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Fundamentalism’s Fundamental Flaw

/ Lee A. Robinson / 3 Comments

By “Fundamentalism” I mean specifically 21st century, American, independent, Baptist (with a big B), King James Only, dispensational, premillennial, fundamentalism. The fundamental flaw is that of elevating secondary, non-essential doctrines & practices to that of Orthodoxy (correct doctrine) & Orthopraxy (correct practice). By “secondary” and “non-essential,” I mean beliefs and practices that are not essential to salvation or godliness. Everything we do as Christians is important, but not everything is a matter of salvation or even godliness – there is room for theological and practical disagreement among godly believers. This flaw is certainly applicable to other sections of Christianity, but I have this particular tradition in mind, since most of my experience and relationships have revolved around IFB churches, and because I believe this is a particular vulnerability in this branch of Christianity. The results of this flaw are an unhealthy over-emphasis on non-essentials, separation from other Christians on non-Biblical grounds, and an ever so slightly-to-potent spirit of fear. These errors oftentimes produce isolated, lopsided, fearful, and sometimes ignorant Christians.     

Mention of Charity

I cannot speak for every circle of IFB (Independent, Fundamental, Baptist) churches, but the associated churches that I come from are in general genuine, humble, truly-saved, godly, loving, zealous, wise and God-fearing people. No one is perfect, neither is any church or denomination, but I am thankful that my spiritual upbringing came through churches where Jesus is Lord, the Holy Spirit is obeyed, and the pure Gospel is proclaimed. Amen for that. 

However, when Jesus came to speak to His churches in the book of Revelation, he found things that He had against most of them – even the good churches, where He was still present in the midst of them. So just because I mention a flaw does not mean that God is not there, or that they are not saved or godly, or “bad churches,” but rather to point out a weakness, in the hopes that some will be sensitive, thoughtful and hopefully grow in Christian maturity through this (or, in the words of Jesus to His churches who were in disobedience…to repent). So, this is not bash-Fundamentalists time. We need you. The whole Body of Christ needs you and we want to partner with you. I would love to hear some feedback and dialogue with Fundamentalists on this issue. 

Here’s how I believe it works (and this is still part of the charity section) – An IFB brother or sister believes, for example, that the pre-tribulation rapture is so crystal clear in the Bible, and of such gravity, that if someone denies it, they are denying a cardinal doctrine of THE Faith. And so, the unfortunate reality is that when a brother falls into serious doctrinal error, we are commanded by our Lord to “touch not the unclean thing,” and to “come out from among them,” and “mark that man and have no company with him.” And so, out of a sincere desire to please Jesus and obey the Word of God, they hesitatingly and broken-heartedly, out of necessity, separate from their once beloved brother. (I know for sure that there are times when Christians separate in anger, and do not handle situations with love and care. This certainly happens, but even when separation is handled somewhat correctly, the fundamental issue I think with Fundamentalists is not how separation is handled, but why?) 

Stated simply, I think most times IFB’s are trying to walk in love and truth simultaneously – but in elevating their tradition (perhaps even unintentionally) above the Word of God, this causes them to react to others who differ with them in non-Biblical ways. 

What Saith the Scriptures? 

My challenge to IFB’s is this – and I have yet to barely have a response at all to this, nevermind a good response – “Please demonstrate from Scripture how “such and such” doctrine or practice is an issue of salvation or godliness?” I know you believe strongly what you believe and that you think it is a huge deal, but show us where God says that if you do not hold this particular belief or practice you are still lost, or an ungodly person? If we are going to go to the extreme measure of denouncing a particular belief or practice, it ought to be clearly spelled out in Scripture, correct? 

For example, the Bible is clear that if someone denies the deity of Jesus Christ, then they are not saved: John 8:24 Jesus said, “I said therefore unto you, that ye shall die in your sins: for if ye believe not that I am he, ye shall die in your sins.” Jesus clearly taught this. Therefore, if someone denies the Deity of Christ we should treat them as an unbeliever – loving, but gracious separation. They are not saved, and they are not godly. We shouldn’t call them brother and they are to be disciplined out of the church. If they teach this doctrine then we should publicly expose them for it and denounce their teachings. 

Another example would be: if someone is walking in open, public, unrepentant adultery then they should be disciplined out of the church and treated as an unbeliever, because adultery is clearly condemned in Scripture. 

But show us where Scripture specifically condemns things such as: plural church leadership, or use of other Bible versions, or amillennialism/postmillennialism, or calvinism, or different music/dress standards, or infant baptism, or practicing a balanced view of charismatic gifts, etc.? (These things are not a catalog of my personal doctrinal positions, but they are positions which are often held by saved & godly Bible believing Christians, which I have personally seen a very unhealthy and extreme repudiation of by IFB’s, even though none of them are remotely condemned in Scripture. If you want to know what I believe personally, ask me, I’d love to talk to you about it). I know, you think those doctrines & practices are wrong, unbiblical and perhaps even devilish – but that’s not the issue. That’s not the question! The question is – Show us where Scripture specifically condemns those things??? If you cannot demonstrate that, then you have no right treating other believers as though they are in grave error. Is it possible that what is actually happening is that they are in serious error according to Your tradition (which you have elevated to the status of the Word of God), but are not in error according to the Word of God? Your interpretation of the Scriptures is not equivalent to the truth of the Scriptures themselves – unless you believe that your interpretations are infallible – Are you willing to say they are? If not, then give grace and liberty to people.

Who determines Orthodoxy? 

Everyone agrees that we can disagree about certain things, but who ultimately becomes the judge of what is considered within the bounds of sound doctrine/practice? Of course, each church can decide this for their own members, but who decides for the whole of Christianity? In other words, if another Christian down the street goes to another church, what guidelines should we hold them to in order for them to be considered in the “safe zone,” or saved and godly, even though we differ on things?

To me it seems the IFB default is to make their own doctrinal & practice standards to be The Ruler by which all Christians are to be regarded as saved and sanctified. “How do we know what is right and wrong?” – Well, what do we believe and practice? The local church statement of faith and written or unwritten rules of conduct becomes the arbiter of sound doctrine for all of Christianity, and for the last 2,000 years??? Please think about that long and hard if that is your position. The founders of this nation and most of your favorite Christians from history were not of the equivalent doctrinal persuasions and character of today’s IFB’s.

Among Bible-Believing Christians there is a very high level of agreement on certain doctrines & practices, and also a wide variety of disagreement about other doctrines & practices. The things in which there is a high agreement on are the fundamentals of the faith – The Bible being the Word of God, the Trinity, the virgin birth, sinlessness and deity of Christ, the death, burial, resurrection and return of Christ, the Gospel of grace through faith in Christ, etc. The reason why there is a large consensus is because they are very clearly delineated in Scripture, and because they are the fundamentals – the things that are vital to our faith – God has made them very plan. These are the beliefs in which we can find Scripture actually condemning people who do not confess them. Contrarily, the reason why there is a wide disagreement about the non-fundamentals, or non-essentials, is because they are not clearly delineated in Scripture. There is room for disagreement. The Bible is not crystal clear, which is why honest, studious, careful Bible believers come to different conclusions. 

