January 2018

I usually post blogs on Monday mornings.   However, there were two things that happened last night and this morning that caused me to post this morning.  Romans 1:20 is one of my favorite verses in the Bible.  Right behind it is Psalms 19:1.  Most likely these verses are special to me because of my love for the sciences and mathematics.

For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse. Romans 1:20 (KJV)

The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament sheweth his handywork. Psalm 19:1 (KJV)

From these two verses we find that creation is an expression of the very nature of God.  By studying His creation, we can know and understand His invisible attributes.  One of the occurrences that takes place every once in awhile is an eclipse.  This morning we were able to witness a lunar eclipse in some parts of the United States.  My daughter sent the family a video of today’s event from her home in Texas.

Not only was it a lunar eclipse but is was also preceded by a blood moon.  As a beautiful full moon moved into the shadow of the earth, it appeared to change color.  Right before it disappeared it became a brilliant reddish orange ball in the night sky.

As I followed coverage of this phenomenon, I was reminded of some lessons I learned many years ago from watching various eclipses take place.  A lunar eclipse is one where the earth comes in-between the sun and the moon.  When this occurs, the earth blocks the rays of the sun from reflecting off of the moon.  This creation moment always causes me to reflect on something that God’s Word says about our relationship to Him and this world.

In John 5 we read that God is Light.  God is like the sun.  He is the source of all true light.  Man is fallen and is in darkness but through regeneration he enters into a personal relationship with God.  When a Christian is rightly related to God, God’s light shines on man and is reflected onto a lost world.  When a lost world sees God’s light reflected off of a Christian, God receives the glory.  This is exactly what Jesus taught in the Sermon on the Mount.

Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid. Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick; and it giveth light unto all that are in the house. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven. Matthew 5:14-16 (KJV)

They say a picture is worth a thousand words so let me try and illustrate my thoughts with a visual.

This picture illustrates how Christians should be related to God (Who is Light) as we live and work in this dark world. This is how we should be living our lives by abiding in Christ and allowing God’s light to shine through us to a lost world.

In the beginning of this post, I said that there were two things that led me to write it.  The second one also relates to what we just observed in today’s lunar eclipse.  Last night the President of the United States gave his first State of the Union Address since taking office.  I am not going to give political commentary on the speech but I do want to point out a theme that ran through the address.

This President, whether one likes him or not, has accomplished a lot of things.  One thing I am very grateful to him for doing is how he has boldly stood for the sanctity of all human life — including the life of the unborn.  He has not only spoken out publicly on this issue but he has also appointed strong, conservative, constitutionalist judges who will defend all human life.

The theme that I want to draw our attention to, however, is that of economic prosperity.  There is no question about it, many of his actions have caused the economy to rebound and grow.  I am not against keeping a little more of the money I earn so I can use it for kingdom business.  I also want to see others be blessed financially.  However, I am fearful that we can very easily start loving the things of this world more than the things of God.  As some has aptly said, we can focus on the blessing and forget the blesser!

Let me explain using the example of today’s lunar eclipse.  We find a very solemn warning in 1 John 2.

Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him. 1 John 2:15 (KJV)

This verse used to always concern me.  When I would read it, I thought it was telling me that if I loved this world, God stopped loving me.  However, that is not what it means.  It says if I love the world, the love of the father is no longer IN me.  It took a lunar eclipse many years ago to help me understand what that means.  Consider a second image.

When I love the things of this world more than God, I allow the world to come between me and God.  This is exactly what happens in a lunar eclipse — the earth (world) comes between the sun and the moon.  When the world comes between me and God, God’s light cannot get to me — His love is not IN me.  This means I have nothing to reflect through my efforts to a lost, dark world.

As Christians, we cannot let economic prosperity or any other worldly desires come between us and God, Who is light.  When this happens, we end up walking in the darkness of an eclipse.  Economic prosperity and/or the American Dream is not what we should seek after.  Jesus said that we are not to be like the lost and seek after material gain. Instead we should seek first the kingdom of God.  We are to seek His Lordship over our entire lives.  When we do, we will abide in His light and everything we do, will bring glory to Him.  I am always blessed when I know God better through lessons from Creation.  Have a blessed day!

It is hard to comprehend the cultural slide that has taken place in our country over the past decade.  (Even though I will be focusing on what we are facing in the USA, I find similar battles taking place around the globe.)  What may have started as a small snowball now seems like an avalanche racing toward us out of control.  Most of the issues that are being played out each and every day are dividing people like never before.  We even find many Christians on “opposing” sides of certain hot button matters.

