Perry's Points

The Experience of Revival Isaiah 6.1-8

2012-10-09T11:03:00.000-04:00

Revival Sermon - This is the manuscript version of the opening sermon for a revival meeting I was invited to lead.

Introduction: When one looks at the history of great revivals such as the First Great Awakening (18^th century) and the Second Great Awakening (19^th century), despite some differences, the recurring theme you see in the first hand accounts is that those who experienced the revivals had an overwhelming sense of the presence of God.

We say we want revival. We pray for revival. We schedule revival meetings. We preach and hear sermons that say that the only hope for America is revival. I believe God wants to send us revival. Here is the riddle: if we want revival and God wants to revive us, then why is revival not happening? Since the problem cannot be an inability on the part of God to revive us, the issue must be on our end of the equation.

I believe the block to revival (despite our claims that we want revival) is that we do not fully understand what it is we are asking for when we seek revival. We seek the excitement. We seek the thrill of watching others repent and seeing our churches grow through baptisms. We want to see others brought around to our way of thinking. In other words, our quest for a revival experience is based in selfish desires. Therefore, the revival experience we seek is not a genuine revival experience.

What is the true revival experience? It is being overwhelmed by the reality of the presence of God. When that happens, there are certain responses that we will have that do not fit the pattern of what most people want to have happen to them in a revival. The example of what happens when one becomes aware of the reality of the presence of God is Isaiah.

The Historical Context: Isaiah 6 is the story of Isaiah’s call to the prophetic ministry. It comes in the midst of one national crisis and on the threshold of a greater one. It is the year of King Uzziah’s death. Uzziah had been a good king but had suffered from leprosy for the closing years of his life. The death of a leader is a trying time for any people. In addition, the Assyrians are growing in power and expanding their empire. In about 20 years, they will destroy the Kingdom of Israel and carry the ten northern tribes into exile. The Assyrians will be laying siege to Jerusalem itself and only a miraculous deliverance by God will spare the Kingdom of Judah the same fate as their brothers in the north. The destruction of the north will be an act of the judgment of God on them for their rebellion against him. The near destruction of the south will be a warning of judgment to come if they continue to rebel against God.

Isaiah’s commission will be to let the people know that Jerusalem will be spared though the hardships will be intense. He is to call the people back to the ways of God. The first five chapters of the book list God’s complaints against them and the sins of their nation.

The Vision: Isaiah is confronted with the presence of the Lord. In the temple, he sees God, seated on his throne surrounded by the seraphim. The angels are singing a song of praise to God. The sound of their voices shakes the very frame of the temple and the temple is filled with smoke.

This is not a vision of a kindly, grandfather God. This is not a vision of a god who is a sugary sweet manifestation of emotional love. This is the God of infinite glory and majesty. Isaiah realizes he is in the presence of the very God of the universe. Isaiah is overwhelmed by the holiness and majesty of God.

We serve a God who loves us and shows us great grace and mercy. But make no mistake--our God is an awesome God who reigns over all of creation. He is not to be taken lightly or trivialized. This is C.S. Lewis’ point in the Chronicles of Narnia when he writes: “He is not a tame lion you know.” We have too often focused on the love of God without the majesty and holiness of God. The result is a caricature of God. What is the response of Isaiah to the reality of the God of the universe? If revival is becoming really aware of the presence of God, what happens? What is our response?

An Overwhelming Sense of Our Sinfulness (vv. 5): The song of the seraphim calls God holy. In the presence of the “holy one of Israel,” Isaiah sees his own sinfulness and the sinfulness of his nation in bold clarity. He cries out with a sense of doom that as a sinner he deserves to be destroyed by the holy God.

The experience of revival is when, made painfully aware of the presence of God, we realize the perfect holiness of God and the depth of our sin. We become painfully aware that what we deserve is judgment. When compared to other humans, we can look pretty good. When compared to the holy God, the amount of our evil is profound. Revival is not when we see others come to terms with their sin; revival is when we become honest about our own sin. It is when the people of God fall on their faces in repentance (see 2 Chron. 7.13-14). When God sends the warning signs of judgment on a nation, his people should see him at work and be overcome by his holiness and majesty. They should be sickened by the immensity of their sin and the sin around them. They should repent and ask forgiveness. Revival is not when great numbers of the lost come to Christ—that is the consequence of revival. Revival is when those who already know God come to fully understand the holiness of God and their own unholiness, and repent.

In the First Great Awakening, Jonathan Edwards preached the famous sermon “Sinners in the Hand of the Angry God.” He spoke of human sin and depravity. He warned of the dangers of the judgment of God and the eternal judgment of hell. In those days, invitations were not given at the end of sermons. No matter, people began screaming in terror and crying out “what shall I do.” This is revival

Some may say that we should focus on the love and grace of God. They say we should focus on making people feel better about themselves. Yet, Jesus spoke more about judgment than about heaven. Jesus’ message is summarized by all four Gospels as “repent for the kingdom of God is at hand.” It is the reality of sin and the destiny of judgment that makes grace and mercy meaningful. One cannot know the glory of God’s forgiveness unless they first understand the enormity of their sin. The Church, if is it to declare the good news of forgiveness of sin, must first declare the reality of the sin from which we need to be forgiven. There is no good news without the bad news.

But even here, Isaiah experiences the good news. Having confessed his sinfulness, one of angels takes a coal from the altar where the sacrificial animals have been offered, and touches his lips. His sins are forgiven and taken away. The blood of the sacrificial animals would have dripped on this coal. As scripture says, when we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us of our sins. Though our sins be as scarlet, they shall be washed white as snow. As far as the east is from the west, our sins shall be removed from us. Without the shedding of blood there is no remission of sin. In just a few minutes, we shall hold the cup which represents s the blood of Christ poured out for the forgiveness of our sin.

The Call to Serve the King: The great revivals of the past have also been marked by the sending out of workers into the harvest. In the First Great Awakening, John Wesley and George Whitefield traveled the world proclaiming the Gospel. A small group of Baptists in Virginia led by Shubal Stearns relocated to Sandy Creek, NC and began a small church. Over 17 years, more than 125 ministers were sent out by Sandy Creek and her daughter churches. These ministers went all over the southeast establishing the Baptist churches that were to become the Southern Baptist Convention

During the great revivals of the British Isles and the Second Great Awakening emerged the modern missionary movement under Adoniram Judson, Luther Rice and William Carey. A host of benevolent and religious movements began--including the Abolitionist Movement. The result was the spread of evangelical Protestantism globally (which continues to spread) and the transformation of the young United States into a Christian society so dominated by the revival movement that even secular historians refer to it as the “Protestant Hegemony.”

Why did it happen? Because when people are confronted with the majesty of God, they understand he is Lord and Master of their lives. They respond to the command to go and proclaim his word. Isaiah, having been cleansed of his sin, hears the Lord say, “Whom shall I send?” Isaiah volunteers. Those who have encountered the presence of God feel a compulsion to go on his behalf.

It is not coincidence that the Great Commission associates going into all the world with the promise “I am with you always.” It is the presence of Christ and leads to the proclamation of Christ. When Saul was overwhelmed by the presence of God on the road to Damascus, it is the beginning of his life of traveling to proclaim the resurrected Lord. The word to the women at the tomb, when confronted with the resurrected Christ, was to go tell others.

It is the evidence of scripture and of history, when people become aware of the reality of the presence of God; the response is confession of sin and commitment to service. It requires us to see how our hands are dirty with sin, and then being cleansed of that dirt, it requires us to get our feet dirty going throughout the world doing the work of the Lord. Revival is not entertaining spectacle. Revival grabs us and turns us every which way but loose.

