You Were Born Into A World At War (Part One)

A few years ago, I had the distinct honor and privilege to be the youth pastor at a small church in the German state of Thuringen. While my job dealt primarily with students, I was also able to get to know many of the older folks as well. One man, his name was Wolfgang Walther, had been a member of this church since he was a young man. What was interesting about Wolfgang is that he had served under Erwin Rommel in North Africa during World War II. He was a very godly man who was also a great storyteller. I loved to hear him talk about his experiences in the war. He knew what it was like to deal with the daily duty of going to war. Even Wolfgang for all his experiences, however, would gladly admit that the carnage and danger caused by World War II cant compare to the war that is raging this very minute in the room in which you are seated.

It’s easy not to want to admit it or deal with it, but like it or not you were born into a world at war. This war began thousands of years ago in heaven and rages on even to this very day. The war that I am referring to, of course, is the war between God and satan. Two texts that give us a hint about how this war got started are found in Revelation and Genesis.

Now war arose in heaven, Michael and his angels fighting against the dragon. And the dragon and his angels fought back, but he was defeated and there was no longer any place for them in heaven. – Revelation 12:7-8 (ESV)

[speaking to the serpent] “I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and her offspring; he shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise his heel."
- Genesis 3:15(ESV)

The Bible begins with a prophecy given to Eve about satans struggle with Jesus and ends with a back-story telling of satans rebellion in heaven. So if the Bible begins with God fighting against satan and ends with God fighting with and eventually defeating satan where does that leave us? That’s right, we are right smack dab in the middle of a war. Those of you who share my passion for Tolkien will relate to Aragorn who sums up our state when he says…

“Open war is upon you whether you would risk it or not.”
- Aragorn in Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers

So we are at war. What does that mean? Well, it means we have two choices. The first choice is that we can deny or ignore it (A very popular option I might add!) and be a statistic at best or an ally at worst of satan. The second choice is that we can daily prepare ourselves to fight satan with every fiber of our being.

Now before you grab your water pistol and get ready to charge hell, keep in mind that this war is not for the faint at heart. It’s not glamorous. It might cause you to do crazy things like deny your own ambitions and serve the Lord in relative obscurity and poverty. Don’t worry though, you’d be in good company with people like John the Baptist (John 10:41-42),
David Brainerd, or any of the unnamed but brave souls mentioned in Hebrews 11:35-40.

Yes waging daily spiritual warfare is hard but the benefits are out of this world (no pun intended). Consider what James has to say…

Blessed is the man who remains steadfast under trial, for when he has stood the test he will receive the crown of life, which God has promised to those who love him.
- James 1:12

This is the first of a two-part post that will be continued Lord willing in the next post.
.

A Great Re-Awakening

Rest is good for the soul. It is good for many other things as well, but rest is most definitely good for the soul. I love long weekends. I love them because I am able to spend them with my wife and children. I love them because when my three year old asks me if I can stay with him at home all day, I don't have to tell him no. I love them because my 7 month pregnant wife gets the much needed relief of having an extra set of hands to help her with our two sons. There are many reasons why I love long weekends, but aside from the most important ones already listed, I love them because I get to read!

In this Memorial Day weekend I read and finished a book by Steve Farrar titled King Me and began a biography on William Wilberforce titled Amazing Grace, by Eric Metaxas. The Farrar book is great and a must read if you are a father of boys. I will comment more on that book at a later time. However, today's post has to do with some things I read in just the first 60 or so pages of the Wilberforce biography. William Wilberforce, Wilber to those who knew him best, has fast become a hero of mine. I will explain more in the coming weeks why this is so and why I chose his nickname as my moniker. However, the post today has less to do with Wilberforce the man and more to do with society in general of Wilberforce's day.

In Wilberforce's early years he lived with his aunt and uncle who were comtemporaries of George Whitefield, the Wesley brothers and John Newton. The society in England at this time was very anti Christian. The culture ruled the day. When Whitefield and the Wesley's came on the scene, everything changed. They were so different that they were given the name of Methodists because of their methodological approach to preaching a true Bible based Gospel. Instead of becoming like the culture to reach the culture, they were so different that they stood out like a sore thumb.

