Christian Hypocrites are Nothing New

Christian hypocrisy is a big stumbling block for both unbelievers and believers. When Christians, especially those in leadership positions, put on a show of holiness, then fail to live up to that show, it causes damage. It turns off unbelievers and can cause weak Christians to give up the faith.

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Skeptics or critics of the faith would say that Christian hypocrisy is strong evidence that Christianity doesn't work, and therefore isn't true. But I say that Christianity does work and is in fact true, despite the significant moral failures of believers. In this post, I'll present a single defense for my assertion, though there are a number of reasons Christians are sometimes hypocritical. For example, I think God does empower Christians to live loving, holy lives, but that power doesn't come automatically. Sometimes we fail to do our part in the process. Our part is doable, but it takes conscious, persistent effort. But that's not what this blog post is about.

I want to focus on the fact that Christians have been hypocrites from day one, beginning on the day of Pentecost. This uncomfortable truth is clear from the scriptures. In fact, the failures of the first-century church are evidence that the New Testament is true. God made sure nothing was hidden or candy coated. The writers of the New Testament documents were not giving us some Utopian religion. Rather, they gave us the truth, with all its warts and blemishes.

The existence of hypocrisy in the church does not invalidate the Christian faith. Hypocrisy just is. Sure, it wounds the body of Christ when it occurs. It's especially hurtful to the body when a Christian leader falls. It causes many in the flock to stumble, and it deters many from coming to Christ. Though hypocrisy causes harm, it doesn't disprove the faith.

I'll follow the SOAP method of devotional Bible study to develop my argument.

• S is for Scripture
• O is for Observation
• A is for Application
• P is for Prayer

Scripture:  Revelation 2:12-17 ESV

"12 And to the angel of the church in Pergamum write: ‘The words of him who has the sharp two-edged sword.13 ‘I know where you dwell, where Satan’s throne is. Yet you hold fast my name, and you did not deny my faith even in the days of Antipas my faithful witness, who was killed among you, where Satan dwells. 14 But I have a few things against you: you have some there who hold the teaching of Balaam, who taught Balak to put a stumbling block before the sons of Israel, so that they might eat food sacrificed to idols and practice sexual immorality. 15 So also you have some who hold the teaching of the Nicolaitans. 16 Therefore repent. If not, I will come to you soon and war against them with the sword of my mouth. 17 He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches."

Observation:

Five of the seven churches in Roman Asia (today's western Turkey) contained sinful flaws that needed rebuking. Smyrna and Philadelphia were free of rebuke. I'm using Pergamum as my example of a church that contained "some" hypocrites. Some held to the false teachings of Baalum and the Nicolaitans. The ESV notes say that the Nicolaitans "...were spreading sexual and spiritual infidelity at Pergamum."

So, the church at Pergamum had some hypocrites who practiced false teaching and participated in sexual sin. It was bad, it was rebuked and they needed to repent. This sin was simply a reality within that church, just as it's a reality in the 21st-century church. It doesn't disprove the Christian faith. It just is.

Though not mentioned in Revelation, the Corinthian church is famous for its dysfunction. In 1 Corinthians, Paul rebuked them for allowing sexual immorality (5:1-13 and 6:12-20), along with "division...and social snobbery (1:10 and 11:18)" [ESV notes]. At least one was getting drunk during the Lord's Supper (11:21).

Also, a quick read of the letters of Peter, John and James, reveals a church that needed a lot of correction. The early church had many flaws, and the founding apostles often pointed these flaws out. Sometimes we think that just because the apostles performed miracles, signs and wonders, that the church should have been perfect. But it was far from perfect. 

My point is that hypocrisy in the church is nothing new. It is a Biblical reality. It is not God's will, but God allows it to happen.

Application:

First, when we observe Christians succumbing to sin and hypocrisy, we shouldn't see it as invalidating the Christian faith. Yes, it hurts the body of Christ, but we just need to carry on. We shouldn't allow the failings of others to deter our own walk with the Lord. Similarly, when other Christians fall short of God's best, that's no excuse for us to do the same.

Second, we need to know that God promises to give us strength to live victorious lives. We shouldn't be discouraged by the failings of other Christians. Just because they fall into sin and hypocrisy, doesn't mean I have to. God will strengthen us. Ephesians 6:10-18 ESV says, "10 Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might. 11 Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil. 12 For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places. 13 Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand firm. 14 Stand therefore, having fastened on the belt of truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness, 15 and, as shoes for your feet, having put on the readiness given by the gospel of peace. 16 In all circumstances take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming darts of the evil one; 17 and take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God, 18 praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication. To that end keep alert with all perseverance, making supplication for all the saints...."

Next, we need to follow Biblical guidelines for dealing with sin in the church. The purpose of church discipline is to bring someone to repentance. James wrote, "19 My brothers, if anyone among you wanders from the truth and someone brings him back, 20 let him know that whoever brings back a sinner from his wandering will save his soul from death and will cover a multitude of sins." (James 5:19-20 ESV)

Prayer:

"Dear Lord, help us not to doubt our faith when we see a fellow Christian fall into sin. Help is to give wise answers to skeptics who incorrectly think that hypocrisy invalidates Christianity. Strengthen us to live lives that glorify you. And help our church leaders to humbly provide church discipline where needed. Amen."

All You Need is Love!

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Under the New Covenant, Christians should obey God's commandments. However, we're not under the law. How do New Covenant commandments differ from the commandments of the Old Covenant? I don't think this is an easy question to answer, but it's worth exploring using the SOAP method of Bible study.

• S is for Scripture
• O is for Observation
• A is for Application
• P is for Prayer

Scripture: 1 John 3:22-24 ESV

"22 and whatever we ask we receive from him, because we keep his commandments and do what pleases him. 23 And this is his commandment, that we believe in the name of his Son Jesus Christ and love one another, just as he has commanded us. 24 Whoever keeps his commandments abides in God, and God in him. And by this we know that he abides in us, by the Spirit whom he has given us."

Observation:

Verse 22 says that God will answer the prayers of those who keep His commands and do what pleases him. Verse 23 gives a single "dual" command of believing in Jesus and loving our fellow human beings. Verse 24 says we abide in Him by keeping His commandments.

What are the New Covenant commands? We know two--believing in Jesus and loving others. 

Romans 13:8-10 ESV says, "8 Owe no one anything, except to love each other, for the one who loves another has fulfilled the law. 9 For the commandments, “You shall not commit adultery, You shall not murder, You shall not steal, You shall not covet,” and any other commandment, are summed up in this word: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” 10 Love does no wrong to a neighbor; therefore love is the fulfilling of the law." 

This passage mentions four of the Ten Commandments as examples of how the law is fulfilled through loving our neighbor as we would want to be loved.

• Question for the group: Is this Romans passage telling us that we can disregard the ten commandments as long as we love our neighbor?

Galatians 5:13-14 ESV says, "13 For you were called to freedom, brothers. Only do not use your freedom as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another. 14 For the whole law is fulfilled in one word: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.”

• Question for group: What is meant by "you were called to freedom...?" 