Everyone can easily see the animosity that has grown over the past decade in the political arena.  There is also the issue of human sexuality and the gay rights movement.  Of course, there are the constant arguments and attacks that are over racial issues.  Just this past week I read an article about how the issue of “white privilege” is tearing apart a Christian higher education institution.  Then there is the constant bombardment from all sides on the issue immigration and dreamers that is always being talked about through all the various news outlets.

Everyone appears to be forced into to taking one side or the other on these and other social issues.  In fact, Christian artist, Mandisa, has a hit song, We All Bleed The Same.  Some of the lyrics to this song are:

Are you left? Are you right? Pointing fingers taking sides…

The artist asks the question that if we all do bleed the same, so tell me why, tell me why we’re divided.  It is not my intent in this article to try and convince the readers what is the “right” side each of these divisive issues.  Rather I want to suggest a strategy that Christians need to follow when trying to discern what God’s will is for them when trying to be salt and light in today’s dark world.

Christians need to understand a couple of things when it comes to living the Christian life in what some people have said is a “Babylonian culture”.  The first thing we must always understand is that we are at war.  I know that whenever I make that statement, some people will say that I am part of the problem.  However, when I say we are at war, I am not saying we are war with other people and, therefore, need to attack and defeat the “other side”.

What I mean is that we are in a culture war.  In Focus on the Families’ Truth Project, teacher Del Tackett, explains that we are engaged in a “cosmic battle of worldviews”.  He goes on to explain that this war requires Christians to chose between believing God’s truth claims or Satan’s truth claims on any and every issue we face in life.  Of course, Satan’s truth claims are actually lies.

This is exactly the battle that our first parents faced that dreadful day in the Garden.  Satan set forth his truth claim (lie) that they wouldn’t die if they ate the forbidden fruit but would actually become like God.  Satan’s lie was in direct opposition to God’s truth claim that eating the forbidden fruit would bring death to the couple.  We all know that Adam and Eve chose poorly.

But just knowing we are in a cosmic battle over God’s truth claims and Satan’s lies isn’t enough to help us navigate today’s troubled seas.  The most important thing we must do is to accurately identify the opposing truth claims.  No matter what the issue is that we are addressing, we must be able to articulate God’s truth claim and Satan’s lie regarding it.

This isn’t something that most of us can do in a couple of minutes while we rush through life.  It will take a concentrated and determined effort to know the truth.  I am one who needs to see something that shows the big picture in order to understand it.  Some have said that I am a “model” person.  I need a model to look at that helps me address various challenges and opportunities I face in everyday life.

I would like to suggest that Christians need to make a list of various issues that are dividing us today.  Then on the left side of the each item write out God’s truth claim related to the issue.  Of course, to do this we must know what God’s Word actually says about the issue.  After doing this, we need to write down on the right side of the issue Satan’s lie that he wants us to believe about the matter.

As one goes through this exercise, he/she must understand that Scripture makes it clear that truth sets people free.  This, in turn, means that lies enslave us.  Once we have identified the two opposing truth claims, we must decide which one we are going to accept — knowing that our choice will either free or enslave us.  Here is an example of a worksheet showing some of the issues that are dividing people today.

It is important that we clearly identify God’s truth and Satan’s lie about every issue of life.  This must also be a major aspect of the education we give our children and youth.  If we don’t teach them what God says about every aspect of life, they will only choose a side that makes them feel good and accepted by the culture.  Knowing what God’s Word says and what the enemy wants us to believe is the key to whether we walk in freedom or become enslaved to ways of this world.  I don’t know about you but I choose freedom!

Having a kingdom mindset is absolutely necessary if we want to live a life that is pleasing to God.  The topic of the kingdom is a key theme in the New Testament.  Most of the references to the kingdom use the phrase the “kingdom of God”.  However, the phrase the “kingdom of heaven” is also used when referring to the kingdom.

In order to understand how important it is for Christians to develop a kingdom mindset we need to consider the following.

• The kingdom of God is found 66 times in the New Testament.
• The kingdom of heaven is found another 32 times, all of them in the gospel of Matthew.
• The term kingdom  is found 154 times in the New Testament; 119 times in the four gospels.
• Jesus used the term kingdom 93 times alone.

I think it is safe to say that the kingdom of God is a very important concept in Scripture.  The importance of the kingdom of God is what led me to title my book on education Kingdom Education.  I did this because I saw in Scripture that God’s highest priority for every believer is for him/her to know, understand and experience His kingdom every day of life.  My reasoning for such a bold statement is found in Jesus’ own words:

But seek ye first the kingdom of God and His righteousness… Matthew 6:33

This verse makes it clear that Christians are to seek His kingdom more than anything else in life.  Pastor James McMenis recently made this point in relation to this verse.

Whatever or whoever you put first in your life, controls every other aspect of your life.

