Dealing With Doubt

We can doubt without living a doubting way of life.  Doubt encourages rethinking.  It's purpose is to more to sharpen the mind than to change it.  Doubt can be used to pose the question(s), get answers, and even to push for a decision.  But doubt was never meant to be a permanent condition. 

The thing about doubt is that it must be expressed in order for it to be addressed.  Silent doubts rarely - if ever - get answered or resolved.  The just fester and nurture clouds of fear, distrust, and so on.  In fact, lingering doubt, when not addressed, has an incredible power to kill vision, choke off passion, and suffocate energy.  Moreover, the greater the doubt, and the longer it's left unaddressed - the more likely it is to cause lasting damage.

We all know the story of "doubting Thomas," as told in John 20:19-31.  It's the term given to the disciple who questioned the resurrected Jesus.  He wasn't sure it was Jesus and openly expressed his doubt.  Jesus encouraged him to touch His tortured body.  Jesus let Thomas feel the hole from the spikes that had nailed Him to the cross.  He had Thomas place his hands on Jesus side where He'd been pierced with the sword to make sure that He was actually dead on that cross.  Most preachers like to take us to that particular example as an indication that God welcomes our doubts. 

But there is a great danger in the character of doubt.  It is the risk that doubt will become unbelief - which is a great sin.  Unbelief looks at the truth and doesn't question it.  Rather unbelief rejects the truth.  There is a big difference.  And the risk is inherent in every human being who is too lazy to address their doubts. 

Consider, for example, what might have been the outcome if our friend Thomas (in above paragraph) had not expressed his doubts to Jesus.  He would have not been given the opportunity to actually touch Jesus' tortured body and feel for himself the scars it had suffered.  More than likely, he would have gone on to not believe.  And what would he have not believed?  That Jesus was actually risen from the dead!  And most theologians point to Jesus' resurrection from the dead as the greatest proof that Jesus is who He said He is ... God.

The Bible has much to say about unbelief, and I'll address that another day.  But we can be clear today on two things.  First, not believing God's truths is definitely a sin.  It matters not that the unbelief lacks evidence or experience (proof) to convince it otherwise.  Those who have access to God's truth and fail to believe it are guilty of sin.  This is explained quite simply in John 3:18, 5:38.  (But there are many other Scripture references in both the Old and New Testaments that define unbelief as sin.)

The second thing we can be clear on is the fact that un-addressed doubts are the fastest road to unbelief.  So we can take our doubts and honor God with them ... but expressing them and allowing the evidence of truth to overcome them.  Or we can be lazy with our doubts, hiding them in the dark corners of our minds ... where the evidence of truth never goes. 

Said differently, it is not a sin to have doubts.  But not expressing those doubts or confronting them is most likely to allow them to mature into unbelief.  And that, my friends is the sin. 

So, what doubts do you have and what are you doing with your doubts these days?

Christians & Lying

As a young boy I started doing it without even realizing I was doing it. I guess I did it because I thought it would help me “stay out of trouble.” I would do something wrong, get caught and realize that a spanking was imminent. So I would lie. I didn’t break the lamp. I didn’t eat the cookie. I didn’t steal the toy. I didn’t write on the wall.

I remember as a father myself, noticing one day that my two-year old son was lying. How did he know to do that? My goodness, he wasn’t even old enough to have talked about the concept with anyone! I’d learned at church that we are all born with a sin nature. Frankly seeing my toddler lie for the very first time was a stunning confirmation of that Biblical truth!

As I grew through the years, I don’t guess my lying habit got much better. If anything, it just got more sophisticated. I learned to lie to get what I wanted. I lied to impress people. I lied because I wanted people to like me … and figured the lie was better than the truth. In some respects, the lies I told began to be defense tactics. I didn’t like who I was and assumed everyone else would feel the same way. So I tried to pretend I was someone I wasn’t. By the time I grew to adulthood, it had gotten so that I could hardly tell the lies from the truth. Did I believe my own lies?

Relationships are difficult to sustain with lies. Let me tell you. I vividly remember my mother exclaiming that she could handle just about anything, but emphatically stating that she hated liars. I would hear her words, “I hate liars!” And I would sulk off to my room --- knowing full well that I was a liar --- and concluding then that my mother must hate me. This is not a good conclusion for an insecure teen-ager to draw.

