My Musical Confession

After my last post I thought it would be appropriate to retell the story of my conversion from atheism to faith.

I love to sing. My mother sang to me when I was a little crawler back in Kentucky. I sang nursery rhymes in kindergarten on the swings. I sang along with the radio when Michael Jackson was part of the Jackson Five. When I was ten, I sang Englebert Humperdinck songs in the basement to a broomstick microphone. When no one was around.

When I was in college at Western Washington University I decided to get serious about music. I had been a starving art student for a time, but my minimalist professors, who alternately painted brown Xs across white canvases and white Xs across brown canvases didn’t inspire me much. So I switched to studying music, about which I knew next to nothing, but thought was really cool.

Despite my thorough lack of musical knowledge and skill, I somehow got admitted into the music department and became a jazz studies major. Music gave me purpose, direction and drive. After a couple of years I learned to play guitar and sing well enough to join a dance band and play in night clubs. I sang Chuck Berry, Ray Charles, and top-forty tunes. I also sang Handel’s Messiah in the university choir.

The choir director was a cute, young graduate assistant named Arden Steves, who called herself a Christian. I sang at her from the back of the bass section. I was an atheist, an unbeliever. I agreed with Karl Marx, who said that religion was an opiate for the masses. I thought Christians were weak-minded people who used religion as an intoxicating crutch. I didn’t like their songs much, either. I’d rather sing the blues than Amazing Grace. I didn’t really know what grace was anyway.

One day, when I was feeling like a miserable existentialist, I asked Arden about her religious beliefs. She told me about her faith in God and her desire to live a life of purity. Her sincerity stunned me. We had music in common, yet we were worlds apart.

I started to consider the possibility that God might really exist. It was exciting. Yet, if He had been paying attention to my immoral behavior during the past decade, I was in serious trouble. I decided to stop partying, just in case, which cost me most of my friends.

I prayed one night for God to give me the desire to seek Him if He was really out there. I’m glad my roommates weren't listening, because I felt like an idiot, talking to the ceiling. Yet soon I was reading books by C.S. Lewis, Josh McDowell and R.C. Sproul, which Arden recommended. I bought a Bible, and we read through the Book of John together. I went to church with her to “check things out.” I didn’t like the music much.

The more I read the Bible, the more convicted I felt about the sins of my youth. The idea of forgiveness in Christ sounded appealing. Still, I resisted conversion, because I wasn’t sure whether I was more attracted to Christ the Messiah or to His pretty little gospel messenger, Arden. We had been seeing a lot of each other as performers in the university’s production of Music Man, and had grown close enough to talk about hypothetical marriage, as if it was a thing apart from us that could be viewed objectively. I admired her sincerity of conviction, which included her refusal to marry a non-Christian. Since I was one of those, I gazed across a chasm, it seemed.

As things worked out, Arden flew out of town in August to take a teaching job, and I joined an international dance band (we played in Canada, just across the border, big whoop-dee-doo). We said we’d stay in touch.

With Arden gone, I wondered whether I might just blow the whole faith thing off and return to my former, existential party life. One weekend when I didn’t have any dance gigs, I decided to go to Arden’s church again. The brakes on my beater van were shot, and I could only stop by frantically pumping the brake pedal, so I had a good excuse to skip. Still, I felt I should go, to see if I was really serious about spiritual things independent of her. Five intersections with traffic signals stood between my rental house and the church. I prayed this goofy prayer: “God, if you want me to be at church today, I need green lights all the way there.”

Off I went, slow and steady through five green lights until I rolled safely into the church parking lot. Amazing. My skeptic’s mind told me it could have been dumb luck coincidence, but I had a sneaking suspicion that God had perfectly orchestrated the laws of physics, the flow of electricity, my choice of speed and time of departure, along with the choices of other drivers, to clear my path to that church and let me know He was in charge of such things. I remember thinking, “Nice, work, God.” “Hey, but can you do ten lights in a row?”

While I was at church I enjoyed myself a lot. With Arden not there I could stare at people when every head was supposed to be bowed and every eye was supposed to be closed, like an infidel spy. It didn’t seem like an opium den for the masses. I was impressed by the sincerity and joy of the people in the room. I don’t remember the sermon, but I know it gave me an appetite to hear more. It didn’t matter that I hit red lights on the way home and had to pump the brakes like I was trying to kick a hole through the floor board. I felt I had received a small blessing from God that day. I determined to go to church as often as I could. I would fix my brakes.

I’m not sure exactly when I entered the kingdom of God, but I think He arranged it like he did the green lights to church, and left me wondering how it had happened. I kept reading and questioning, examining my presuppositions, and grappling with the concept of grace. At some point in the fall of my 25th year of life, I simply surrendered, and trusted what I read in the Bible, even though I didn’t always understand it. I began to sing to God in my heart. I was a sinner saved by the blood of Jesus. I wrote to Arden about it and she said she thought I was a Christian. I was okay with the label. I was one of them, one of Christ’s.