When you add this to what Jesus said when He taught His disciples to pray, you see how important the kingdom is to God.

Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven. Matthew 6:10

From this second verse, we could say that God’s kingdom exists wherever His will is done.  This means that I can experience the kingdom of God to the degree that I obey His will (His Word).  So, how does a Christian develop a kingdom mindset?  If we want to develop a kingdom mindset, we must fully understand the concept of the kingdom of God.

Recently I was doing some study on this subject and watching some teaching on the kingdom of God presented by Disciple Nations Alliance (DNA).  This organization’s emphasis is that Jesus is King, and His primary agenda is to advance the Kingdom of God by discipling all nations.  In the video I was watching, one of its founders shared what he referred to as the essentials of a kingdom.  There are four key essentials that must be a reality if a kingdom is to exist.  These essentials are:

1. There must be a king.
2. There must be subjects over whom the king rules.
3. There must be laws and ordinances by which the king rules over his subjects.
4. There must be a realm or territory over which the king rules.

As I thought about these four essentials of any kingdom , it clarified my thinking related to the kingdom of God.  The kingdom of God must be characterized by the following essentials.

1. God must be the king.
2. Christians must be God’s subjects over whom He rules.
3. God rules His kingdom through laws and ordinances.
4. My life (my heart, mind and will) must be the realm or territory over which God rules.

If I want to develop a kingdom mindset, I must:

• Accept God as king over everything – including my life.
• Realize that I am to be subject to the rule of the king, who is God.
• I must know His laws and ordinances and then obey them completely.
• Submit my heart, mind and will as the territory over which God has complete authority.

The third essential of God’s kingdom stated above makes it clear that God rules His kingdom through His laws and ordinances.  That means I must know His laws and ordinances.  I believe that there are two sources where I can find God’s laws and ordinances.  These two sources are the two books that God has written.

The first book that God has written is one that every person actually reads every day.  This is God’s book of creation.  In this book we find God’s physical laws or, what we could call, His creation ordinances.

It is interesting to realize that everybody obeys these ordinances of God. Even lost people know that if they ignore or disobey God’s creation ordinances, it can bring disastrous results in their lives.  The most obvious one of God’s creation ordinances that every person obeys is His law of gravity.  If man decides he doesn’t have to obey this ordinance and decides to walk off a 10 story building, the consequence is most likely death.  As a former chemistry teacher, I taught various laws that are found in creation that we better pay attention to.  My students accepted these laws and were willing to obey them without question.

The second book God wrote is the Bible.  In this book we find God’s moral laws and ordinances.  Since the same God wrote both books, we must understand that both His creation ordinances and His moral law are there for our benefit.  We should also accept the truth that if we ignore or break His moral laws and ordinances, we will experience disastrous consequences.

It is amazing how even lost people know that God’s creation ordinances, when obeyed, allow them to accomplish some amazing things.  Yet, they criticize and mock God’s moral law found in His Word.  What boggles my mind even more is that we, as Christians, don’t give the same amount of value to God’s moral law as we do to His creation ordinances.  In fact, many Christians today are willing to face the devastating consequences that comes by ignoring God’s moral law.  Or maybe they think they can avoid the consequences by merely asking forgiveness.

If Christians were to develop a kingdom mindset and accept the four essentials presented in this article, it would change every aspect of their lives.  It would impact our personal lives, our marriages, our families and our churches.  If God reigns in all of life, it would even change how we educate our children.  It all depends on our mindset.  Do you have a kingdom mindset?  If so, how has it changed how you live?

Last week I shared my desire to make sure that my salvation will be evident in all I am and all I do in 2018.  This will become a reality when I follow Paul’s admonition in Philippians 2 where he writes that we must work out your salvation with fear and trembling.  But how can I do this?  What are the steps?  I believe that God’s Word provides us with a process for making our salvation something that not only changes our lives but also allows us to impact the culture.

The first step in working out ones salvation is to work out what God has done in our hearts to impact our minds.  Romans 12:2 says that we must avoid being conformed to the ways of this world by renewing our minds.  This isn’t something that comes naturally.  In 2 Corinthians 10:3-5, Paul explains how the effort to renew one’s mind can be best described as entering into spiritual warfare.

The human mind is the center that drives our decisions and actions in life.  Because we are born with a sin nature, our minds have to be renewed if we are going to live lives that reflect the work of salvation that takes place in our hearts.  The key to success is bringing all of our thoughts in line with God’s Word.  This is what Paul meant when he wrote that we must bring every thought captive to the obedience of Christ.  In essence, Paul says we must think biblically about every area of life.  Christians must develop a strong biblical worldview.  Kyle Idleman explained this in his book, Gods at War.  He wrote,

It is time to choose a worldview and let it remake you.

