We in the Evangelical Church love the Hymn "Crown Him Lord of All."  And rightly so!

But who do you crown?  Really?  Of whom do you think of most often?  Of whom or what do you sing of most frequently?  Is you shower stall an echo chamber of secularism, or a praise chamber for Christ the King?  Who really has your utmost affection and attention day by day?  Who is your real Lord?

O how we need a bigger view of Jesus the Christ!

Last Sunday, I preached on the Reformation Doctrine of solus christus - Christ Alone.  We are saved by grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone.  I thought it good to quote John Calvin at length to help us continue to gush about our Savior.  In his magnum opus, The Institutes of the Christian Religion (II.16.19), Calvin wrote:

When we see the whole sum of our salvation, and every single part of it, are comprehended in Christ, we must beware of deriving even the minutest portion of it from any other quarter.  If we seek salvation, we are taught by the very name of Jesus that he possesses it; if we seek any other gifts of the Spirit, we shall find them in his unction; strength in his government; purity in his conception; indulgence in his nativity, in which he was made like us in all respects, in order that he might learn to sympathize with us: if we seek redemption, we shall find it in his passion; acquittal in his condemnation; remission of the curse in his cross; satisfaction in his sacrifice; purification in his blood; reconciliation in his descent to Hades; mortification of the flesh in his sepulcher; newness of life in his resurrection; immortality also in his resurrection; the inheritance of a celestial kingdom in his entrance into heaven; protection, security and the abundant supply of all blessings, in his kingdom; secure anticipation of judgment in the power of judging committed to him.  In fine, since in him all kinds of blessings are treasured up, let us draw a full supply of him, and none from any other quarter.  Those who, not satisfied with him alone, entertain various hopes from others, though they continue to look to him chiefly, deviate from the right path by the simple fact, that some portion of their thought takes a different direction.  No distrust of this description can arise when once the abundance of his blessings is properly known.

Amen!  Hallelujah!  Happy Reformation Day!      

According to several news outlets, the world's first "healthy" baby has been born as a result of a new procedure that uses DNA from three people.  Read more here:

https://www.theguardian.com/science/2016/sep/27/worlds-first-baby-born-using-dna-from-three-parents?utm_source=email+marketing+Mailigen&utm_campaign=News+10.4.16&utm_medium=email

For many decades now, conservative Christians and pro-life organizations have been warning the medical community that they are simply going too far in these reproductive technologies.  Wading through the myriad ethical issues raised by this particular procedure is like trying to sprint in the shallow end of a swimming pool with weights tied to your ankles!

First, I find it very ironic that the Doctor who performed this procedure did so in Mexico where it's no holds barred, and gave his reasoning as "To save lives is the ethical thing to do."

Wait, what?  How did this procedure save a life?  A bit later in the news article referenced above, we discover that Dr. Zhang actually created five embryos with this procedure, only one of which "developed normally."  So what happened to the other four babies?  What was done to save their lives?  I'm confused.

I would never make light of the pain experienced by the couple receiving this procedure.  They have experienced miscarriages and even lost young children to a congenital disease passed down by the mother.  My heart goes out to them.  But who's to say that if the couple would have tried five more times to get pregnant the normal way that one of the babies would have "developed normally" without this crazy procedure?   And who's to say this newly born baby will not develop a disease or condition of his or her own, completely apart from the mother's DNA influence?

I'm all for couples being fruitful and multiplying!  But couples must count the cost.  It appears this couple was completely OK with destroying the life of four of their babies just to get that one "healthy" baby.  And couples all over the world (especially the western world) have decided that keeping some of their babies frozen indefinitely never to see the light of day is OK if it helps them get that one "healthy" baby.

And who decided that the be-all-end-all standard for having babies was "a healthy baby" anyway?  A good friend of mine in North Carolina who has a Down Syndrome child often corrects people when they tell expecting mothers, "Well, as long as your baby is healthy that's all that matters."  So a DS child doesn't matter?  Autistic children don't matter?  My friend would often quip, "Or even if the baby is not healthy, the child is still a precious gift from God."

Amen.  Preach on.