When people became genuine believers at this time, you knew it. It was definitely an in but not of life that they lived. Wilberforce was exposed to this at an early age and when his mother and grandfather got word of this they removed him from the care of his aunt and uncle because they did not want him being influenced by a fanatical movement. Many years later, as the Holy Spirit continued to draw Wilberforce, he would in fact respond to the Gospel. Wilberforce felt he must immediately leave the political arena because he couldn't forsee a scenario in which he could serve God and the people in that arena. After receiving some much needed counsel from John Newton, he decided that he must stay in politics to be a true light in the darkness. Someone who would not stand for Christ and culture, but that would stand for Christ in culture.

The Education pastor at my church, who also happens to be my boss, recently went to a conference in which he was in a room with several other ed. pastors from large churches and various denominations. The topic came up of reaching the culture for Christ and almost every church suggested a strategy that included becoming more like the culture to reach the culture. My pastor was in tears when he realized one of the main reasons we are not reaching the culture for Christ is because we are obsessed with becoming like them.

I pray for a return to the 1700's. A time when people could acutally tell a difference in believers and the world. A time when people who stood for Christ stood out. A time when people knew what it meant to count the cost and weren't ashamed to do it. If I hear one more pastor say that we need to be students of the culture to reach the culture, I think I might puke. It isn't healthy and it dang sure isn't Biblical. When God's people decide to live like God's people again, I believe we will see what 18th century Britain and America saw; a Great Re-Awakening to the power and freedom of the Gospel.

Some Numbers To Think About

I know that I’ve railed against the use of numbers in evaluating ministry. I stand by what I’ve said and I still believe that many pastors are practicing a cult of numbers. Just listen to a couple of pastors talk and time them to see how long it takes for one to ask the other, “Whatcha running?” There are some numbers, however, that are useful in measuring your success. In fact, if these numbers are bad then you can mark it down that you are headed for a train-wreck in your ministry.

The numbers that I am referring to are numbers like:

The number of hours you spend each week loving your wife as Christ loved the church

The number of hours of undivided attention you give your children each week

The number of times you sit the family down together for a meal and talk and have fun

The number of times a week you and your family spend time reading the Bible and praying together

The number of times you pray for your wife and children each week

It is tragic to see a pastor grow a ministry where scores of people are filling the pews only to find out that his family has been ignored and neglected. Yet for all the warnings, I see and hear of pastors every week who know their staff and their deacons better than they know their children. God have mercy!

Not everyone is intended to have children. In fact some people choose not to. That decision is between them and the Lord. If, however, you have chosen to have children, and make no mistake they are a blessing (Psalm 127:4-5). Then you had better love on them, disciple them (Deuteronomy 6:4-9), and raise them to honor God (Proverbs 22:6). Sometimes this means doing things you don’t like to do or want to do. Some times it may mean going home instead of going on visitation, or not having a lock-in with your youth so that you can stay up late with your children instead.

All of you know of the great work of Dr. James Dobson. His ministry spans generations and reaches around the globe. What you might not be aware of is how he almost never came to be. When he was a junior in high school, his dad was an evangelist whose star was on the rise. His dad would spend days on the road speaking at churches, conferences, and other public gatherings. One day he got a letter from his wife telling him that James Jr. was out of control. She told him that he had become too much for her to handle and that he needed to come home right away. James Sr. had a choice to make. In a matter of days, he came home, he put his house up for sale, and he moved his family to a town where he took a church so that he could be at home to see his son through the last two years of high school.

After James Jr. graduated, James Sr. tried to pick up where he left off two years earlier. In that time many of the older pastors that were familiar with James Sr.’s ministry had retired. He received very few invitations to come and speak. The decision to come home had cost him his ministry but the result was a son who had straightened out his life and who would later start a ministry of his own called Focus On The Family. Do you think James Dobson Jr. may have been led to do this because of the example of his dad? Chew on that bone for a while.

You can do the math, but rest assured that when we stand before God He’s not going to ask us how many hours we spent at church this week.