This passage echoes the Romans passage that the law is fulfilled by loving "your neighbor as yourself." Verse 13 mentions serving one another as something done through love.

Jesus said in John 14:21 ESV, "21 Whoever has my commandments and keeps them, he it is who loves me. And he who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I will love him and manifest myself to him.”

• Question for the group: What are the commandments that Jesus is referring to?

Matthew 22:35-40 ESV says, "35 And one of them, a lawyer, asked him a question to test him. 36 “Teacher, which is the great commandment in the Law?” 37 And he said to him, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. 38 This is the great and first commandment. 39 And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. 40 On these two commandments depend all the Law and the Prophets.”

• Question for the group: What does verse 40 mean?

In answer to the question, "Are Christians under the 10 commandments?", John Piper answered plainly, "No. The Bible says we're not under the law." (from the Desiring God website, 2010)

Application:

I don't think we are under the Old Covenant law. James 2:8 ESV says, "8 If you really fulfill the royal law according to the Scripture, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself,” you are doing well." 

Love is defined in 1 Corinthians 13:4-7 NIV, "4 Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. 5 It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. 6 Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. 7 It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres." 

If we aim to follow this definition of love, then we are doing well, fulfilling the royal law.

Prayer:

"Dear Lord, help me to love and obey you--and to love my brothers and sisters in Christ. Thank you that your commands are not burdensome and that you empower us to love. In Jesus name, amen." 

The Rebuilt Temple under Cyrus and Darius

I love it when I feel motivated to do a SOAP devotional on Scripture from the Old Testament. I tend to gravitate toward New Testament passages because they seem to have more direct application to our lives. But the Old Testament applies to our lives as well; it just takes a bit more digging to find that application. Here's the SOAP acronym for personal Bible study:

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• S for Scripture
• O for Observation
• A for Application
• P for Prayer

Scripture:

Haggai 2:1-9 (ESV) 1 In the seventh month, on the twenty-first day of the month, the word of the LORD came by the hand of Haggai the prophet, 2 “Speak now to Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, and to Joshua the son of Jehozadak, the high priest, and to all the remnant of the people, and say, 3 ‘Who is left among you who saw this house in its former glory? How do you see it now? Is it not as nothing in your eyes? 4 Yet now be strong, O Zerubbabel, declares the LORD. Be strong, O Joshua, son of Jehozadak, the high priest. Be strong, all you people of the land, declares the LORD. Work, for I am with you, declares the LORD of hosts, 5 according to the covenant that I made with you when you came out of Egypt. My Spirit remains in your midst. Fear not. 6 For thus says the LORD of hosts: Yet once more, in a little while, I will shake the heavens and the earth and the sea and the dry land. 7 And I will shake all nations, so that the treasures of all nations shall come in, and I will fill this house with glory, says the LORD of hosts. 8 The silver is mine, and the gold is mine, declares the LORD of hosts. 9 The latter glory of this house shall be greater than the former, says the LORD of hosts. And in this place I will give peace, declares the LORD of hosts.’”

Observation:

• I was impacted by the fact that God's sovereign hand was on the rebuilding of the temple in Jerusalem. God's Spirit was evident because He sent the prophet Haggai to command Israel to continue rebuilding the temple. The work had all but ceased for 20 years due to local opposition to the rebuilding. Also, King Artaxerxes, who ruled Persia between Cyrus and Darius's reigns, commanded that the rebuilding cease in Jerusalem. Darius, after reading Cyrus's original decree, ordered that the rebuilding continue. (Ezra 6). So, the rebuilding continued in the second year of Darius' reign. The temple was completed in Darius's 6th year of reign.
• So, we see how the secular authorities influenced the rebuilding of Jerusalem and the temple. But the prophecies of Haggai reveal that God was the ultimate authority behind the rebuilding. Also God undoubtedly controlled the hearts of Cyrus and probably Darius. Ezra 1:1-2 says, "1 In the first year of Cyrus king of Persia, that the word of the LORD by the mouth of Jeremiah might be fulfilled, the LORD stirred up the spirit of Cyrus king of Persia, so that he made a proclamation throughout all his kingdom and also put it in writing: 2 “Thus says Cyrus king of Persia: The LORD, the God of heaven, has given me all the kingdoms of the earth, and he has charged me to build him a house at Jerusalem, which is in Judah."
• Haggai 2:9 says, "The latter glory of this house shall be greater than the former, says the LORD of hosts. And in this place I will give peace, declares the LORD of hosts.’” The NIV notes say this could be referring to Christ's physical appearance at the temple, the first time as a child (Luke 2:22-38) when his parents presented Him at the temple. Simeon prophesied over the Christ child, 29 “Lord, now you are letting your servant depart in peace, according to your word; 30 for my eyes have seen your salvation 31 that you have prepared in the presence of all peoples, 32 a light for revelation to the Gentiles,and for glory to your people Israel.” (Luke 2:29-32)
• The ESV notes mention God's "latter glory of this house" as possibly tied to the New Covenant church, who are the temple of the Holy Spirit.

Application:

• As God's sovereign hand was on the rebuilding of the Jerusalem temple, his hand is committed to the rebuilding of our lives. Philippians 1:6 (ESV) says, "And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ."
• As God promised that the latter glory of the temple would be greater than the former, the temple of the New Covenant church is the ultimate manifestation of the latter glory. 1 Cor. 3:16-17 (ESV) says, "16 Do you not know that you are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit dwells in you? 17 If anyone destroys God’s temple, God will destroy him. For God’s temple is holy, and you are that temple."  Eph.5:27 (KJV) says, "That he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish."

Prayer:

"Dear Lord, thank you for your sovereign hand on our lives and your commitment to the sanctification of your church. As your hand was on the rebuilding of the temple in Jerusalem, your hand is on the rebuilding of our lives. Help us to do our part in the rebuilding process. In Jesus name we pray, amen."

Get Your Priorities Straight by Sowing Seeds

I've heard many sermons about the importance of putting Christ first in our lives. Concerning priorities, most Evangelical pastors would say God should be number one, family number two and perhaps our job/career number three. A recent Christianity Today article featured some findings from a recent Pew survey about family. Pew found that 42% of Christians (all protestants and Catholics) viewed family as the greatest source of meaning in their lives. 29% of these same Christians  found religion to be "their most important source of meaning." So, these results seem to indicate that most Christians find family more meaningful than God.

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Evangelical Christians fared better--45% placing their faith first, and 31% putting family first. Though we (yes, I'm an Evangelical) fared better than all combined Christians, we still fell short of Christ's words: "Whoever loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me, and whoever loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me." (Matthew 10:37 ESV)

My purpose in this blog post isn't to heap condemnation on those Christians who lack passion for their Creator. Frankly, my passion for God can be weak at times. I think we can make God #1 in our lives--even during those times when we don't passionately experience Him. After all, we walk by faith, not by sight or feeling. So, putting God first requires that we take steps of faith.