Christianity is much bigger than Fundamentalism. Of course, there is apostate, liberal, compromised “Christianity,” but there are also other genuine Christians out there, much different than yourself, who are just as saved, just as godly, just as loving, just as zealous, just as committed the the authority of Scripture, just as balanced and wise, and just as evangelistic as you are – and might I even say – more so than you are. If you do not believe this, you are believing a lie, you’re living in an echo chamber, and you are cheating yourself of benefiting from the Holy Spirit’s work in the lives of countless other modern Christians and giants of the past. Sometimes there is hypocrisy as well, because an IFB will study, benefit from and even promote saints of the past who they would strongly condemn and separate from if they were actually alive today. 

Individuals and the various traditions that makeup Christianity in the world all have strengths and all have weaknesses. Be quick to identify and work on improving your weaknesses and slow to point out and condemn others for theirs. I encourage you to get to know Christians who go to churches much different than your own. Be thankful for them and bless them. You don’t have to adopt their beliefs or practices, just love them. Receive them (Romans 14). If you truly think that you are the stronger brother, then follow the instructions of Galatians 6:1. Have you tried to lovingly, patiently, with understanding, show them the error of their way???

And another thing – Don’t be afraid. If you are afraid of associating with Christians of another stripe, thinking that you will be condemned by your brethren along with those “ungodly” non-Fundamentalists, then you are being ruled by the fear of man, not love. Jesus was no respecter of persons, neither should we be. Being more concerned about your reputation than you are about loving a fellow Christian is selfish, cowardly and hypocritical. 

Lastly, consider this. If Jesus came to your region of the world, would he only visit your church? Would He visit other churches as well? If he did, would he call them, “My people?” So, if Jesus would visit other churches and call them “My people,” then why would you not do the same? Why do you condemn others for doing what Jesus would do? 

Would Jesus eat with them, laugh with them, pray with them, and serve with them? If He would, then why aren’t you? Would the Lord have something against the other churches in your area? Yes? Would He have something to say against your church? If so, what would it be? You condemn that Christian girl for wearing a small nose ring, yet you look like a prostitute with that super short, tight skirt, or elongated underwear. Is she really that bad? In the words of one beloved IFB brother, sometimes we need “a check up from the neck up.”  

I hope and pray that God will pour out a spirit of honesty, humility, kindness, grace, patience, and wisdom on all IFB churches in America. May the Lord unite all of His people in Truth and Love. 

How To Handle Tragedy (Part 2)

/ Lee A. Robinson / Leave a comment

In the previous article we observed seven lessons we can learn from the story of Job. Here we will look at six more. If you have not read or listened to the first article I would recommend it. It lays some groundwork for what will be discussed in this article. May some things here prove beneficial to you as you navigate the difficulties of life… 

  1. Many times God chooses the most righteous people to endure the most tragedy. 

The book of Job intentionally highlights the godliness of Job. The truly pious are not exempt from tragedy. As we saw in previous lessons, our sufferings always have a higher purpose than what only concerns our personal lives. No where in the Bible are righteous people promised to escape all pain and suffering. In fact, there is actually a warning for the righteous that they will probably encounter much suffering on account of their righteousness. Jesus cautioned, “If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me.” (Luke 9:23). Remember, the cross was a torture device. The apostle Paul, who had suffered much for the cause of Christ, said in 2 Timothy 3:12, “Yea, and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution.” The sufferings of the righteous, though, are on a greater level than the natural toil of partaking of a fallen race and living in a fallen place – there is no guilt or shame involved. Rather, the sufferings of the godly are vicarious sufferings – they work in tandem with God’s good purposes in the world. Paul interestingly described this process about his own ministry this way, “Who now rejoice in my sufferings for you, and fill up that which is behind of the afflictions of Christ in my flesh for his body’s sake, which is the church.” (Colossians 1:24) I believe what he is saying is that the progress of the Gospel and the growth of the Church are not independent from the personal involvement and struggle of the people of God. God is the one who saves – Yes. The Holy Spirit is the one who causes the people of God to grow – Yes. But God has ordained, oftentimes, that He does His work through the toil, struggle and perhaps tragedy of the people of God. Our bodies are not our own. We have been bought with a price, and the Spirit within us yearns, “Father, if it is possible for this cup to pass from me— nevertheless, not my will, but thine be done.” 

No one compares to the ultimate expression of this truth, as seen in the Suffering Servant Himself – the Lord Jesus Christ. The most righteous man to ever live (perfect righteousness) was acquainted with the most grief, during his lifetime. Then, in His death, He experienced the most pain, horror and torture ever experienced. But, Why? Because mankind sinned. And in His godliness he took our sins upon Himself, so the world may be saved (the vicarious atonement). The righteous do not look for or ask for suffering – they want to avoid it. Yet, they know that if suffering is the means by which God’s will is determined to be accomplished, then by God’s grace they embrace that road.   

  1. The correct response to tragedy is GRATEFUL WORSHIP.

This is one of the most important lessons from the story of Job. When the unthinkable happened to Job, this was his response: “Then Job arose, and rent his mantle, and shaved his head, and fell down upon the ground, and worshiped, and said, Naked came I out of my mother’s womb, and naked shall I return thither: the LORD gave, and the LORD hath taken away; blessed be the name of the LORD. In all this Job sinned not, nor charged God foolishly.” (Job 1:20-22) Job recognized that everything ultimately belongs to God; that any good thing we partake of is a gift from God; and that God is absolutely free to take those things away whenever He chooses. Instead of bitterness and anger, Job prayed, worshiped, thanked and blessed God for His actions. The wrong reaction to tragedy is found in Job’s wife: “Then said his wife unto him, Dost thou still retain thine integrity? curse God, and die. But he said unto her, Thou speakest as one of the foolish women speaketh. What? shall we receive good at the hand of God, and shall we not receive evil? In all this did not Job sin with his lips.” (Job 2:9-10) Becoming bitter and angry at God accomplishes nothing except making your own sufferings worse. Gratefulness is the balm of tragedy, the ointment that quickens healing. Are you thankful for all that God has given you? Are you thankful for all that He has taken away? Are you grateful for all of the good, and all of the privileges, that God has allowed you to enjoy? Are you grateful for all of the evil, and of the oppression, that God has allowed into your life? We must give God praise for everything, otherwise we are declaring that we are wiser than God, and more suitable than He to govern our lives. This is foolishness, as Job said.  

The way Satan gains a victory in our lives is not through inflicting pain or suffering upon us, but rather through manipulating us to react in ways that do not accurately reflect the nature of God. If he can get us to say or do anything which hints that God is not good, or that God doesn’t care about us, or that God wasn’t able to come through for his beloved: then he has won in our lives. The testimony is of utmost importance. Our job here on the earth is to magnify the goodness of God, whether it be by life or by death. If we succeed in this, the Devil has no power over us. Job championed over Satan in this skirmish. May we do the same in our lives.   

  1. Some people serve God for what they can get from Him…we should not be one of them.

Satan made an accusation against Job, that the only reason he served God was because God had blessed him in every way, and that if God were to remove the blessings then Job would curse God to His face. Thankfully, Job proved the Devil to be a liar, as we saw in the last point. It is unfortunately true, however, that some people do really only serve God for the blessings: whether it be for a “get out of Hell” free card, or for financial prosperity, or physical protection, etc. God is worthy of our worship, praise and obedience merely on the basis of Who He is. His own character and Person demands awe and obedience. I love the words to the song Settled at the Cross. It says, “So if You never speak another word of blessing, And the silence leaves me with a sense of loss, I’ll remember when my heart begins to question, Any doubt that You love me was settled at the cross.” We have been given enough reassurance from God that nothing can separate us from His love (Romans 8). We must remember this when tragedy comes, and remember to give Him praise through it all. God is good, and He does good to those who love Him, but He will not be reduced to an ATM or good luck charm. At some point you will turn away from following Him if your ultimate motivation to believe is self-centered.  