A Void Needs to be Filled

What began as a glorious week when I typed in this space last Monday, took an abrupt turn around lunchtime on Tuesday. A man that I have the utmost respect for and many a differing view from, passed away. Dr. Jerry Falwell went home to be with his Savior last week. He will be missed, and as Billy Graham and others have commented, his passing leaves a vacuum in the evangelical world.

As I stated last Monday my wife and I are both graduates of Liberty University. I am proud of my education and I am never embarrassed to claim Liberty as my Alma mater. Many who might read this blog might be left with the impression that my views on ministry differ from those of Liberty. You would be correct to assume that. Especially here lately I have been very disillusioned about some of the rhetoric that has been flowing freely from Liberty mountain. Most of the talk was not from Doc himself, but eventually he too joined in.

The difference between me growing disillusioned with Liberty and not with Dr. Falwell may be difficult for some to understand. However, I will attempt to explain why I feel this man's passing will have a huge impact on the evangelical church if people refuse to fill the void.

As I was watching the news coverage in the aftermath of Doc's passing, one thing became crystal clear. If you knew Jerry Falwell there was no way you could speak ill of him. You may disagree with him, but you could not speak ill of him. I observed two clear examples of this last Tuesday night while watching Larry King. Larry King had Al Sharpton (I will not call him Reverend) and Mel White (I will not call him reverend either) on his program. These are two men who differed greatly with Dr. Falwell from a philosophical view point, to the point of despising his views. However, when asked about their relationships with Doc on a personal level, neither could say a negative word and both considered him a friend.

Anytime Dr. Falwell would say something that I did not personally agree with, I would respectfully agree to disagree with him and never lose respect for him in the process. The reason for this is very simple, I knew his heartbeat. Dr. Falwell was not a divisive man. He did not go around trying to tear down the church. He did not go around looking to pick a fight with people who had differing opinions on minor issues of doctrine. He would speak his peace and state his view and that was that. If you continued to hold a differing view, he would tell you that you were still wrong, but it wasn't grounds to start a feud over. After all, as Bible believing believers, aren't we family?

Regardless of whether you agree with that statement or not, one thing I have learned from Dr. Falwell's passing is that when my time comes, I hope that enemies of the Gospel will comment on how vehemently they opposed my views, but because of my humble commitment to those views, they were left with no choice but to respect them. It is beyond time that we as the church join together and live like we are called to live. No compromise to the essentials of the Gospel, but done with love and respect for those who are perishing.

Titus 2:7-8 "Show yourself in all respects to be a model of good works, and in your teaching show integrity, dignity, and sound speech that cannot be condemned, so that an opponent may be put to shame having nothing evil to say about us."

Separation Anxiety

If there was one distinct message, apart from the gospel itself, that was championed from the pulpit of my childhood it was separation. How often our pastors and especially our visiting evangelists would camp on this issue and give us a list of things to avoid. I suppose I grew up learning more about what I shouldn't do than what I should do. Like any good pharisee in training my identity in Christ was more about what I didn't do than how well I knew Him. Unfortunately, I see this phenomena still occurring in many evangelical churches today.

Let me make it clear that I am not a neo-evangelical or an ecumenist. I don't believe in compromising essential doctrine. I will go on record as saying that I am personally disturbed by books like Ecumenical Jihad by Peter Kreeft. In fact, I'm probably one of the few evangelicals who is willing to openly admit aversion to Kreeft's reckless call for ecumenism. That being said, I think evangelicals have practiced separation to the point of religious snobbery.

There are many Bible believing evangelical groups that could and should have fellowship with one another. I don't understand for the life of me why Baptists, Presbyterian PCA churches, Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod, Southern Methodist Church, and other denominations can't have fellowship. Whats even worse, there are still independent Baptists out there who still think that the SBC is going to hell in a handbasket. I have no idea what planet they are on. It's all very silly, and very costly. It's high time that we quit looking for a straw man and begin to work together as the Body of Christ. The venerable C.H. Spurgeon noticed this probelm in his day and had this to say:

"We are not to be always going about the world searching out heresies, like terrier dogs sniffing for rats, and to be always so confident of our own infallibility that we erect ecclesiastical stakes at which to [figuratively] roast all who differ from us."