With our physical eyes, we can see our families. We don't physically see God. We have to walk by faith in order to put Him first in our lives. What are some steps of faith we can take to place God first? All I can do is share what I do to make God my number one priority. I think God meets me with grace when I take rough steps of faith toward Him. When I take a step, he blesses me with more faith. Faith builds on faith. I take one step, then He enables me to take several more steps. It's kind of like seed faith. I sow a little seed and God causes it to sprout and grow into a large plant or tree.

I think the first seed is prayer. We need to talk to God regularly. If I feel spiritually weak, then I should ask God to fill me with His Holy Spirit. James wrote, "You do not have, because you do not ask." (James 4:2 ESV). If I've made other things number one in my life, then the first thing to do is make a prayer of confession, such as: "Lord, I confess I've been more passionate about politics (or family, sports, career, etc.) than you. Lord, help me to be most passionate about you. Thanks for forgiving me. Fill me with your Spirit so that you will be the most meaningful person in my life. Amen."

The next seed of faith would be meditating on Scripture daily. Psalm 119:11 (ESV) says, "I have stored up your word in my heart, that I might not sin against you." I think God's word is like a battery charger. I'm the battery that needs charged up daily. If I'm not regularly reading His word, then I get spiritually drained.

The next seed would be regular fellowship with other believers. This doesn't necessarily mean going to church every Sunday. It's possible (typical?) to attend church and not go beyond small talk. I attend church most Sundays and rarely get past small talk. The pathetic thing about this is that I'm bad at surface chit chat. Consequently, I don't mingle very well, and I look forward to the sermon so I don't have to invent fluffy conversation. I think clicks form in part because the small-talk experts gravitate towards other small-talk experts. Some are good at shooting the breeze, others aren't. It's not that clickish people are bad, they're simply going where it's comfortable.

It's important to have meaningful dialogue with other Christians. This means we should actually talk about the deep things of God. What are we learning from Scripture? What's the Lord teaching us? We need to share these things with our fellow believers. Small groups (that are dialogue-based) are much better at meeting this need. Small groups need to be intentional about focusing on meaningful dialogue. This may require that each member do a little preparation prior to the meeting, so they can have something other than surface talk to share.

Also, meeting with a strong Christian regularly, one-on-one, over coffee or tea (or a meal) is very beneficial. I meet with a friend every other week for a Christian book discussion. It's a "two-man book club." Of course, we talk about more than just the current book we're reading. These talks should also have some intentionality about them, or they could become only surface chit chat sessions. For me and my friend, the book discussion is the intentional thing.

Another "seed of faith" is receiving good teaching. God has provided gifted teachers within the body of Christ. All Christians need to receive good, Bible-based teaching on a regular basis. Good teaching can come through books, articles, videos, audios, Bible studies and sermons.

I'll mention a final seed of faith we can sow. We need to obey God. Please don't be intimidated by the word obedience. I see obedience as something that is a part of our progressive sanctification. As we grow in Christ, God reveals new areas where we need to change. This growth often means that we need to obey God in some part of our lives. Your area is typically different than mine. Jesus said, “If you love me, you will keep my commandments." (John 14:15 ESV). This isn't referring to the Old Testament law. Rather, there are numerous commands in the New Testament that God wants us to obey. But really, we can only obey God if we are first abiding in Him in a relationship. If we try to obey God apart from an abiding relationship with Him, we will fall on our face. We need the power of the Holy Spirit to obey God from the heart. One of my favorite verses is 2 Corinthians 12:9 (ESV), "But he said to me, 'My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.' Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me." I've found it true that God gives me strength when I recognize my weakness.

I'm sure there are other seeds of faith we should sow, but I'll finish with this: we should be diligent with the measure of faith God has given us. In other words, we should be faithful with the small things that God has revealed to us. If there's some easy little thing that I know God wants me to do--then I should do it. When I'm faithful with the small things, then God will entrust me with more. Blessings to you.

"...as she watches the third man in her life slip away."

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     I'll introduce the following book excerpt by explaining my writing strategy for Mornings with Larry. I began most chapters with a short, present-tense segment about an experience I had as Larry's caregiver. These segments are the memoir parts of the book. These day-in-the-life intros took up the first page or two of most chapters. They would be followed by the longer biographical sections describing Larry's life. The following excerpt is from chapter two, Days of Youth. It contains a memoir segment, followed by a bit of biography. I hope it speaks to you.

* * *

DAYS OF YOUTH

     It’s late in the morning and Larry asks me to check his emails before I leave for the day. The computer is in his bedroom. He directs me to delete most messages, but as usual has me read all prayer requests from his former flock at Valley Hills Community Church. I stifle a yawn and read the requests. To me, they’re just names. But Larry listens intently. A young man has lost his job and Larry responds with a “Hmm.” A child is very ill and Larry sighs, “Oh.” This is Larry’s spiritual family. I’m glad I held back that yawn.
     I hear the back door open and close. Footsteps echo from the kitchen, then across the hardwood living room floor.
     “Hello,” says a woman’s voice. “Anybody in there?” She speaks in a slow, southern drawl.
     Larry’s mother, Agatha (pronounced a-GAY-tha) Morse, is here for her weekly visit. I greet her as she enters the bedroom. She smiles at me and turns to her son. “How you doing, hon?”
     “Fine, Mom,” says Larry. “We’re about done.”
     Though eighty years old, Agatha looks and carries herself like she’s fifteen years younger. She’s a retired nurse and lives about twenty miles away, in Springfield. A widow twice, her first husband, James William Browning, died in a logging accident in 1970. Her second husband of over thirty years, Lynn Morse, suffered from pancreatic cancer and died in 2008.
     We finish with the emails and I wheel Larry into the living room. I adjust the tilt of his wheelchair so he’s more reclined. Agatha extends her hands as if she wants to help. It’s not the first time she’s tried to assist me in my job. One time she inspected Larry’s weekly pill organizers to make sure I filled them correctly.
     She dotes over her son. The strenuous morning work of getting Larry started is done. Agatha can now spend the afternoon just being with him, performing only a few light-duty tasks to help with his comfort.
     “Anything else, boss?” I ask.
     “Nope,” says Larry. “I’ll see you in the morning, brother.”
     I smile and nod at his mother. “Bye now.”
     “Bye Tom.” She moves close to him.
     I leave the living room and head to the kitchen for my keys. Mother and son begin to catch up on news about friends and family. The atmosphere is upbeat and their mutual affection is evident.
     I exit the back door and walk toward my pickup. Melancholy thoughts enter my mind—about Larry’s frustration at not being able to care for his aging mother, and the heartbreak Agatha must feel as she watches the third man in her life slip away.