God help us.  We are digging ourselves a very, very deep hole.  I totally get the desire to have biological children.  It's a desire derived from our Divine design.  But to allow that desire to become Lord is dangerous idolatry.  I wonder if anyone directed this Jordanian couple to the thousands of orphans in their neighboring, war-torn countries waiting and longing for adoption?  If they could afford this procedure, they surely could have afforded to adopt.

If someone does not step in and stop this medical insanity, the devaluing of life will expand to the point that anyone deemed "unhealthy" will easily be dispatched.  And the irony of it is that this is all done under the guise of valuing life.  That's always how sin works, friends.  Trickery and rationalization are sin's favorite mediums.  And no medical procedure yet invented has been able to produce a sin-free baby.  That's one universal genetic defect that can never be cured except by the Blood of Jesus.

Be careful my brothers and sisters in Christ.  "Children are a heritage from the Lord" (Psalm 127:3).  But making them at all costs will turn out to be too costly in the end.  For it turns out, as exhilarating as procreation is, and as precious as babies are, they both make very poor saviors.

Back in the summer of 1787, on the narrow streets of Philadelphia in what is now called Independence Hall, god-fearing men were sequestered for 100 days in the hot summer sun.  Laboring.  Debating.  And finally, in the end and only by the miraculous grace of God, crafting the US Constitution.

On the way home on that final day, having just produced the most politically unique document in human history, Ben `rank`lin was approached by a neighborly lady outside Independence Hall.  She got right to the point, asking, "Well doctor, what have we got?  A republic or a monarchy?"  `rank`lin's reply was legendary:

"A republic, madam - if you can keep it."

That one line - if you can keep it - contains the very philosophy and hopes of our nation's founders.  And it is the title of Eric Metaxas' latest book.  Having just finished the book, I commend it to every American.  But in particular, I urge every Christian in America to read it.  And even more especially, I urge the precious members of the church I pastor to take the time to read this book before you go vote in November.

Unlike most every political book I've ever read, this one grounds the very promise of self-government in the spiritual condition of the colonists.  You see, the writers of our Constitution dared to form a government of "We the People" only because they truly believed their fellow Americans possessed a common morality to enable them to do so.  And that common morality was undeniably impacted and formed by the First Great Awakening.

That Awakening was a sovereign move of God's Spirit on the American people's hearts whereby He swept many into the Kingdom of Jesus Christ and made them new creatures in Christ.  The preaching of men like Jonathon Edwards and George Whitfield and John and Charles Wesley was the instrument God Almighty used to light this spiritual fuse in the new nation.  Our Founders wrote extensively on their faith in the Christian Bible and the Christian religion.  I scarcely need to even argue the point that they leaned heavily on the Bible and the values and ethics contained therein to structure our Republic.  Even the least godly and spiritual of our Founders, such as `rank`lin, wrote things that made them sound like ministers of the Gospel.  It was the "non-Christian" `rank`lin, after many weeks of absolute deadlock within the Constitutional Convention that led the men to began crying out in daily prayers together for God's aid to bring them to unity!

Alexis de Tocqueville came from France in the mid-1800s to study the wonder of American culture and political success.  He wrote in his book Democracy in America:

Not until I went into the churches of America and heard her pulpits aflame with righteousness did I understand the secret of her genius and power.  America is great because she is good, and if America ever ceases to be good, she will cease to be great.

That quote has been used by many Presidents, including Eisenhower, Reagan and Clinton.  And Tocqueville went on to conclude, "Liberty cannot be established without morality."  That's precisely what our Founders believed! Regarding the various Christian denominations (which he called sects) in 19th century America, de Tocqueville wrote:

The sects that exist in the United States are innumerable.  They all differ in respect to the worship which is due to the Creator; but they all agree in respect to the duties which are due from man to man.  Each sect adores the Deity in its own peculiar manner, but all sects preach the same moral law in the name of God . . . Moreover, all the sects of the United States are comprised within the great unity of Christianity, and Christian morality is everywhere the same.  

Friends, are you starting to see the very fabric that made our Nation powerful and unique for so many decades?  Looking to Divine Revelation in the Bible for our morality bound us together as a people.  It is why our Founders believed we might actually be able to "keep" the Republic they gave us.  I distinctly remember my Dad telling me that when he was growing up, even the pagan neighbors held to a common ethical and moral code as the church-going neighbors!  Now we have churches calling themselves Christian who endorse the very behaviors God so clearly calls sin in His Word.  America no longer even has a shared moral code among Christianity, much less among Hollywood and Wall Street.  God help us.  How can we ever govern ourselves like this?