It would be less than honest if I didn’t fess up to continuing to lie. Even in my career I became quite the liar and manipulator. I could get what I wanted, when I wanted. I could step on anyone I needed to in order to make myself look good and get ahead. And often I did. At least until Jesus got hold of me though. When we first adopted our kids and turned to regular church attendance “for the sake of the children,” God started to do a work in me. Frankly He had a lot of work to do!

It wasn’t long before I found myself truly surrendering my heart, my life, and my will to the Lord. And yes, I had to surrender my lies to Him as well. Today I’m not a liar. In fact I don’t recall the last time I told a lie. Somewhere along the line that habit slipped away and was replaced by honesty that sometimes is admittedly a bit brutal. Let’s just say that not everyone is a fan of all of my truth.

But the thing I’ve learned is that lying is an instinctive human behavior. Remember my two-year old son and that sin nature we’re all born with? I’m convinced lying is its foundation. We dress up the lies and call them “white lies.” And our society rationalizes and justifies them to no end. Even in our churches we lie. But you know, the thing I’ve discovered is that my mother was pretty godlike in her view of lying. As it turns out, God hates lying – and His recourse with those who persist in telling lies is not pretty.

I ran across an author recently, Paul Tautges. He’s a pastor in Wisconsin I think. Anyway, he wrote a blog and called it “12 Reasons God Hates Liars.” I read it with intrigue, and took note of the relevant application he made of some tried and true Scriptures on the subject. Let’ take a look.

· God loves truthful speech and honors truth-tellers. [Proverbs 3:3-4 & 12:22]

· Lying reveals a lack of godliness. [Proverbs 12:17 & 13:5]

· Lying is the mark of an unfaithful person. [Proverbs 14:5, 21:6, & 19:22]

· Lying is often motivated by fear (which Christians are not supposed to have). [Genesis 20:9-11 & Isaiah 41:10 & 13]

· Hypocrites are addicted to lying. (They have to have it!) [Hosea 11:12]

· Liars love impure conversation. [Proverbs 17:4]

· Lying is a cause of unanswered prayer! [Isaiah 59:2-3]

· Jesus called Satan the “father of lies,” and Satan leads mankind to join him. [John 8:44 & Acts 5:3]

· Lying often accompanies (or tries to cover) other sin(s). [Hosea 4:1-2]

· Liars will perish. [Psalm 5:6, Proverbs 19:9, & Revelation 21:8]

· Truthful people prevail in the end. [Psalm 63:11 & Proverbs 12:19]

In Colossians 3, the Apostle Paul calls all of us who have been born-again in Christ Jesus to put away the old self and put on the new, clothing ourselves in righteousness (amongst other things). This of course includes lying. Even white lies are not suitable for a Christ-follower, under any circumstances, at any time.

I have to confess that I actually disagree with the author, Paul Tautges. I don’t think there are 12 Reasons Why God Hates Liars. For I don’t believe God hates liars --- any more than I believe my mother hated me. What God hates is lies. And the people who tell them simply cannot be in His presence.

Did you know that? Were you made aware, when you gave your life to Christ, that even the most harmless looking lie separates you from God? And of course lies of any kind separate us from lots of other important relationships in life … such as our spouse, children, parents and siblings. Simply put, there is no place in the Christian life for a lie.

I’ve had to make a continuing effort, and sometimes a valiant effort to turn from my sin of lying. Even today I’ll catch myself in an awkward situation where I might feel as if a lie would be easier. I might even be tempted to rationalize and justify the lie as being more humane, perhaps more socially acceptable or even more polite. But of course, those would be lies that I tell myself. And strangely enough, those of us who've struggled with lying often lied to ourselves more than anyone!

As Christ followers, let us make it a practice to turn from the sin of lying, and develop a core competency in dealing always with the truth. Jesus said that, “the truth shall set you free.” (John 8:32) So let’s get with it --- let’s get set free!

Darkness & Light

Did you ever have someone come into your life who actually changed you --- or at least changed your thinking? Maybe it was a school teacher or college professor. Perhaps it was a boss or a colleague. For some of us it might be a neighbor. For some it might be a pastor, a coach, or maybe a client.

Whoever they turn out to be, I'm becoming more and more convinced that these people exist. I never know where they'll turn up. And of course they aren't all people. I meet lots of people through business and social endeavors. I'm sure they're all wonderful people. But some of those meetings turn out to be a little more profound than others. The interesting thing is that I usually don't even know that until later, when I look back and realize that meeting was profound!