* * *

     A small black and white photograph sits on a shelf in the Browning bathroom. In it, Larry, about age four, leans against the right knee of his dad, James Browning. They pose in front of an open garage door. The father, wearing a white shirt and black tie, is dark-haired, slender and handsome. He allows a hint of a smile. Squinty-eyed little Larry appears bold and energetic, not unlike Dennis the Menace. James’ right arm reaches across Larry’s back as if to steady his son. A cigarette is visible between the dad’s fingers.
     Larry remembers an incident that occurred about a year after the photo was taken. He had snuck one of his dad’s cigarettes and lit up. James caught him and asked, “What are you doing?” Young Larry answered, “You smoke. Why can’t I?”
     Larry suspects this was the incident that spurred his father to quit smoking.
     Agatha recalls a similar event that occurred in the mid-1950’s when Larry was about six. James, or “Jay,” as she refers to her late husband, would attend church off and on, but had yet to make a commitment to Christ. One Sunday, Jay decided to skip church. As Larry’s older sister Brenda and their mother prepared to leave, Larry pointed at his daddy and said, “If he’s not going to church, then I’m not going either.” From then on, the father attended church regularly. The next Easter Sunday, Jay invited Jesus Christ to be his Lord and Savior.
     Although Larry tested his father at times, he also revered him and loved being around him. Jay’s happy-go-lucky personality drew Larry like a magnet. The six year old got a scare once while shadowing his dad. Jay was on the back porch, moving a large ceramic crock of Agatha’s homemade pickle relish. The heavy container slipped out of his hands. He tried grabbing it to break the fall, but the crock shattered on the concrete. Jay gashed his hand and blood flowed freely. He passed out before his son’s wide eyes.
     Larry remembers panicking. “So I go running down the road hollering, ‘My daddy’s dead! My daddy’s dead!’ And all the neighbors came back and when they got there, he’s sitting in a chair, alive and well.”

Do We Enter God's Rest This Side of Paradise?

Hebrews 3 and 4 mention a mysterious rest that is available for believers. I'll apply the SOAP method of devotional Bible study to some of these passages from Hebrews. The SOAP acronym is:

• S for Scripture(s)

  

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• O for Observation
• A for Application
• P for Prayer

Scriptures:

Hebrews 3:16-19, "16 For who were those who heard and yet rebelled? Was it not all those who left Egypt led by Moses? 17 And with whom was he provoked for forty years? Was it not with those who sinned, whose bodies fell in the wilderness? 18 And to whom did he swear that they would not enter his rest, but to those who were disobedient? 19 So we see that they were unable to enter because of unbelief."

Hebrews 4:1-31, "Therefore, while the promise of entering his rest still stands, let us fear lest any of you should seem to have failed to reach it. 2 For good news came to us just as to them, but the message they heard did not benefit them, because they were not united by faith with those who listened. 3 For we who have believed enter that rest...

Hebrews 4: 8-11, "8 For if Joshua had given them rest, God would not have spoken of another day later on. 9 So then, there remains a Sabbath rest for the people of God, 10 for whoever has entered God’s rest has also rested from his works as God did from his. 11 Let us therefore strive to enter that rest, so that no one may fall by the same sort of disobedience."

Observation:

Two types of rest from the Old Testament are mentioned. First, the Promised Land rest that Moses and other Israelites failed to enter due to disobedience and unbelief.

The second was the Sabbath rest where we rest from our works "as God did from his."

What does Hebrews 4:3 mean when it says, "For we who have believed enter that rest..."? There's an interpretive problem in that the text doesn't plainly explain what "the rest" means for modern-day Christians.

I think there is a "now/not yet" interpretation. Some of this rest is meant for us now in this life, but we will experience the fullness of the rest in heaven. I think the Promised Land is a likely metaphor for heaven--the eternal life after death.

What is heaven? I think the best thing about heaven will be our ability to stand in the presence of God, unencumbered by our sinful bodies. Our resurrected bodies will be sinless, so we will be able to look at the face of God without dying.

I think the Sabbath could be a metaphor for how we will be free from the toils of labor when we get to heaven. 

To a certain extent, we experience God's presence now, despite our sinful bodies. After all, scripture is clear that Christians are temples of the Holy Spirit, individually and as a group. God lives in the heart of each Christian. 2 Corinthians 4:6-7 says, "6 For God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. 7 But we have this treasure in jars of clay, to show that the surpassing power belongs to God and not to us."

I think this means that we get glimpses of heaven even before the resurrection. This could be "the rest" that we experience in this life.  1 Corinthians 13:12 says, "12 For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I have been fully known." So, we experience God's presence dimly in this present life, but in heaven we'll experience Him fully, face to face. I think this could be "the rest" mentioned in Hebrews 3 and 4.

Application:

One application could be the blessed hope we have, knowing that eternal life awaits us. The hope of eternal life enables us to endure the difficulties of our present life.

Another application concerns the experience of God's "rest" in our current life. We can expect God to make His presence known in our lives today--here and now. How He works can differ from one person to another, but I think we can expect glimpses of Him now, though these experiences are through "a mirror dimly...."

Prayer:

Dear Lord, help me to focus more on eternal life in heaven. Help me to realize that the difficulties of this present existence are nothing compared to the utter joy of heaven. Help me to expect glimpses of your presence in my current life. You are in fact present in each Christian. Help me to stand in faith, believing you are with me even though I don't always feel it. In Jesus name I pray, amen.

I'm Like Israel: SOAP on Ezekiel and Jeremiah

Denise and I have been sticking to our church's two-year Bible reading plan. I'm in a small "life group" that discusses the Bible readings from the preceding week. Each person shares for about five minutes a verse or section of scripture that stands out to them. We follow the SOAP method of journaling/meditating on scripture.

Mornings with Larry is available through:
 https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07HNQKB1L

S is for Scripture. "Write down a verse or passage that particularly spoke to you." 

O is for Observation [and interpretation]. "What do you think God is saying to you in this scripture? Ask the Holy Spirit to teach you and reveal Jesus to you. Paraphrase and write this scripture down in your own words." [I might add an I for Interpretation here. This requires using your God-given brain--considering things such as context (how the passage relates to those verses that precede and follow it), word definitions and historical context. In essence, don't interpret an isolated passage out of context from the rest of the Bible.] 

A is for Application. "Personalize what you have read, by asking yourself how it applies to your life right now.... Write how this scripture can apply to you today." 

P is for Prayer. "This can be as simple as asking God to help you use this scripture, or it may be a greater insight on what He may be revealing to you." Also, listen to God as well. Write it down.

Here's the SOAP on Ezekiel 20:31 and Jeremiah 32:35-42:

Scripture:

Ezekiel 20:30-31  "30 “Therefore say to the house of Israel, Thus says the Lord GOD: Will you defile yourselves after the manner of your fathers and go whoring after their detestable things?31 When you present your gifts and offer up your children in fire, you defile yourselves with all your idols to this day. And shall I be inquired of by you, O house of Israel? As I live, declares the Lord GOD, I will not be inquired of by you."

Jeremiah 32:35-42 "35 They built the high places of Baal in the Valley of the Son of Hinnom, to offer up their sons and daughters to Molech, though I did not command them, nor did it enter into my mind, that they should do this abomination, to cause Judah to sin. 36 “Now therefore thus says the LORD, the God of Israel, concerning this city of which you say, ‘It is given into the hand of the king of Babylon by sword, by famine, and by pestilence’: 37 Behold, I will gather them from all the countries to which I drove them in my anger and my wrath and in great indignation. I will bring them back to this place, and I will make them dwell in safety. 38 And they shall be my people, and I will be their God. 39 I will give them one heart and one way, that they may fear me forever, for their own good and the good of their children after them. 40 I will make with them an everlasting covenant, that I will not turn away from doing good to them. And I will put the fear of me in their hearts, that they may not turn from me. 41 I will rejoice in doing them good, and I will plant them in this land in faithfulness, with all my heart and all my soul. 42 “For thus says the LORD: Just as I have brought all this great disaster upon this people, so I will bring upon them all the good that I promise them." 