  1. It is natural and acceptable to grieve, but we must be careful that our grief does not turn into ungodly unbelief & despair. 

Job expressed grief in his trial. The initial tearing of clothes and shaving his head were not signs that he was angry at anyone or angry at God, but a common expression of deep sorrow. It is natural to grieve. When Lazarus died Jesus wept because he loved him and his family. We all want life and healing, and ultimately for the righteous we will experience them perfectly and eternally, but until then there are moments in this life where it is appropriate to mourn the loss of these things on account of sin and the fallen state of this world. 

We do need to be careful though, because the Bible speaks about a sorrow of the world that produces death. “For godly sorrow worketh repentance to salvation not to be repented of: but the sorrow of the world worketh death.” (2 Corinthians 7:10) Godly sorrow is sadness over the consequences of sin or heartbreak over displeasing God, but the fruit of this kind of sorrow always leads to sweetness and peace, and the sorrow always has an end. Jesus said, “Blessed (happy) are they that mourn, for they shall be comforted.” (Matthew 5:4) The sorrow of the world has no end, and it is hopelessness and despair. Wordly sorrow does not break you free from a difficult circumstance, but rather drowns you in it. Don’t go there. There are real, evil spirits and people in the world, but rest in the fact that ultimate judgment will come one day. There is real pain and suffering in this world, but rest in the fact that one day it will be completely abolished; even death itself will die. God makes no mistakes. Everything from His perspective makes perfect sense. Rest in the fact that one day it will all make sense to you as well.     

  1. “Why?” is the wrong question. 

The bulk of the book of Job is him wrangling with his friends on the deep subjects about the nature of God, the meaning of life and the reason for this trial. It gets deep. Job really struggles with his situation, and is asking the question, “Why?” “God, why are you letting this happen to me?” The answer God gives is so profound, and is so important for us to embrace. God doesn’t actually give Job the reason why, but what He does give him is better…

The LORD challenges Job with a series of questions, basically saying, “If you tell me the answer to my questions, then I will tell you the answer to your questions.” God demands of Job things such as, “Job, tell me the dimensions of the universe.” “Have you gone into the places where I store the snow, for the time when I need it.” “Can you send out lightning bolts?” and a number of other details only the infinite God of the universe would know or be able to do. Why was God confronting Job like this? I believe what was happening was God saying to the effect, “Job, what is more important than you understanding why all of this is happening, is you understanding that you can trust ME even when there seems to be no natural answers.” Essentially God’s answer to Job’s questions is, “You don’t have the right to ask me, “Why?” or, “Asking, ‘Why?” is the wrong question to be asking.” 

This reminds me of what is said in Romans 9:20-21, “Nay but, O man, who art thou that repliest against God? Shall the thing formed say to him that formed it, Why hast thou made me thus? Hath not the potter power over the clay, of the same lump to make one vessel unto honour, and another unto dishonour?” Clay is not able to, nor is meant to know the will of it’s maker, or the reason why it was molded the way it was. The role of the clay is simply to be formed and used for what the potter desires for it. Compared to God, we are just as intellectually bankrupt as a piece of pottery is, as it relates to understanding the eternal and perfect plans of God. Our place is simply to be and do what our heavenly Potter desires from us. If His will for us at this time is tragedy, then we must submit to it cheerfully. “Father, I do not need to know, “Why?” Knowing You is good enough.” The instructions of Philippians 4:6-7 are very fitting, “Be careful (anxious) for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.” 

  1. Job’s restoration was in connection with him releasing his antagonists. 

The end of Job’s story is really amazing. Job is set straight. Then the Lord confronts Job’s friends, even more directly than Job, and tells them that they need to repent, offer sacrifices and basically apologize to Job for the words they had wrongly spoken. The special part though is this verse, “And the LORD turned the captivity of Job, when he prayed for his friends.” (Job 42:10) You would think that God would have turned things around for Job at the point when Job surrendered to God’s will, but not so. Healing lined up with Job releasing his friends from their misunderstandings. I know I don’t comprehend this fully, but one major thing it makes me think is that sometimes it’s not so much the painful events that happen themselves that really bother us, but more so the people involved in them. It may be someone who has died that we’re upset with, and they’re not even here any more. Or it may be someone close to you who has done you wrong that you are angry with. It may simply be someone who is trying to interpret your situation, but is completely wrong. Whatever the situation, and whoever is involved, our job is always and ever to simply FORGIVE and to release them from any obligation to explain themselves to us or make any kind of atonement for things they have wrongly done to us. Let go and let God. Unless we forgive, then we will not be forgiven ourselves. If we hold on to anger and bitterness and try to punish others, our captivity will continue. Release them and you will be released. God will deal with them, just as he dealt with Jobs friends – directly and sternly. Leave that to business to Go and focus on your relationship and understanding with the Lord. Amen. 

May God have mercy upon us all, to lead us away from trials and difficulties. But if it is in His wise providence to lead us into tragedy, may we have His grace, wisdom, courage, and patience to embrace it joyfully, never forgetting His glory and reputation through the whole thing. And hasten be the day when we see the Devil, that old Serpent, cast into the lake of fire, to be torment day and night forever and ever; the day when God’s infinite perfection, beauty and wise governance of all things is clearly manifested for all to see! Peace. 

How to Handle Tragedy

/ Lee A. Robinson / 1 Comment

*This article pretty much assumes that the reader is at least familiar with the story of Job. If you are not familiar with it, I would recommend reading at least the first two chapters of the story before reading this (and thanks for reading by the way)… 

Anyone who traverses this world for any length of time will no doubt experience pain, heartache and suffering. This life is riddled by difficulty which every person encounters on various levels. There are also times, which are more infrequent, when people experience extremely difficult, life-altering tragedies, which can really shake the core of who you are and how you view the world: it may be through successive deaths of near relatives or friends, a long term, severe health issue, or heartbreaking, family destroying decisions and/or actions of people, etc. Many times these catastrophes will cause people to doubt (understandably so) God’s existence, goodness or wise providence of the world. You may be going through a time like that right now in your life. Thankfully, we are never alone in such circumstances, and also Holy Scripture is not silent on the subject either. There is an entire book in the Bible devoted to this specific subject, which most Bible scholars agree was the first piece of divine Scripture committed to writing in the world. Perhaps the biggest and most puzzling question of mankind, “Why is there so much pain and suffering in the world?” was the first question God answered for man in written form. The following are fifteen brief lessons we can learn from the story of Job’s tragedy…

  1. “Bad things” happen to “good people.”

The very first line in the story of Job summarizes his character, “[Job] was perfect and upright, and one that feared God, and eschewed (rejected) evil.” (Job 1:1) By God’s own testimony Job was a very godly man. He was not just religious, but internally, genuinely pious – he loved God. He also did right by man. However, in one day his very successful business was all stolen, many of his employees killed and all of his children (seven sons and three daughters) were killed altogether in a tragic accident. Soon following Job was struck by a horrible disease in his flesh that went from the tip of his toes to the crown of his head. The trials of Job were not the direct result of Job being punished by God for something evil he had done. There were much bigger purposes involved, which we will get to. The point here is to simply say that just because tragedy has happened, does not automatically mean that you are being judged by God, or that God has forgotten about you. It may be that God is trying to get your attention about something not right in your life, but not necessarily. It was not the case in Job’s situation.  