I met a guy last fall in a CR Step Study that I'm leading. (He's a pastor.) Quite a remarkable fellow, actually - there have been several things about him that have impressed me. The first was his leadership. This guy is unabashedly leading. I think I might be drawn to those people who lead boldly. They know who is in charge and aren't afraid to take command. I don't know, maybe it's a character defect that drives them (control issues or something). Nevertheless, I find myself drawn to that.

He has other qualities that seem to stand out. I can't say I admire them or wish them for myself. I really don't think it's like that. But I notice them. His faith and his passion for his God are remarkable. I've known a lot of pastors, and pretty well too. Few have exhibited this passion for the Lord. I get the sense that this guy would really walk through fire, go to his death or do whatever else it might take to serve his God. Call yourself a Christian, or a Jew, or a Catholic - but really, how many of us serve a God like that?

As you might have it, my new acquaintance and I are becoming good friends. Occasional coffee's with no particular agenda help us learn more about each other's hearts and minds. It may be that we're finding things in each other that we like --- for those meetings tend to happen more often and last longer than I expect. Somehow I suspect that despite the proximity we may have or not have in each other's lives, the impact he'll have in my life will be enduring.

One of the things he's said recently that really got me to thinking has been about light and dark, good and evil. The Bible is clear that darkness cannot stand in the face of light. It's equally clear about the fact that evil will never prevail in the face of righteousness and holiness (which come from God). But my friend pointed out that most people who believe in God tend to act as if the darkness were more powerful than the light. He's observed (and rightly so, I think) that people of faith tend to behave as if they're afraid of evil.

It makes me wonder. Could it be that even believers in the Most High God of creation still fear evil more than they fear Him? Is it possible that we lose conscious sight of the facts about darkness and its nature? And if so, what would cause such a phenomenon?

I certainly agree with my friend. Like I began this blog, it seems God is using him to shift some of my personal paradigms. (I'm still figuring out which ones those are too!) It is painfully obvious that even the most spiritually mature people can become rattled by their circumstances. A solid man of faith gets nervous when there are layoffs at his work. A godly mother falls apart when her child is seriously ill. A Christian business owner acts like a frightened sheep being pursued by wolves when there is a business downtown or a client sues him. What's up with these things?

Have we lost sight of the power of light? Do we forget that righteousness and holiness are the ultimate victors in this game of life? Or can we become deceived about the power of darkness? Can darkness somehow convince us that it is invincible? Does evil mock us and make fun of us, beating us into the submission like the playground bully when we were kids?

Light a candle in the darkness and see what happens. The darkness retreats. But try to bring darkness into the light of day and see if the daylight retreats. (It doesn't!) Isn't this how we are supposed to live our lives ... based on these two simple truths?

Evil doesn't win, good triumphs, holiness prevails, and righteousness endures. Darkness fades, despite its intimidating and menacing nature. And those things of the world that make us nervous, that cause us to worry or fret or even be scared? They aren't so powerful really. In fact, their ability to control us is really a farce. It's just not there!

On one of my trips to Africa a couple years ago, I heard a woman say she was not going to tell God about her problems, but instead would tell the problems about her God. It seemed like a simple statement, and yet profound. I'd like to introduce her to my new pastor friend here in Texas. I suspect God is using both of them to speak truth into me!

Truth About Money

Jesus called upon us to be driven by good, and not driven by greed. So it is perplexing to see that our culture ... including our contemporary Christian culture ... has fallen to the greed epidemic.

According to a survey reported in Time magazine, a remarkable 61% of Americans who identify themselves as Christians believe that God wants them to be prosperous (defined as having considerably more than they need). Another 31% of the same group believe that if you give money to God, God will bless you with more money.

It sounds like a Jesus hedge fund, where your investments are guaranteed to grow.

The Bible has always been clear about money and its proper perspective in our lives. It isn't supposed to matter. Of course that's a huge challenge for most human beings. Why? Because in our modern-day world, money seems to matter more than most anything. It seems we can't do anything without it ... which keeps us singularly focused on money. Because despite what the Bible tells us, our human experience is that money is power. And it's a lie that we all get trapped in from time to time.

But equally as dangerous as the prosperity theology is the eschewing of money altogether. 1 Timothy 6:10 tells us that the love of money is the root of all sorts of evils. However it does not say that the love of money is the source of all evil. Nor does it say that money itself is evil. These are important distinctions to make.