Soon, I made a public profession of faith at church that I had accepted Jesus as my Savior and Lord (Romans 10:9). For me there was no recited sinner’s prayer, no dramatic moment of decision, just a confession. God had done everything. I was a recipient of grace. Amazing. I quit the dance band, married Arden, and moved to Alaska.

I went back to school to become a teacher, but continued to be an active musician. Arden and I began having children. We sang in church choirs. I performed special music in church and in the community. I was a professional soloist for weddings, funerals, fund raisers, and private parties, which were much better than the lousy night club gigs I’d played back in my dance band days. As our five children grew up, we taught them to sing parts so that we could perform as a family choir. Then, when they were old enough to play instruments, we formed a family band called Homemade Jam. We have produced an a cappella Christmas CD, which was recorded in our home studio. Our oldest daughter has since married and moved away, but the remaining four children help me lead worship at Coram Deo Church in Grants Pass.

I plan on singing and making music as long as I can. I think the Bible commands it. “Make a joyful noise to the LORD, all the earth; break forth into joyous song and sing praises!” (Psalm 98:4) My family has chosen Colossians 3:16 as our musical theme verse. “Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God.”

I thank God for his wonderful redeeming work in my life. He, not music, has given me purpose, direction and drive. What a privilege it is to use music to glorify Him. I think the last psalm in the Bible (Psalm 150) says it well.

Praise the LORD!
Praise God in his sanctuary;
Praise him in his mighty heavens!
Praise him for his mighty deeds;
Praise him according to his excellent greatness!Praise him with trumpet sound;
Praise him with lute and harp!
Praise him with tambourine and dance;
Praise him with strings and pipe!Praise him with sounding cymbals;
Praise him with loud clashing cymbals!
Let everything that has breath praise the LORD!
Praise the LORD!

How I Lost My Atheism

I was once an atheist, or so I believed. I denied the existence of God and assumed that I was the measure of all things. I reasoned that it was my brain that processed all the data I observed in life. I was the one who thought my thoughts.

I considered myself an existentialist, too. I figured that since my existence preceded my perceptions of reality, I was in charge of determining what was real. I believed in man’s free will, which I translated my free will. I ruled as king over reality. Rene Descartes’ supposition, “I think, therefore I am” helped established my lordship.

One day the thought occurred to me that I was not entirely in control of my thoughts. I suspected that outside forces were at work, influencing me from a distance. This was a challenge to my sovereignty of mind. I realized that I thought much like my father.

Dad was a high school biology teacher, a Darwinian evolutionist, and a skeptic of religious faith. He was an atheist. Me too, I believed. Like father, like son. Dad felt that religion was a crutch for the weak minded, the insecure and the old fashioned. He once said that love was not a moral commitment, but a chemically based, physiological response to the evolutionary impulse toward reproduction. When Dad cheated on Mom he was only exercising his evolutionary impulses, I guess.

My parent’s divorce was very painful to me, though at the time, in my teen years, I played the stoic. I wondered if grief was just a physiological response to the evolutionary impulse toward parent attachment. Perhaps marital infidelity and family disintegration were part of the evolutionary process of self-actualization. After all, divorce rates were escalating throughout the nation like it was the latest, coolest social trend. Maybe the idea of long term, monogamous marriage was an outdated religious construct, due for disposal during the new age of enlightenment and individualism.

At some point after moving out on my own I grew to realize that in addition to my father’s influence, the culture around me had determined much of what I thought. I was not truly master and author of my own thoughts. The same was true of Dad, of course. I realized he had picked up his ideas from the culture around him, as well. His practice of multiple marriages was in step with the rest of the nation. No-fault divorce laws were being passed in state after state. I began to connect the dots between the beliefs and behaviors that derive from an atheistic worldview. My worldview. I wasn’t sure I liked the implications.

A bit of history. According to Albert Mohler’s book, Atheism Remix, a massive cultural, intellectual and epistemological shift resulted from the writings of Friedrich Nietzsche, Karl Marx, Charles Darwin, and Sigmund Freud. Nietzsche declared that, “God is dead.” He believed that Christianity was the worst enemy of human enlightenment and progress. Marx despised religion as the “opiate of the masses” and an obstacle to the community of man’s economic prosperity. Darwin posited that naturalistic explanations of life’s origin negate God’s supernatural creation. Evolution rendered God and religion unnecessary. Freud elevated the unconscious over the conscious. He believed that religion was an illusion that would eventually pass away. These four men contributed hugely to the worldview of secular humanism, another name for atheism. Remove a supernatural Creator God from the picture and you are left with humans calling all the shots on earth according to their own desires.

Thanks to secular humanism, I was taught in college that primitive man had created gods to help him cope with threatening, natural phenomena, such as thunderstorms, droughts and earthquakes. Organized religion arose as an attempt to appease these fabricated deities with rituals and sacrifices. It was popular to agree with the French philosopher, Voltaire who said, “If God did not exist, it would be necessary to invent him,” as if religious sentiments were not credible, but nonetheless quaint, attractive and socially useful for ignorant folk who don’t know much about the modern god of science. The secularists of modernity thought that as mankind climbed the evolutionary ladder out of the pit of ignorance, it would gradually discard God as the explanatory, causal factor in civilization’s intellectual framework. They predicted that life would become increasingly rationalized, and that belief in God, and participation in organized religion, would dissipate into oblivion.

