FreeTruth

In a couple of hours I'll be heading out the door to go to youth camp with 7-8 of our teens and a few parents. As I exit NJ (and am away from my blogging for a few days) let me leave you with a few random thoughts and joys:
1. I go to youth camp with Gayline, David and several teenagers I love with full expectation of meeting God. Last year's camp was simply life-changing for David. In supernatural ways, he met God and God came after him, and a chain reaction of grace has been going on ever since!

2. I come off of an experience last Friday in which I had the joy of partnering with the Lawtons in their mission work to international students at Johns Hopkins Univ. I got to preach the truth of God our Creator, our reason for Existence, our Savior and Redeemer--to 15-20 Chinese folks, many of whom had never heard any real truth about God before. One said at the close of the evening: "We have never heard these things about God!" This group of first time hearers was simply gripped with eager hearing as I got to preach. Truth captured their minds and I trust will win their hearts! Powerful. Joygiving. And I think eternally fruit-bearing.

3. I feel fresh amazement and joy over the provision of God. Some of you will know that Gayline and I have pledged in giving a substantial increase to help God's work flourish here in TFC. We have already seen (in the 2-3 weeks since we made that pledge) God provide 45% of that increase for the coming year through a stunning reduction of costs in an budget area we least expected it! In the past two or three days I've heard similar accounts from others who, giving in obedience to the call of God, have once again found out that God will never be out-given!

4. Finally, I'm preparing a series of posts on the topic of joy as seen through the ideas of Luke in his two books, Luke and Acts. If you want to experience a sweet study read through Luke and Acts and notice how often joy is referenced. His clear message is that with the coming of the Messiah and sending of the Spirit, joy is now a hallmark of true faith. I can't wait to share some perspectives on joy with you, beginning next week, God enabling.

There you have it; some random sharings from the heart of a pastor and friend.
See you in a few days. In the meantime keep commenting and sharing. i hope to check in while I'm away.

Labels: Dependance on God, Evangelism, Giving, God's Blessing, Missions, Youth

Today's post is my last comment (expanded) from yesterday's conversation. I want to make sure that those who may have missed the comments interact with these thoughts.

I think that it is commendable to have strong faith and trust in the healing grace of God and I would even commend making prayer for healing a matter of first resort (yes I wrote "first" so that we show by our actions that we trust God more than doctors, or whatever our own traditional or alternative treatment of choice may be).

But the great concern I am expressing is over the very bad theology that treats medicine as if it is bad or healing by miracle in this life as if it is an absolute birthright of every believer. To treat medicine as bad is to deny both the goodness of God's creation (which provides cures for disease) as well as the creation mandate of Genesis 1 (which commands us to have dominion over the earth--which includes dominion over disease through whatever ethical means we may discover). Those who despise medicine unwittingly disobey that mandate.

And to treat healing by miracle in this life as an absolute birthright in this life is to confuse the "not yet" (what is a birthright to be given us when heaven dawns) as a "now" (something we can name and claim for here and now all the time). This confusion has led countless sincere but misguided Christians into grave disillusionment and doubt when their namings and claimings have not materialized.

Such teachings are usually what is behind the tragedies such as we're talking about here. The ideas that we can name and claim such things, that we can create miracles by "word-faith", that to go to a doctor when prayers for direct healing have not rendered healing is an evidence of unbelief--are all ideas that are serious distortions of the Word. And they have led to untold grief.

I saw a short video recently by John Piper--(google John Piper, prosperity gospel video)--in which he expresses his very strong feelings against the prosperity gospel (which is part of what we're talking about here). He despises these false teachings because they are misleading and destroying souls. Evangelists and missionaries are promising health and wealth to get converts. In so doing they are not offering people God, the Giver of Life and Savior of souls. They simply are offering people an idol: good health and wealth. This destroys souls in the name of faith.

In this particular case it destroyed a body too.

I admire the faith and the apparent sincerity of this man; I simply grieve the error, ignorance, and irresponsible shepherds that lead people to pursue folly in the name of faith. The costs are catastrophic, both for this life and the next.

Tim

Any more thoughts?

Labels: Dependance on God, Doctrine, Faith, Healing, Persecution

I interrupt my series on embarrassing moments to announce that I have a cold; a full-blown, head-filling, body-aching, strength-sapping, want-to-stay-in-bed type cold. Add this to the twenty year long everyday, every minute, unrelenting headache that I have and there are the makings of a rather uncomfortable couple of days ahead of me.

Mix in with that that there is a lot to do this week. Big stuff is happening in the church this weekend, and there's a ton to attend to. This is all a recipe for stress and self-pity. I know that what I'm facing is nothing, and I do mean nothing, compared to what many of you may be facing. I wouldn't pretend to have it as hard as some of you. That would be insane and insensitive.

My only point is that it's in times like this that just that kind of insanity can hit. I'm facing some stress and discomfort which, given the insanity and insensitivity of my flesh, is sufficient to make me feel sorry for myself and be anxious and bothered about how it's all going to get done. In case you haven't noticed, self-pity is never very sane.

I'm convinced that God gives us head colds, headaches, hang nails, and hassles precisely to remind us that He's in control and we're not. He means us to know that we are weak and dependant on Him. I'm convinced that He messes with our plans, stockpiles our cares, and rearranges our appointment calendars when we're not looking (to insert such things as colds, crises in the family, and whatever else He thinks will get the job done.)

This way we feel really weak, really needy, really desperate for grace from Him. It's the way He's always kept His children praying and trusting and loving only Him. 2 Corinthians 12:7-10 comes to mind. God could have taken Paul's stress point away, but He didn't; so Paul had to learn to rely on grace and glory in God all the more.

Here's a question for you: do you believe that God rules over headcolds and headaches? I'm not asking if you believe in some kind of weak "God allows" or "He let's these things happen" view of Divine sovereignty. I'm asking if you have room in your theology for the God who's self-described in Exodus 3:11 as the One who makes the deaf and mute and blind? Check it out and think about it. Does your faith accomodate a God who makes people deaf and mute or afflicted with colds and cancers and crises? Do you have a category for a God who gives and really does take away--as He took away from Job (Job 1:13-22)?

Here's what I believe: I have a head cold because it's part of the eternal plan of God for my life and for my good. I have a headache because at this moment (and for the past 20 years) it's been the very thing God has known that I would need. And I believe that every trial and stress point and burden that have accompanied these afflictions through the years are not merely things permitted; they're things planned.

God does more than permit; He purposes. That's not to say He's the cause for it all (He does not cause sin, and He does use means to accomplish His ends), but it is to say that if it's happening to me right now, even if it's not fun, it's because God knew it was the very best thing that could happen to me right now. It's because God wants me to learn trust and faith and humility and hope and the true sufficiency of grace in all of the hard turns and twists of life.

God afflicts because He wants us to arrive at the faith realization that no matter what we face or lose or suffer, if we have Him we have enough.

So as I process my head cold today, I'll try to do it knowing that there's not a maverick germ in the universe that can step outside God's will. The germ got me, because God loves me and knows what's best. It's as simple as that.

Just a few things to think about as you face your stress points today. I'd not want you to face anything--not even a head cold--without knowing and being able to trust the One Who's in control.

Labels: Dependance on God, Humility, Sovereignty of God