Follow Me

 Two simple words. A very simple concept. So simple in fact, children play a game called follow the leader. So simple and yet so profound. Follow Me.

Let's imagine the scene in Matthew 9:9. Jesus saw Matthew while He was traveling through the area where Matthew worked. Matthew was a tax collector. The Jews hated tax collectors. They not only were responsible for collecting taxes for Rome, but also added extra fees so they could pad their own pockets. Tax collectors were despised. The excessive taxes of the Roman Empire were crippling economically. The fact that tax collectors swindled people out of more money made them despised even more as traitors. Traitors because Matthew was a Jew. It felt like he betrayed his own people for financial profit. 

We learn that Jesus saw Matthew sitting in the tax collector's booth. When everyone else saw a ruthless government agent profiting off other people's pain, Jesus saw something different. He saw a disciple. He saw an author of one of the gospels. He saw a man of influence. 

It makes me wonder what we see in other people. Do we see what God sees in them? Do we notice the unique ways God gifts people to carry out His divinely designed plans? 

Jesus' approach was direct. There were no formal introductions. No interview. Just two simple words. Follow Me. If we had been Matthew, how would we have responded. Matthew had a pretty good gig going. This itinerant preacher does not even ask Matthew to follow. He tells him to, "Follow Me." To forsake his livelihood, career, home, and his whole way of life. 

The most amazing part of this story for me is found in the phrase, "And he got up and followed Him." He resigned his job on the spot. No two weeks notice. He forsook his vocation to follow a complete stranger. We have no indication that Jesus and Matthew had ever met before. 

It makes me wonder. What did Matthew see in Jesus eyes? What did he hear in the Messiah's voice? What authority did Jesus speak with in those two words follow me? Follow Me was more than a command. It was an invitation to a grand adventure. Matthew saw and experienced things we can only dream about. He had a front row seat to witness miracles, life transformations, healings, demonic deliverance, the crucifixion, the resurrection and the outpouring of the Holy Spirit. All of that came at the invitation to follow Jesus. 

Jesus still shows up in people's lives. He still calls people to follow Him. Following Jesus still leads to some to grand adventures. The question is will we follow His lead?

The End

 Just like there are beginnings, there are also endings. Books have an introduction and a conclusion. A meal may start with an appetizer and end with desert. Movies start and follow a plot line to a climatic conclusion. Racers line up at the starting line and dash toward the finish line. The universe and planet earth had a beginning point at creation and is moving toward the end. 

Life has a beginning and an ending. People rejoice at the birth of a child. Families gather to celebrate the miracle of birth. Those little bundle of joys are passed around the room. We celebrate milestones along the way. First words. First steps. Potty trained. First day of schools. First ball games. Driver's license. Graduation. Marriage. Grandchildren. 

We love all those things. What we do not talk about nearly as much is the ending of a person's life. Funerals. Caskets. Cemeteries. Sometimes death is expected through long life or terminal disease. There are other times when it comes unexpectedly through a tragic accident or murder. Death is a reality many people avoid talking about. It is part of the process of living. Just like there is birth, there is also death. 

People approach the end of their life journey in different ways. Some fight death with all their might. They go into eternity kicking and screaming clutching to life with all their might to the very last breath. Others pass into eternity peacefully and joyfully. 

In ministry, I have been around death of infants, young adults, and the aged. I have ministered at funerals of complete strangers as well as my own mother. I have offered words of truth, comfort and hope where I could. I preached gospel messages at all of them. I am convinced many of those funerals were for people who did not know Jesus and will spend eternity in damnation. 

How will we approach the end of our journey? I know how I want to approach it. With faith. With courage. With joy. With victory. That is not a question I can answer resolutely at this time. How will I face death? I do not know the process of death for me. It could involve excruciating suffering. In that case, I hope I will still cling to faith in the pain and persevere trusting God in my heart until the last breath. I certainly do not want to get incoherent in the end and say things I do not believe about God. Death is a door. An entrance to everlasting life for those who trusted Jesus for salvation. 