If we as orthodox evangelicals don't begin to act in unity for the purpose of spreading the gospel we may find ourselves overrun with atheism, secular humanism, and Islam. It's high time that we actually practice, "In Essentials, Unity; in Non-essentials, Liberty; in All Things, Charity." By the way, if you want to see a good example of Biblical cooperation for the sake of the gospel look at the organization for the Harvest Crusade that is planned for June 22nd - 24th in Raleigh, N.C. this year. If you are a Bible believing church in this area, shame on you if you aren't supporting and praying for this event.

Farewell To A Servant Of God

It is with much sadness that I make this special tribute to a man that will be sorely missed. Shortly after noon today Rev. Jerry Falwell went home to be with the Lord. His untimely death will be mourned by many people in the coming days.

Jerry Falwell was a man of vision and determination. He wasn't always right but he never let his failures keep him from dreaming how God could use him to be salt and light in a very dark and tasteless world. He knew what it mean to lay it all on the line for the kingdom.

On a more personal note, Jerry Falwell is a big part of why I decided to pursue ministry as a vocation. I grew up an independent, fundamental, Bible-believing, King Jimmy only Baptist. I remember getting home from church every Sunday night and making grilled cheese sandwiches and watching the Old Time Gospel Hour. I would listen as Jerry railed against sin and compromise. When you are forbidden to go to movies or watch much TV, you have to find your heroes where you can. For me, I wanted to be like Jerry and truthfully, I could have picked a much worse model to follow. Even though as an adult I have set my sights on loftier figures, (Jonathan Edwards, Billy Graham, Martin Luther, etc.) I will always remember the inspiration that this kid from the country got from Pastor Jerry.

The thing that will always impress me about Jerry was that he never forgot his heritage. When the Southern Baptist Convention had its conservative resurgence in the 80's and 90's, Jerry was right there following alongside them. He even brought Thomas Road and Liberty University into the convention. I didn't come around as quickly as Jerry but end the end I found my way back to my SBC heritage and discovered a part of my past that I am now very proud to own. Jerry blazed the trail for many "fighting fundies" and helped them to realize that they should practice, " In Essentials, Unity; in Non-essentials, Liberty; in All Things, Charity". I will never forget the ministry of Jerry Falwell and I hope that after hugging Jesus today, that he got the opportunity to sit down with the saints of old and take his place among them.

The Reality of Life

I'm a southern man. Not in the Neil Young sense of the term, but in the Lynyrd Skynyrd sense of the term. Although not my home now, Alabama will always be Sweet Home to me. It was where my life began. It was where I first began to fall in love with my Savior. It was where I was introduced to idolatry at an early age(Alabama football still at times can be today). It was also where I first experienced the reality that the modern evangelical church is screwed up!

When I went away to college my Sophomore year, I was beyond poorly prepared to know what I believed and why I believed it. I had been told knowing what I believe was important, but I had never been taught why. Instead what I was taught was here is the mainstream line of what you should believe and to deviate from this line will lead you to error. There was no application of Philippians 2:12-13 being taught from the pulpit of my church. How dare I even begin to search out my own salvation with fear and trembling? I mean, that might lead me to deviate from the party line. Oh the horror that the Holy Spirit might lead me to some other solidly Biblical conclusion on a matter.

When I showed up at Liberty University in the fall of 1997, I was hit with shock and awe. It did not take me long to realize that I might be in over my head. I knew what had been decreed to me to believe, but I didn't know why? By the grace of God, I had many professors who encouraged me and my fellow classmates, to not take what others say at face value. To make sure that what we hear lines up clearly with what we see in Scripture. What I came to find out in short time was that alot of what I had been told to believe was worth believing, but there were many other things that stunk of papal bull! Items that were purely agenda driven and aimed at furthering and feeding the egos of fallen men.

As I continued my education, finishing up at Liberty and then continuing on and finishing my Masters program at seminary, I am thankful that God led me to professors who never, ever tried to force me to adopt the views of the larger entity that they were and are a part of. And the reality of it is that on the campuses of the two schools I attended, those with an agenda are in the vast minority. It is rather unfortunate that they bloviate the loudest, but still their views are not the majority views.