This leads us to the next step.  A renewed mind will remake us and will result in us developing Christ-like character.  Christ-like character is the mark of a transformed life.  As Christians develop Christ-like character, we will also see entire families being transformed.  Our families will become kingdom-focused and parents will follow biblical principles in all areas of their parenting responsibilities, including how they educate their children.

Finally, when Christians work out their salvation in these areas, we will see culture influenced.  BJ Press recently released  a new textbook, Biblical Worldview.  In this book the authors explain how a worldview is a set of basic beliefs, assumptions and values about life and the world.  The book goes on to explain that a worldview produces individual and group action which results in human culture.

Today’s culture is a result of individual and group actions that are based on our society’s dominant worldview.  This worldview is man-centered and completely secular in nature.  If Christians are ever going to influence the culture, they will have to change their beliefs and their actions to be in line with the truth of Scripture.   This is why we must work out our salvation with fear and trembling in 2018.  Our children’s future depends on it.

In my last post I shared with readers how God had spoken to me during the Aleph Tav Conference that I attended a few weeks ago.  It was at the conference that I saw a picture of Jesus like I had not seen before.  Based on the words of Paul in Philippians 2:5-11, Pastor James McMenis talked about the incarnation, humiliation, exaltation and adoration of Christ.  My salvation became more real and precious to me each night of Aleph Tav 2017.

Since the conference I have been praying about what my focus needs to be in 2018.  I have been asking myself the question I ask my students every time I teach my philosophy of education class at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary.  At the end the week-long class I have the students write a paper that is simply titled, So What?   I want to learn from the students how, if any, the class has impacted their lives.  So I have been asking myself this question.  So What?

I found my answer to this question and what I want to focus on in 2018 by reading what Paul wrote in the rest of the second chapter of Philippians.  Philippians 2:12-13 reads:

Wherefore, my brethren…work out your own salvation with fear and trembling for it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of His good pleasure.

My focus for 2018 is to diligently work out my salvation with fear and trembling.  I know that some have taken this passage to try and prove that salvation is based on one’s good works but that is not what this verse is talking about.

As a biology major in college, I marveled at the magnificent design of the human body’s circulatory system.  We all know that man’s physical heart is the center of this system.  The heart is located in the center of the body and is responsible to pump life-giving blood throughout one’s body.

It is critical that blood gets to every extremity of the body.  Improper or blocked circulation can lead to a member of the body losing its function and could even cause death.  The same is true for us spiritually.   My salvation took place in my heart.  It brought me new life in Christ.  I am told that everything was made new when I became a Christian.

However, that new life needs to be circulated throughout my life.  It must be worked out from my spiritual heart to every part of my being just like physical blood must be worked out from my physical heart to every part of my body.

Because I have seen afresh the incarnation, humiliation, exaltation and adoration of Jesus, this understanding of my salvation must be evident in every aspect of my life.  As I reflect on what Christ did for me when He left the glory of Heaven and became a man who suffered throughout His life and finally gave His life for me, it is supposed to change everything about me.  So I am asking myself some key questions at the start of 2018.  As I work out my salvation, how will it affect:

• the things I set my eyes on?
• the things I listen to?
• my thoughts?
• the words I say?
• the attitudes I display?
• my view of others?
• what I do with my life?
• my parenting?
• my marriage?
• the use of my time, talent and treasure?

I can go on and on listing how my life needs to reflect not only the work God did in my heart when I became a Christian as a 9 year-old boy but also the fresh work He did in my life during the Aleph Tav Conference.  This must be my focus throughout this year and any other years He sees fit to give me here on earth.

Most of us are aware of the importance of having a good diet and proper exercise in order to remain healthy.  If we eat the wrong foods and sit around and not get some exercise, our arteries can be affected.  A poor diet and no physical exercise can cause arteries to become restricted or even blocked.  This does not allow blood to get to the parts of the body that need it to survive.  If this goes undetected, it may even lead to death.

The same is true for our spiritual lives.  Nothing much will happen in 2018 if I just “say” I need to work out the work that God has done in my life.  This is going to require a proper diet and a good exercise plan in order for good circulation to take place.  I have made a commitment to read through the Bible again in 2018.  If I don’t feed regularly on God’s Word, I won’t have the needed knowledge and wisdom to keep the work that God has done and wants to do in my heart flowing through all aspects of my life and ministry.  The same is true for the other spiritual disciplines that need to be a daily part of my life throughout this year.

I am thankful for what God did in my life at Aleph Tav 2017.  However, I don’t want what happened at this event to be just something I attended and have a few nice memories about.  I want it to continue shaping my life and my ministry.  I am excited about what God is going to do in the days ahead.  Are you?