Notice I keep saying that revival is the awareness or experience of the presence of God, not the presence of God. God was already in the temple. Isaiah just needed to be aware of the reality and what it meant. We are the temple of the Holy Spirit. The presence of God is within us from the moment of salvation. Christ promised to be with us always. We are in the hands of the Father from which no one can pluck us.

We do not need to pray for the presence of God—we have him with us every second. What we need is an awareness of what that means. It means that we are in the very presence of the King of the Universe. We are in the presence of the living Lord. We are in the presence of the Holy God. We must understand that we are sinners in need of cleansing. We must understand that we live in a nation of sinful people who need to return to God or face the possibility of his judgment. We must understand that those who have experienced him as Savior must now respond to him as Lord, obeying his call to go and to serve.

This is the result of revival. Is that what we really want? If it is, God will pull back the curtains of our eyes and reveal to us with clarity his presence and the result will be genuine revival.

The Warning of a Pastor

2012-08-03T08:28:00.000-04:00

As Paul continues his farewell charge to the elders of Ephesus (Acts 20:17-38), the third aspect of the life and work of the pastor is a warning to be on guard against false teaching (vv. 28-31). From its beginning the church has had to face the threat of false teaching. It is the pastor’s responsibility, as the shepherd, to protect the flock from the wolves seeking to destroy the flock.

How does the pastor do this? First, the pastor must be a student of scripture. To recognize the counterfeit, one must be an expert in the authentic. Pastors should be experts on the Word of God. This requires time devoted daily to the thorough study of the Bible. This protects the pastor from the unintentional error of teaching falsely himself and gives him the ability to recognize false teaching when confronted with it. Congregations need to ensure the pastor has time each day to do Bible study as his primary job. They need to insist that he does it.

This should include the study of theology and church history. God has graced the church for two thousand years with great teachers. Pastors need to be well-read and well-schooled in this rich mine of spiritual, biblical and theological understanding. Pastors need be thinkers who can answer questions or know where to find the answers.

As Paul says elsewhere, we are to study to show ourselves workmen…rightly dividing the word of truth. The challenges faced by the church today demands that pastors devote themselves to providing deep answers and not spiritual clichés.

Second, the pastor must teach. Yes, pastors are to encourage but also to rebuke, to exhort, and to challenge (2 Timothy 3:16-4:5). We must challenge our flock to deeper understandings of scripture so that they will be able to recognize false teaching when they encounter it. Congregations need to appreciate pastors who teach deeply and not just praise those who encourage and entertain.

Third, the pastor must serve as a watchman. He must know that anyone who is invited to speak in the church passes the test of orthodoxy. He must make sure that lay teachers in the church’s programs are prepared theologically to teach. Yes, we should teach them how to teach but we must make sure the content of the teaching is sound.

Paul points out that the false teaching can come out of the church itself. We have two types of teaching in the church in America today that runs the danger of degenerating into types of false teaching. On one hand, we have those who have watered down the Gospel and the demands of righteous discipleship. This approach compromises on sin and is moving increasingly in a direction of a sugar-coated God who will save all humans (universalism). On the other hand, there is a growing emphasis on presenting God as the great genie who fixes all our problems, makes our lives great, grants us success, etc.

Both extremes are rooted in a similar error—a focus on humanity instead of God. The church, and its teaching, should be based on a goal to glorify God and not humanity. Yes, God is there for us and we should be grateful for all he does. However, we should follow the example of the Reformers who signed everything with the phrase “only the glory of God.” In many of the religious, moral, and cultural debates around us today, too many who claim the name of Christ based their position and arguments on humanity and not on divinity.

Pastors have an imperative from Christ to feed and protect the sheep by teaching the Word and keeping the focus on the glory of God.

The Commitment of the Pastor

2012-08-02T07:31:00.001-04:00

The second aspect of the life and work of a pastor as exemplified by Paul in Acts 20.17-38 is the commitment of a pastor. In verse 24 Paul writes, “However, I consider my life worth nothing to me; my only aim is to finish the race and complete the task the Lord Jesus has given me—the task of testifying to the good news of God’s grace.” (NIV)

Paul was willing to make any sacrifice necessary for the sake of the Kingdom of God and the spread of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Paul is journeying towards Jerusalem to carry a love offering from the Gentile churches for the troubled church in Jerusalem. He is repeatedly warned that his freedom and his life will be in danger in Jerusalem.

Paul’s commitment to the work of Christ is so strong that the risks involved do not deter him. He will do what needs to be done in order to be obedient to God regardless of the personal risk. This is a commitment demonstrated by Paul repeatedly as he faced persecution.

This commitment included other sacrifices. In verses 33-35, Paul describes how he labored to provide financial support for himself and for his team of assistants in order to avoid being a burdened to the new Christian churches he founded.

A biblical pastor must be totally committed to the work of Christ. A commitment that is willing to accept any sacrifice necessary for the work. Around the world today, many of our Christian brothers and sisters experience persecution of varying degrees on a regular basis. This is not widely reported in the mass media. For those of us who are spared this, we should pray regularly for those suffering. We should also learn from the example of their faith.

The church in America is in need of pastors who are willing to make any sacrifice, take any risk necessary for the sake of the Gospel. We must not be concerned about cost in popularity or what people say about us. When we take a stand for Christ and the teachings of God’s word, those who are still in spiritual darkness will be offended and will criticize.

The desire to be popular or to be successful has led some to neglect the preaching of the cross or taking stands on moral issues. On a local scale, pastors struggle with the tension between saying what needs to be said and job security. After all, they do have families to provide for.

A pastor must understand that the church might write the paycheck but they do not work for the church, they work for God. Churches must also realize this. This is not to say that pastors are always right (they are human so they cannot be). This is not to say that they should be autocratic dictators over their churches (only Christ can be the Lord of the church). Rather, we must all remember that we are citizens of the Kingdom of God and must obey the King, no matter the personal or professional cost.

Paul was willing to risk it all, to make whatever sacrifices called for, to fulfill the calling of the Lord. How many of us have the same level of commitment? We need pastors who have the same level of commitment and church members who are willing to support them in that commitment—come what may

The Role of a Pastor

2012-07-30T07:14:00.003-04:00

As Paul ends his third missionary journey, he plans to go to Jerusalem to deliver a love offering from the Gentile churches to the church in Jerusalem (2 Corinthians 8-9) and then relocate his base of operations to Rome in order to establish the work of Christ in the western provinces of the Roman Empire (a plan he refers to in the Epistle to the Romans). He is also aware that there is a real threat that he could be arrested and martyred in Jerusalem.

However it turns out, Paul is aware that he will not see the people of the church in Ephesus again. In Acts 20.17-38, Paul meets with the elders of the church to tell them goodbye and to issue a charge to them to continue his work there. Paul provides us with five aspects of the work of a biblical pastor in this charge: the role of the pastor, the commitment of a pastor, the warning of a pastor, the confidence of the pastor, and the strength of the pastor. I will address each of these in a series of five posts. I encourage you to read the entire passage in Acts 20 first, and then follow along with the references as you read my comments.

The first aspect is the proper role of the pastor (vv. 20-21). Paul had set the example during his work in Ephesus. The work of the pastor involves two components. The pastor is to boldly teach (20) and to boldly reach (21). Paul did not shy away from declaring to believers what they needed to hear from the Word of God. He said what needed to be said without regard to the reaction. The church is in dire need of pastors who will say what needs to be said without worrying about popularity or job security. The church is in need of members who will let their pastors say what needs to be said without the threat of unemployment.