The reality of life is often times scary. Why do men, when given power for good, become overcome with greed and envy? Why do men, who are given the charge of advancing the Gospel for the benefit of the entire Kingdom of God, care more about bringing in people to pad their personal pew numbers? I could go on and on, but I won't. The point is that we must face the reality of life in the modern church. We can ignore no longer. It is the white elephant in the corner and it ain't going nowhere! When we can face reality and see with hearts open to God's heart, then we can pray for and begin acting for change.

Modern Abuses From An Old Play-Book

Long ago the ancient, Roman statesman and philosopher Cicero said:

But not to know what happened before you were born - that is to be forever a child.

I’m inclined to agree with Cicero in this respect, repeating the mistakes of the past is the epitome of immaturity. We have set ourselves up to fall for some of Satan’s oldest devices because we fail to inform ourselves of a basic understanding of our own history.

The evidence of this historical abandonment becomes painfully clear when you compare the modern evangelical church with its medieval Roman counterpart. Some of the very things that led Luther, Calvin, Knox, and others to offer up their lives to defend are being cast aside with shameful indifference. Consider the following examples:

1. Many evangelical church pastors encourage their members in Biblical illiteracy by dumbing down sermons, not expecting people to bring or use their Bibles, creating a pastoral dependence for scriptural interpretation, or by brow-beating their members with sermons that dwell on things that should be left up to the consciences of the believer priests.

2. Many churches “institutionalize” Biblically ordained offices such as deacons making them a position of power instead of a ministry of service.

3. Many pastors bully their congregations with guilt often threatening them just as did the popes of the medieval period. This sort of leadership offends the very statements of Christ himself when He said, I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly. (John 10:10 NASB)

4. Youth Pastors position themselves between parents and their children. Looking down their noses at parents who are at best a cheap chaperone or van driver or at worst a nuisance. This sort of attitude flaunts the command of parents (not youth pastors) to be the primary source of spiritual instruction and encouragement (Deuteronomy 6).

5. Pastors who are more concerned with “filling pews” (which incidentally is never commanded in scripture) instead of making disciples and teaching them God’s Word (commanded in Matthew 28:19-20) usually for the purpose of inflating membership rolls. Even the president of the SBC Frank Page mentioned in a recent article that this practice is out of control:

All of us must be saddened by the fact that Southern Baptists claim more than 16 million members. One preacher once told me that the FBI could not find 5 million of them! I happen to agree with him. It is time to emphasize evangelism with integrity. No longer should we use manipulative methods that may bring about larger numbers when those persons' commitment to Christ is little or none. (Baptist Press May 7, 2007)

There are more examples that can (and will in time) be noted. Sufficed to say that we need to understand that the modern church is in serious need of reformation. We need to do just as the Biblical scholars of the reformation did and ignore what is being said and go back to the sources (Latin: ad fontes). We need to reform our churches so that if Peter or Barnabas or any of the 1st century saints were to show up at our churches they would at least in theory know what we are meeting to do.

Welcome To The Battlefield

The Lord has blessed me with the opportunity to travel through Europe many times. I have seen battlefields and castles that were ground zero for some of the fiercest clashes in world history. One of my personal favorites is found just outside the small Scottish town of Stirling. Near a large marshy area is a battlefield known as Bannock burn. It was on this marshy plain that King Robert the Bruce defeated King Edward II and gained Scottish independence from England. It is a moving experience to walk the land where kilted warriors laid their life on the line to gain their freedom. Yet, despite the solemnity of that experience, there is another battlefield that captures my attention even more and this one is much closer to home. The battlefield that is even greater than all the others combined is the battlefield of the heart.

When you were born, even though you were too young to know it then, you were born into a world at war. This war has been raging ever since the greatest prince of angels decided that serving the most high God was not enough. Satan is real, spiritual warfare is real, the battle for the hearts of men and women is real, its more real than the chair you are sitting in right now. Yet for all of its reality and carnage, most believer’s walk ignorantly through this battlefield never giving a thought about the enemy or the war that he is waging to ensnare their hearts.