There is a wrong tendency that we have as weak, fallen creatures, which is to assume that it is always the case that “good things” happen to “good people,” and “bad things” happen to “bad people,” but this simply is not true. Consider the story of the man that was born blind. John 9:1 says, “And as Jesus passed by, he saw a man which was blind from his birth. And his disciples asked him, saying, Master, who did sin, this man, or his parents, that he was born blind? Jesus answered, Neither hath this man sinned, nor his parents: but that the works of God should be made manifest in him.” (John 1:1-3) God allowed (actually purposed) this man to be born blind, for many reasons, but ultimately the purpose was so that he would be miraculously healed by Jesus and be at the center of an amazing experience and testimony of God in the world. One of the things his story did was inspire one of the greatest Christian hymns of all time – Amazing Grace, which has the famous line, “I once was lost, but now I am found; was blind, but now I see.” The ultimate example is the passion of Christ. He experienced horrendous suffering – in the will of God – yet he was the godliest man to ever live (God in the flesh). There was a much greater purpose to His sufferings.    

  1. There really are no “good people” in the world. 

When people say, “Why do bad things happen to good people?,” it is usually assumed that we all understand and agree on the standard of what a “good person” is, but we most often have an arbitrary, man-centered standard that is not supported by Scripture. According to the Bible, God is the standard of “goodness.” God is good, which means that He is morally perfect, pure, without fault or defect in any way. So if someone is “good” by God’s definition, they would be morally perfect, or without sin. By this standard (God’s standard) we have all fallen short, which is what the Bible teaches: “for all have sinned and have come short of the glory of God.” (Romans 3:23) Since Adam & Eve sinned, the human race has been a fallen race, and the world has been a fallen place. Evil, sin, suffering and death are all byproducts of the corrupted world we live in. Not only is it the world we live in, but we ourselves are all sinful and selfish from the womb. The Bible says that we are estranged from the womb and go astray as soon as we are born, speaking lies (Psalm 58:3), which is why we all need to be Born Again. But what this means is that ultimately any measure of comfort, peace and prosperity we enjoy is actually a mercy from God, gifts that we do not deserve. Things truly could be a lot worse.

  1. We humans tend to overlook the blessings, taking them for granted, but highlight the struggles and tragedies we encounter.

It is very easy and natural for us to breeze through days, months or years with things going well without much thought, and perhaps without much thanksgiving to God; but when tragedy strikes we are all of sudden bent out of shape with a “woe is me” “I don’t deserve this” entitlement attitude. I know that I am certainly this way (wrongfully so) when I am physically sick. I am thankful for generally good health, and give thanks to God – at least quietly, but when I get sick I tend to shut down and think, “Oh no! How could this be happening! Not now! When is this going to end?!” At least those near to me will hear about it! 

Perhaps the better question for us to ask more often is, “Why do good things happen to bad people?” That is what we should truly be suprised about! Perhaps we would be better off to be more vocal in our gratefulness when things are well, and reserved and thoughtful while things seem to be falling apart. We certainly should not fall into the pit of blaming God for tragedy, if all the while when blessings were being showered on us we were silent about attributing all of that to God. 

In the movie Courageous, a family lost a young daughter in an accident involving a drunk driver. The father began to be bitter and would have nightmares about all of the things he would not get to experience with her (graduations, a wedding, etc.). In counseling, a minister gave him some very profound advice which we would all do well to take heed to. He said, “You are going to have to make a choice. Are you going to be bitter about all of the time that you will not get to have with your daughter, or will you be thankful for all of the time that you did get to have with her?” 

  1. In general, blessing does accompany obedience to God and judgment disobedience (the law of sowing & reaping), buuuut…be very careful to not judge others’ situations  according to the appearance.

In the meat of the story and in the midst of Job’s sufferings, his “friends” basically told him, “Job, we know that you did something evil. God is righteous and doesn’t overlook sin, so it’s obvious you did something wrong, which is why all of this is happening to you. Just confess it and be done with all of this.” Unfortunately, they had an immature and incomplete perception of reality and the way God and the world work. Things are not always the way they appear. You might think someone is suffering because of sin when in reality they are truly, deeply righteous. Also, you may think that someone is prospering because they are righteous, but they are actually not right with God. Be careful. Things went well for the first seven days that Job’s friends were there to visit him, but this was because they didn’t say a word in those seven days – often that’s the best thing that we can do for someone who is laboring through tragedy. 

  1. God promises that every “bad thing” will become a positive in the end, for the Christian. 

In the end Job was restored twice as much as he had before: he was completely healed from his sickness, he was given seven more sons and three more daughters, and he was given double the amount of livestock than he had originally. Not only on the physical level, but more importantly on the spiritual level, much good came out of the situation: Job’s understanding of God and of life was massively heightened, the Devil was shamed in the spiritual realm and exposed for his accusations and lies, Job’s “friends” and society were well aware of the situation as saw God’s restoration in his life, and not the least of which was the publication and preservation of his story, which has given countless encouragement and hope for millions of people over the course of thousands of years now. Romans 8:28 says, “And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.” The ingredients to make a cake, if eaten individually, are either not very tasty or inedible, yet when they are mixed together and put through the fire they become delicious. If you love God, you will encounter some things that will seem too hard to bear, but take courage, God is mixing it all together into something beautiful to be seen in its time. Did the sufferings of Jesus churn any good into the world? 

  1. Job’s trials did not happen by accident or chance. 

There is an amazing insight given to us in the story of Job (I think certainly one of the most striking features of the whole story). The revelation is that God was the one who suggested Job to Satan and then afterwards authorized him (twice) to disturb Job’s life (Job 1:8). Satan did not come to God looking for permission to hurt Job. Instead, God proposed Job to Satan. Our natural tendency when tragedy happens is to think that it was not what God intended and that certainly God was far removed from being the origin of it, but this doesn’t seem to be the totality of what is being communicated in the story of Job and other parts of Scripture. God was the initiator in the series of Job’s sufferings. He wasn’t the one physically hurting Job, but He was ultimately responsible for it. Satan is responsible for his evil intentions and actions, but God is also responsible for His intentions and actions. Was God willing that Job would suffer? Well, in one sense, “Yes,” and another, “No.” God’s heart is that of a Deliverer, a Savior and Healer, but in this fallen world God also knows the way to the ultimate goal of Salvation sometimes involves suffering. Sometimes a physician will break a bone in order for it to heal correctly. This can seem overwhelming, but I think if we are willing to receive it, it becomes deeply, deeply comforting and reassuring. It means that there is no purposeless evil in the world. God not only allows evil, but He also (at least in some sense) superintends all evil. We must confess, based on Scripture, that God does and cannot do morally evil things, yet at the same time no evil exists outside of His will. The ultimate Power behind all things (or situations) – good and evil – is God: a pure, unchanging, all powerful, benevolent Being, Whose name is Love who cannot be manipulated or sleight handed in this universe. Satan and no other power or force in this world can sneak tragedy into our lives. Whatever the trial, God has always been with you, not standing far off, but intimately involved in the whole entire process. 

The greatest example of this again is the crucifixion of Jesus. Before the foundations of the world (also before evil existed) God ordained that Jesus would be crucified in order to bring about salvation to the world. The cross (which remember was a torture device) is central to the will of God, not only for the good of mankind, but also for the exaltation and glory of His Son, Jesus Christ. It was God’s will for Jesus to suffer. Sometimes it is God’s will for us to suffer, but always for our good and for His glory. God brought Job into this tragedy without his permission. Good thing He doesn’t ask us before He does it in our lives, because we know what we would answer. Some people get bitter at God for evil, but does that help to take it away at all? Bowing before God’s sovereignty brings joy and the best understanding that can be attained, albeit it may be imperfect, but we have the promise that He will give us peace that passes all understanding.  