This is not to say past generations of Americans were less sinful, or less in need of the forgiveness that comes only by the sacrifice of Jesus Christ on the cross.  It is rather to say that this very gospel truth being proclaimed from pulpits and street corners and even the Halls of Congress is what created our Republic and gave hope to people that they just might be able to "keep it."  Our Nation needs a revival of God coming through the Gospel once again!  And that must needs begin with us, dear Christians and churches.

Today, extremes are becoming fashionable.  To hate America.  Or to idolize America.  Neither is good.  Of course we have national sins in our past, present, and surely in our future.  We need to keep repenting of them and asking God in Christ to forgive us and heal us.  On the other hand, we have some reasons to think we just might still be unconquerable.  After all, we've produced the likes of Oprah Winfrey and Billy Graham.  Yes, I realize those two people are universes apart theologically.  But my point is - would those two have arisen from any other nation in the world?  America worked for them!  Why don't we see democratic republics in China, or southeast Asia, or the Middle Eastern countries, or Northern Africa?  Why doesn't it work when we try to export democracy to Iraq and Afghanistan?

Spiritual truth and realities drive all others.  People whose hearts have not been radically transformed by the grace of God in the Gospel of Jesus Christ do not typically thrive in a system of self-government.  They almost require some form of tyranny or monarchy or dictatorship.  It's the only way to keep law and order.  

Now consider what is happening every day across America.  And maybe you'll see why I believe with every fiber of my being that our one and only hope for somehow "keeping it" is a Sovereign move of God to give us another Great Awakening.  No political ruler or party can possibly rescue America from herself.  Law and order will continue to disintegrate unless and until the King of Kings either revives His people and sends us out once again a people on fire for telling everyone of Him, or He returns in glory to literally reign over all in majesty and grace.  I'm praying God will once again make America good, by applying the blood of Jesus to more and more hearts as we share the gospel widely.  I'm praying we'll then be able to once again massively export true goodness - the righteousness of Christ applied by grace through faith - to the nations of the world.

Interested in this line of thinking?  Read If You Can Keep It.  But mostly, keep reading your Bibles.

Quite a stir in the NFL right now.  Players and entire teams are now trying to make political statements during the playing of the National Anthem.  And, as expected, since kids all over America look up to those spoiled-rotten, millionaire boys-in-men's bodies, the "kneel down" protest has spread to middle and high schools.  It's all enough to to make this US Marine Corps Veteran want to strap an M-16 to their backs and drop them all in the middle of Iraq or Afghanistan so they can experience what it takes to provide such immense freedom that even enables them to protest while uniformed men and women hold the flag right in front of them in stadiums, standing at attention and saluting from the first note to the last.

While some have claimed they, as Americans, have this "right" or "freedom" to protest during the anthem, it is worth noting that 36 US Code 301, passed by Congress, states regarding civilians: "During a rendition of the National Anthem . . . all other persons present should face the flag, and stand at attention with their right hand over their heart, and men . . . should remove their headdress with their right hand and hold it at the left shoulder, the hand being over the heart."

We used to be a Nation of Laws.  Now, we are lawless.  We celebrate lawlessness.  Sure, if a law violates God's Word, as a Christian, I am obligated to obey God and "protest" or "disobey" my government.  But friends, there's nothing in the Bible forbidding us to obey our nation's laws and protocols during national anthems.  So, believers in the Church who are defending the actions of these lawless millionaires might want to rethink in light of Romans 13.

While I support the 1st Amendment doggedly, I do not think it wise to use the National Anthem as the "platform" for protest or redressing grievances.  Imagine our Olympic athletes doing so during a medal ceremony!  Do you think the men and women in the military always agree with everything happening in our nation?  Yet they stand at attention and salute every single time.  Why?  Because they have been trained in the doctrine of law and order!  I mean, where will this end?  Should we allow people to burn the flag during the anthem?  Go spit in the faces of the sergeant holding the flag on the field?  Go punch a police officer trying to direct traffic in the parking lot?  Lawlessness leads to these very things, and no doubt someone somewhere is already planning it or maybe has done it.