Taking a vow of poverty or living in a barter society or hating money are no healthier perspectives to have than greed and prosperity theology. So we've got this dilemma. Think of it as a fine line that must be walked. It's the line between loving and hating money. Apparently it's a very fine line. Even when we hit it, we have great trouble staying on that line. Many is the righteous man who has fallen victim to the ills that money can bring.

You see, Scripture recognizes that money is necessary for survival. But it warns against the love of money (Matthew 6:24; 1 Timothy 6:10; Hebrews 13:5). Money is dangerous because it is so deceptive. It tricks us into thinking that it has more power than it really does. It deceives us into thinking that wealth is the easiest way to get everything we want. And the love of money is sinful because it leads us to trust money more than we trust God to solve our problems, take care of us, secure our future, etc.

I think the question we must answer is how on earth God can bless us with money without us being taken in by money and its power or influences. It seems to me that the only way that would ever be accomplished is if we have a proper regard for money in the first place. And I say that money can't be in its proper perspective unless we first have God in His proper perspective.

So --- how well do you rally know God? However well you know God will determine what perspective you are able to put money in.

Test Everything

I'm reading this book right now. I won't name the title because I'm not sure what I think of the book yet. It had a catchy title. So clever was the title that I also purchased another copy of the book for a friend (at the same time I purchased my copy). As I am reading it though, I have thought perhaps I should call him and apologize.

The book is about the watering down of Christianity. It is about how those who profess to follow Jesus Christ in America actually don't. It is about the heresy that's being preached in the name of Jesus.

Typically I'm drawn to controversy and conflict. I always assume that truth will level the playing field in such situations too. This book is no different. Much, if not most, of what it has to say is spot on. Several times as I'm reading I'm tempted to say, "Amen!" There are pages that I've already marked for future reference because the writer's words are so profound.

But then there are those moments. Perhaps you've experienced them. It happens when someone intelligent is saying things you heartily agree with. And then they do it. They spew out something that you absolutely know is not true. In fact, there is no way it could be true. If you even considered the possibility that it would be true you would be undoing everything you believed in. (I often get those moments watching Oprah or reading something she's recommended.) And he did it here.

This author, whose book I have purchased for myself and a friend, was doing great. Until he spewed some nonsense that makes God look like a fool. I got through the first one like a rough patch of turbulence on an airplane flight. It smoothed out and I continued reading with satisfaction and agreement. Until he did it again. And again. I think there are three or four times now he's said something in this book that has made me wince because it was untrue. It's a like that the writer apparently believes to be true.

The Bible tells us to to test everything against the Word of God to be sure it is true. We're not to consume anything without first conducting that test. Said differently, we're not to consider anything or take anything at face value without having first tested it against the Word of God.

I've blogged in the past about false teachers and false teaching. They're not always the same. Sometimes good teachers can be guilty of false teaching. And so I'm reminded as I read this book right now, that even writers who mostly put forth truth can let a lie creep in there somewhere. I think it's why the Bible tells us to test everything that's said --- as opposed to testing everyone who says it.

I'm not sure yet what I'm going to do about this book. I'm pretty sure I'll finish it. There's a sufficient amount of truth in it that I want to finish it. But I have to admit that the lies are distracting the heck out of me. They're spoiling the enjoyment I get from reading it.

A couple of years ago I read the book, A New Earth, by Eckhart Tolle. (It as an Oprah Book Club recommendation.) Unfortunately, the book was so full of crap that I was thoroughly disgusted reading it. While there was some truth, most of what Mr. Tolle had to say couldn't pass the testing against God's Word. I was so disgusted, in fact, that I took my copy of the book and threw it in the dumpster. I didn't want to pass it on even to a thrift store for fear that someone else might read it.

I don't think I feel so strongly about this book I'm reading now. But I've already decided I'm never going to recommend it, especially to someone who is young and perhaps less able to discern the lies amidst the truths.

Perhaps the question is whether book authors (and their publishers) know that no matter how good they are, how religious they've been or what they write ... it still needs to be tested against God's Word.

Plan B

I listen to Christian radio and news talk radio most of the time in my car. And lately I've noticed a disturbing trend in the advertising I'm hearing on on both. Let me explain.

I listen to KLTY (94.9 FM) here in Dallas, Texas. It has lots of contemporary Christian music that makes for easy and uplifting listening. But when the commercials play there are two that sound like fingernails on the chalk board.

The first is Sona MedSpa and their laser hair removal. I swear, it sounds like they are the most prolific advertiser on this station. Between removing unsightly hair forever and blasting away cellulite, nobody could miss their aim. And it sounds like it's really grounded in worldly values. Ugh!