  1. We must realize that our lives serve a much greater purpose than ourselves. 

After God suggested Job to Satan it says that, “Satan answered the LORD, and said, Doth Job fear God for nought? Hast not thou made an hedge about him, and about his house, and about all that he hath on every side? thou hast blessed the work of his hands, and his substance is increased in the land. But put forth thine hand now, and touch all that he hath, and he will curse thee to thy face.” (Job 1:9-11) Essentially God and Satan are disputing about whether Job will love and serve God only when God blesses him, or whether he will remain faithful to God even if God allows evil to strike his life. God and Satan are “betting” on Job’s reaction as if he is a contender in a ring, and he has no idea that he is even in this “competition.” There were certainly purposes of God for those who were on the earth, but the bigger and greater purposes for Job’s trials were actually in heaven, or in the spiritual realm. We are bound by flesh, and are therefore naturally limited in our perception and tend to focus only on what happens on the earth. Our lives are real, we are not puppets or chess pieces, but what was more important in the story of Job – the good of Job or the glory of God? Every situation that happens has at least three elements to it – the punishment of the wicked, the complete salvation of the righteous and the glory of God, but the glory of God overarches the other two. Justice on evil is good and helps mankind, but ultimately it serves a greater purpose – to magnify the justice and righteous indignation of God towards evil. Salvation serves a wonderful purpose for those who experience it, but still here the greater purpose is to bring attention to and glorify the profound mercy, grace and love of God!    

Did we mention yet that Jesus and His sufferings at the Cross are the best example of this??? 

The Cross was the grand, climactic showdown between God and Satan. Jesus struck Satan with a death blow, and how? By a cross and through death. “And having spoiled principalities and powers, he made a shew of them openly, triumphing over them in it.” (Colossians 2:15) The picture I believe that is being painted is that after Jesus won the victory, his ascension and return into heaven was a triumphal victory procession, and among the parade was the devil himself (the arch enemy) bruised, beaten and chained up, for all the universe to see – angels, demons, saints and God himself! The ultimate tragedy of the ages – the suffering of Christ – became the catalyst through which God would most publicly shame the Devil, in the most awesome way!  

If we handle tragedy, by the grace of God, with joy, reservation, patience and hope; recognizing that our personal skirmish is in the context of the greater, comic, spiritual war; we will be accurately and powerfully declaring the glorious Gospel of God, not only for this world to see, but also for all those in the spiritual realm to see.

I hope that one or some of these lessons were an encouragement to you. Stay tuned for part 2…

Leggings & Jeggings

/ Lee A. Robinson / 2 Comments

Leggings & Jeggings

Well it’s obvious that leggings, jeggings and related articles of clothing have been the “in-thing” now for a while among women – including Christian women. I personally haven’t heard anyone speak about it Biblically. So, here we go…

My goal for writing this is not to tell you what you should or shouldn’t wear – that is the responsibility of the Holy Spirit, your husband (if you’re married) and your parents (if you’re under their authority), so ultimately you should be in submission to your appropriate Head. My goal here is to help Christians think biblically about Christian modesty and to suggest how Biblical principles may apply to clothing choices, particularly here the wearing of leggings. I write from the perspective of a Christian pastor, teacher, husband and father of three maturing daughters. 

My prayer is that you would have a passionate zeal and commitment to please God above all things – above comfort, trends, your environment, society, the status quo and your own desires. Jesus charged us, “If any man (the same is true for woman) will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me.” (Luke 9:23) Following Jesus is not always easy or popular – most of the time it is not, but this is what we are called to do, and this is the way to please God. Are you willing to hear and obey the Word of God and the Voice of God in regards to what you wear? 

First, let’s start with the basic question: Is there such a thing as right and wrong dress? Biblically, yes there is, since God instructs women to wear modest apparel (1 Timothy 2:9). So, from God’s perspective there are some clothes that are modest and some that are immodest. God does care about what Christian ladies wear (and of course what men wear as well, but that is not the subject for today). He does approve of some and disapprove of others. It’s not merely a heart issue (although this is central to genuine modesty, we’ll get to that later). Do you agree? Are you willing to confess the fact that there are some articles of clothing that you should not wear – regardless of how you feel about it, your friends feel about it, or how popular it is in the world, or even among the church? I would venture to say (I would hope) that nearly 100% of Christians, who are even remotely concerned about pleasing God, would admit that there are some clothes that would never be permissible to wear (the understanding here is the wearing of clothes in public). For example, would it be acceptable for a woman to wear lingerie underwear in public (assuming that is all she is wearing under the waistline)? O.k. now let’s think…If that is not acceptable, then would it be o.k. for her to simply wear regular underwear? If not, then would it be o.k. for her to wear skin-tight biker shorts? If not, then would it be o.k. for her to wear skin-tight biker pants – or we could call them yoga pants or leggings? Again, I’m not trying to make laws that I think you should obey. What I am trying to point out is this – by what standard are you choosing what you wear? How are you determining what God considers modest or not? Is it merely based on how you feel; or what is comfortable; or what other people think is acceptable? I’m urging you to pause and think deeply about what your rules are. What are the principles that guide you? If you desire to please God, the principles you employ should be Biblical principles. So let’s think about some of those principles and see how they apply.   

#1 Women should wear clothes (and carry a spirit) that are clearly characterized by modesty.     

1 Timothy 2:9-10 “In like manner also, that women adorn themselves in modest apparel, with reverence and self control; not with broided hair, or gold, or pearls, or costly array; but (which becometh women professing godliness) with good works.”

Christian women are here instructed about what kind of clothes to wear and what kind of spirit to carry. They should wear modest apparel. The word “modest” has the idea of respectable, honorable, appropriate, suitable or moderate. The word modest in english is defined as: dressing or behaving so as to avoid impropriety (being improper) or indecency, especially to avoid attracting sexual attention. So Christian ladies should aim to wear clothes that show respect and honor to themselves and those around them. Are you dressing like a prostitute, or a “loose” woman would? Or would you more so be characterized as “godly?” Christian ladies should wear clothes suitable for a representative of Christ – the Holy One of God; clothes that are not showy or seductive; clothes that are not designed to draw attention to the lady wearing them. In your practice as a Christian woman, is honor and respect at the forefront of your heart and mind as you decide what to put on? Have you meditated on what that means?  

The spirit Christian women should “wear” is reverence and self control. The word reverent may also have the idea modest, or unassuming, mild or self-effacing. Putting these things together, the kind of spirit a Christian woman should carry is that of mildness, meekness, or not flaunting themselves; respectful of the people around them. They should have an air about them, that they are dignified and are in control of their lives and passions. Peter’s description matches Pauls: 1 Peter 3:2-4, “While they behold your chaste conversation coupled with fear (reverence). Whose adorning let it not be that outward adorning of plaiting the hair, and of wearing of gold, or of putting on of apparel; But let it be the hidden man of the heart, in that which is not corruptible, even the ornament of a meek and quiet spirit, which is in the sight of God of great price.” 

What kind of spirit do you carry? Are you looking for people to notice you, on the basis of your appearance? Do you crave that people would think that you are attractive? If so, you are carrying the wrong spirit; your priorities are wrong.  