The pastor is to boldly reach. He must be eager to share the Gospel of Christ with anyone and everyone. The message of repentance Paul refers to is the message that all are sinners condemned before God and who need to turn from sin to God through the death of Christ. Too much of our message today lacks the reality of sin, the certainty of God’s judgment, and the absolute necessity of the sacrificial death of Christ. Too many are attempting to present a cross-less Christianity when there is no such thing. True biblical Christianity is centered on the death and resurrection of Christ. As Paul tells the Corinthians, he decided to know nothing among them other than Christ and him crucified. Such a message is not popular today but that unpopularity only heightens the necessity of the message.

We call upon pastors to do many things in churches today. All of these are worthwhile in their own right. However, these other tasks must flow out from the two primary roles of a pastor: to boldly teach the entire Word of God and to boldly reach the lost with the message of salvation.

Reflections on the 4th of July

2012-07-04T08:31:00.000-04:00

Though some of the "Founding Fathers" were deists influenced by the Enlightenment, they were also influenced by the culture in which they lived which was a culture dominated by a Christian worldview. For example, this is what confuses some people about Thomas Jefferson. When one reads his thoughts on religion, he was clearly not an orthodox Christian--he was a thoroughgoing deist. However, his language sounded Christian at times. Why? He was still operating with a cultural setting and paradigm that was Christian. This Christian paradigm had been reinforced by the revivals that had swept the colonies in the decades before the Revolutionary War known as the First Great Awakening. It would receive a booster shot of reinforcement from the Second Great Awakening, revival movements that covered all of American territory in the first half of the 1800s.

Much of the philosophy behind the American ideal came out of the Enlightenment but it was also rooted in this Christian paradigm. Humans are equal because they are created equal. Jefferson argued in the Declaration of Independence that the unalienable rights that characterize a human being are endowed by a creator. The idea was that each individual was free to live his/her life and would be held responsible as an individual for that life--an idea rooted in the notion of the person being individually responsible before God. It bears an aroma of the Protestant ideal of the
"Priesthood of the Believer," i.e., if I interact with God directly, than the ability of any authority--ecclesiastical or governmental--to interject itself into my life is limited.

Several of the founders, including some of the deists, wrote or stated in various ways that religion was an important part of this experiment that is America. Without the ethics instilled in humans through avenues such as religion, the exercise of individual freedom could become selfish and democracy disintegrate into anarchy. Without the concern for others nurtured by ethical systems such as religion, the free market capitalism could become contaminated by selfish greed and lead to economic chaos.

Much of what is going on in our society today reflects this possibility. If the American ideal is, at least in part, rooted in the soil of the Christian worldview, then if you remove the plant from that soil, the plant cannot flourish. Or, to use another metaphor, if we remove one of the cornerstones of a building, the building becomes structurally weak and can collapse. As our society (including, sadly, much of the church) has moved into a Post-Christian worldview, the American ideal has lost one of the key foundations on which it is built. Therefore, the building is wobbling.

For example, greed manifests itself among some in our society as a sense of entitlement--give me what I want regardless of whether I have earned it, deserve it, or really need it. This has combined with a loss of personal responsibility to create a crack in the economy. Likewise, greed manifested itself in Ponzi schemes and unethical business practices with a goal of acquiring wealth for wealth's sake. It led Americans to spend far more than they earned in dangerous materialism and consumption running up tons of personal debt further weakening the economic strength of our families and our country. Now that our chickens have come home to roost, everyone is blaming everyone else with hints of class warfare. The reality is that we are all to blame: we have pursued the freedoms of the American ideal without the ethics and Christian paradigm and the result is a path that could lead to chaos.

We have not moved form the American ideal, we have moved the American ideal from its moorings and are shocked to find it adrift on the sea.

My Theology Meets My Politics

2012-02-17T08:47:00.000-05:00

This is more of a blog-ette than a blog:

I am asked by some why I am suspicious of big government, big business, big labor, etc. It is because I take seriously the concept of human depravity--the belief in the sin nature and in human fallibility. Therefore, if you give any institution great power--political, economic, military, etc.--the power will combine with the humanity of the leaders of the institution to create abuses. It is absolute power corrupting absolutely. Machiavellian? Yes. Assumes the worst of human nature? Yes, guilty as charged. However, I do think the evidence of human history is on my side.

Battling Satan Matthew 4.1-11

2012-01-22T08:31:00.000-05:00

Temptation is a fact of life. We face it from cradle to grave. Some temptations are fleeting; some are struggles that rage constantly. Some temptations we easily overcome; others attract us to thoughts and actions that greatly appeal to us. These vary person to person and stage of life to stage of life. Being tempted is not a sin; giving into temptation is. Christ was tempted as we are but without sin (Hebs. 4.15). Jesus was the Son of God but was also human and lived his human life in the power of the Holy Spirit. Therefore, we should look to his battle with temptation for insight into how we can battle our own temptations.

A. Times of Attack--While it is true that we face temptation daily, we must be aware that there are times when we are more likely to be attacked and when we are must vulnerable.

1. Right after great spiritual victories and experiences—Jesus was tempted after being baptized and proclaimed the Lamb of God publicly by John the Baptist. He has just spent 40 days fasting and praying in preparation for his ministry. When we have felt especially close to God or have seen/experienced great works of God, we have attacked the Kingdom of Satan. Therefore, we should expect a counterattack. Indeed, our spiritual pride might open the door of our defenses. Christ is tempted to do great spiritual or divine acts. “You are on a roll here spiritually; God is really working in your life—let’s take it to the next level.” Christ understood the need to wait on the timing of God.

2. When we are emotionally and/or physically weak—when we are going through great stress and anxiety; when we have a sense of a great need in our life, Satan will tempt us to not trust God or to take shortcuts. The temptation was to make bread out of stone—could Jesus do it? Yes. Then what was the temptation? To not trust God to provide. The temptation was to focus on the needs of this kingdom instead of the Kingdom of God. This same type of thinking is what led Abraham and Sarah to use a shortcut (Hagar) to acquire a son instead of trusting God’s plan—to devastating effect.

3. When we are on the verge of a movement of God—Christ was about to launch his ministry. Satan was aware that the battle for the future of the universe and eternity was about to begin. Satan knew that God the Father through God the Son empowered by God the Holy Spirit was about to unleash the Kingdom of God into the world. He is attempting a pre-emptive strike here. When Satan senses that God is about to do something through an individual or a church, he will attack with temptation in hope of derailing or limiting the movement of God through that person or church.

B. Our Weapons of Defense—How did Christ respond to the temptations? What weapons of defense did he use? It is important for us to know this because these can be our weapons as well.

1. Scripture (v. 4)—Jesus responds to the temptation to meet his physical need on his own, apart from trusting God by declaring that the spiritual bread of the word of God is as necessary as physical bread. By this, Jesus means listening and obeying the commands of God. We already have those in the scriptures. Note that Jesus responds by quoting scripture to each of the temptations. In Psalms 1.1-2, David tells us that the man who does not give into wicked advice and temptation delights in the law of the Lord and meditates in it constantly. We will either listen to the voice of temptation or the voice of the Lord. By dwelling in the Word of God, we can drown out the voice of Satan. Psalm 119.11 says “Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee.” Paul tells us in Ephesians 6.17 that the armor of God includes “the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.” We are disciples. The word “disciple” means a student. We are to make disciples by teaching them to obey all that Christ taught. We are to be students of the word. Churches are to be schools of the word. Pastors are to be teachers of the word. Otherwise, we are all defenseless against temptation. Why is there so much sin and disobedience in so many churches? Because our people are not taught the scriptures.

2. Submission (v. 7)—Satan challenges how much Jesus trusts God. “You think you are the Son of God, you trust this God to keep his promises? Prove it! Threw yourself off this high pinnacle and let him rescue you.” Jesus responded that you do not test God. Testing and trusting are not the same thing. Indeed, testing is lack of trust. If I believed my students were doing all their work and knew everything, I would not give tests. You give tests because you do not believe they know everything and you have to evaluate how much they know and how much they do not know. Trusting God means to submit to whatever he does or does not do, when he chooses it to do it. The call is to wait upon the Lord, not to force his hand.

