand, if I still believe that I have to make myself right with God somehow by rules and regulations, through what I do, whether it sounds Christian or not, then I have fallen from grace (Gal.5:4).

So, let me be clear in what I am saying here...my (and your) only part here is to keep believing and totally trusting what Jesus did; God's part is to save me and keep me. And His "keeping" comes from my trusting Him by faith. Faith comes first through my cooperation, helped by His grace, then, and only then, His promise comes into my experience...my peace with God, my justification, my sanctification, imparted entirely by the Spirit through faith in Christ. And, in that way, I enter into the "rest of God" (Heb.4)

So...was Calvin or Arminius right? My answer...Yes! Did God "predestine" me, have foreknowledge, already plan in advance that I would would believe...or did I have make the choice and turn to Him? The answer again...Yes! It was preplanned, provided for and I have to make the choice. In fact, He even helps me make the choice because He knew I would make the choice! (Ponder that one...it will make your time-bound head hurt!) And even though He gives me a choice to keep the faith, the Holy Spirit in me helps me do so. So God gets all the glory; I get His salvation and joy of the Lord! Hallelujah!

Furthermore, I can have "blessed assurance" because I can be and remain confident in what Jesus did, and know that I know that I know...that I am without a doubt, saved! Why? Because God's requirements aren't up to me to keep! Believing in Christ's finished work on the Cross is what I "keep." I stop struggling with God and agree with His assessment of me, that I am hopelessly unrepairable, but Jesus' life and Blood is enough and nothing can ever change that! I have absolutely no confidence in a sinner's prayer, or that I was repentant or sorry enough, or that I follow rules good enough, but my confidence is in that Jesus satisfied God's requirements for me. This, I believe! This, I hold on to by faith.

Brothers and sisters, if we can just get a revelation of this, we will get our eyes off of ourselves (on either side), forever bound by sin-conscienceness and fears, and the whole debate outlined here becomes totally irrelevant! There is nothing I can do to lose God's salvation...as long as I believe that it is enough for God.

You may ask, "This sounds a lot more like Calvinism than Arminianism, that I really can't lose my salvation. Well, that's fine if that helps you, but there is a critical distinction. Calvinism leads me to forfeit my will and basically wait for God to act on the earth in all His affairs. In this way, it is a passive faith. But if I do have a will, then it must be that God wants me to use it to partner or cooperate with Him, to release His decrees and purposes on the earth.

Like Daniel, whose intercession and prayers released God's purposes for Israel's return from captivity, or Jesus' admonition for us to pray for God's will to be done on the earth as it is in heaven, it does make a difference what we do. For instance, even though God has already done everything, we still must pray, we must still seek, we must still ask to see His purposes come to fruition. If we don't pray, not much, if anything, happens. Scripture even says that we can "hasten" the coming of the day of the Lord (2 Pet.3:12). It's time to wake up from our slumber and passivity and get on with God's business! More on that some other time...

I will leave you with this thought...What is the work are we to do? Jesus answered it best in John 6:29...“This is the work of God, that you believe in Him whom He sent." So let's keep believing and run the race set before us!