Then there is the Slim 4 Life weight loss program. Frank, the announcer on KLTY, lost 45 pounds with them --- a long time ago --- and he's "keeping it off!" (Let's face it folks, the only slim for life program that really works is when Jesus is in control of your eating!)

Now it might seem that Christian radio takes the brunt of my disgust with advertising. Oh, but not so fast there. Today, on talk radio (570 AM - KLIF) I heard two different sets of commercials that were really disturbing.

Now mind you, KLIF is always playing the commercials to get its listeners to invest in gold - because of the coming collapse of the global economy. Now they're taking it one step further.

The advertisement was for "food insurance." That's the term they used. It consists of freeze dried food and water purifier tablets that will last for 7-10 years. Apparently we buy this and keep it on hand in event of emergencies. And it's supposed to last a few weeks until "other food sources can be found." I don't know about you, but if say a nuclear holocaust occurs --- I don't expect to find any "other food sources" any time soon!

Then another ad started by talking about the people who are warehousing pure (non-hybrid) seeds in warehouses near the Arctic Circle. We were encouraged to become like them and order our own pure seed supplies. They're called "survival seeds." And the ad promised we would be shipped enough to be able to plant a one-acre "crisis garden" in the event of world chaos. I think I've read in the past that something like 80% of the world's people live in cities --- and don't have access to an acre where they could plant such a garden. So who is the target audience for these "survival seeds?"

Now here's the thing. The alleged value proposition that these clowns are pushing is that the world economy is going to melt down and we'll all be scrambling for survival. This may in fact be true. The book of Revelation (New Testament) promises us that things are going to get mighty ugly in the End Times. But nowhere in the Bible does it tell us to store up pure seeds in a warehouse in the Arctic Circle, buy food insurance, invest in gold (because currency will be worthless) or any of these other hare-brained schemes.

This stuff is surely not Biblical. Christ-followers are to put their trust in the Lord. If the world economy melts down, or the U.S. is pelted with atomic bombs it will be bad. But as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord ... right to the very end. And if He allows these calamities to strike us, He will have prepared us to endure them --- or readied us to succumb to them. Either way, we win.

I believe it was the Apostle Paul who said, "To live is Christ, to die is gain." (Philippians 1:21) Perhaps the doomsayers should consider what that really means.

And Christians who hear these stupid commercials should remember what it means! For it will only have value or meaning when we do.

Movie Theology

Having sat through the three-hour Avatar movie this week, I found myself pondering the theology of movies. Admittedly, it was a good movie. It was entertaining and there was lots of action.

Perhaps the only drawback was the needless use of foul language, especially in the early part of the movie. They could have left that out and it wouldn't have detracted from the quality of the movie. In other words, vulgar words didn't add anything to this movie --- so there was no "artistic value." But I digress.

Someone else who'd seen this movie had told me recently that it was the best movie they'd ever seen ... in their entire life. I figured it had to be pretty amazing. When we walked out, my wife recalled that reference and said she didn't get it. It certainly wasn't the best movie either of us had ever seen in our entire lives. So I began to wonder what the criteria was for calling this the best movie. What is the notion that Avatar offers which our culture finds so darned attractive? And I think I hit on it.

You see, movies tend to take us away. They take us, for a couple of hours or so, to a place that doesn't exist. It's a reality that isn't real. It allows us to escape the reality that we live in. It gives us a chance not to have to think about or deal with the reality that confronts us in everyday life. The movie Avatar certainly offers some of that. Existentially, the movie offers us a chance to experience a world where God's highest priority is to maintain a balance of nature.

Our hero in the Avatar movie, Jacob, is in the garden praying to the deity of the Avatar people. But his bride tells him that this god doesn't answer such prayers. "She only maintains the balance of nature." For those of us who are nature lovers, that might sound like a pretty good god to worship. For people who are concerned about global warming, saving the seals, spurning fur coats and hugging trees ... that would be an attractive god. Unfortunately, that's not the god we have.

Our God, the reality of God that confronts each of us every day is quite different. The real God is happy to spend or even destroy nature if it suits His pleasure. He'll flood the world and kill all the living things in it to spend His wrath and punish sin. He'll provide draughts, plagues, tsunamis, earthquakes, tornadoes, hurricanes and even forest fires that destroy things mankind seems to think are precious.