3. Service (v.10)—When tempted to accept a “better offer” from Satan, Jesus declares that we should only worship and serve God. In scripture, worship and service are always connected. We separate them—service is what we do outside of church, worship what we do in church. However we cannot properly worship him who we do not obey and we cannot obey him whom we do not worship. Paul tells us in Romans 12.1-2 that not being conformed to the world but being transformed combines worship and service when he uses the root our English word liturgy as the term translated as “acts of service.” When we worship God through service and serve through worship, our focus is so squarely on him that is hard for Satan to distract us with temptation.

A life devoted to the Word of God, to trusting God, and to worshipful service of God is a life that can stand strongly against any temptation. Note that after the temptation, the Father did provide what Christ needed (v. 11). His patience in the Lord was justified.

Remember the promise of I Cor. 10.13 “No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it.”

Spirit-Tinted Glasses

2011-08-23T09:24:00.000-04:00

Life perspectives, worldviews as some call them, are important. They serve as the lenses through which we view life and our experiences. They interpret the meaning of the events of our lives and they set our priorities.

Paul writes in Romans 8.5—“For those whose lives are according to the flesh think about the things of the flesh, but those whose lives are according to the Spirit, about the things of the Spirit.” (HCSB)

The issue here is focus. Those who are focused on the flesh—the material existence of the body in this materialistic world--will devote all time, energy, and thought to the things of material existence. This results in an existential lifestyle—living for the validation of the moment through whatever means possible. Since each moment is fleeting and material existence is temporary (always fading away), this is fruitless. Happiness cannot be found here. Even Buddhism recognizes this with its teaching that all of life is unsatisfactory.

Unlike Buddhism though, Paul does not find the answer to this in an awakening experience from within. Instead, when we come to faith in Christ, we are “new creations.” We are remade. We now have a spirit (Roms. 8.9). As Christ rose from the dead, we also came to life—spiritual life (Roms. 8.10-11).

Thus, we can have a spiritual focus—spirit-tinted lenses. This mindset can bring life and peace (Roms. 8.6). Life can be satisfactory—not because it is changed but because we are changed. Our focus, our search for meaning, purpose, and contentment become rooted in the things of the Spirit and not the temporary existence of material life. In contrast, the fleshly perspective is death, hostility to God, inability to submit to God, and being unable to please God.

How we think determines how we act. The change to a spiritual perspective will lead to actions, choices, and decisions based on the spiritual perspective. As Paul puts it, walking according to the Spirit and not according to the flesh (Rom. 8.4). Since our choices shape our lives, spiritual choices will create a spiritual life.

Father, help me to see my life only with the lenses of the Spirit. Forgive me of my “fleshliness.” Help my walk to be a spirit walk and not a fleshly walk. Help me to live in the Spirit and not in the material. Grant me the life and peace that are the result of a spiritual focus. Amen.

The Basics of My Ministry

2011-08-22T13:47:00.000-04:00

Just so people know what I am about, here is a primer about Perry Hardison Ministries.

What is your ministry?

Perry Hardison Ministries is the name I use for my work in churches and related activities. I am on the full-time faculty of a local community college teaching religious studies and humanities. This provides my main support which enables me to be available for any size church or organization that can use my services.

I am an ordained Southern Baptist with three former pastorates, two church staff positions, and several interim pastors during my career. My vision for my current ministry is to provide support for the teaching and pastoral ministry of churches by being available for special teaching opportunities (seminars, retreats, Bible studies, etc.), revivals, supply preaching, and any other guest speaking events.

The paradigm for what I do was the role of “the teaching elder” in the early church. “Teaching elders” were itinerant teachers who provided instruction in the Bible, theology, and church practice. In a sense, they were “pastors at large” focusing on a teaching ministry.

My qualifications for this calling include a gift and a passion for teaching, extensive study at the seminary and graduate school levels (historical theology, church history, biblical studies, and comparative religion), leadership involvement in the local church and denominationally, and more that 15 years of collegiate teaching experience.

How can I partner with your ministry?

If you are expecting a pitch for money here, you are going to be surprised! Because of my employment at the college, I do not have to solicit donations. I will address finances later on in this note.

If you would like to support my ministry, here is what you can do. First, pray for the ministry and for me. Pray that the Lord will open doors of teaching opportunity for me and that when I do have opportunities, that the Lord will use me to have a positive impact on the people I lead. Most of all, pray that the Lord will be glorified and that His kingdom will grow through those opportunities.

The second thing you can do is help me network. If you are comfortable doing so, recommend me to pastors, other church leaders, churches, organizations, etc. Though I am Southern Baptist and most of my work has been in the Baptist context, I am open to speaking for any church or organization. Should you be asked, I would describe myself as a conservative Evangelical. In terms of size, no church or organization is too small or too big. The engagement can be a one time preaching invitation or a more extended event (of course, scheduling must be done so as to not interfere with my work at the college).

Thirdly, you can recommend this Facebook page to your friends. The more followers I have on this page (or my blog, my Twitter, or my Linkedin pages), the more networking, and opportunities, might arise.

Lastly, if you know of some need or subject that churches would benefit from studies about, let me know your ideas. I will begin putting such studies together and suggest them to churches.

Yeah, but what about the money?

Okay, I know it has to be addressed. I have never liked talking about the money but I understand the question arises. I decided years ago not to set up as a non-profit with the government. It was too much paperwork both to set up and provide the proper monitoring. Plus, to produce enough money to make it work, I would have to put emphasis on fundraising which I am not good to doing and it makes me uncomfortable.

So, my model is to work full time to take care of my financial needs and accept whatever payment a church or organization can provide as basically payment for my work. This approach means I do not have to talk about money, solicit donations, worry about fundraising, etc. This is good since I do not like doing that and many people associate “freelance” preacher like me with the Elmer Gantry’s of the world. I hope my approach alleviates some of those assumptions.

I think it is appropriate for churches to make sure the travel expenses of outside speakers are covered; but beyond that, I come for whatever a church/organization can offer.

Since I am not set up as a non-profit organization, donations would not be tax deductible—therefore, I do not seek them or ask for them. The downside of all of this is that I am responsible for paying my own taxes and social security contributions as self-employed out of whatever fees/honorarium a church or organization might provide.

Thankfully, the Lord has provided me with a job that provides benefits and a solid salary and the vast majority of churches do a great job of providing me what they can. Therefore, money just is not a subject I need to discuss. I do it here only to be above board about what can be the downfall of any ministry.

To summarize

Thank you for your friendship and support. I stand available to do whatever I can to further the cause of Christ and His church. If I can ever help you, your church or your organization, just let me know.

Psalms 3 - Reflections on Being Outnumbered.

2011-03-16T12:01:00.000-04:00

Does it ever seem the whole world has turned against you? I am not speaking of paranoia which is an irrational belief that everything is against you. I am speaking of those times in life when everyone seems angry with you; those times when there are more people treating you as an enemy than as a friend. As a comedian once said, it is not paranoia if the whole world is out to get you.

The third psalm is attributed to King David during the rebellion of his son Absalom. You can find the story in II Kings 15-18. The revolt was so successful that David was forced from Jerusalem. According to II Kings 15.13, the hearts of “all Israel” turned from David to Absalom. David was eventually able to defeat the revolt and regain his throne but only after the death of his son.

The setting of this psalm is in David’s darkest days of the revolt. David’s response is a lesson in dealing with opposition and the stress that comes from finding yourself under attack.