Death is not the end for the child of God and the unbeliever alike. There is more after this life. Death is just the beginning. For the child of God, death is the beginning of everlasting life with a resurrection body. The unbeliever will also face the beginning, only that beginning will be everlasting torment, suffering, and relentless pain. Everybody will face one end or the other. Either way death is not the end. It is only the beginning of eternal realities. 

Not Preaching the Bible

 I have heard many people tell me over the past few years how difficult it is to find a church where the Bible is preached. I find this hard to believe. If the preacher does not preach the Bible, what else can he preach. There are self help messages and group therapy talks divorced from Bible texts or the Bible is barely referenced. I have heard it for myself on occasion. If the preacher does not preach the Bible, he is not a preacher at all. He is speech maker. A motivational speaker. Just a talker. 

The Bible is filled with truth to fit different seasons in life. Some truths are hard. They cut deep when read, heard, and studied. These hard hitting truths can thin the crowd down. Many church attenders prefer to have their ear tickled with feel good messages. The Bible does not always make us feel good. God uses the hard truths to convict of sin and lead people to repentance. This has never been a popular message in any age. Many a prophet ended their ministry in prison or under a guillotine. 

I am not saying that people do not need to be comforted and encouraged. There is a lot of that in churches. There seems to be a willful action among some preachers to avoid hard truths and topics that might offend people. It is like eating desert for every meal without nutritional food supplemented as well. It is not healthy. As persecution ramps up in America, we will see the results of desert preaching in lieu of the meat and potatoes of solid food. 

I am betting those who have heard and feasted on the solid food of the whole counsel of God's Word will stand stronger and longer than those who heard another feel good talk. Make no mistake about it. Persecution is coming to America and in some instances already here. The adversity the American church is about to endure will cull out the pretenders. Those strong in the faith will survive because they have built their lives on God's word. When the suffering starts among the saints, we will see how many throng to houses of worship. We will see how many pastors stand firm in the adversity and resist the pressure to bow down in submission to a totalitarian government. 

We need Bible believing preachers and Bible believing preaching pastors who will unapologetically feed their flock all of scripture. The ones who will not cherry pick their favorite passages, but will faithfully declare all the Bible. The message of salvation, prophetic end times passages, holiness, repentance of sin, sanctification, judgment, heaven, hell, faith, prayer, evangelism, missions, family matters and so much more. It takes guts to look people in the eye and declare, "Thus says the Lord," followed by truth. 

This is not a day for mealy mouthed pulpiters. Nor is it a day for velvet mouthed orators to speak. It is not a time for man pleasers to offer messages for men's applause and approval. It is a time for humble, God called, Holy Spirit empowered, fearless, courageous prophets to declare the word of the Lord to a wayward, foolish, rebellious and defiant generation. May God raise them for the task before us. 

Life Like The Ocean

 Life can feel like the ocean. Like a person swimming at the beach. Enjoying the sun, the water, and relaxing days on the beach. There are other times life feels like a person in the ocean who cannot get their feet under them as wave after wave tosses and tumbles them repeatedly. Just about the time that person's feet finds the sandy bottom, another wave crashes over making them loose their footing all over again. 

Sometimes life is smooth sailing, straight paths, and trouble-free journeying. There are other times that life is tumultuous, turbulent, topsy turvy, and traumatic. When wave after wave of sorrows roll in one on top of another. When trials come like tsunamis. In such times, it appears all hope is gone. In such stormy seasons, it may appear the sun will never shine again. The truth is the sun is still shining behind those dark thunder clouds overhead. 

The tide of trials rolls in incessantly in the form of sickness, grief, financial difficulties, family problems, depression, divorce, and death. The pounding surf does not stop. All day and every day the swells form and push inland. When a person loses their footing, it can be hard to stand firm. Fath can fail. Hope can be crushed. The rip tide currents underneath can slowly pull a person out further from solid ground. 

Over the years, I have watched seasons when certain people seemed like they had to endure more than their share of sufferings. They are bombarded with bad circumstances and bad news one on top of another. They get mentally worn down, spiritually weary, and emotionally exhausted. There are no simple answers. Trite phrases like "just trust God," or "God works all things for good," do not help when you are treading water furiously barely able to keep afloat. Like a person stranded in the deep with no place of safety, it is easy to lose hope and to lose heart. 