The secularists had the demise of religion all planned out, too. According to John Sommerville, secularization would follow this pattern: 1) of land use and property, 2) of time and recreation, 3) of language and common speech, 4) of technology and work, 5) of art and entertainment, 6) of political and military power, 7) of personhood and association, 8) of scholarship and science. Secularists were confident that humanity was destined to grow up and leave the childish things of theistic belief behind.

The secularist game plan works like a charm at most colleges in America today. Overwhelming majorities of Christian students lose their religious faith by the end of their freshman year while away at college. At college I learned to mock people with religious views. I didn’t know many Christians personally, but I was content to join the consensus in caricaturing and slandering them as intolerant bigots. At one point, though, I felt guilty for my ad hominem attacks. I thought my criticism should be more substantive. Therefore I decided to learn more about their beliefs so that I might refute them. Also, I wanted to know what was true. It was my undoing.

I assumed that most Christians had been indoctrinated with a religious belief system, to which they agreed uncritically. But what about me? Was I unbiased? Hadn’t I been indoctrinated by an atheist father, and by many years of secular instruction in government schools? Dissecting the Christian theistic position meant dissecting my own atheistic position as fair play. Had I chosen atheism after careful thought, or had I merely accepted it as it was spoon fed to me? As I continued in this vain, I was disturbed to realize that my schools had censored virtually all religious information, as if the separation between church and state was a concrete barrier, never to be breached. Religion was relegated to the private, personal sphere. It was prohibited or marginalized in public institutions of learning. Only secular information had been allowed into my cage for regular feeding. Was that right?

Troubling questions arose within my belief system. "What preceded the Big Bang?" I wondered. "Why does the fossil record that is supposed to prove macro-evolution lack any quantity of evidence of transitional species? Why is the theory of geologic gradualism favored despite abundant evidence of catastrophism? Why is supernatural phenomena rejected just because materialistic empiricism cannot test it? Why are secular scientists so afraid of following the evidence of cosmic design to a cosmic designer?"

I lost track of my atheism when I found it could not answer my questions. Like a stray cat, it wandered away to go beg someone else’s attention. Since I was heavily invested in having rejected theism, though, I passed time like an aimless satellite orbiting a planet, unable to land. But not for long. A Christian acquaintance became a friend and counselor of truth. She spoke about God as if He were real, like a wise uncle back east, but supernatural and divine and almighty and eternal. She asked me to consider believing in Him too.

I stalled.

One night I spoke a prayer at the ceiling in my rooming house: “God, if you exist, you need to give me the desire to look for you.”

I found that I enjoyed reading all the books my friend kept passing on to me on theology and faith. I read sections of the Bible, too, until I felt like I was a pretty fair-minded skeptic. I grew to like both her and the scriptures very much.

One dark and beautiful evening the two of us walked under the stars, she a Christian, I an unbelieving, infidel friend. I thought of the vastness of space, the smallness of man, my ultimate purpose in life. Things like that. Was creation a myth? Was the story of Adam and Eve a cute fairy tale for toddlers? Then a thought struck me: If God exists, couldn't He control the things He created? It was as if I’d resolved a tricky syllogism that now seemed amazingly simple. God is God. He can do whatever He wants. A woman from a rib? Why not? God is God. If He created all the elements, then He can rearrange them in any order He chooses. He can leave His signature on His work, too so that we know He is Lord. God is God.

That night I felt as if I had received a long-distance call from heaven. I heard nothing audible, but I imagined God speaking from His infinite expanse to answer my question: “I Am.”

That’s how I lost my atheism. Atheism was a worldview of futility and despair. It was a shipwreck from which I was glad to escape. God, in His great mercy and love called me into His kingdom. I could not deny Him. Do you also hear Him calling?

“The heavens declare the glory of God, and the sky above proclaims his handiwork. Day to day pours out speech, and night to night reveals knowledge” Psalm 19:1-2

“When I look at your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars, which you have set in place, what is man that you are mindful of him, and the son of man that you care for him?” Psalm 8:3-4

The Spirit of Skillful Work

Has God given you a spirit of skill to be used in your work? What about your ministry? People today often regard work and ministry as separate categories, one secular, the other sacred. They often view them as competing interests. Some even think that ministry work is only done by, well, … ministers. Professional clergy, that is--those who have been called into ministry.

I want to challenge this view. I agree with Martin Luther’s doctrine of vocation, which views all good works, and all vocations (callings) as ordained by God for building up the church and transforming the world. I want to challenge the view that the clergy are the exclusive ministry workers, while the laity are passive spectators of ministry. I think the apostle Paul had more than this in mind when he wrote to the Christians in Colossae, “And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him” (Colossians 3:17) [my emphasis]. I'd like to convince you that, even though you may not be called into leadership as a pastor, or elder, your particular calling is vitally important to the health of the church and to the condition of society.