Observation and interpretation:

Israel and Judah deserved the judgment of the Babylonian captivity. Part of their idol worship included sacrificing their children to the idol Molech. But as bad as their sins were, God promised to restore Israel and bring them back to their land. God even promised Israel an everlasting covenant where he would "put the fear of me in their hearts, that they may not turn from me." It seems to me this could be a reference to the New Covenant under Christ, where we have the Holy Spirit in our hearts to instill a Godly fear within us and enable us to serve and obey God. Is this Godly fear more of an awe inspired reverence toward the Lord or fear of punishment? Let me know, dear reader.

Application:

I'm like Israel. Although my past life deserved punishment, God instead chose to intervene and rescue me from my sin; He made me a partaker of His New Covenant under Christ. The Holy Spirit gave me a new heart that respects the awesomeness of God; and the Spirit empowers me to love and obey Him.

Prayer:

My prayer is first one of thanksgiving to God for rescuing me from the Babylonian captivity of my old life and restoring me through the New Covenant. I pray that God will continue to empower me to love and obey Him.

I Can't Shake That Evangelical Label

Part of me wants to shed that word "Evangelical" and simply be content with calling myself a Christian. The problem is that the term Christian is used broadly to describe pretty much any group that claims any vague belief in Jesus. Many New Agers claim to be Christian; they call Jesus a great prophet and teacher--and a god, just like all humans and animals. They would say, "God is all and all is God." Mormons and Jehovah's Witnesses claim to be Christian. Ultra liberal mainline churches claim to be Christian. I don't want to pick on these groups; I'm just trying to make a point that "Christian" is a very broad term. How do I narrow it down to the nitty gritty of genuine Biblical faith?

Mornings with Larry can be purchased on Amazon:
 https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07HNQKB1L

One solution is to call myself an Evangelical Christian. In a recent post I explained that the word Evangelical is derived from a Biblical Greek word that means Gospel or good news. So, Evangelical Christians have a Gospel focus, that is we are grounded in the good news of the person and work of Jesus Christ. He is the only begotten Son of God who died on the cross for our sins and rose again. This is the Gospel.

Do you consider yourself an Evangelical Christian? One way to know for sure is to compare your beliefs with the statement of faith offered by the National Association of Evangelicals. Here's the link: https://www.nae.net/statement-of-faith/ . The following is the NAE statement of faith “As adopted by the National Association of Evangelicals”:

• We believe the Bible to be the inspired, the only infallible, authoritative Word of God.
• We believe that there is one God, eternally existent in three persons: Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
• We believe in the deity of our Lord Jesus Christ, in His virgin birth, in His sinless life, in His miracles, in His vicarious and atoning death through His shed blood, in His bodily resurrection, in His ascension to the right hand of the Father, and in His personal return in power and glory.
• We believe that for the salvation of lost and sinful people, regeneration by the Holy Spirit is absolutely essential.
• We believe in the present ministry of the Holy Spirit by whose indwelling the Christian is enabled to live a godly life.
• We believe in the resurrection of both the saved and the lost; they that are saved unto the resurrection of life and they that are lost unto the resurrection of damnation.
• We believe in the spiritual unity of believers in our Lord Jesus Christ.

So, if your beliefs differ from the above statement of faith, then you are not an Evangelical Christian. If you have doubts about your salvation or whether or not you're a Christian at all, then I would like to give you an opportunity to get saved and born again right now.

Romans 10:8-13 says this about salvation: "8 But what does it say? “The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart” (that is, the word of faith that we proclaim); 9 because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. 10 For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved. 11 For the Scripture says, “Everyone who believes in him will not be put to shame.” 12 For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek; for the same Lord is Lord of all, bestowing his riches on all who call on him.13 For “everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”

Pray the following: "Dear God, have mercy on me a sinner. I believe that Jesus is your one and only Son who died for my sins. I repent of my sinful ways and give my life to you. Please be my Savior and Lord. Transform my heart and mind."

If you prayed this prayer genuinely from your heart, then congratulations--you are now a born-again Christian! Now that you're saved, I recommend that you confess the NAE statement of faith. Personalize it by saying "I believe..." instead of "We believe...." By confessing this statement, you will be grounding yourself solidly in God's truth. Confess this aloud to God:

• I believe the Bible to be the inspired, the only infallible, authoritative Word of God.
• I believe that there is one God, eternally existent in three persons: Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
• I believe in the deity of our Lord Jesus Christ, in His virgin birth, in His sinless life, in His miracles, in His vicarious and atoning death through His shed blood, in His bodily resurrection, in His ascension to the right hand of the Father, and in His personal return in power and glory.
• I believe that for the salvation of lost and sinful people, regeneration by the Holy Spirit is absolutely essential.
• I believe in the present ministry of the Holy Spirit by whose indwelling the Christian is enabled to live a godly life.
• I believe in the resurrection of both the saved and the lost; they that are saved unto the resurrection of life and they that are lost unto the resurrection of damnation.
• I believe in the spiritual unity of believers in our Lord Jesus Christ.

Now that you are a born-again Christian, tell a fellow Evangelical about your new faith. Start attending a Bible-believing Evangelical church. Pray every day and read your Bible everyday. You are welcome to contact me (through this blog or Facebook) and let me know about your decision.  I would be greatly encouraged to hear from you. May the Lord bless you exceedingly!

The Big Brother I Never Had

       The following excerpt is from the end of chapter one of my book, Mornings with Larry. I named the chapter Scared to Meet You, Larry because whenever I arrived to work each morning as Larry Browning's caregiver, I was confronted with the reality of his very hard life. At times, Larry's trials were hard for me to grasp because

Mornings with Larry can be purchased on Amazon:
 https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07HNQKB1L

of the relative comfort of my own life. I had difficulty reconciling my existence with his existence. This excerpt is my attempt at understanding my amazing brother in the Lord, Larry Browning. May you be comforted as you face your own difficulties and the fears/anxieties that accompany them.  