I went through such a season some years ago. People became concerned. One brother even made a long trip to talk me out of losing hope. We sat down for several hours. I listened as this one I used to mentor and disciple tried to talk me out of my mental state. He sat with his nicely crafted theology amidst the backdrop of several successes. He did not know any of the suffering I endured at the time. He quoted Bible verses, quipped certain truths he read in books, and offered his sage advice. It felt a lot like Job being counseled by his friends. Job's friends did not understand and were wrong. My friend tried but he spoke of things that he really did not know. 

I sat there frustrated and thinking, "This guy does not understand. He has never experienced what I am going through. The surf swells had not sent him tumbling in the oceans followed by other waves crashing on top pushing further down and overwhelming over and over again." I listened a lot. Said very little. Gladly said goodbye when he left with mission unaccomplished. 

I learned during those years that nobody could understand what I went through. The very God I loved, served, sought, and pleaded for help, seemed to be the same God allowing the onslaught of waves of adversity and suffering that slammed against me. I kept my innermost thoughts to myself. I faked it through many days with a floundering faith before a watchful flock. I am not saying I succeeded. Most people probably knew there was something wrong. I did not share it openly. 

I have experienced life like the ocean. Fun filled relaxation one day. Tossed and turned by the ocean the next. Through all of it, God is the same God. He is never caught off guard. He is still trustworthy in tumultuous times. He still listens and helps. He still offers hope to the hopeless and help to the helpless. He still pulls people from the surf of suffering to minister love and strength. He still swims out like a lifeguard to rescue us from dangerous rip tides of toxicity. He ever stands watch to shelter us from approaching storms. He is the lighthouse to show us the way to safety back on the shore when we have lost our way. 

These are all things I have experienced firsthand. These are all things that helped shape the pastor I am today. Only those who have suffered can truly relate to others who are suffering. In closing, I point to truth. 

Matthew 7:24-27 (NASB)

²⁴  "Therefore everyone who hears these words of Mine and acts on them, may be compared to a wise man who built his house on the rock.
²⁵  "And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and slammed against that house; and yet it did not fall, for it had been founded on the rock.
²⁶  "Everyone who hears these words of Mine and does not act on them, will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand.
²⁷  "The rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and slammed against that house; and it fell—and great was its fall."

Notice that both faced the storms of life. The rain fell on both. The floods came to both. The winds blew and slammed against both. Life can be hard. It has challenges. Storms come. Stand on the rock of God and His word. Build your life on that. Hear His word and act in faith on what He says when life is like an ocean. He will not fail you. Hang onto Him like a life preserver. He will see you through. Persevere weary brothers and sisters. Life is like an ocean. The season you are enduring will not last forever. 

A Mind- Bending Conversation

 He visited our church months ago at the invitation of some neighbors. Afterward, he met me in the foyer calling himself a secular humanist atheist. He wanted to get to get together some time for a talk so we could better understand one another. 

Life happened. I got busy. He also got busy. Months passed. He reached out and we worked through our schedules for an appointment. He came to the office and so began one of the most mind-bending conversations I have ever had. Questions upon questions. We discussed everything from Bible literalism to social hot button issues of the day. I will call my friend Brian, though that is not his name, to protect his anonymity. 

He had tough questions about the character of God, the hypocrisy of Christians, the ineffectiveness of prayer, indoctrination of children, the lack of impact of the church on culture and so much more. That conversation lasted five hours and twenty minutes. It never got heated. We disagreed a lot. We had very little common ground except a mutual respect for one another. Neither of us swayed the other. I even told him that was not my job to persuade him. My job was to present the truth. It was God's job to do any persuading. 

I asked him at one point, "What would it take to convince you?" His reply was interesting. He commented, "If God is real, He can reveal Himself to me. He can change my mind." He is right. His analytical mind questions everything. He is looking for evidence and empirical data. He is looking for facts. God is discovered through faith. 