And just what are these athletes protesting?  Racism.  Injustice in the law enforcement and/or court systems.  That's what they are claiming.  And I agree those things exist.  And I agree they are sinful and wrong.  And I agree we as a nation and especially we Christians in the Church ought to be fighting hard against them.

But I disagree that this platform is an acceptable means.  And I disagree that these millionaire boys are the right bearers of this banner of protest.  After all, they have "made it."  Many of them may have come "from the hood" but let's face it, they ain't there anymore!  America worked for them!

But, maybe just maybe some of them desire to use their privileged status to fight for the under-privileged.  If that is so, it's noble.  And yet again, I want to strongly protest the method and manner of their protest.  It is actually a lawless and senseless way to go about fighting for justice for all.  A better way would be for them to sacrifice their lavish lifestyles and don a police uniform.  Start walking the beat in the hood.  Or give up your millions, like your colleague Pat Tilman, to enlist in the Army.  Or at bare minimum use your star power to establish organizations that get police officers and citizens and judges all enjoying picnics together in their towns, talking to one another, listening to one another, loving one another.  

Kneeling during the anthem accomplishes nothing.  Sacrificial love conquers all injustices, though.  And this really has been and continues to be the purview of the Church.  Right?  Of all people, we followers of Christ should know the solution to injustices can never be merely political.  And the NFL has absolutely no real power to change men's hearts.  "Lawless" is an accurate description of every person.  And only the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross can remove the penalty of God against our lawlessness.  Only a new heart given by God's Spirit as we trust in the life, death and resurrection of Christ in our place will destroy bigotry and racism and injustice in our hearts.  We must remember, dear Christians, we were once the ones refusing to kneel before the Lord.  We once refused to salute His banner of love.  But He came to us in great mercy and gave us life and set us free to love Him and His Law (John 8:36; Eph 2:1-10).

Church, we can belly-ache all we want about these protests and the lawless condition of our culture.  And we can even disagree on the politics behind some of it.  And we can choose to turn off our TV sets, too, when the NFL games are on!  But we must never forget that this whole "freedom" and self-rule project called the United States of America rested on the spiritual values the Colonists once shared in the mid-1700s. This has been chronicled so well by Eric Metaxas in his book If You Can Keep It.  I'll turn my attention to that in future posts.  But for now, let us renew our commitment to proclaiming true justice and freedom only through the cross of our Lord and Savior.  What these football players are protesting is real.  And the fix for it is something only the Church possesses.  So go tell the millionaires and the hourly workers, the rich and poor - only Jesus saves, and only His kingdom will know no end.  All other flags will be furled eventually.  

Until then, work for continued political freedom and law and order, for sure.  But never misplace your ultimate allegiance.  If you've spent hours on social media arguing about the NFL protests, why not vow to spend even more hours speaking about true righteousness, and true justice, and the solution God gives in Christ for our unrighteous, lawless hearts?

"And every created thing which is in heaven and on earth and under the earth and on the sea and all things in them, I heard saying, 'To Him who sits on the throne and unto the Lamb, be blessing and honor and glory and dominion forever and ever'" (Revelation 5:13).

As Russell Moore says in his book Onward, we are Americans best when we are not Americans first.               

In the recent edition (Summer 2016) of Vanderbilt magazine, there's an article titled "Dim Chance."  It briefly details how a PhD Student at Vanderbilt debunked some claims of researchers at Penn State and LSU regarding KIC 8462852.  Oh, that's "Tabby's star" for all you astrology nuts.

This star is some 1480 light years away, and is nestled in the constellation called Cygnus.  Interest among some in the scientific community rose up when the star's namesake, Yale astronomer Tabby Boyajian, reported that some "planet hunters" had noticed fluctuations in the star's light.

Now, I have no idea why this excites some people, but if you're so far bored to tears, just listen to the conclusion of these so-called "planet hunters."  They noticed over 100 days, dozens of uneven light fluctuations which they hypothesized must have been caused by large objects passing across its face.  So far, still fairly ho-hum.  Right?