* * *

Scared to Meet You, Larry

       When we imagine the difficulties of being severely disabled, the obvious physical restrictions come to mind. We couldn’t run, walk, throw balls, read, write, watch movies, feed ourselves, blow our nose, fish, hunt, drive, etc. Think of your favorite activities. A blind quadriplegic person probably can’t do them, or needs assistance doing them.
I asked Larry what he considered the hardest thing about his condition.
“I think loneliness is probably close to the top,” he said. “It takes away being able to do things with your spouse—like work or sitting on the couch and enjoying watching something together. I’m here by myself because Ann has to keep the yard up, maintain the house, the flowers. So a lot of times I’m just left alone. I sleep a lot, but other times I’m left to listen to the television. Basically, MS has changed the relationship with my wife from being my partner to being my caregiver. And that in itself brings a lot of loneliness.”
It surprised me that loneliness would be one of Larry’s biggest struggles. It seemed to me the worst thing would be the claustrophobic frustration of not being able to move—that “buried alive” feeling. And Larry does find that awful. But even worse is the isolation he feels from not being able to participate with others in activities that require movement or sight.
“It affects every relationship,” he says, “your relationship with your wife, your children, your friends—because all you can do is sit and talk. You can’t go down the river and fish, or go for a walk or anything.”
Loneliness.
Larry loves fellowship. He describes himself as a people-oriented pastor. His ministry involves relationships, first with God, and then with fellow human beings. Prior to the disease, he led an activity-oriented social life. Whether taking a friend down the river in his drift boat or playing church-league softball, Larry often interwove physical activities with relationships.
But now he just sits. When people visit, he talks and listens.
There are positives in all this. Although Larry detests sitting in a wheelchair twelve hours a day, he enjoys back-and-forth dialogue with others. He has the rare gift of being both a good speaker and a good listener. Larry actually asks me questions about my boring life—and listens to my long answers. He remembers the names of my nieces and nephews, and knows details about their lives. Now that is something.
“When I interact with other people,” he says, “I think less of what I’m going through and instead focus on where they’re at. It gives me an opportunity to pray specifically for their needs. Of course, I’ve always been a people person and I enjoy interaction with people.”
He finds conversation even more enjoyable if it involves a road trip. Food and fellowship at restaurants are always a treat for him. We often have breakfast at a local restaurant with a small group of Christian brothers. The camaraderie—and endless refills of coffee—energize him.
I’m glad I stretched myself and telephoned the Brownings on that summer day in 2009. My apprehension was unfounded, and I made an incredible friend. Larry and I talk about nearly everything—whether deep, surface, or over the edge. We’ve had our share of discussions about theology and Christian life. I suspect he’s more candid now than when he wore the pastoral hat. Larry’s many past adventures, whether wholesome or unsavory, always involved people and relationships. I’m thankful to play a part in his latest journey.
He’s the big brother I never had.

Good Noozers are Political Targets, but That's Not the Point!

Whether or not it was 80%, I'm not sure. But it's certainly true that the majority of Evangelical Christians voted for Donald Trump in 2016. This makes Evangelicals a political target for both the left and the right. The left aims fiery darts of shame at us (yes, us includes me). The right also has us in their sights; they see us as a useful political block of voters. So, like it or not, Evangelical Christians are thrust into the political game. Because of this, every Evangelical needs to develop a foundation of truth about who they are at the core. This way they can put politics in its proper place in relation to their faith.

My book Mornings with Larry can be purchased through
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07HNQKB1L

When we are opposed to the beliefs of a certain group, we tend to paint a grimmer picture of them than actually exists. I think Evangelical Christians have been misjudged and wrongly defined by the opposition. So, it's my goal in this post to offer a more accurate description and definition of Evangelical Christianity. My focus will be on the Biblical definition.

What about this word Evangelical? Why even use it? Shouldn't I simply call myself a Christian? Well, sure, it is true that I am a Christian. The Bible refers to Christians as saints, believers, loved by God, the elect, called, the church, brothers and sisters in Christ, little children, those sanctified, body of Christ, His workmanship, household of God, temple(s) of the Holy Spirit, heirs with Christ and in Ephesians 3:6, "...partakers of the promise in Christ Jesus through the gospel." I could continue leafing through my Bible for other names for Christians, but I think it is clear by these Biblical labels that God loves and cherishes Christians.

But why modify the word Christian with the word Evangelical? I think it's a great modifier because it really gets to the heart of the Christian faith. The word Evangelical comes from the  Biblical Greek word euaggelion which means Gospel or Good News. So, it would be accurate to say that we are Good News Christians. You could even call us Good Newsies or better yet--Good Noozers.

So, if Evangelicals are Gospel Christians, then what is the Gospel? Is it a political word? Well, if you think Jesus was political, then sure, it's political. But it seems to me that Jesus eschewed politics and was more concerned with issues of the heart. King Jesus said His kingdom was not of the Earth. Rather, His Kingdom was and is in Heaven.

I'm happy to be an Evangelical Xn

The Gospel is first and foremost about Jesus: who He is, what He has done and what He continues to do.

In Romans 1:1-4, Paul describes the Good News as "...the gospel of God, 2 which he promised beforehand through his prophets in the holy Scriptures, 3 concerning his Son, who was descended from David according to the flesh 4 and was declared to be the Son of God in power...." So the Gospel is about Jesus, who was human (David's descendant)  and divine (Son of God).

In verses 16-17, Paul continues to define the Gospel, "16 For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. 17 For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith for faith, as it is written, 'The righteous shall live by faith.'”

Paul describes the Good News as "...the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes...."  Then, Paul says that in the Gospel, "...the righteousness of God is revealed from faith for faith...."

What is this Gospel righteousness? In Romans 3:21-25, Paul explains what righteousness is, "21 But now the righteousness of God has been manifested apart from the law, although the Law and the Prophets bear witness to it— 22 the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all who believe. For there is no distinction: 23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, 24 and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, 25 whom God put forward as a propitiation by his blood, to be received by faith."

This passage describes the work of Christ. We receive the gift of righteousness, not through works, but through faith in Jesus' work on the cross. We all have sinned, but can be justified by grace through faith. Jesus was a propitiation, which means that He bore the penalty for our sins. His blood was shed for us. We can receive this gift of righteousness (also known as right standing) by believing in Jesus, who is the heart of the Gospel.

So, hopefully I've explained the Biblical definition of an Evangelical (Good News) Christian. We are not political at the core, as some would believe. Rather, the person and work of Christ defines the heart of an Evangelical. Blessings.

Larry Browning: My Boss

       When you deeply respect your boss, then your job becomes much more worthwhile and perhaps enjoyable. That was definitely the case for me when I became Larry Browning's morning caregiver. It was not an easy job. There were a lot of details I had to learn; and the work of caring for a man suffering from quadriplegia was not a joy in and of itself. However, Larry as a person, was a joy to work for.
       The following excerpt from my book, Mornings with Larry: Life Lessons from a Man in a Wheelchair, describes my first few days as Larry's caregiver. I hope you're blessed by it. The book is available through Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07HNQKB1L

Mornings with Larry is available through Amazon:
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07HNQKB1L

* * *

Excerpt from Chapter One:

Scared to Meet You, Larry

 

       On day one, Ann introduced me to Evan, my trainer for the next two mornings. That first day, I simply observed him. He began by filling a small plastic container with about a dozen pills and pouring milk into a small glass.
We entered Larry’s bedroom, where he lay on his back on a hospital bed, his upper body inclined about forty degrees. He was awake and smiling.
“Morning, boss,” said Evan.
“Morning, Evan,” said Larry. He looked at me with his still-functional right eye. “How you doing, Tom?”
“Alright, Larry,” I said. “How about yourself?” Oops. That was my first mistake. A few weeks later I would learn that it bothers Larry when people greet him with questions such as, “How you doing, brother?”, “How’s it going?” or, ahem, “How about yourself?”  Sometimes he’s tempted to give a testy answer, such as, “How do you think I’m doing?” However, his verbal responses are always polite.
“Pretty good,” he answered me.
The greetings ended and I observed Evan as he performed the seemingly endless tasks required to care for a quadriplegic person. I had no idea all the details involved—and they needed to be done in the correct order. Squeamishness was the least of my worries.
By the end of three hours, Evan and all other caregivers on planet earth had won my respect. How would my forty-nine year old brain ever remember all this stuff?
On day two, I worked and Evan directed. Sure enough, I remembered little. Evan coached me through the routine, much of which involved learning how to properly move Larry’s body. Upon waking, he had to be moved, via a Hoyer (a crane-like lift), from his bed to the shower, then to the wheelchair. After breakfast, he needed to be raised from his wheelchair onto the therapeutic standing frame, where he stood for thirty minutes before being lowered back into the wheelchair. Fighting gravity is not easy.