My first observation is that the psalm is addressed to God. It combines a description of the circumstances with praise. As an address to God, it is a prayer. Despite his horrific circumstances, David responded with praise. This is a valuable lesson for all of us—when overwhelmed by the greatest struggles in life, we should still praise God.

Praise reminds us that life is not chaotic and our circumstances not random. Instead, praise reinforces in us the knowledge that God is still on the throne and that all things do work together for good (Romans 8.28). Not all things are good. However, the God who controls history can take all the circumstances of our lives and bring them together like scattered pieces of a puzzle to create a beautiful picture. Praise brings us back to the understanding that though our lives might appear to be out of control to us, the truth is that God is still in control.

The logical response then is to do exactly what David did—in the words of the hymn “…take everything to God in prayer.” Who better to consult than the one in charge? David’s prayer is honest and expresses his emotions and his desire for the defeat of his enemies. God already knows what we are thinking and feeling so why try to hide it? When surrounded by enemies, turn to God in praise and prayer.

This is in contrast to the apparent situation. David sees a rising tide of opposition (vv. 1-2). His enemies claim that God has deserted David. In their minds, David stands vulnerable because God is no longer with him. Sadly, I have learned from personal experience that one of the things opponents will do is raise questions about your salvation, your relationship with God because they disagree with you, do not like you, or for their own political agenda. Assuming God is on their side, they assume God is your enemy.

David knew better. He comes to God in prayer—the God his enemies say is no longer with David. David is confident that God is still with him and will be his protector (v. 3). David knew well the truth expressed centuries later by Paul—nothing can separate us from the love of God (Romans 8.31ff). Regardless of the circumstances and the taunting of his enemies, David was convinced of his personal relationship with God because he trusted the covenant faithfulness of God. While David was losing his possessions and his glory as king, he believed that God was his true glory (v. 4). While the object of scorn by humans, David believed that God would “lift up his head” (v.4).

While many would look at the situation from a human viewpoint and despair, David looked at it from a divine viewpoint and found comfort. He is so much at peace, he is able to sleep comfortably and rest. How many of us could have gotten any sleep under those circumstances? David was able to because he was counting on God to sustain him (v. 5). Just as Jesus could sleep soundly in the boat during a storm that had seasoned sailors like Peter terrified, David could sleep soundly in the middle of the greatest storm of his life.

David puts aside fear despite the huge numbers aligned against him (v. 6). How is this possible? Had David looked at the situation solely from the standpoint of what he could do about it, fear would be the logical result. There was no way for him to win using only human resources.

The answer comes in vv. 7-8. David is going to turn it over to God to fight for him. He calls upon God, not his army, to rise up and defeat his enemies. Thousands of humans are no match for the power of the one God.

In David’s response to his grave situation, we learn something to help us respond to the struggles of life. David did not rely on his abilities, skills, tactics, or resources. David confidently turned it all over to God and God’s abilities, skills, tactics, and resources. This is the essence of living by faith.

The Christian and the Environment

2010-11-17T18:08:00.002-05:00

Lewis Mumford wrote that modern man has operated under the delusion that man can use science and invention to “fabricate an artificial world infinitely more wonderful than that nature had provided” (The Pentagon of Power p. 11). Mumford believed this contributed to man’s attitude of waste and misuse of natural resources.

If Mumford is correct, the implications are even more serious for Christians. For the Christian, it would not be a waste rooted in the belief that we can design a better world than nature produced, but a waste rooted in the belief that we can produce a world better than God produced. Waste and misuse are not only poor stewardship, they are symptomatic of anthro-deification (the deification of the human species).

Reflections on Religious Knowledge Survey II

2010-11-02T11:06:00.000-04:00

In my previous blog, I argued that the United States is a mission field. The fact that 86% of Americans believe in a God (or higher power) indicates an open door for conversation. Some might argue that such a high figure indicates we are not a mission field--that most are already believers.

However, there are disturbing indications that this belief might not point to what evangelicals would consider “true believers.” This number would include those of other belief systems or a generalized personal spirituality. The latter possibility is one that I encounter with increasing frequency in my college teaching. Though this evidence is anecdotal, I suspect it reflects a growing trend of “buffet-style” spirituality where the individual picks and chooses aspects of religious belief from various sources to create a customized religious system for themselves.

Perhaps most troubling to me is the number of those who self-identified as Protestant or Roman Catholic but who did not understand the basic concepts of their tradition concerning how one accesses the grace of God.

In the Roman Catholic tradition, the grace of God is mediated through the church and its sacraments to the believer. The most prominent of the sacraments is the Eucharist in which the bread and wine are transubstantiated into the body and blood of Christ. By receiving the sacrament in faith, grace and forgiveness is communicated to the believer through the medium of the host (the bread and wine). Only 55% of the Roman Catholics in the survey knew this belief. While I personally disagree with the theology, my point is that less than half of those surveyed knew what their own tradition teaches about salvation!

The Protestant result is worse. Only 19% of the Protestants surveyed understood the basic Protestant principle of salvation by faith apart from works. The idea of sole fide (faith alone) is a basic tenet of Protestant theology and stood at the very point of the separation from Rome. Yet, contemporary American Protestants do not understand what their own tradition teaches about salvation—a number lower that the Roman Catholic respondents! In my own personal observations in the classroom and in my church work, anecdotal as it might be, I believe this number to be correct.

While a direct connection cannot be made (theological acuity is not necessary for salvation), if a person does not understand what his/her own tradition teaches about the path to God, should we assume they are, indeed, saved simply because they believe there is a God? At the very least, it is an indictment of the failure of the church to disciple its members.

Religious Knowledge Survey -- Reflection 1

2010-10-19T16:40:00.000-04:00

In Matthew 28:19-20, Christ gives the church its mission statement: “Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you.” (NIV) The job of the church is to make disciples, i.e. believers who learn and obey the teachings of Christ.

The recent US Religious Knowledge Survey by the Pew Forum provides indications of how well the church is fulfilling its mission statement. All organizations should periodically compare their outcomes with their mission statements as a tool of self-evaluation. Using the survey results as a measure of “product,” how are we doing?

Turning first to the level of faith, the first impression seems good. The vast majority of Americans believe in God or a higher power (86%). However, as James reminds us, the demons believe.

I am not calling my fellow Americans demons; rather, I am pointing out that saying one believes in God and having a personal relationship with that God are not necessarily the same thing. It also does not equate to serving that God. It should also be noted that the findings show a belief in a God or higher power (e.g. Brahman in Hinduism).

The good news for the church is that the majority of our neighbors have, at least, an intellectual acceptance of the idea of “God or a higher power.” This provides a point of contact, a conversation starter. We should be prepared to carry on an intelligent, reasonable conversation about the different perspectives presenting what Peter termed a reasonable defense of what we believe.

On the other hand, we must not fall into the modern view that all beliefs are equally valid and all that matters is that we sincerely believe. It is my opinion that the right to believe whatever one wants is to be respected and that the holders of other beliefs are to be respected on a personal level. However, respecting the right to a belief and respecting the believer are not the same as holding all beliefs to be equally valid. Nicodemus (John 3) believed in God and was a leader of his religion yet Jesus said to him “you must be born again.”

My conclusion: while the majority of Americans (according to the survey) hold a belief in God or something on the level of a god, we should not misunderstand what this means. The reality is that the United States is a mission field. The existing belief in a higher power provides an opportunity to share our beliefs but it does not present us with evidence that we are a society of Christian believers. The church should realize as it looks at the culture around it that it is a field “white unto harvest” and begin the work of fulfilling its mission statement.

A Work of Creation

2010-08-30T16:57:00.002-04:00

In the midst of the creationist-evolutionist debate, many of the basic theological and spiritual affirmations of the creation narrative are neglected. One such affirmation is the concept that creation is a redemptive act and therefore, salvation is a creative act.