In the real world, awesome creations of nature like whales will beach themselves for no apparent reason ... and die right before our very eyes. Volcanoes will erupt and destroy beautiful mountain forests. And mankind will wonder why. We'll wonder where God is at. What must He be thinking?

I've noticed this about movies. They take us to a theology that we would like to have. They present us with a god that we wish we had. Rarely do they force us to deal with the God who really is. Why is that? How many movies lately can you recall that sold well which presented the gospel of Jesus Christ? How many movies in recent years have been best sellers when they presented the reality of God's wrath on mankind for our sin and rebellion?

Do you suppose people would flock to movie theaters to see a movie about the anger God has toward rebellious people who refuse to submit to Him or His ways? Do you suppose we might find the story of Lot's wife attractive? How about a movie on Sodom and Gomorrah? What might our culture find attractive about the God who really is?

I don't know, maybe it's just me. But the more I grow in Christ, the more I notice the theology of our culture. I can't just read a story or listen to a song without noticing whether it's based on God's truth or not. I can't seem to overlook ... or even not notice the flawed theology that seems to prevail as common truth.

I find myself looking at Harry Potter books and movies and trying to understand what is really wrong with them. Oh I hear the Christian right spewing on about how inappropriate things are. But imagery or vulgarity or violence don't seem to be the point any more. In fact they almost seem superficial. The God I worship can be offensive at times. He can be unfair. He can break my heart and disappoint with His decisions. There are many things I wish He'd do differently (like not wait to eradicate evil).

So I'm looking for the deeper truths or untruths --- and I'm usually finding them. It seems that our society likes to ignore God's truth and make up our own truth. We are happy to admit that it's fantasy and it isn't true. But people flock to it as if it were true. In fact, people flock to it more than they flock to truth! Consider how many people see a movie versus how many people are in church on a weekend.

We think nothing of entertaining ourselves with things that aren't true. Is that really okay? Call me a cynic. But when I say I liked the movie Avatar, it's not because it took me to a fantasy world. It's because I found the artistic creativeness interesting and the story line intriguing. It presented a point of view that I find stimulating. The reality is that we don't know if there is life on other planets. And if there is, we don't know if it's the same as life on our planet. And more to the point, we don't know if God might deal with those life forms differently than He deals with us.

So there you have it, the story line for another movie. What if it's the same God on the planet Pandora, who loves and cares for the Avatars? Would that change the theology of this movie?

Life Application

Have you ever had, as a Christian, one of those "sticky situations?" You want to do the right thing. But there appear to be two sides to the dilemma. (That's what makes it a "dilemma!")

Things are not always black or white - but seem to fall into some kind of gray area. What's appropriate just doesn't seem to be very clear. What's really going on here? How should we, as Christ-followers, respond in such situations?

First, let's define the character and nature of a dilemma. A dilemma is a problem where there are at least two choices we could make. It is often a situation where you are not sure what is right or wrong --- or what is more right or more wrong. What often seems clear about a dilemma is that right or wrong can be measured in degrees. And neither seems to be absolute. Such is the nature and character of a dilemma.

Second, let's understand that the world seeks to present Christians with dilemmas every day. But the world wants to conceal those dilemmas. It doesn't want us to know that they are dilemmas. So the world will try to make wrong look right - or right look wrong. And it will make them look absolutely right or absolutely wrong. In other words, the world will try to make it as clear a choice for us as possible.

So what's the problem with the world's presentation? For starters, the world isn't trying to behave in a Christ-like manner. The world isn't focused on doing God's will. So the world will try to lead you to its conclusion ... instead of God's. But it is the more spiritually mature Christian who has some discernment.

He or she will smell the dilemma in the apparently clear choice. That Christ-follower will notice that what appears to be right has some characteristics of wrong. He or she may smell something right about what appears to be wrong. The fog may clear enough for you to notice that things aren't as they had seemed.

It is when that mature Christian begins to question the circumstances that we discover we have a full blown dilemma on our hands. And what should we do about those dilemmas? You may not like this, but we are not to give up looking for the right answer. And there's a good reason why!

You see, God is all-knowing. His provision is perfect. He knows the dilemmas that we will face in life. And He has provided the answers for every single question that life can sling at us. His Spirit can lead every single decision that humanity might ever have to make. This is what's true about the challenge of any dilemma.

So we need to ask, to seek, to listen, to follow the leading of the Holy Spirit. We need to search the Scriptures, seek wise counsel ... of other Christ-followers who are more spiritually mature and have more life experience than we do. We need to ask them to help us search the Scriptures, help us process our thoughts - and pray with us for the Spirit's leading.