Larry at the Roseburg VA,
being interviewed by me (April 2011)

     All this movement meant that poor Larry had to endure this newbie inefficiently shifting/jerking him all over the place. In the middle of it all, he and Evan got into a lighthearted debate over whether or not Larry was dead weight.
“Believe me, boss,” said Evan, “you’re dead weight.”
“Nah,” said Larry. “I’m live weight.”
At the end of day two, I reluctantly said goodbye to Evan and never saw him again. I was on my own.
Evan did great as a trainer, but I wanted a few more days with him. I felt ill-prepared to care for Larry by myself. That night I couldn’t sleep. I began day three sleep-deprived, overwhelmed and full of doubts about whether I could do the job.
Fortunately, Larry knew the routine better than anyone, and for the next several weeks he coached me through the sequences, reminding me every time I missed a step. To this day, Larry reminds me when I forget things—such as connecting the urine collection bag to the catheter. You don’t want to forget that.
More than two years have passed since those first training days, and I’m still a bit scared to see Larry each morning. To encounter him is to be confronted with his hard life, a life that’s incomprehensible to those who are healthy. To understand my brother fully would require that I lose the use of my arms, legs—and eyes.
In Larry’s words: “Being handicapped is something that—until you’ve experienced it—you really know little about it. I never would have been able to relate to someone in a wheelchair without having been in one myself. I know people who’ve spent a day in a wheelchair, and they have discovered the difficulties, but again, it’s nothing like being confined to a wheelchair for life, because there is no hope at the end of the day that I’ll be able to get out of this.”
Most nights, Larry sleeps well, but occasionally he experiences insomnia. Nobody likes to lose sleep, but at least healthy people can toss and turn, get up, perhaps make a snack or read for a while.
Larry likens a sleepless night to being buried alive. “I feel like my body is a casket; I’m inside it and I can’t get out.”
Certainly there’s truth to the saying: “You can’t really understand a man until you’ve walked in his shoes.” But in reality, we don’t walk in each other’s shoes. In every relationship there will be gaps of unknowing mixed with areas of common ground. But even if we can’t always relate, sometimes it’s just nice to hang out and enjoy each other’s mysteries. And Larry has mastered the art of hangin’ with people.

SOAP from Romans 10:13-17

Denise and I have been sticking to our church's two-year Bible reading plan. I'm in a small Life Group that discusses the Bible readings from that week. Each person shares for about five minutes a verse or section of scripture that stands out to them. We follow the SOAP method of journaling/meditating on scripture.

My book, Mornings with Larry: Life Lessons
from a Man in a Wheelchair, is available
through https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07HNQKB1L

S is for Scripture. "Write down a verse or passage that particularly spoke to you." 

O is for Observation. "What do you think God is saying to you in this scripture? Ask the Holy Spirit to teach you and reveal Jesus to you. Paraphrase and write this scripture down in your own words." I might add an "I" for Interpretation here. That requires using your God-given brain--considering things such as context (how the passage relates to those verses that precede and follow it), word definitions and historical context. In essence, don't interpret an isolated passage out of context from the rest of the Bible. 

A is for Application. "Personalize what you have read, by asking yourself how it applies to your life right now.... Write how this scripture can apply to you today." 

P is for Prayer. "This can be as simple as asking God to help you use this scripture, or it may be a greater insight on what He may be revealing to you." Also, listen to God as well. Write it down.

My SOAP passage for tonight's Life Group is from Romans 10:13-17  "13 For 'everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.' 14 How then will they call on him in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in him of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone preaching? 15 And how are they to preach unless they are sent? As it is written, 'How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the good news!' 16 But they have not all obeyed the gospel. For Isaiah says, 'Lord, who has believed what he has heard from us?' 17 So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ."

I observe and interpret this section to be a step-by-step description of how people get saved. The apostle Paul uses questions that work backwards to explain the process of salvation. The final step in receiving salvation is to call "on the name of the Lord." In order to call, we must believe. In order to believe, we need to hear the gospel. In order to hear, someone must speak/preach the gospel to us. The preacher needs to be sent.

It seems to me that, in verse 16, obeying the gospel is the same as believing. But this is an active faith that results in a real transformation of one's heart, which results in life change and a change in one's view of the world. If no change occurs, then perhaps true belief didn't occur.

Verse 17 is interesting. It implies that the gospel is closely tied to the word of God. When we hear the gospel (the word), then the Holy Spirit creates saving faith in the hearer. So, when we share the gospel with unbelievers, we should also quote scripture now and then. The Bible is powerful.

How can I apply Romans 10:13-17? If I am to share the gospel, then I should know and arm myself with the gospel and word of God. How can I share something I'm not familiar with? Next, I need to speak the gospel to hearers. I'm not saying we should bash people over the heads with our Bibles. I think honest and open dialogue with unbelievers is part of the process of salvation. Hopefully the unbeliever will ultimately believe and call on the name of the Lord.

There's also "pre-evangelism". Many unbelievers are not yet willing to hear the gospel, but they may have rational questions and a willingness to dialogue. Christians need to be sensitive to where an unbeliever is at.

My prayer is that God will use me as a sharer (preacher) of the good news of Jesus. My prayer is that God will bring people into my life who I can either directly share the gospel (evangelism) or dialogue/answer (pre-evangelism) rational questions. I pray that God will instill saving faith in their hearts. My prayer is that the Holy Spirit empower me with the word of God as I read and meditate on it.

So there's my SOAP passage for tonight's Life Group. Now if only I can keep my time within five minutes. Blessings to you all.

Scared to Meet You, Larry

       Greetings readers. I hope you enjoy this excerpt from my recently-released book, Mornings with Larry: Life Lessons from a Man in a Wheelchair. The book is available on Amazon https://www.amazon.com
       This excerpt, from the first few pages of chapter one, gives a brief intro of who Larry is, and how I came to be his morning caregiver. I hope it blesses you—

                                      * * *

1

SCARED TO MEET YOU, LARRY

The church dinner drew to an end. I swallowed a last bit of carrot cake and glanced past several heads toward the man in the wheelchair. An uncomfortable thought surfaced: It’s about time you introduced yourself.
I took a deep breath, got up from the table and approached him.
“Hello, Larry,” I said, extending my right hand. “I’m Tom. It’s good to meet you.”
He looked up at me and smiled. “Hi Tom.”
His fingers barely moved and his forearm remained fixed on the wheelchair armrest. An awkward moment passed—time enough for me to realize his disability affected more than just his legs. I grasped his limp right hand and shook it for the both of us.