We often hear about spiritual gifts for the building up of the church. Scripture mentions such things as wisdom, knowledge, discerning of spirits, prophecy, speaking in tongues, interpretation of tongues, faith, working of miracles, healing, helps, administration, ministry, exhortation, giving, leading, showing mercy, and evangelism (1 Corinthians 12:1-30; Romans 12:6-8; Ephesians 4:11). We often hear about the fruit of the Spirit, which includes love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control (Galatians 5:22-23). But seldom do we hear about the skills of craftsmanship, artistry and other works that God has ordained for glory and beauty. He has established His perfect purposes for such works, namely that we worship Him by our efforts, and that we care for our neighbor through the skillful work of our hands.

God seems to be in the business of equipping people with the skills to do good work. When Moses served as the general contractor for building the tabernacle, God told him to appoint “all the skillful, whom I have filled with a spirit of skill” to make garments for Aaron and the priests "for glory and beauty" (Exodus 28:2-3). God called Bezalel into service, saying, ”I have filled him with the Spirit of God, with ability and intelligence, with knowledge and all craftsmanship, to devise artistic design, to work in gold, silver, and bronze, in cutting stones for setting, and in carving wood, to work in every craft. ... I have given to all able men ability, that they may make all that I have commanded” (Exodus 31:3-6).

The doctrine of vocation is more than occupationalism, or the pursuit of a good job. For the Christian, skilled work should be viewed as an act of worship and a response to God’s calling. King David knew about God’s desire for quality work when he commanded skilled leaders to direct the Jewish big band and the choir for celebrations and for temple worship (1 Chronicles 15:16-28). God even gave one director, Heman, a whopping family of fourteen sons and three daughters, all skilled musicians, to help him make merry with music (1 Chronicles 25:4-6). King Solomon recognized God’s vocational calling when he wrote, “Do you see a man skillful in his work? He will stand before kings; he will not stand before obscure men” (Proverbs 22:29).

There are many examples in scripture of God-given skills and abilities.

Hunting (Genesis 25:27)
Music and singing (1 Samuel 16:16; 1 Chronicles 15:22; 2 Chronicles 34:12)
Stonecutting, masonry &, carpentry (1 Chronicles 22:15)
Metal work, fabrics & engraving (2 Chronicles 2:7)
Law (Ezra 7:6)
Weaponry and warfare (2 Chronilces 26:15; Jeremiah 46:9; 50:9)
Wisdom, knowledge, learning (Daniel 1:4)
Ship building and sailing (Ezekiel 27:8-9)
Lamentation (Amos 5:16)

This list in just a small sample of what God calls people to do skillfully. The vocational options are almost endless. Once we realize that we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do our own good works (Ephesians 2:10), we can put our abilities to use in glorifying God and loving our neighbors through service.

What abilities has God given you? Are you a doctor? Then treat patients for God’s glory. Are you a plumber? Then fix pipes to serve your neighbor. Are you a baker? Then bake delicious bread unto the Lord. Are you an artist? Then make something beautiful that reflects the character of God. Are you a parent? Then raise godly, virtuous children. Do it all with skill. Don’t forget that faithfulness in little things is a prerequisite for greater responsibilities, and that a good servant is one who does the will of his master.

So use your abilities and callings as the Lord has enabled you. Let them operate in concert with your spiritual gifts and the fruit of the Spirit. Let every aspect of your life be a living sacrifice of service unto the Lord. You wouldn’t keep your lamp hidden under a basket, would you? Not when it can light the room and keep your guests from barking their shins on the furniture in the dark. Likewise, don’t keep your skills and abilities to yourself. Don't be bashful about them. Don't be stingy with them. Instead, use them to glorify God. He deserves the worship. Your neighbor deserves the benefits.

Matthew 5:16 “Let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.”

Fourteen Things Every Young Disciple Of Christ Should Know

Back in February I launched Disciple Makers Basic Training at Coram Deo Church as a mid week study. It was designed to systematically guide young believers through important areas of discipleship prior to adulthood and marriage. The topics are basically a condensation of the things I have been trying to teach my own children. What follows are fourteen questions and answers, along with scripture readings, to direct disciples of Christ into productive, purposeful lives dedicated to the Lord.

I invite you to use them to disciple your children or another young believer. Discuss each question and read the scripture passages listed below. I pray that the Holy Spirit will illuminate God's Word in your heart and mind, and transform you into a disciple maker. If you find these questions helpful, or if you have suggestions for improvement, please email me at pastorjohnsleadd@gmail.com.