The Scriptures speak of Lucifer in very specific terms. One of the most famous passages about him is found in I Peter 5:8

Be of sober spirit, be on the alert Your adversary, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. (NASB)

Satan is fixed on keeping believers from recognizing what God has done in our lives. He doesn’t want us to realize that our flesh may still be bad, but our hearts are redeemed and are therefore good. He doesn’t want us to be fully alive in Christ just as St. Irenaeus has said,

"The Glory of God is man, fully alive!"

God has given us a new heart, and Satan is terrified that we will realize this and start living up to the potential that we have afforded us in Christ. We are no longer bound by the law of sin and death, but we are freed by the spirit that brings life.

So how do we live this life, this abundant life that Christ refers to in John 10:10? Let me give you a few suggestions…

1. Recognize that God has given you a new heart that is good. – II Corinthians 4:6-7, 5:17

2. Recognize that Satan, the world, your own flesh, and even sometimes other believers can and are used by Satan to keep your from walking with God from your good heart. – Matt 16:23, James 4:3-5, Romans 7:18

3. Prepare yourself daily for spiritual warfare – Ephesians 6:10-18


I hope that this wake-up call will encourage you and disturb you at the same time. Don’t give Satan another day. Break any agreements that you may have made with him and begin to live the life that God has called you to today. When you begin to walk with God from the good heart that He has re-created within you, then you will know the glory that Jesus was talking about when he said,

"But the seed in the good soil, these are the ones who have heard the word in an honest and good heart, and hold it fast, and bear fruit with perseverance.”

- Luke 8:15 (NASB)

Re-Defining The Success Of Your Ministry

It's both humorous and depressing to look around you and see how people define success. One of the classic worldly definitions is, "He who dies with the most toys wins". This definition is oddly funny when a man is in his prime, but becomes rather hollow when he is staring death in the face. As ministers who should keep eternity before us, we should have our own definition. This begs the question then, "how do we as ministers of the gospel define success?"
According to Mr. Webster success is:

a : degree or measure of succeeding b : favorable or desired outcome; also : the attainment of wealth, favor, or eminence

If your definition in any way, shape, or form relies on part b of Mr. Websters, then its high time that you re-define the success of your ministry.

One of the greatest weaknesses I see in the modern, evangelical church is the tendency to place un-Biblical standards on ministry. It's been going on since medieval times. Instead of being content with having the less quantifiable but infinitely more genuine pleasure of God resting on us, we have created a cult of numbers. I see this cult manifesting itself in many ways not the least of which are:

1. Discipleship - Many evangelical churches are more concerned with converts making a decision and joining the church to fill the pews than they are in they unglamorous and sometimes laborious process of nurturing a new believer to maturity. Oh and by the way, don't assume that because you have a Sunday School that you have a discipleship ministry. (read this post from April 9th)

2. Church Buildings - It is at the same time breath taking and shocking how many evangelical churches are built. There are churches with Starbucks stores, fitness centers, movie theaters, etc. People are obviously attracted to such magnificent facilities and therefore attendance is at a record high. I would applaud this kind of massive growth were it not tainted by non-spiritual allurements. It makes me wonder how Peter and the lads in 1st century Jerusalem did it. After all, they only had the gospel and the Holy Spirit.

3. Family Abandonment - Of course with all these facilities and satellite locations you have to have activity. There are youth activities, men's activities, ladies activities, kids activities, they may even have family nights where families can wave at each other across the room. The time that families spend at "church" grows greater and greater while the real opportunity for parents to disciple their kids as mandated in Deuteronomy 6 dwindles away.

Little by little we give in to the pressure to bolster our numbers. Sunday after Sunday we sacrifice the families of our members and our own families on the altar of numbers. At some point we have to stop this madness and re-define success as parents discipling their kids (Deut. 6) and churches supporting this end by modeling a proper fellowship (Acts 2:42) Its not about a building, or about numbers its about spiritually healthy families and churches.

How do you define success? How you answer this question will determine your philosophy of ministry. I hope that when you answer it that your answer reflects a statement made by God many years ago when He said...

"The LORD does not look at the things man looks at. Man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart."
- I Samuel 16:7b