Genesis 1:1-5 begins with the declaration that the act of creation began as the Spirit of God moved over a chaotic, formless deep. Into the darkness, God called forth light and began the process of bringing order out of that chaos. The dark chaos begins to be fashioned into the created order which will be declared to be good. This is an act of redemption.

So it is with sinful humans. Our lives are dark and chaotic. God penetrates our darkness with the light that is Christ. Into the chaos of our existence, the will of God brings purpose and order. The Spirit of God moves over us in an act of re-creation which moves us from the darkened chaos into the new person God wants us to be.

In John’s commentary on this passage (John 1:1-17), he declares that Jesus is the light that shines into the darkness and that those who believe in him are given power to become children of God—born not of blood and flesh but of God (John 1.12-13). Just as creation redeems the chaos into order, the believer is re-created from a chaotic existence into a child of God.

Life: A Reflection

2010-08-07T09:42:00.002-04:00

This week has reminded me of the nature of human existence. On the one hand, I have been working with several couples on the preparation of their weddings. I see the excitement, the love, the joy. They have shared with me their journeys and I have observed how they have stood with each other and supported each other with the ongoing challenges of life. I am reminded of the joy of life.

On the other hand, several stories have come to me of families facing unexpected tragedies in the form of human violence and accidents. The grief and fear of these families are the polar opposites of the joy and hope of the couples planning their weddings. These stories have reminded me of the sadness that human life can be.

Both categories of experience have refreshed in my mind the wonderful thing called life. It is the joy of new beginnings, the hope of love, the pain of loss, and the mystery of the unexplainable. The stories of happiness and the stories of sadness reinforce for me the sacredness of human existence.

And these events remind me of the grace of God--the giver of life and the giver of love. A God who never promised us an easy life, just a more abundant one. A God who is there with us to enhance the joy of our weddings and a God who is there to comfort us in our funerals. A God who is there with us by the side of a hospital bed and in the routine days that pass uneventfully.

For those families experiencing great joy and excitement: a prayer of thanksgiving for the gift of love and happiness. For those families facing the most difficult days of their lives: a prayer for strength and comfort. For all of us: a prayer to value the sacredness of life itself with all of its joys and sorrows.

Calvin Miller. The Path of Celtic Prayer

2010-04-02T11:41:00.000-04:00

The Path of Celtic Prayer by Calvin Miller was published by Intervarsity Press in 2007 as part of the Formatio series. Formatio presents studies on spiritual formation. Miller's contribution seeks to glean what contemporary Christians can learn from the prayers of the Celtic Christians.

Miller's reflections on his visits to Celtic Christian sites and on the reading of Celtic literature leads him to six principles of prayer that Miller believes will help deepen the prayer life of the contemporary believer. At the same time, Miller provides pointed observations about the shallowness of discipleship in much of the modern church in America.

The six principles are: 1) Trinity Prayer, 2)Scripture Praying, 3) Pilgrim Praying, 4) Nature Praying, 5) Lorica (breastplate) Prayer, and 6) Confessional Prayer. Miller is an evangelical scholar writing for a (primarily) evangelical audience. However, his source material is the Celtic tradition which was rooted in Roman Catholicism. Evangelicals will learn much we need to hear however about a more mystical, meditative, and theological approach to personal prayer. The chapters on Trinity prayer and confessional praying are quite insightful and reflect nuances of the devotional life often overlooked in today's evangelical church.

Because his focus is a Roman Catholic tradition, those of the Roman Catholic tradition, Eastern Orthodox traditions, and non-evangelical Protestants will profit as well from reading this book. The emphasis is on the believer entering into the presence of the triune God in reverent prayer. This emphasis transcends the categories of the Christian family tree.

Christians unfamiliar with the history of Christian devotion and the writings on spiritual devotion and discipleship from the richness of the history of the church may well find a whole new world opening to them in this brief introduction to Celtic prayer. The 170 pages are an easy, but mind-provoking, read. More importantly, I think you will find this book spirit-provoking.

Decisions, Decisions, Decisions

2010-03-13T09:22:00.002-05:00

“Trust in the Lord with all your heart;
And lean not upon your own understanding.
In all your ways, acknowledge him;
And he shall direct your paths.” Proverbs 3.5-6

Decision-making--do you remember a time when you did not seem to making decisions and choices almost minute by minute? I am not sure I do. I suspect that as a child (so many moons ago now) I went minutes, perhaps hours without having to decide a single thing. It is only a suspicion though—I simply cannot remember not being a decision-maker, a chooser. Perhaps that is when we realize we are adults: when life seems to be just a continual process of deciding.

In this selection from the Hebrew wisdom literature of the Old Testament, we are given a basic principle on approaching life. Consequently, it gives us wonderful insight into decision-making and choosing. The passage draws a distinction between what I will call the “human equation” (HE) and the “divine equation” (DE).

The HE approaches life from the ability and capacity of human reasoning to analyze, interpret, and comprehend life situations. It seeks to solve the problem, make the choice, or make the decision based on human wisdom and knowledge. In short, when at a crossroads of life, the HE attacks the situation from my own ability to deal with the choices.

Now, this is not altogether bad. I like human reasoning. After all, I have devoted a huge part of my professional life to the study and teaching of the history of ideas. I believe that the human capacity to think, to reason is part of the imago dei (image of God) in humans. I have been teaching a course called Critical Thinking for a decade now and all research in that field indicates that those who employ critical thinking skills, on average, have more successful lives and are more content.

Why? Pardon the humor—it just makes good sense. Because of their use of critical thinking and effective reasoning, they have made fewer bad choices; therefore, less self-inflicted wounds. Their lives are usually less chaotic and when difficulties do arise, they apply their thinking skills to problem-solving and effective ways of approaching the difficulties. This either minimizes the damage or gives them an able method of coming to terms with, and adjusting to, the situation. Those who just react or who do not apply reason in an effective way tend to make more bad choices, create more problems for themselves, and have less of an ability to come to terms with changing circumstances.

My point here is that the HE, when used badly, leads to bad choices and worse outcomes. The HE, when used to its best, can provide a great deal of benefit to the situations of life.

However, if reason is part of the imago dei and if reason leads to better decisions, how much more effective would the DE be? The DE looks at life situations from God’s ability and capacity to deal with it. It is going to the source of human reasoning at its best—the mind of God.

You might recall that in Isaiah, God says through prophet, “Come, let us reason together…..” Yes, the Book of Isaiah later says that God’s ways are not our ways and his thoughts not our thoughts. However, look at what the two together seem to be saying to us. Humans have a capability and reasoning together with God (because of the imago dei). That said, God’s reasoning is so far superior to our reasoning that we cannot fully comprehend it.

This is not a bad thing though. If human reasoning, with its limitations, can still improve life, then how much more improved would life be if we employ the superior reasoning of God? I think this is the point of the thinker that penned Proverbs 3.5-6.

Hebrew poetry (and Proverbs is written in poetic form) employs parallelism as a major structural component of what it is trying to communicate. In other words, it is not just the meaning of the words in each line, but what those words mean in syntactical relationship to the lines around each line.

For example, “trust” in the first line means to put your whole weight on something. That is to say, to trust something to hold you up (like a chair or tree limb). This parallels “lean” in the second line. We are to trust in the Lord with all our “heart.” Look at the parallel to “heart.” It is “understanding.” The problem is that we use heart as a metaphor for emotion; in Hebrew culture, it was the metaphor for the thinking of a person, the will, the consciousness. It was used by them the way we use “mind.”