1. Q: What is a disciple and why should we make them?
A: A disciple is a Christian who is fully devoted to Jesus Christ, living daily in His Word and by His Spirit, making other disciples. Our Lord commands us to make disciples, which includes instruction and training. Disciple-making requires a knowledge of the truth, as revealed in God’s Word. It includes a lifestyle of obedience as a faithful, fruitful servant of the Lord.
(Matthew 28:18-20; Luke 14:27; Luke 18:29-30; John 13:35; John 15:16; 1 Peter 2:21; 1 John 15:8)

2. Q: What is my main purpose in life?
A: A Christian’s main purpose in life is to glorify God and enjoy Him forever. Additionally, we have purposes determined by our gender and by our individual giftings and interests. We must remember that, as Christians, we belong to Christ, having been purchased by His blood, so that we are stewards of our lives and resources for His purposes. We are therefore His disciples and we are disciple makers. The Bible describes roles for men as providers, protectors and instructors of their children. Women are described as helpers, nurturers and instructors of children and younger women.
(Genesis 1:28; 2:18; Proverbs 1:8-9; 5:22-23; 22:15; 23:13-14; Malachi 2:15; Matthew 18:6; Ephesians 6:4; 1 Timothy 2:15; 5:8; Titus 2:3-5)

3. Q: Who has authority over me?
A: God has authority over all of us, and what He declares in His Scriptures is authoritative. The Bible says we are to submit to the agents of authority in each of the God-ordained, earthly institutions of family, church and state. We are to “render unto Caesar that which is Caesar’s.” And when there is conflict between the demands of the state and the commands of Scripture, we are to obey God rather than men.
(Law: Exodus 20:1-17; Family: Deuteronomy 6:5-9; 1Colossians 3:16-21; Proverbs 22:7; Church: Ephesians 4:11-16; Hebrews 13:17; Hebrews 10:23-24; State: Romans 13:1-7; 1 Peter 2:13-17)

4. Q: What good works am I to do?
A: All our efforts and resources are to be used in ways that glorify God, and should be in accordance to His Word. Our good works include trusting Christ alone for our salvation, and walking in holiness and obedience to all that the scriptures command. Simply put, we are to love God and love our neighbor. We are to be a disciple of Jesus and make disciples for Jesus. We should read the Bible, pray, live responsibly, and serve others, all in an attitude of gratefulness to God.
(Proverbs 21:5; 24:6; Proverbs 24;11; 31:8-9; Jeremiah 22:3; Micah 6:8; Matthew 5:15; 6:24; 22:27-40; 25:21; Mark 10:21; Ephesians 1:4; 2:10; Hebrews 10:24; James 1:27; 2:17, 22)

5. Q: What Is In The Bible?
A: God has given His Scriptures as the highest standard of truth and authority for all of life. The Bible teaches what man is to believe about God and what God requires of man. The Holy Scripture is the only sufficient, certain, and infallible rule of all saving knowledge, faith, and obedience. “The Bible evidences itself to be God's Word by the heavenliness of its doctrine, the unity of its parts, and its power to convert sinners and to edify saints. But only the Spirit of God can make us willing to agree and submit to the Bible as the Word of God.” (answer to question #5 of the The Baptist Catechism, 1689).
The Bible is comprised of the 39 Old Testament Books and 27 New Testaments Books. It can be divided into the following categories. Old Testament: (1) history of creation and God’s people, (2) Laws of God, (3) psalms and proverbs, (4) prophecies of God. New Testament: (5) gospels of Jesus, (6) acts of the apostles, (6) letters to churches and individuals, (7) revelation. The historic Christian belief is that the Holy Spirit, who inspired the writing of the books, also controlled their selection in Holy Bible. The final canon of Scripture is therefore the result of God’s sovereign intervening in the discernment of believers rather than by historical research.
For more details visit the following link. http://www.spurgeon.org/~phil/creeds/bcof.htm#part1
(Matthew 4:4; 24:35; 1 Corinthians 2:6-7,13-16; Psalm 19:7-9; 119:18,129; Acts 10:43; 26:22; 18:28; 2 Timothy 3:16-17; Hebrews 4:12; Romans 15:4; John 16:13,14; 1 John 2:20-27)

6. Q: How can I grow closer To God?
A: We grow closer to God by loving Him and obeying His commands. If we abide in Christ, we will be nourished by His Word, we will be energized and comforted in our times of prayer, and we will be satisfied in our service to others. All of life can be viewed as an act of worship when done in the name of Christ. The following Christian disciplines are helpful for growing closer to God. (1) Internal: meditation, prayer, fasting, study; (2) External: simplicity, submission, stewardship, service, solitude, evangelism; (3) Corporate: confession, worship, guidance, celebration.
(1 John 5:1-5; 1 Samuel 12:23; 1 Chronicles 7:14; 23:30; Psalm 37:4; 111:2; 119:16, 24,35,47; Proverbs 3:9; Matthew 6:1-34; Romans 12:1; Colossians 4:2; James 5:16)

7. Q: How can I stay pure and focused?
A: Knowing and meditating on the Word of God enables us to avoid sin. Consistent devotional habits of study and prayer allow the Holy Spirit to guide us and stimulate our consciences toward the righteousness of Christ. Our submission to godly authority in our lives (parents, church elders, wise adults and friends) and our commitment to remain in fellowship with other church members, help us to walk faithfully and fruitfully in Christ.
(Psalm 19:7-14; 101:1-7; 119:11; Proverbs 22:11; 2 Corinthians 6:6; 1Timothy 4:12; 5:2; Philippians 3:13-14; 2 Timothy 2:1-7; Hebrews 10:19-27; 12:1; 1 John 1:9; 1 Peter 1:14-16, 22-24, 3:1-16)