What would you say are some character traits about a woman that would bring true, deep honor to herself, her husband or to her father? It would be things like – purity, wisdom, sobriety, joy, peace, love, diligence, prudence, etc. None of those really meaningful traits of a “wise woman” have anything to do with her clothes or appearance, but are rather character traits. She is a spiritual woman, not a carnal, fleshly woman. “Favor is deceitful, and beauty is vain: but a woman that feareth the LORD, she shall be praised.” (Proverbs 31:31) What is your goal – Is it to bring attention to Jesus through your sweet, gentle, unassuming spirit and quietly doing good works in His name? Or is it to bring attention to yourself through striving to be physically attractive and presenting or flaunting your attractive flesh to others?

#2 We should be striving for excellence in every area of our lives. 

1 Corinthians 6:12 “All things are lawful unto me, but all things are not expedient: all things are lawful for me, but I will not be brought under the power of any.”

All things are lawful – True Christianity is not following a set of rigid rules. Man-made rules is one of the things that Jesus came to deliver us from. If there is a doctrine or practice that is not clearly defined in Scripture then we are to allow for liberty in our decisions. However, Paul here is teaching that although all things not condemned specifically in Scripture are lawful, all things are not expedient: advantageous or profitable. Not all acceptable practices are the best practices. Not all lifestyles lead us to our desired goal – which is Christ-likeness, holiness. Scripture doesn’t explicitly condemn drinking Coca-Cola, but is it advantageous to drink, especially regularly? The answer is, “No,” which should lead us to the logical conclusion that if excellence in health is your goal, then it is not a good choice. So, there may be some clothes in and of themselves that may not necessarily be sinful, but are they the best choice, the wisest choice? If you desire to be a mature, growing Christian – a vessel of honor – you are being called to more than just not crossing over the line into sin. You are being called to stay far away from the line. “For, brethren, ye have been called unto liberty; only use not liberty for an occasion to the flesh…” (Galatians 5:13) Also, 1 Thessalonians 5:21-23, “Prove (examine, test) all things; hold fast that which is good (kalos – beautiful, fine). Abstain (keep away) from all appearance of evil. And the very God of peace sanctify you wholly; and I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.” And, Romans 13:14 “But put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make not provision for the flesh, to fulfill the lusts thereof.”

Whatever you would determine is definitely immodest for you to wear (or what is determined for you by your appropriate Head), you should not go one step safer and make that your standard for what you wear, you should be heading at least several steps in the more conservative, modest direction.

So what is your goal in your dress choices? In a great house there are not only vessels of gold and of silver, but also of wood and of earth; and some to honor, and some to dishonor (2 Timothy 2:20-21). Are you striving to be “a vessel unto honor, sanctified, and meet for the master’s use” or a vessel to dishonor, one that is used for something, but nothing special in comparison to the excellent vessels? If you wear leggings or approve of others wearing them – can you honestly say that they are an excellent choice for women striving to be modest, reverential, non-seductive, and self-effacing in appearance?  

#3 Do your dress choices conflict with what you truly believe is righteous?

1 Corinthians 6:12 “All things are lawful unto me, but all things are not expedient: all things are lawful for me, but I will not be brought under the power of any.”

As Christians, we should only be under the control of the Holy Spirit (Ephesians 5:18). If there is anything else controlling our behavior, then that thing has become sinful to you. If you have an addiction to video games, social media, or to a particular person, those things that are controlling you may not be sinful in and of themselves, but to you they are sinful because they are controlling your life. What is controlling your decisions for what you wear? Is the controlling factor whether you “look good” or not? Is it the current trend? Are you being controlled by comfort, the status quo, or what is acceptable to your friends or community? 

Romans 14:20-23 “Happy is he that condemneth not himself in that thing which he alloweth. And he that doubteth is damned if he eat, because he eateth not of faith: for whatsoever is not of faith is sin.” In other words: if you don’t have a clear conscience about it, then it is wrong for you to partake of that practice. Just because another Christian wears it, doesn’t mean it is ok for you to. Your Pastor’s wife may wear it; the most godly woman you know may be wearing it, but that should not be your standard. Is it possible that these women could be wrong? Is it possible God is not pleased with the choices they are making? And even if God does approve of it for them, that is not to be the standard for your wardrobe. If you put some clothes on, and there is an inner voice saying to you, “This is not the best option.” Then don’t do it. Don’t wear it. 

I encourage you, next time you’re about to put something on, or you’re trying something on at the store. Pray a simple, but sincere prayer like this, “Father, I know you love me and I can rest assured that ultimately the only attention I need is from you. Is this piece of clothing acceptable to you? Reveal to me the purpose for why I would choose to wear this – Is it so others will notice my body or be drawn to Jesus in me.” 

#4 Is your dress causing a brother to stumble? 

1 Corinthians 8:13 “Wherefore, if meat make my brother to offend, I will eat no flesh while the world standeth, lest I make my brother to offend.”

1 Corinthians 10:23-24 “All things are lawful for me, but all things are not expedient: all things are lawful for me, but all things edify not. Let no man seek his own, but every man another’s wealth.”

Men are sexually stimulated visually – very much so. This is demonstrated all through Scripture – David saw bathsheba washing herself; Job 31:1 “I made a covenant with mine eyes; why then should I think upon a maid?” “Lust not after her beauty in thine heart; neither let her take thee with her eyelids.” (Proverbs 6:25); Jesus said, “But I say unto you, That whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart.” (Matthew 5:28) 

Men know this naturally, women for the most part I don’t think realize it as much. There doesn’t have to be any kind of emotional attachment whatsoever involved. If the right body parts advertise themselves in the right way it is a temptation for men to think the wrong things. Men’s eyes are drawn to a woman’s body as gravity pulls downward. God created women to be beautiful and attractive, and he created men to be attracted to them, so it is on purpose; and within the sanction of marriage it is an awesome and blessed experience. However, we are a fallen race, and tend to do things in inappropriate ways, and at inappropriate times, which means that we need to be on our guard against doing anything that would fuel the fires.  

Ladies also need to understand that in our particular generation, male minds are so bombarded with sexual perversion through the internet and media’s use of pornography. There is an almost absolute saturation of our culture with sexual perversion. It may depend somewhat on your particular society, but its likely that many of the men that you know are probably regularly watching pornography. That means that their heads are already in the gutter. If men are regularly conditioning their mind to think sexually about other women, they are going to do the same with you. Do you want to encourage them to do so, or discourage them from doing so? Your choice of dress will determine that (not whether they choose to lust or not, but rather that your choice of dress will determine whether you are encouraging them to lust or not).  

Men are ultimately responsible for their eyes and thoughts. And thank God, that with the power and wisdom of the Holy Spirit, the strengthening of accountability, and for the benefits of marriage, men have the ability, with God’s help, to avoid the temptation and sin of sexual lust. Notwithstanding, Paul makes it clear, “All things indeed are pure; but it is evil for that man who eateth with offence. It is good neither to eat flesh, nor to drink wine, nor any thing whereby thy brother stumbleth, or is offended, or is made weak.” There was disagreement in Paul’s time as to whether some meats should be eaten by Christians or not because there was meat that was being sold in the market that had been offered in sacrifice to idols. There was also the consideration of the Mosaic law that forbade the eating of certain meats under the old covenant. But the point is that there were some things that Paul simply would not eat (even though he didn’t have a conviction against it) because of his consideration of other brethren. It was more important that Paul serve the brethren and protect their conscience, than for him to enjoy his liberty. 