God doesn't leave His people empty handed when it comes to life's dilemmas. Never forget that. And resolve to take your next dilemma and treat it like any good dilemma deserves to be treated!

Relevant Truth?

Our pastor is preaching a series on truth. It's pretty dynamic, engaging and sure to elicit some strong support ... as well as some opposition. This week he talked about how to know if your moral compass is slipping. He talked about how we can know truth. For sure, the moral compass of many of us has been slipping. Oddly enough, there don't seem to be nearly enough of us trying though to know truth.

Some people think truth really is relevant. In other words, they think truth depends on circumstances - and will want to look at the circumstances before they decide what's true. A good example might be abortion. There are those who will try to straddle the fence on this issue. They think abortion is generally wrong, but agree that there could be circumstances where it would be okay. I find that fascinating. Not because it's abortion, but because they are willing to allow right or wrong to be held hostage by the circumstances.

I talked recently with a family that is "shopping for a church." I'm not sure why they decided to seek me out, but they did. I suppose they were looking for my tips on how to find a bargain church. You know - that would be the church that offers the most and the best. When I started to ask questions, this young couple quickly moved to their belief in God. They were quite articulate in describing "the God we believe in." Unfortunately, this wasn't a God I'd ever heard about, in any religion.

And therein lies the problem. We want to believe that truth won't ask much of us. We want truth to stand for what's good and right, while not bending any of our ideals or preferences. If we could find a truth that will give us what we want, then we'll embrace that truth. And if we can't ... why then we'll just "keep shopping" around.

I thought of a book penned by former U.S. vice president Al Gore titled, "An Inconvenient Truth." Actually, I considered that it must be a pretty stupid title for a book --- because it has been my experience that all truth is inconvenient. It is the very nature of truth. If it were convenient, could it still be truth? I suspect it may not. You see, truth needs to stand against culture. It must stand against convenience. It never wins any popularity contests. It is peaceable, kind and gentle. But it can also be piercing and fierce, especially when someone violates it. Truth is not a door mat. We cannot walk all over it.

Jesus said, "I am the way, the truth and the light." So Jesus was the truth. That's a pretty clear definition for me. I can look at the character and nature of Jesus. And I can see that the character and nature of truth is very much aligned with that of Jesus. Jesus didn't win any popularity contests. In fact, Jesus has always been quite disturbing - from his birth through his death, resurrection and for centuries thereafter. He is fierce and piercing. At the same time, he is peaceable and kind. And so it goes with truth.

We see and hear people in our daily lives, in the media, who claim to be "searching for truth." Often on the news we'll hear someone say something like, "I just want the truth." Often times they already have the truth, but they don't like it - so they keep "searching." Perhaps they're convinced they'll find a better truth. You know, a truth that doesn't offend them or pierce them. Maybe they'd like a truth that makes sense to them, from their human perspective. Sadly, truth doesn't always cooperate.

Even more sadly, people who claim to be seeking the truth aren't always actually seeking the truth - they're seeking something else. Some seek justification for what they want to believe. They think belief is something they can choose (it isn't) and then they look for the evidence to back up what they've already decided is true.

I'm glad our preacher is doing this sermon series on truth. I wonder how it will impact our church. Will attendance increase - fed by a people who are thirsting for the truth? Or will it wane - because the people are annoyed by truth that proves to be rather inconvenient? Only time will tell.

But I pray that God will open the ears of the listeners so they hear. For we must all understand that truth is not relevant to the circumstances. We must all learn to embrace truth that is absolute in nature, and transcends the circumstances. Real truth isn't elusive, but it is usually not what the world expects. The question then becomes what we will do with real truth.

Catholic Dilemma

Someone called me this week to talk about whether they as a Catholic would indeed end up in heaven. It was an interesting question, as I'm ordained a Baptist pastor and mostly practice a non-denominational brand of Christianity myself. I wondered why this individual would ask such a question. He'd been a long-time member of the Catholic church and felt he was a "good Catholic," practicing the Catholic traditions as he knew and understood them. Still, he described a nagging question in his mind about whether this was sufficient for salvation. I had to tell him it is not.

There is a dilemma with the Catholics, you know. It is one of the oldest religions in the world. It is also one of the most influential religions in the world. Founded in Rome (remember the Roman Empire from Biblical times), it's influence has prevailed over much of the world since after the death of Christ. Most would consider it a respectable religion. Few would question it. And of course, many millions of people follow it. So what's the dilemma? It is that the Catholic religion isn't all based on truth. Some of what the Catholics believe and practice is Biblical and true - but not all of what they believe and practice.