8. Q: How can I resolve conflict?
A: Obedience to God’s Word, respect for one’s parents, love for one’s neighbor, along with the character traits of humility, patience, forgiveness and accountability in relationships are the keys to resolving conflicts. Every interpersonal conflict is an opportunity to exercise Christian grace. Having been forgiven much, we must practice the art of forgiving others, which our Lord commands. For more details visit the following the Peacemaker Ministry link. http://www.peacemaker.net/site/c.aqKFLTOBIpH/b.958145/k.7ECF/Foundational_Principles.htm (Exodus 1-31; Exodus 20:1-17; Numbers 5:6-7;Matthew 5:24;6:14; 18:15-35; Luke 7:1-4; Romans 8:6; 14:19; 1 Corinthians 7:10-15; Galatians 5:22; Colossians 3:12-17; Hebrews 12:14; James 5:16; 1 Peter 3:8-15)

9. How do I share the gospel?
A: The gospel is the good news that condemned sinners are saved from God’s holy wrath by the atoning sacrifice of Jesus on the cross. A right understanding of the God’s redemptive plan includes the following. It is a good news, bad news, good news proposition.

Good News: Man was created in the image of God, and he was good in his original state.

Bad news: Adam’s disobedience in the garden brought sin to all mankind perpetually. Now man is spiritually dead. He is naturally predisposed to reject God. He fully deserves God's just wrath: death and punishment in hell. Only the shedding of blood can atone for sin.

Good News: God shows His love for us, in that even though we deserve to be condemned and punished, God sacrificed His own Son, Jesus, to suffer and die in our place. The person and sacrifice of Jesus was so perfect that all the sinners who God chooses to save are fully justified (declared just) by Christ’s death on the cross. God saves us by His sovereign grace (an unconditional gift), through faith, and not by our good works. Instead of perishing in hell, we are given new life and a new nature. Therefore, all who repent of their sin, and trust Jesus as Lord, will be saved. We cannot lose our salvation, because Christ has promised that none who are His can be snatched from Him. We are adopted into God’s Kingdom and we will dwell with Him in eternity. That's good news!

The gospel should be proclaimed with joy, sincerity and diplomacy. Christians are commanded to speak the truth in love. We do not need to persuade anyone to accept the gospel. Only those people who are effectually called by God’s Spirit can and will confess Christ as Lord. Our job is to testify to the truth, proclaiming the gospel far and wide to any who will listen. We are commanded to make disciples of those who believe, baptizing them (public profession of their new spiritual life and saving trust) and teaching them all the commands of scripture.
(Genesis 1:26-31; Genesis 3:1-24; Mark 1:15; 16:16; John 3:16-18; Acts 4:12; Romans 3:23; 6:23; 5:8; 10:9; Ephesians 2:8-9; 1Peter 3:15)

10. Q: What is a Biblical worldview?
A: Biblical Christianity is the worldview of belief and trust in a sovereign, personal, triune God who made us and who saves us. A Biblical worldview includes the belief and trust in the Bible as the inerrant and infallible Word of God. It includes the doctrinal understanding that Jesus saves sinners by grace, through faith, from God’s wrath, for good works, for God’s glory. The Biblical worldview assumes God’s sovereignty over all things, including truth, philosophy, anthropology, theology, science, history, sociology, spirituality, government, work, art, and entertainment. Since God is omniscient (all knowing), omnipotent (all powerful), omnipresent (everywhere at all times), as well as loving and just, He perfectly superintends all things for His own purposes. In contrast, all other worldviews are necessarily false.
(Genesis 1:1; Exodus 20:1-6; Proverbs 14:12; John 1:1-5, 14; Psalm 19; Romans 1:18-23; 5:8; 8:28-30; 11:36; John 3:16-21; Colossians 1:12-20; 2:8-10)

11. Q: How can I help transform the culture around me?
A: Culture can be described as the sum total of human knowledge, beliefs, and values operating in the world. Culture includes such things as language, religion, ethics, art, science, technology, and social customs. Christians are not to conform to the non-Christian culture in the world, but to be transformed by God’s Word and Spirit, and to serve as ambassadors of truth to the fallen world. It can be said that every Christian has the potential to change the world. As Christian apologist Greg Koukl puts it, ambassadors must have (1) an accurately informed mind (Biblical knowledge and worldview), (2) an artful method (ability to listen, reason, and debate), and (3) an attractive manner (character of humility and grace, ability to speak the truth in love). Another way to put it is that ambassadors should be skilled in (1) Doctrine - knowing what we believe and why, (2) Direction - guiding and steering our social interactions and conversations, and (3) Delivery – being able to communicate with clarity, humility and sincerity to speak the truth in love.
(Proverbs 15:1; 22:29; 26:4-5; Matthew 7:12; Romans 12:18; 2 Corinthians 5:20; Colossians 4:5-6; 2 Timothy 4:2; 1 Peter 3:15)