So, adjusting for cultural metaphors, the two lines form an antithetical parallelism (the second line contrasting with the first line): “Put the weight of your thinking on God and do not lean on your own thinking.” This is reinforced by the next verse where the reader is told to acknowledge God in all the ways of life and he will provide direction.

The application: when confronted with a decision, I can take one of three possible categories of approaches. Option one: I can approach the situation using my own mind but not to the best of its ability and I will have increased odds of choosing poorly and making my life worse. Option two: I can use my human reason exclusively but use all the best critical thinking skills to choose as wisely as I humanly can. This, on odds, is a better option than number one. Option three: because the best of human reasoning is modeled on the image of God in each of us, yet still pales in comparison to the reasoning of God, I can seek the direction of God as his wisdom is far better than mine, even at its best.

Option three is the best. That does not mean the choices are easy are that my life becomes trouble-free and utopian. It does mean that the odds are better and even when I can not understand why things are the way they are, I can trust there is a greater wisdom at work. As one who still suffers from earlier decisions poorly made, I can verify the superiority of this approach to the normal human approach.

This is not faith to the exclusion of reason; rather, it is reason and faith informing each other. Give it a try—what do you have to lose?

Measuring a Prophet

2010-03-09T15:33:00.000-05:00

Ezekiel 2 provides us with the commission of Ezekiel to the prophetic ministry. God tells him that his audience is a rebellious people (v. 3). They are described as “impudent children” and “stiffhearted” (v. 4, KJV). Ezekiel is given every indication that they will probably not listen to his message.

This passage teaches us that the worth of a prophet is not determined by the response of the people. Rather, the worth of a prophet is determined by his obedience in the proclamation of the message. We tend to judge on audience size and audience response. God judges obedience. When we judge on the audience and response, we are in danger of creating celebrity cults.

In Ezekiel 33.30ff, God describes a people who come to be entertained but are not changed by the word. It is not Ezekiel’s fault as he delivers faithfully the message given. It is the people’s fault as they are more interested in the experience of the moment than in life change.

The church in America today has become such a people of God. We have created celebrity cults around the speakers who make us feel good and entertain us. Some of those speakers tell us what we want to hear. Others proclaim a definitive “thus saith the Lord” yet we are so focused on the experience of the moment that we are not challenged to change. God is not measuring the prophets on the number of seats filled in arenas. He is measuring the obedience of the speaker to the command to proclaim the word. He measures the audience not on attendance and experiences but on the changes in life.

Remember, in John 6, Jesus begins with a multitude of 5000+, by the end of the chapter, he is down to the twelve (really, eleven, since one is a betrayer) and Jesus is asking if they too will leave. If we had measured Jesus by the standards of the cult of celebrity, we would have to count him a failure. Clearly, God measures by a different rubric altogether. By the measure of obedience, Jesus is a clear success.

What Is Worship Anyway?

2010-02-20T14:47:00.000-05:00

The nature of worship? Religion often focuses on cultic activity. Biblical Judaism, at points in its history, exhibited this tendency. The history of the Christian Church is full of such focus. The Greco-Roman world referred to acts of religion (prayer, sacrifice, liturgy, etc.) as “cultus deorum” which can be translated as “care of the gods” (cf. Bart Ehrman’s The New Testament, vol. 4, pp. 26-27). [Note: Do not confuse cultus/cultic with the contemporary vernacular use of the word “cult” for what is thought of as a dangerous religious group. Here, cultus/cultic refers to the worship practices of a group.]

The Hebrew prophets of the Old Testament argued that such cultic activities were secondary to showing compassion and justice to others. Jesus taught that if you come to make an offering and remembered someone had something against you, go and be reconciled to that person before continuing the act of worship. Paul wrote that all the Torah (including the cultus) was fulfilled in loving your neighbor as yourself. James reminded us that true, undefiled religion is the care of widows and orphans. In other words, the true “care of God” is taking care of his children.

Without compassion and justice, liturgy is empty, void of meaning. While we should devote ourselves to praise and worship, we must remember that true praise and worship is in helping those who are suffering. Without that, everything else is putting on a show.

Isaiah 1 Reflections

2009-11-15T08:07:00.002-05:00

Isaiah 1 might have a message America needs to hear. Isaiah describes a nation that is falling apart and is in danger of destruction. Why is this happening to them?

It is not because they are not a religious people. They are! Their society is full of religious activity. In verses 11-15, Isaiah pictures them as full of a multitude of sacrifices, presenting their best offerings to God, attendance is great (“trampling of my courts”), numerous meetings (assemblies), a calendar full of events (new moon celebrations, etc.), and they were a people of prayer. Sounds like an energetic, on fire church to me! This is the kind of religious observance and activity that can draw a crowd and lead others to copy you hoping to duplicate your spiritual success.

Then what could possibly be the problem? Well, religious activity can be like a truck stuck in the mud trying to get out—a lot of energy being used, a lot of noise being made, a lot of attention being attracted, a lot of mud being slung—and only getting deeper into the mire: going nowhere, fast. Instead of honoring God, He says He is weary of it and finds it appalling to look at (He turns His eyes away).

The real problem is that all their religious activity, observances, and spirituality have been made empty and meaningless by the nature of their society. In verses 16-17, they are told what they need to do. I take from this list that these are the things they are lacking. There is a lack of justice, failure to encourage the oppressed, failure to defend the fatherless, failure to plead the case of the widow—a complete failure to practice social justice and show compassion to those who are most in need of it. The lack of love for their neighbors points to a lack of real love for God. Therefore, their religious activity is not motivated by love for God.

Look at the options they are presented in vv. 18-20: if they will think it through and realize what is really happening, they can be cleansed and their nation will be blessed. However, if they continue to resist and rebel, they will be destroyed—their religious façade not withstanding!

Someone might argue though that this is Judah, the chosen people of God. This is not America. “You cannot impose how God treated the ancient Hebrews on modern America. We are not the people of God.” True enough; but then again, neither were Sodom and Gomorrah. Yet, Isaiah compares what is threatening to happen to Judah to what happened to Sodom and Gomorrah. Though not the chosen people, God destroyed them for their evil and violence. I would add that after the time of Isaiah, God warned the Assyrian capital of Nineveh that it would be destroyed for its evil if the people did not repent. So, my response is: “Yes, you are right, Isaiah is speaking to the chosen people and America is not the ‘chosen people.’ So what? God has demonstrated that he will destroy any people (chosen or not) who inflict injustice on others.” To assume America is exempt from this precedent would be to assume American exceptionalism.

Are there parallels? Yes. Note in vs. 22 how economic and resource devaluation occurred. Isaiah proclaims this as warning of judgment. The rulers are described as rebels acting as thieves and taking bribes while failing to carry out their responsibility to administer justice. Does this remind you of any headlines over the past few years?

The children of Abraham were commanded to look after the widow, the orphan, the poor, the strangers in their midst while the Torah was full of commandments on how to do just that. If the church claims to be the “New Israel,” are we not then responsible to lead in the effort to bring social justice. Does this not match the teachings of Christ? Paul’s teaching that the whole law is fulfilled in loving God and our neighbor? Does it not match James’ definition of true religion as helping the widow and the orphan?

Instead of evaluating our society on the basis of religious activity, maybe it is time to evaluating using God’s criteria—how much blood is on those praying hands?

The Purpose of Prayer

2009-10-29T17:17:00.003-04:00

The purpose of prayer? For most people, prayer is the asking God for what they want. While we should bring our needs before God, there is more to prayer than submitting our Christmas list to God.

At the end of Matthew 9, Jesus points out to the disciples that the fields are white unto harvest. The disciples are commanded to pray that God would provide workers for that harvest.

The next story (Matthew 10:1ff) has Jesus bringing the disciples back together and sending them out in teams of two to proclaim the Gospel and minister to the needs of others. The disciples become the answer to the prayer for laborers.