I had no idea we talked that long. We both enjoyed the debate. We did not agree, but our talk was never contentious. It was pleasant and passionate. It felt like we talked for an hour or two. Neither of us had any idea how much time had elapsed. Like two bulls in the pasture battling for supremacy, we locked mental horns and pushed back and forth for supremacy. Me trying to prove God and him trying to disprove the things I hold sacred. He was never disrespectful. He is skeptical of everything in the Christian faith from the authenticity of the Bible, the virgin birth, resurrection, end times prophecy, the rapture, heaven and hell. It proved challenging to debate with him when I kept referring to a book that he does not believe is the word of God. 

When I got home, I felt exhilarated as well as exhausted. I could barely keep my eyes open after dinner.  The mind-bending conversation stimulated me. Made me think a lot. I used brain cells I did not even know I had. Before Brian arrived, I prayed for God to help me have clear recall, be humble, and loving. I think God did that. That conversation also drained me. I slept soundly that night. 

I think God is working on Brian. He told me he had not attended a worship service for two decades before coming to Spring Creek. He sat in my office for nearly five and a half hours. I believe a friendship was established. I told Brian before he left that I would pray for him. I also challenged him to read the Bible with the mindset for God to reveal Himself. He has read the Bible through twice several decades ago. That is more than can be said of most Christians. I think God is drawing him. I look forward to more conversations with him in the future. He is more than an atheist. He is my friend now. 

Misrepresenting Jesus

 I do not understand. I never have. I guess I never will. Why some hate mongers calling themselves Christians promote hate aimed at some people in society who need the love of God most. Such people cherry pick sins and the people who commit them to lash out at in fury, hatred, rage, and condemnation. 

Twice in the past week I heard a different version of the same story from two different people. Both talked about a religious group, I dare not call them a church, who confronted some sinners and told them they should all be lined up and killed. Please tell me where you find Jesus using such hateful language toward sinners. Go ahead. It is not there. The harshest words Jesus spoke was to the religious, self-righteous, hypocritical, legalistic, and hateful religious rulers. 

It is easy to lump people into categories and judge them from a distance. It is another thing to get to know those individuals, to cultivate a relationship with them, to engage with them in spiritual conversations, and to earn their trust and the right to be heard. Admittedly this is not easy. In such relationships it is often two steps forward followed by three steps backward. It is slow going. It requires persevering love. If our job is to evangelize the lost, which way do you think is more effective? Holding a sign filled with hate, screaming hateful things? Or loving people where they are, prayerfully, patiently, boldly, persistently, sharing truth? 

In John 13:34-35, Jesus commanded us to love one another. He also informed us that the world would know that we are His disciples by the fact that we love one another. Some of the meanest most hateful people I have ever met have been church members. Liars. Gossips. Judgmental. Pious self-righteous hypocrites. On the other hand, some of the sweetest, kindest, most generous, and loving people I have ever known have also been church members. They are compassionate, merciful, filled with the love of Jesus, and gracious. 

It makes my blood boil when people mispresent God to the lost. This past week I spent time with a self- professing atheist. One of the things that turns him off to Christians is the hate. I had to admit that it is a problem. Christians often misrepresent Jesus to the world. 

Hateful Christians who judge others so often fail to see the sin in their own eyes clearly. See [Matt 7:1-5] They fail to note that their own sin is just as offensive to God as the pagan's sin. Hatemongers too often forget, but for the grace of God, they too could be bound in wickedness and deceived into a life of debauchery. They ignore the truth that Jesus rescued them from profligate living in the same way He longs to do for sinners who do not know Him. 

I once talked to a janitor who worked at my home church in the hall that shook me up. I have never forgotten that conversation. Roy was more than a janitor. He was also a worship pastor and a street preacher. He talked to me about his ministry with drug addicts, gang members, and prostitutes. What he said that day is tattooed on heart and mind. He said with tears in his eyes, "They can't get to Jesus because of the church. We get in their way. Because we judge them, don't love them, and hate them. They cannot get to Jesus because of the church." That conversation happened twenty-four years ago. It still rings in my ears. God convict us, lead us to repentance and forgive us. 

For all the good we think we do under our steeples, how many languish in the shadows on the slippery slope of sin that leads to eternal damnation. How many will never darken the doors of our buildings because they know they will not be welcomed. May we represent the true Jesus of love, compassion, mercy, and grace to people who need it most.