12. Q: What career and ministry should I pursue?
A: It is good to choose a career and ministry that are consistent with one’s spiritual gifts, heart’s desires, abilities, personality, and experience (SHAPE). It is wise to choose a career and ministry that allows you to properly manage your family, disciple your children, and participate in the activities of a local church. Be prepared to complete the necessary education and training. A good way to explore a vocation is to talk to people who are currently working in a field in which you have interest, and to seek out apprenticeship opportunities. Particular vocations need not necessarily be a lifetime commitment. It is possible, sometimes easy, to change careers.
(Exodus 20:10; Proverbs 12:14; 14:23; 18:9; 21:25; 22:29; 1 Corinthians 12:1-11; 15:58; 1 Thessalonians 4:11; 2 Thessalonians 3:11-12; 1 Timothy 5:10, 2 Timothy 3:16-17)

13. Q: How should I handle money?
A: We are to be good stewards of the material and financial resources the Lord allows us to use. In handling money, it is good to tithe faithfully, budget carefully, save consistently, spend prudently, invest wisely and share generously. It is good to live as simply as possible, avoid debt and appreciate the things that money enables us to enjoy.
(Deuteronomy 14:26; Psalm 112:3; Proverbs 11:28; 22:1,7; 27:24; 30:8; Ecclesiastes 5:10,13,14; Matthew 6:24; 2 Corinthians 9:6-7; 1 Timothy 6:10; Hebrews 13:5)

14. Q: How should I prepare for marriage?
A: Marriage is a lifelong covenantal commitment between one man, one woman and the Lord. It is designed by God to produce a lasting, monogamous relationship of sexual intimacy and fidelity for procreation and child raising. When a young man and woman have attained the spiritual maturity, the training, the life skills, and the responsibilities necessary for marriage, a courtship for the purpose of marriage, may ensue. The more a young couple understands the biblical roles of headship and submission in the home, and parenting responsibilities, the better. Believers are not permitted to be unequally yoked to unbelievers in marriage. It is wise for young men to gain experience and earning ability in their vocation prior to marriage. It is wise for young women to gain experience in child training and household management within their parent’s home before they marry.
(Genesis 2:24; Numbers 30:3-16; Proverbs 31:10- 31; Malachi 2:15; Matthew 19:5; Romans 7:2; 1 Corinthians 7:1-5, 9,28, 38; 2 Corinthians 6:14; Ephesians 5:31; Philippians 4:8; 1 Timothy 4:1-5; Hebrews 13:4)

Beliefs Buffet

Personal spirituality is in. Biblical doctrine is out. Such is the case in America today as individualism continues to define the religious landscape in our “one nation under God.” A recent article in USA Today proclaims, “Religion today in the USA is a salad bar where people heap on upbeat beliefs they like and often leave the veggies — like strict doctrines — behind.” Americans now treat religion as a buffet line, from which they can pick and choose particular beliefs based on personal preferences.

According to recent surveys a whopping 92% of Americans say they believe in God, and 58% say they pray every day. Yet they appear to be uncertain about our their beliefs. Sixty-eight percent believe “there’s more than one true way to interpret the teachings of my religion.” Fifty-seven percent of Protestants believe there are “many ways to get to God.” Fifty percent say “homosexuality is a way of life that should be accepted by society.” Fifty-six percent think they should either ‘adjust to new circumstances” or “adopt modern beliefs and practices,“ into their religious beliefs. Relativism is clearly alive and well.

I’m not surprised. What else can we expect when multiculturalism and relativism is the preferred worldview promoted by the government schools and the media, which are major shapers of values and beliefs in America today. In contrast, the teachings of the Bible seem intolerant and exclusive. Folks today have little appetite for Jesus’ claim that “no one comes to the Father except through me” (John 14:6). Nor do they agree with Jesus when He said that “many are called, but few are chosen” (Matthew 22:14). Americans prefer a “Santa Claus in the Sky” god, who lets everybody into his heaven, instead of a righteous God, who casts sinners into hell.

What’s a pastor to do in times like these? Why preach about the depravity of man and the cross of Christ, when people want their ears tickled about self-esteem and life enhancement? Why offend listeners with the righteous requirements of God when you can tell the customers what they want to hear? It’s good for attendance. It’s good for the weekly offerings.

I praise God for such times. When the gospel of Christ is viewed as foolishness by the world, it is all the more glorious when its transformational power is set loose to redeem sinners. The gospel was never intended to be popular and sell well in the culture. Christ, the Cornerstone, is an offensive stumbling block (1 Peter 2:8). The words of the Apostle Paul to his disciple, Timothy, are a great encouragement to me:

“I charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who is to judge the living and the dead, and by his appearing and his kingdom: preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, and exhort, with complete patience and teaching. For the time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching, but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions, and will turn away from listening to the truth and wander off into myths. As for you, always be sober-minded, endure suffering, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry” (2 Timothy 4:2-5).