The Catholics have a number of beliefs and practices, which have been added to Biblical truth, that simply aren't Biblical and aren't true. Let's look at some examples:

Purgatory has been a long-held tradition among Catholics. It was like the "waiting room" to heaven, where people go who may not be quite as righteous as God would want. They wait there while God welcomes the true saints and most holy, godly people in. (I imagine it a bit like flying in coach and having to wait for the first class section to board first.) Interestingly, the Catholics have had another "waiting room" for babies and those too young to be sinners before their human lives ended. It was called "limbo." We aren't sure what happened there, but it was generally not considered to be good. (I imagined limbo a bit like flying stand-by, where your status is even less than coach passengers --- because we're not even sure you'll get on the flight!) Fortunately, the Catholic church abolished limbo not too long ago. Now we either go to heaven, hell or purgatory. there is no waiting line to get into the waiting room any more. The thing is that none of this is Biblical. The Bible mentions none of this. Jesus mentioned none of this. It is a figment of Catholic imagination.

The Virgin Mary is a cherished idol in Catholicism. She is regarded by Catholics at a level just below Jesus Himself. They believe she has supernatural powers beyond her human life. So Catholics pray to the Virgin Mary. They ask her to intercede (which means talk to God) for them. They ask her for other things. There is even a sect of Catholicism called "Maryology" - which is the study of "all things Mary." Make no mistake here --- Jesus was emphatic about the fact that nobody is holy save Himself. Even Jesus accurately described the role of his own birth mother in common, mortal terms. She has no supernatural power, no deity herself, and is not to be regarded any differently than anyone else God has used in history do execute His will. So not only does the Bible not mention the Virgin Mary's deity, it specifically speaks against such a notion for anyone. The current role of the Virgin Mary in Catholicism is a figment of Catholic imagination.

Communion, the Eucharist or whatever other terms you use for the taking of bread and wine in remembrance of Jesus is a common tradition in all Christ-centered religions. Jesus actually told us to celebrate communion, so it is an obedience issue. But Catholics believe that once the priest has "consecrated" (e.g. prayed over) the bread and the wine (or juice) --- it becomes the physical body and blood of Christ. Catholics then treat that same bread and wine (probably purchased at the local supermarket earlier that day) as sacred and holy. The leftovers cannot be thrown out, for example. The priest drinks the leftover wine himself, or it can be poured down a special sink which drains to the soil underneath the Catholic church. The bread must be saved and used in other communion events. Often it is taken to shut-ins who couldn't attend the communion service at the church. So here's the thing --- Catholics believe that the priest has the power, through the Holy Spirit, to change the composition of the bread and wine into actual flesh and blood of Christ. Once again, this is not Biblical. Jesus made no mention of converting their composition or making them holy and sacred. He simply said, "Use these as a symbol of my flesh and blood to celebrate my gifts to you." What Catholics are doing with the communion elements is a figment of Catholic imagination.

I could go on here, but I imagine you can get the picture. It's not that the Catholics are a cult or are evil. It's just that they've added things to Scriptural truth that simply aren't there. In a sense, they begin to look like the Pharisees that Jesus spoke so much about --- who took the Old Testament law and added things to it such that they lost the whole point of it.

So, to my Catholic friends ... and I have several whom I love dearly ... I would simply say to read your Bible and find out what is true. Jesus and other New Testament writers told us to test everything against Scripture. So see what the Catholic church is teaching you. Then see if you can find it in Scripture. If so, believe it and practice it. If not, ignore it and focus on what is true. I suspect that the "nagging question" which my friend described as occupying his mind is actually the Holy Spirit calling him to test what's he's being taught against Scripture, and to focus his beliefs and practices on Biblical truth instead of the teachings of any religion or church.

All religions, from what I can tell, are flawed and imperfect. I would never tell someone to leave their church because of a problem they found. Churches and religions are run by humans. And ultimately the question of who gets into heaven isn't decided by any of us. It is God's exclusive decision. And He makes that decision after calling each of us to engage in these imperfect churches!

So, can a Catholic expect to end up in heaven? Most assuredly he (or she) can. But it will not be because they are Catholic. Rather it will be due to the Biblical truths that they believed and practiced. And God will most certainly forgive the figments of Catholic imagination that they may have been mislead by.