Not so fast.  In come astronomers from Penn State to release a study which said this "bizarre light curve" was "consistent with a swarm of alien-constructed megastructures."

I can't make this stuff up, folks!

So this is serious science?  Or Sci-Fi?  These are the "experts" educating future leaders of America and the world.  This is what has become of "science."  It's been reduced to a ridiculous religion that relies upon totally unsubstantiated and un-provable beliefs.  Ironically, this is what so many scientists accuse Christians of doing!  (Even though our beliefs rest on the most historically reliable Book of antiquity, with many verified evidences.)  I wonder how many government dollars went into that research study at Penn State?

Well, thankfully, Michael Lund from Vanderbilt rescued these scientists from their own stupidity by his research showing the light changes "were caused by changes in the instrumentation - not by changes in the star's brightness." In other words, the instruments used to measure the brightness were not consistent over time.

Turns out, the whole hypothesis owes to human error.  Ha!  Go figure.

Oh how far science has fallen.  From men like Kepler, Pascal, Bacon, Newton, and Samuel Morse who did science because they knew a Sovereign Creator God had infused His creation with His own order and glory.  Now that's a motivator to do science!  But with scientists like we have these days, is it any wonder kids are losing interest?

Whatever we can know or not know about KIC 8462852, our Father God knows its real number, and He calls it by its real name (Psalm 147:4).

Phil. 4:12 I have learned the secret of being content in everything.
Come on Paul.  Tell me the secret.  Yell that secret to working mommas who yearn to be home.  Tell it to stay at home moms who yearn to get away from their kid.  What is the secret?  What did you learn?  How about wives who are married to Christian fellas and are loved but not loved quite like the lady married to so and so.  Their man does not do date night, he does not say sweet things.  Can you teach contentment, Paul, to the ones who are living life so fast that there is no time to breathe?  Bible time?  Ha!  Prayer time?  Ha!  Fellowship?  Ha!  Always gotta go and be doing. More sports, more shows, more stuff.  More this and that, but no contentment.  Paul, were you really content in money and stuff?  Did you really learn to be okay with little and with less?  Can you teach that to me?  Because I often think I have to have more.  I am like the more monster.  Some is never enough.  Cliff works overtime and we miss him BUT the overtime is good because regular pay is never enough.  Well, what is the secret?  I clearly need to know.  We clearly need to know, because we are drowning in discontentment.  So how do we "learn" contentment?  Well, I go to the same source I have gone to for years - my Bible.  The sweetest source of truth ever.  So, what does the Bible say?

Phil. 4:10-13..
10 I rejoiced greatly in the Lord that at last you renewed your concern for me. Indeed, you were concerned, but you had no opportunity to show it. 11 I am not saying this because I am in need, for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. 12 I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. 13 I can do all this through him who gives me strength. 14 Yet it was good of you to share in my troubles.

"I have learned to be content in all circumstances."  Thankful to get support and help but okay if God was all he had. How could that be?  Verse 13 says through Christ.  Contentment is only possible through Christ.  We are not able in our own broken, sinful states to be content.  We must seek our peace and contentment in Christ alone and through his strength.  Have you asked him for contentment?  Do you even know where you lack contentment?  Clearly Paul was content even in his need.  He had not had every need met, but, he did have contentment.  Paul was content even though he was not being served and loved well by his friends/family.  Paul was content because Jesus was enough.  Wow. Big deal.

1Tim. 6: 6-10

and imagining that godliness is a means of gain. 6But godliness with contentment is great gain, 7 for we brought nothing into the world, and we cannot take anything out of the world. 8But if we have food and clothing, with these we will be content. 9But those who desire to be rich fall into temptation, into a snare, into many senseless and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction. 10For the love of money is a root of  all kinds of evils. It is through this craving that some have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many pangs.