The Multigenerational Household

In many cultures grandparents live in the same household as their children and grandchildren. Not so much in America. Why not? Is it because we need ample doses of personal space? Is it because greedy advertisers have taught us to reject our parents’ values to induce us to buy their latest stuff? Heaven forbid that we dress like mom or dad, or listen to their music. And once we reject their values, it’s easy to reject their company. Maybe that’s one of the reasons we put them in nursing homes when they get old, where they can watch yesteryear’s reruns. Maybe that’s why our own children might do the same thing to us in their time.

But something seems wrong with this picture. When I consider what the Bible says about multigenerational relationships (the discipleship of children and honoring of parents), I get the feeling many Americans have missed the point of family by a fat, country mile.

In the not-too-distant past, households were places of industry and productive work. Family farms were scattered all over the landscape, and people ran businesses out of their homes. Children were trained at home with their parent’s values, and they learned to contribute their share of the work on the family estate. Babies were born into the home and grandparents lived there until they died. The household was a cradle-to-grave enterprise.

With the advent of industrialization, men began to leave their homes to join the urban work force. Thus was born the apartment building, the subdivision and the single-family home. Dads went off to industrial factories and children went off to industrial schools, Eventually moms went off to work, too. Homes became like hotels, places to eat, do homework, watch TV, and snooze.

But things are starting to change. Thanks to the internet, UPS and FedEx, more and more people are using their homes as places of education and business again. Many parents are deciding to teach their own children there. No need to bus the children off to an institution. The same books that can be read at school can be ordered on line and delivered to the family's front door. The family's home computer can access the same web sites as those in the school’s computer lab. At home the children can receive individualized instruction and enjoy enriching curricula that is tailored to their particular interests, and is in accord with their parent’s values. Clubs, sports leagues and church groups are all available to enrich the social life of the family.

A number of young entrepreneurs have discovered that they can do the same work from a computer at home as they would from one at a work station in a downtown office cubicle. Many of them are thinking outside the box, and integrating their work with the functions of their household. They are finding that when family members work in their business, instead of outside employees, it is easier to have a harmonious work environment. There are also significant tax advantages to a family business, which translates into greater profitability.

Some people are bucking the nursing home trends as well. They are making room in the house for grandma and gramps. And the benefits are substantial. The costs of running two separate households are reduced to one. Energy consumption is lowered. Expenses on utilities, meals, child care and education can be consolidated. The retirement income of the grandparents can be used to help remodel the home for their privacy and comfort. Everybody wins.

Is there a down side to the multi-generational, multi-family household? Yep. Everyone must get along, which is tough for a bunch of imperfect people bumping into each other in a common kitchen, or waiting for the bathroom. And there’s always the potential for lazy adult kids to sponge off their parents, or for control freak parents to rule over their children like serf-lords. The good news is that where sin abounds, God’s grace can abound all the more.

Keep an eye out for developments in the multi-generational household. It might just be that our ever-rising gas prices and general economic downturn will be the incentive for many Christians to return to a more biblical way of “doing family” together.

Pastor Rick Warren’s P.E.A.C.E. Plan

I thank God for Pastor Rick Warren’s vision and organizational skills. His latest efforts to unite church leaders in the world to do good works through the P.E.A.C.E. Coalition is highly commendable. As an antidote to what Warren sees as the five “global giants” on the planet (1) spiritual emptiness, (2) self-centered leadership, (3) poverty, (4) pandemic disease and (5) illiteracy, he offers the following goals by way of the acronym P.E.A.C.E.

Promote reconciliation
Equip servant leaders
Assist the poor
Care for the sick
Educate the next generation.

“First and foremost, the P.E.A.C.E. Plan is about reclaiming the primacy of the local church's role in global missions,” says Warren, whose Saddleback Church has invested $3 million in producing software and training modules to implement the plan.

“At a wedding the bride is the main character, the centre, the star of the show - everyone else is supporting cast, but the glory goes to the bride," says Warren. "The P.E.A.C.E. Plan is built on the same principle. The Bride of Christ - of which the church is its local expression around the world - deserves the focus, the credit and the glory for faithfully serving their communities year after year."

Actually the Bride Groom, Christ Jesus, is the star of the show. I don’t mean to be a hair splitter, but the distinction between who receives the glory seems important. As soon as we shift our focus from His glorious work on the cross, and His justifying, sanctifying, mediation for His elect, we set ourselves up to be the measure of righteousness on earth based on our good works. The principle that right doctrine precedes right deeds, is as important as it ever was. Christ is the head, the church is His body.

Our striving to solve the problems of the world is noble and necessary. After all, the Bible declares that faith without works is dead. And we are called to let our light shine before others, so that they may see our good works. Yet all things are to be done to the glory of the Father, not to the church (see Matthew 5:16).

Perhaps I’m overreacting to Warren’s illustration, which might simply need some fine tuning. I hope so.

I pray that the Lord will use the P.E.A.C.E. Plan to glorify the PRINCE of PEACE in the world and to proclaim His GOSPEL.