So are you willing to exercise humility and Christian love, to tailor your outfits so as to do everything in your power to discourage another brother from looking at you with lust in his heart? If you are not willing to do this, and your attitude is, “Men just need to get their minds out of the gutter.” Then you are sinning. They are responsible for their minds; but just as much- you are responsible for your appearance. This is like husbands talking rough to their wives and saying, “You just need to toughen up girl and let it go.” that would be sinful for a husband to not be considerate and gentle with his wife, for her sake. 

However, if your heart is to please God and to serve your brother, I encourage you to ask at least three mature, godly, spiritually minded Christian men that you know and trust (may be a pastor, husband, brother, or anyone) and ask them if your dress would at all be fall into the category of attracting or suggesting sexual attention. Some general considerations would be – the more skin that is showing the more likely it is seductive; the tighter it is the more likely it is seductive (which you cannot be more tight than most leggings); the more your body parts are clearly defined through your clothes the more seductive it is. The fact that they are called “leggings” indicates that it’s basically your legs that are showing, with a different color over them.

“Man looks on the outward appearance, but God looks on the heart.” Yes, men do look on the outward appearance, which is why you have the responsibility to accommodate your brother, in genuine Christian love, so as to discourage them from utilizing your body to fulfill their sinful lusts. 

#5 The Special Call for Modesty in the Assembling of God’s Church.

 Every verse in the Bible has a specific context, and that context is of utmost importance in determining the right interpretation and proper application of the passage. We must emphasize what God emphasizes, in the context that God emphasizes them, while deemphasizing the things God does not emphasize, in the contexts God does not emphasize them. For example: in the context of marriage, husbands are commanded to love their wives, whereas wives are commanded to respect their husbands. Of course, husbands should respect their wives, and wives should love their husbands. But, there is a reason (a divinely wise reason) why God emphasized the particular commands to the particular people in this particular circumstance. We don’t even really need to know why (although I believe there are always good reasons for why God commands what He does, to whom He does), we just need to make sure that we focus on doing what He says with the emphasis in which He says to do it. 

It just so happens that the premier verses relating to women, modesty and clothing are in the specific context of how to behave in the local, gathered Church. It’s almost to say, “Christian women- daughters of God- above all things, when you come to the gathering of the church, make sure above all things that you are not dressing or presenting yourself in a way that is going to be a hindrance to the assembly. Jesus is supposed to get all of the attention. DO NOT come in a way that will avert the attention of others (especially men), away from Jesus to you.” Yes, every believer is responsible for all of the commands of God when they gather with the church, however, there is a definitively special weight of importance given to women about their appearance as they come to worship. 

Why do you think that above all things, when God gives specific instructions for women, how to behave in church, He centers His instructions directly on modesty? To me it seems that God knows that this is an area, or perhaps the area, in which the greatest weakness lies – women desire to be attractive, and especially when many people are gathered together, there is the felt-need to be accepted and loved. If there is any place that women feel the need to be “worthy” it would be in the assembly of God’s people. Add to this that the Devil knows that the church gathering is prime time for his scheming and strategizing so as to make as much of a distraction as possible. And as a result there is the temptation to dress inappropriately, or immodestly. Church of all places is not the place for showing off. Christian women should take this command very, very seriously. 

It is very disheartening to me when I see women coming into Church obviously wearing seductive clothes. More men than you think do not like it- even the men who struggle with sexual lust in their thinking. Godly men are coming to church, hoping to escape the world along with its lusts, and yet they have to be on guard, in battle mode, even while attempting to worship God in His own house. This ought not to be. If there in one place where there ought to be no question at all from anyone about whether you are dressed immodestly, it is in the house of God. Dear sister, are you sure that you are giving the proper emphasis to this command in your life in regards to how you dress for church? 

I hope these five principles have been helpful to you. Perhaps this was more of a meditation on modesty in general, but I hope you are able to apply these things in regards to leggings. My personal opinion is that pretty much all leggings, worn solo under the waist, are at best a compromise of excellence in Christian modesty for women, and at worst sinful and seductive. You are not obligated to agree with my opinions, but I hope you have considered about this subject prayerfully and thoughtfully and are able to articulate with a clear conscience how you are in agreement with God and the principles He has laid out in His Word. May Jesus be pleased with all his people, and may we be a holy church, without spot, without wrinkle or any such blemish.  

Can You Endure Seeing Others Blessed? 

/ Lee A. Robinson / Leave a comment

Luke 4. Early on in Jesus’ ministry he was in his hometown synagogue at Nazareth. He read the portion in Isaiah that describes the coming of the Messiah, that he be a healer; he will set captives free; he will preach the gospel to the poor, etc. It says that the people “wondered at the gracious words which proceeded out of his mouth.” A beautiful setting, the people loved to hear his words, and had a sort of eager expectation about this man. But then something changed the mood…

Jesus then said, “You will surely say unto me this proverb, ‘Physician, heal yourself.” Then he basically began to tell his hometown people that they were not going to receive his ministry, and that in fact, this was not anything new, for a “prophet is not without honor, save among his own country, and among his own kin.” He reminded them that when Elijah was the prophet in the land that he was not sent to any widows in Israel (although there were many widows in Israel), but rather to the widow of Zarephath – a gentile (1 Kings 17). And also, when Elisha was prophet in the land, the only leper he was commissioned to heal was Naaman the Syrian – another gentile (even though there were many lepers in Israel). And here is the big moment I want to focus on…

At this moment it says, “And all they in the synagogue, when they heard these things, were filled with wrath, and rose up, and thrust him out of the city, and led him unto the brow of the hill whereon their city was built, that they might cast him down headlong.” (Luke 4:28-29) Apparently Jesus touched on a very sensitive nerve here. The question I have is – Are you able to endure seeing or watching other people be blessed? Do you rejoice for them and add fuel to their rejoicing? Or is it the opposite for you – Does it make you angry and furious? Does it make you want to take their little stinking trophy and smash it on the ground? Does it make you want to pour ice cold water all of their joy-fire? 

These Nazarenes were like Jonah – they could not endure even the sound of hearing that God would overlook the needs of a Jew and minister to Gentiles. It was so evil in their ears that without any trial at all they in total agreement wanted to throw Jesus off of the cliff of their city! 

Why do you get so angry when you see other people blessed? It may be seeing a fellow employee get a promotion – deserved or undeserved, it really doesn’t matter. It may be seeing another Christian be gifted a new car or something that you have wanted. You may be a Pastor or Christian leader and you are upset that other people’s ministries are growing and that special things are happening there. You may be a woman who is upset that some other woman has be blessed with many children or a successful husband, and they have many nice things in their life, but not you. Children get upset with their siblings when they get the bigger piece of the pie. Whatever the situation – what is the condition of your heart? 

The Pharisees had Jesus killed because they were jealous, envious of his success. Saul sought David every single day because he could not handle David’s success and fame. 

If you have a problem seeing other people blessed, your real problem is with God. God is the ultimate source of every good gift, and if you are not happy with God giving out those gifts to others, you are being selfish and simply angry with God. You have concluded that God is unrighteous for giving gifts to them as opposed to you. “Doesn’t God know that I deserve those gifts and not them???” Have you forgotten what you actually deserve? The only thing you deserve is Hell, and anything less than that is mercy, and anything more is grace. So, what about your neighbor – do they deserve any good thing they receive? No, it is the same with them – anything less than Hell is mercy, anything more is grace. That puts God as the one responsible, ultimately, for the distribution of every good gift. 