We brought nothing into this world and we can take nothing out.  What would happen if we really believed that? What if the attitude we had about our homes, our cars, our toys, our clothes and our food was that it did not belong to us?  What if we really believed that?  How would that change our contentment level?  Would we ever need more or better if we understood that all we have already is a gift from God?  What would happen to our ability to give if we knew it was not ours to begin with?  Would we pay our taxes with more joy?  Would we readily support homeless shelters and take care of widows and orphans?  Is part of our contentment problem a selfish problem?  We're desperately trying to hold onto what is not ours.  And what about verse 10?  The love of money causes us to wander from the faith and pierce ourselves with pangs.  That is exactly what discontentment feels like - pangs of pain, shards of glass constantly eating away at your insides robbing your joy.  Never, ever satisfied.  Always in need of more.  So maybe part of learning to be content is learning to hold the things of this world loosely.  Temporal things have no real value in light of eternity.

 And that I believe is the key to contentment.  Finding out what has real value and then vesting your time and energy into that.  What do you value?  Do you value things that will last into eternity or do you value things that will only matter for this short lifetime?

Contentment has to be learned.  Paul learned it through hardship and suffering.  He learned it through loss of material things and his own personal freedom.  He learned to be content with God.  God was enough in every single circumstance.  He valued God and the things that would bring glory to God. I pray that I will find my contentment in Christ alone.  I want to stop wasting my life on things without real value.

So, what does that look like?  Well, for sure it will look like investing in my family.  Discipling my kids and grand kids.  It will for sure look like being mentored and mentoring other women to love Jesus (Titus 2).  It will for sure look like loving my husband respectfully and honorably (Eph 5).  It will for sure look radical to a culture who values everything but Jesus.  Oh God, help me value You so much that contentment and joy is who I am in Christ.

Learn to be content women of God.  You will never regret it.

 

In the previous two posts, we've been trying to wrap our heads around the concept of genuinely constructive criticism.  We looked to Old Man Webster to provide some basic definitions.  But most importantly, we have looked to Jesus to teach us how to help our brothers and sisters struggle hard against sin for the glory of God.

Like everything in the Christian life, constructive criticism is only possible in submission to the presence and power of God's Holy Spirit applying the Word to our hearts, minds and lives.  But possible it is, praise the Lord!  And I strongly suspect the reason why I, and so many of you, have dorked this thing up for so many years is precisely because we go about our day-to-day lives walking not in the Spirit but in the flesh.  Living by our own power.  Using our own wit, will and wisdom.  And that produces fruit of the flesh.  In the case of offering constructive criticism, the particular fruits of the flesh that blossom are "Enmities, strife, jealousy, angry outbursts, disputes, dissensions and factions" (Galatians 5:20).  Haven't we all seen these things result from our efforts at criticism, or our own reception of criticism?

Well, I don't know about you, but I have noticed some trends in my 43 years on earth.  Trends that have dragged my initially well-meant criticism into the trash bin of "grumbling and disputing" (Phil 2:14).  Here's a bullet list of thoughts and questions that I pray may assist us in discerning how to both give and receive criticism biblically.