As Rees Howell observed, “One can never be a true intercessor until he is first willing to be part of the answer to his own prayers.”

How often we pray that God will do something and yet never ask how we can be the channel through which the answer comes. We pray for the salvation of others while never sharing our faith. We pray for the hungry without sharing bread. We pray for missionaries without going out ourselves.

We should not be surprised if one day we ask for the Lord to do something only to hear Him say, “Go, do it.” Prayer is not to be just on our knees but also on our feet as we move forward to carry out the prayer. The purpose of prayer is not receiving. The purpose of prayer is to receive our marching orders from the Supreme Commander.

The Cry of Wisdom

2009-10-29T17:14:00.000-04:00

Proverbs 1:20-33 paints a picture of wisdom as a woman crying aloud in the streets. She seeks and calls out to all. She is not elitist or exclusive; her offer is available to all.

Yet, despite her accessibility, she is rejected. Those who reject do so to their own destruction. Wisdom can only laugh at their foolishness and the pain it brings to them—she did all she could do—it did not have to be this way.

Had they responded, she would have filled them with her thoughts, her wisdom. Instead, they focused on their lives of simplistic foolishness and mockery. As fools, they mocked at wisdom.

When their destruction comes, they cry out for wisdom but it is too late; the damage is done. Their choices now bear fruit that they must eat. Their foolishness has been self-destructive.

In contrast, those who hear the call of wisdom and listens to her teachings will be at peace and in safety. What is the wisdom that they accept? The fear of the Lord; respect for His teachings and His path.

Wisdom still cries aloud in the street calling out to all who will listen. Each person faces the age-old choice: the path of wisdom or the path of foolishness, the path of life or the path of death, the fear of the Lord or destruction.

Which will we choose?

Wasting Resources

2009-10-29T13:07:00.002-04:00

Lewis Mumford wrote that modern man has operated under the delusion that humanity could use science and invention to “fabricate an artificial world infinitely more wonderful than that nature has provided.” (Mumford. The Pentagon of Power. p. 11). Mumford believed that this delusion contributed to man’s attitude of waste and misuse of natural resources.

If Mumford was correct, the implications are even more serious for the Christian. For the Christian, it would not be a waste rooted in the belief we can create a better world than nature created, but a waste rooted in the belief that man can create a world better than God created. The Greeks would have called this hubris.

Waste and misuse are not only poor stewardship; they are symptomatic of “anthro-deification”—the worship of man as God.

American: Christian Nation?

2009-10-12T07:34:00.002-04:00

America the Christian Nation—a claim often made and often debated. Whether it should be or not is a subject for another day. What being a “Christian nation” means is also for another day. Today, I want to look at the findings of a recent Parade Magazine poll on American religious beliefs and practices. It is my opinion that the findings of that poll put to the thesis that Americans are a religious people and because of the culture influence of Christianity in America, American religion is expressed in what are, broadly speaking, Christian language and concepts. However, that does not mean that the majority of Americans are practicing Christianity.

Consider the positive statistics: 69% claimed to believe in God. 77% claim to pray outside of religious services. 51% say they pray daily. This would suggest that the majority of Americans are religious. However, when you consider that only 15% of those who pray are motivated by a belief that God expects it while 67% are motivated by prayer bringing comfort and hope, you have to ask whether God is the focus of the praying or whether self-interests are the objectives? Certainly, those of us who pray receive a great deal of comfort and hope from prayer. Likewise, one should not pray out of a legalistic obligation to commune with God. Yet, my observation is that much of what goes on in American religion, including the church, is centered on the self rather than on the God we serve. Much of what I hear from many preachers is self-help with references to God, Jesus, the Holy Spirit, and the Bible salted in periodically. Remove the religious references and it is really just another version of any motivational speaker.

When asked about participation in organized religion, 70% said they did not participate at all or participated only sporadically. 50% rarely or never attend religious services. 30% claim to attend services once a week. Christine Wicker, the author of the article presenting the poll findings, points out that academic researchers who do actual head counts believe only about one-half of those who make such a claim are attending weekly. If so, only about 15% of Americans attend religious services weekly. As I reflect on this, it is my speculation that given some adjustment for regular attendees who are out each Sunday due to illness, work, travel, etc., it might well be that on a given Sunday morning, only 10-12% of Americans are in church. Some parts of the country will have higher or lower averages due to regional cultural patterns I suspect.

I know that some argue that organized religion and true faith are not the same thing. Indeed, I agree with that. However, when it comes to quantifying religious practice, organized religion is much easier to measure that faith. Yet, from the Christian standpoint, the biblical imperative is to “not forsake the assembling of yourselves together.” Therefore, when some 85% of Americans are doing just that, the only two conclusions I can see is that either 1) the majority of Americans are not practicing Christianity and/or 2) a good number of Christians are openly disobeying a directive of scripture. Regardless of one’s definition of a “Christian nation,” it is hard for me to apply that designation to a country where eight out of every ten are routinely not in church for worship. Add to this observation that 27% of Americans do not practice a religion at all, 5% say they are atheists and 7% claim agnosticism.

The real crux of the matter might be revealed in two other statistics from the poll. 59% of Americans say all religions are valid. Only 24% say religion is the most important thing in their lives. This clearly indicates that America, for all the claims by some that it is a “Christian nation,” is a nation of people who do not accept the claim of Jesus to the “…the way, the truth, and the light—no one comes to the Father except through me.” In addition, the demands of total obedience to the Kingdom of God with Christ as Lord of our lives are not part of the America equation.

In light of this, perhaps we need to stop claiming America is a “Christian nation” and to begin seeing America for what it really is: a mission field.

The findings of this poll were published in the Christine Wicker article “How Spiritual Are We?” Parade October 4, 2009, pp. 4-5. It is available online at http://www.parade.com/news/2009/10/04-how-spiritual-are-we.html

Power of Language

2009-09-08T12:54:00.002-04:00

Language does matter. People evaluate intelligence and professionalism based on a person’s language skills. Is it fair? No. Is it reality? Yes, it happens every single day. Successful people tend to be good communicators. If someone detects a grammatical or spelling error on your part, they may think of you as uneducated, unprofessional, or, at least, sloppy in your quality control.

For example, have you ever been in a presentation using Powerpoint © or some other visual material and observed a misspelled word or grammatical error on the slide? How did you react? At the very least, it was a distraction. Often, you speculate on the presenter’s skills or his/her professional standards for letting that slip by him/her.

Yet, there is a more important reason for the proper use of language and that is cultural success. To illustrate, think of the story of the Tower of Babel from the biblical Book of Genesis.

According to the narrative, mankind spoke a common language. They set to constructing a tower unto heaven. This probably was not an attempt to build a tower to climb into heaven but a temple for the worship of the heavenly bodies. Whatever the purpose, the project was a mammoth undertaking.

As the story goes, God was displeased with this plan. So, God mixed the languages of the people so they could no longer work together to complete the project. With the cooperation rooted in shared communication, there was no limit to what they could accomplish. With the chaos of diverse language, what they could create was limited.

There is a lesson to be learned from this story. When a culture shares a language, when the people can understand each other completely, they can work together to build great things. However, if they have “a failure to communicate,” their ability to collaborate, to build together, is greatly reduced.

If a culture wishes to build, to develop, it must have the capacity to communicate effectively. When the rules of spelling and grammar become anarchical or are ignored, when everyone speaks his/her own “tongue,” the ability to work together as a team diminishes. There is a chilling effect on development potential.

So, my students will have to forgive me if I include writing and language skills as part of course evaluation. Their potential for future success personally and the potential for culture achievement corporately depend in part on those communication skills.