Larry in May 2004. Hands/arms still working.

He continued, “I’ve seen you in church [pause for breath], but haven’t had a chance to [pause for breath] talk to you.”
Actually, I’d done my best to avoid him, probably due to my shyness and being overly focused on his disability. I had yet to realize Larry’s flesh-and-blood human status.
      Our first conversation was brief and I was distracted by his frequent mid-sentence pauses for breath. The thought of conversing with a disabled person frostbit my brain. When the encounter ended, I walked back to my seat with a sigh of relief.
If it had been up to me, I’d never have taken our relationship beyond that obligatory greeting. But God sometimes bypasses our unwilling hearts and places us in situations we wouldn’t venture to on our own.
That first meeting occurred in 2008 at McKenzie Bible Fellowship in the community of Vida, Oregon. Larry, his wife, Ann, and their teenaged daughter, Paige, had recently joined our church. They soon became fixtures each Sunday morning, claiming three spots in the left front row as their own. Occasionally, their son Ryan took a break from his studies at Oregon State University, ninety minutes away, and traveled home to join them.
Two and a half years earlier, in August of 2005, Larry had resigned his pastorate at Valley Hills Community Church in Springfield, Oregon. The debilitating symptoms of multiple sclerosis (MS) had progressed to the point where he felt he needed to make that hard decision. He describes his condition at that time, “I still had quite a bit of movement in my arms, but no movement in my legs. And I didn’t have any problem with my eyes. So I could still preach. But I didn’t feel it was fair to the congregation, because most people didn’t have wheelchair accessibility [in their homes] and I was kind of a hands-on pastor. So I just felt it was time to step aside and let them call a new pastor who could be more involved.”
In 2001, Larry was diagnosed with primary-progressive multiple sclerosis, the fast-developing form of the disease. By January of 2008, when I first met him, MS had left him essentially quadriplegic. He could still control the wheelchair toggle with his right hand. His right eye worked fine, but vision in his left eye was blurred.
The Brownings decided they could reduce stress and save time if they attended a church closer to their home. As a result, those of us at McKenzie Bible Fellowship, just three miles from their house, received a great blessing.
Larry preached one Sunday and shared his life story. He’d worn many hats: Vietnam combat soldier, longhaired hippie, preacher, widower, single dad, and modern-day Job. He preferred delivering Bible-based sermons to talking about himself. But speaking opportunities sometimes accompanied requests that he recount his adventurous life and how God brought him to where he is today.
As days went by, the people at McKenzie Bible Fellowship came to know Larry as a friend and brother in Christ. Having put aside his pastoral title, he fellowshipped as one of the flock. As a sheep, he lived out what he’d preached as a shepherd. His conversation typically focused on Christ and others. He didn’t complain about his severe disability. It became clear to the new church that he was a man of strong, mature faith.
Larry and Ann began showing up at the same midweek Bible study that my wife Denise and I attended. Before long, the group decided to switch the meetings to the Brownings’ home. This gave Ann, a petite woman, a break from the work required to load her husband into the wheelchair van and unload him. The change blessed us all due to Ann’s warm hospitality and tastefully decorated home.
One evening, the Brownings presented a prayer request at the Bible study. Larry’s morning caregiver, Evan, needed to quit soon. He cared for Larry five mornings per week. Ann cared for her husband Saturday and Sunday mornings, as well as seven afternoons and seven evenings per week. Someone needed to be within earshot of Larry at all times. The Bible-study group prayed for a replacement for Evan.
More than a month passed and the position was still open. The Lord nudged my heart to pursue the job. I felt little enthusiasm. Caregiving? Ugh. The idea made me squeamish. On the other hand, I needed morning work to supplement my plant nursery business. So when I asked Ann and Larry for the job, I did my best to mask these mixed feelings. In July 2009, they hired me—for better or worse.

Have Evangelicals Failed?

I'll post another excerpt from Mornings with Larry this Friday. Meanwhile, new ideas often swirl around in my head--and this blog is the dumping ground for those ideas. So get ready for some religion and politics. I take a strange, conservative/moderate position on many issues, so this post will certainly offend both liberals and conservatives. I invite you to respond by commenting either at the end of this blog post or on my facebook page. Disagree all you want. I only ask two things: first, that you write civilly, and second, that you don't use profanity. Okay, maybe I'll ask a third thing. Try to show some personality, maybe even a little humor. Fuming rants just don't cut it.

You can order Mornings with Larry: Life Lessons
from a Man in a Wheelchair on http://www.amazon.com/

If you've read my previous posts, you know that I've occasionally written about Christian hypocrisy. I've also written about the need for civil dialogue, especially when dealing with religion and politics. My faith is strong, so criticism creates little doubt in my heart and mind. However, my faith does get tested at times. The one thing that has tried my faith the most is when Christians fail to do the right thing. It especially irks me when Christian leaders blow it. They should know better!

Since the presidential election, evangelicals have received much criticism over the stat that 80% of them voted for Trump. Whether the actual percentage is that high, I'm not sure--but certainly the majority of evangelical Christians voted for him.

So, have evangelical Christians failed badly by voting for Donald Trump? Many progressives claim that the evangelicals sold their souls to the Devil in the 2016 election. Even if Trump is the sexual predator portrayed by the progressives, did the evangelicals really screw up that badly?

It all depends on their motives. I think the 2016 Republican primary is a better indicator of motives. It seems to me, evangelicals should have voted for a Republican with values. During the primaries, I think most of the other Republican candidates fared better than Trump when it came to character, integrity, ethics, morality, etc.. Evangelicals who voted for Trump in the primaries did indeed mess up, it seems to me. But I won't go so far as to accuse them of selling their souls to the Devil.

I'm not sure what the stats are, but I'm certain that a large percentage of evangelicals did not vote for Trump in the Republican primaries. I want to focus on that group.

Many evangelicals who voted against Trump in the primaries, voted for him in the general election. It's this segment of voters who I will not criticize. Most of them truly saw it as a choice between a somewhat evil (yet pro-life for the unborn) Republican candidate versus a candidate from a party with an unbending pro-choice stance. This was the dilemma for many evangelical Christians in 2016. It was truly a choice between the "least bad" of two evils.

Because of this dilemma, I won't condemn/shame my fellow Christians for voting for Trump. For them, the only other options were to either not vote at all, or vote for a third candidate. How can you shame someone who is faced with such non-choices?

So, did evangelicals fail by voting for Trump in 2016? Not in the general election. However, a large segment of evangelicals erred by voting for Trump in the primaries. If you think I've misjudged Trump's moral character, please comment below or on facebook. Conservatives, give me a list of reasons why our president is morally and ethically better than the liberals portray him. Blessings.