• Is the issue at stake a sin?  If not, I remind you once again to state up front to the person you are offering an opinion or a preference.  If a sin is the issue, follow Matthew 18:15-18 and Luke 17:1-4.
• If you are noticing something that you think needs some improvement in a brother or sister or church ministry, spend some time praying about it before talking to ANYONE else about it.  God has a way of giving good and right perspective.  I can't number how many times this one simple practice has kept me from saying a word to anyone as I come to realize the issue isn't really worth it.
• Are you talking about the issue to someone other than the person who should be receiving the critique?  The Bible calls this "gossip, backbiting" or "stirring discord."  Repent!  Confess your sin to God, and then go directly to the appropriate person and seek his or her forgiveness for talking about your judgment / critique behind his or her back.  You may not think you're stirring discord by discussing with other church friends the improvements you'd like to see in a church minister or ministry, and indeed, your motives may be pure.  But I know from personal experience, sadly, that where two or three are gathered to discuss their critiques of ministers and ministry, there a faction arises among them.
• God hates one who stirs discord (Prov. 6:19).  God says, "Reject a factious man after a first and second warning, knowing that such a man is perverted and is sinning, being self-condemned" (Titus 3:10-11).  Friends, this is more serious than we have let on in the church.  One of the sins I most regret is a time in my life when I was dissatisfied with the direction of a ministry and I sometimes offered a criticism to others who had some stake in the ministry, instead of going directly to the right person to hear my critique.  I was building a coalition, even if ignorantly.  And I now hate myself for it.  By God's grace I have repented and strongly desire to not slip into that trap again.  Oh, how I need Jesus!  Oh, how I need the Spirit's wisdom every day.
• DO NOT SHARE A CRITICISM with anyone other than the proper recipient.  This is the only way I know of practically to "Do all things without grumbling or disputing" (Phil 2:14).  Believe me, if you go offer an humble criticism to a brother, sister or ministry leader, he or she has probably been thinking of it or hearing a bit about it from others too.  Let God do the work in that person.  If God wants to get a message to His people, I have found He often hammers it home repeatedly via various people and means.  Trust Him.  No need for you to check and see how many in the church agree with you.  Just pray, keep the matter between you and God, and then if you sense Divine permission, go offer the criticism.  Then trust God.
• Criticize rarely.  Praise frequently.  Remember, criticism does not always need to be negative!  If you're going to be hyper-critical, then make it the encouraging kind of criticism!
• When you are criticized, analyze very carefully how you responded.  This often takes me weeks of prayerful reflection to assess how I reacted and responded to criticism.  It always reveals much about my heart.  Where was I too defensive?  And why?  Where did I disagree?  And why?  Did I listen more than I talked?  If not, why not?  Wow.  Honestly analyzing how I received a critique seriously exposes pride, jealousy, envy and idols in my life.  Oh for grace to receive criticism more humbly.
• If you think the critique is of such a serious nature that it may well explode, you might ask a neutral third party to sit in on it.  God typically uses that to calm and humble everyone in the room.
• Nail down what really matters in a church, and use your Bibles to do it!  This may well be the best advice I can give when it comes to criticizing something or someone in the church.  Knowing what hills are worth dying on, or even worth debating, is so important.  I have seen people that were precious to me leave the church over issues that I considered small preference-type things.  Or over misunderstandings.  Or over a few things in a ministry not being done precisely to suit them.  It saddens me.  Church is not a place for us to exalt our egos, our preferences, or our opinions.  Church exists to exalt its Living Head - the Lord Jesus Christ.  And how shall we do that if we are "grumbling and disputing?"  Especially over personal preferences.

No doubt you could add many more tips and godly techniques.  But I hope these at least get us headed down the right road as a church.  May God unite us around our commitment to seeing His Gospel penetrate our community and world.  For His glory in Christ alone.  And may He be exalted even in the way we give and receive criticism.

Do all things without grumbling and disputing (Phil 2:14).

In the last post, I made the case that genuine "constructive criticism" is possible for believers in Jesus who are filled and empowered by Holy Spirit God to love and obey the Word.  As many theologians from the past have said, "What God commands His people to do, God enables His people to do."  And to remind us of the immensely deep gospel context of Philippians 2:14, consider this quote from the Puritan Powerhouse Pastor John Owen:

"To presume that what God commands, we have power in and of ourselves to do, is to make the cross and grace of Christ of none effect."  

Amen Brother Owen.  Preach on!  The command to the Church to "do all things without grumbling and disputing" flows out of the humble condescension of our Lord Jesus who sacrificed Himself on the cross in our place, and is now raised and exalted to the highest position.  His perfect work for us and in us is the ground and hope and power of any good work we do or ever attempt.

So why then do so many of us believers flub this constructive criticism up?  Why can't we seem to walk the line between an edifying critique and grumbling / disputing?  Per Webster's definition, to criticize someone or something constructively is to make judgments about the merits of a performance and express them in such a way that the recipient can infer conclusions, feel encouraged and see the way towards improvement.  Easy for him to say!

Let's get practical.  To begin, we should notice that to criticize is to judge.  We cannot criticize or offer a critique apart from making judgments and using discernment.  What was good about the performance?  What could have been better?  What good do you see in a fellow believer?  What areas for improvement do you think exist?  What changes might be needed?  And how can I be a part of the solution towards improvement?  This is criticism 101.

Jesus told His followers how to judge one another.  Though pundits often quote Matthew 7:1 to try and rebuke all judgments by all people, in its context Jesus was actually instructing His people in how to offer constructive criticism!  There's much for us to learn from the Master here.