We are supposed to “rejoice with them that rejoice.” (1 Cor. 12) True love does not seek its own (1 Cor. 13). Philippians 2:4 “Look not every man on his own things, but every man also on the things of others.” Be glad when you see others promoted, blessed, healed, congratulated, etc. 

The selfishness and greed of the Nazarenes of Jesus’ day did not procure more blessing, but rather repelled God’s blessing away from them. You are much more likely to attract favor if you rejoice at the favor given to others. Amen.     

The Only Essential Ministry Resource

/ Lee A. Robinson / 1 Comment

What are the bare minimum, absolutely necessary resources needed in order for us to have the most successful ministry possible? Another way to put it would be – Are there certain things (I’m mainly thinking tangible resources) we need in order to have a successful ministry? For example: do we need a church building? Like, is it definitely a requirement in order to be fully successful? If so, would you say that it has to be a particular kind of building, with specific features in a specific location? How about money – is money crucial? If so, how much money? How about personnel – talented and skilled personnel? How about advertising and marketing campaigns? Is it possible to max out your impact in the world without advertising? What about books or printed materials? What about cutting edge technology – live steam, audio and video? What about acceptance into certain groups or networks?

If you were to sit down and make a list (which I encourage you to do so. Actually, maybe stop reading right here, make the list and then come back) of what you feel are all the absolutely necessary resources you would need as a baseline for being completely and fully successful, what would be on the list? 

My belief is that there is only ONE THING that should be on that list. It is not a building – unique or common; it’s not comfy chairs, bright stage lights or cool neon backdrop lights; it’s not money – massive amounts or pennies; it’s not gifted and skilled people at your bidding; it’s not a great band or awesome choir; it’s not instruments; it’s not talented administrators; it’s not a carefully planned out marketing campaign; it’s not facebook ads; it’s not sound equipment, recordings, screens, or a seamless, professional website. 

The one and only thing that is needed is this…a body. A human body.

Hebrews 10:5-7 “Wherefore when he cometh into the world, he saith, Sacrifice and offering thou wouldest not, but a body hast thou prepared me: In burnt offerings and sacrifices for sin thou hast had no pleasure. Then said I, Lo, I come (in the volume of the book it is written of me,) to do thy will, O God.”

We have to look no further than the example of the Lord Jesus Christ – the One who successfully accomplished all of the will of God…When Jesus came into the world what did He have? Nothing but a naked body. Did he fulfill the will of God as a baby and as a young child?

When Jesus entered into his public ministry, what did he have that made Him so successful? Did He gain possession of the great Temple in order to defeat the Pharisees? Did He amass a great army with the best weapons to defeat Pilate and the Romans? Did He have the coolest scrolls to teach from? Did he need a strong horse to ride on to accomplish his preaching itinerary? Did he need a centralized system of synagogues?

When Jesus performed the work of Redemption at the Cross, what did He need? Nothing but His body. He did the work on the Cross with absolutely nothing – He was even stripped of all His clothes. He didn’t need buildings, money, a paycheck, chairs, lights, recommendations, the right friends, music, advertisements, good weather, etc. All He needed to reconcile Mankind back to God was his flesh and blood, human body. 

What did He need in order to rise from the dead? His Body. He didn’t need lively music to rouse Him. He didn’t need great crowds to cheer Him on; only the power of God.

What did He need to ascend to the heavens and to sit down on the right hand of the Majesty on High? Only His Body. 

Now, is not all of this an example for us today, who desire to partner with Jesus in winning the world to Christ? If all Jesus needed was a body, if it was sufficient to shake the world and rattle the foundations of Hell itself, why would we think that we need all of these other things? The question to ponder is, “Are you relying too much on these earthly things in order to get the heavenly work accomplished that your Father has called you to?” “Are ye so foolish? having begun in the Spirit, are ye now made perfect by the flesh?” (Galatians 3:3) 

Now, Jesus won the world – conquering sin, death and Hell – with his body. Of course, it was not any ordinary, common body, but rather a body consecrated, devoted to the will of God. He did not rely on a tall, striking body like Saul, or an unusually strong body such as Samoson. “…He hath no form nor comeliness; and when we shall see him, there is no beauty that we should desire him.” (Isaiah 53:2) His life was powerful because the pure, dynamic, holy, power of God was flowing without measure through his physical “tabernacle.” But still, the point is, that all that was necessary on the physical, earthly level, was a human body. If this was good enough for Jesus, why would we lean on other, earthly, things for success?

Christian brother – Is your body yielded to God’s control? Is your mind surrendered to the Word of God? Is your will broken and surrendered to the Father’s will? Is your church ministry relying on the “seen things” in order to reach your area? Have you concluded that there is some kind of ministry that you cannot accomplish until you are able to acquire ___________ (fill in the blank). The level of success you are going to have for God is the level of surrender you have towards God. Period. Spiritual work is created by God alone, and He has chosen to do that work through His people – a body hast thou prepared me. 

Ephesians 1:22-23 “And [He, Jesus] hath put all things under his feet, and gave him to be the head over all things to the church, which is his body, the fulness of him that filleth all in all.”

Ephesians 3:20-21 “Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us, unto him be glory in the church (His body, the people) by Christ Jesus throughout all ages, world without end. Amen.”

Physical resources do not produce spiritual generation or spiritual growth.    

What is the work of the Church? It is to call dead men out of their slumber and raise them to spiritual life; to fan the flames of the Holy Spirit in God’s children, that they would revive again and again, burning with holiness, zeal and passionate love for God and man. What can we purchase that will accomplish these things? Nothing. The work of God is spiritual. The resources needed must all come from Heaven.

You don’t need a building. You don’t need funding. You don’t need anything that can be purchased or given by man. You need your body – body, soul and spirit, to be filled with the Holy Spirit. There is no telling what you may accomplish in this world if you are truly yielded to Him, depending on Him completely, and not your own understanding and resources. If you are truly God’s son, no other person in the world has an advantage over you. You have full access to God. Love Him. Trust Him. Obey Him, and watch the power of God poured out through your life.   

I intentionally waited until the end of this to clarify that there is absolutely nothing at all wrong with the utilization of any kind of resource to do the will of God (provided that it is not sinful). Jesus utilized clay, donkeys, boats, buildings, houses, food, trees, etc. So it may absolutely be God’s perfect will for you to have a building, funds, personnel, vehicles, equipment, etc. The temptation (and it’s such a subtle yet powerful temptation) is to rely on those things instead of the power of God! 

I think a key observation in the life of Jesus is that all of the things He used were transitory, or gifts. They were not things that He actually bought and possessed, but were rather received by Him at the time and moment they needed to be used. He didn’t own them, control them and regularly rely upon them. He walked, moment by moment, by the Word of His Father. The power came through His Words and through His Hands – parts of His body. May our words, our hands, and our actions become more like His! 

May we search our own hearts, as well as the heart of our ministries, and see if there is anything we are relying upon to get the job done apart from the raw, unadulterated, pure power of the Word of God and the Spirit of God. 

God is looking for a Man – a surrendered man, with the Bible in his hand and the text burned in his heart; not comparing himself to any man other than Jesus; and not trying to be like any other man other than Jesus. Let’s watch this man turn the world right side up for the glory of God!   

“You never have to advertise a fire. Everyone comes running when there’s a fire. Likewise, if your church is on fire, you will not have to advertise it. The community will already know it.” – Leonard Ravenhill