"Do not judge so that you will not be judged.  For in the way you judge, you will be judged; and by your standard of measure, it will be measured to you.  Why do you look at the speck that is in your brother's eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye?  Or how can you say to your brother, 'Let me take the speck out of your eye,' and behold, the log is in your own eye?  You hypocrite!  First take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother's eye" (Matt 7:1-5).

Several principles emerge:

• Jesus is manifestly not forbidding His people to ever criticize or make any judgments about one another.  See also Luke 17:1-4 to reinforce this truth.
• Jesus insists His people use the right standard to assess one another.  We know that standard is the infallible Word of God given to us in the Bible.  If you are expressing an opinion but do not have any biblical texts to support it, then make it clear you are merely giving your opinion.  If you are expressing a personal preference not supported by explicit Scripture references, or not backed up by a Biblical principle, then say so.  This kind of honesty really helps ground a critique and guides the discussion in more productive and brotherly ways.  There's freedom for disagreement in matters of opinion and preferences!  And room to learn from each other!
•  Never criticize anyone or any ministry unless and until you are scrutinizing your own heart, mind, and life in the exact same way.  My Dad often told me when I first started in ministry, that in his experience people in the church often accuse others of doing what they themselves are doing.  The critique is a cloak.  A mask.  Jesus confronts this very tendency!  A hypocrite is an actor. Hiding behind a mask.  So before we level any criticism at all, we must be searching out our own hearts for similar sins or mistakes or needs for improvement.  Ask yourself, "Do I have anyone looking for this same sin or tendency or pattern in my life who is holding me accountable?  Am I confessing and repenting of any known sin?  Am I willing to admit those sins to the one I am criticizing?  Do I have any real authority, experience or expertise to offer this critique?"
• We all have specks and logs in our eyes.  Notice Jesus assumes every single one of His followers either have logs or specks!  Those symbolize specific sins or sinful habits / patterns.  But how do we know which one has a massive 2x4 protruding and which one has just a bit of sawdust?  Easy.  If it's in my life, it's a log.  If it's in my brother's life, it's a speck.  Do you see how gospel-centered this all is?  If I'm not viewing myself as the chief sinner in the relationships I have in the church, I really should be keeping my criticisms to myself.  Or, better yet, aiming my criticisms at myself!
• We as a church family should be seeking grace from God to deal with sin in our own lives and help our brothers and sisters deal with it in their lives too.  The goal, according to Jesus, is to "see clearly to take the speck out of your brother's eye."  And so we must give criticism very carefully, and very rarely.  And we must receive it humbly.  That's surely what Jesus has in mind when He continues the instruction with these words:

"Do not give what is holy to dogs, and do not throw your pearls before swine, or they will trample them under their feet, and turn and tear you to pieces."  

Wow.  I do not want to be the dog or pig in a church!  God help me receive criticism humbly.  Thankfully.  Knowing I, like all Christians, have blind spots.  God help me not turn and tear a precious brother or sister by my aggressive defensiveness.  God forgive when I have in the past.  God give grace to enable me to seek forgiveness from the torn family member.  God help me receive holy, constructive criticism well, so that I might also give it well.  God fill our church with this very spirit.

Is it any wonder Jesus then concludes this block of instruction on constructive criticism with an exhortation to persistent prayer?!  See verses 7-11.  We have no prayer of offering a godly critique apart from prayer.  And the concluding principle of Christ is . . .

"In everything, therefore, treat people the same way you want them to treat you, for this is the Law and the Prophets" (v. 12).

Next post will help us with some practical ways to avoid grumbling in the Church.  A criticism meant for only a certain person or ministry far too often grows into grumbling, doesn't it?  Join me next week for more.

Constructive criticism.

Sounds like an oxi-moron, huh?  We think of construction as positive.  Criticism as negative.  We normally think of construction as building or putting together.  But Webster's 1828 Dictionary also includes this definition:

To interpret or understand.

And "constructive" is defined as "not directly expressed but inferred."

OK.  Still with me?  Good.  "Criticism" is defined as "the art of of judging with propriety of the beauties and faults of a performance" or "the act of judging on the merit of a performance."  A "critique" is the "science of criticism; standard or rules of judging of the merit of performances."  Pretty clear so far.

Putting the two together, then, we can surmise that constructive criticism is a judgment made about the merits, beauties or faults, of a performance that is expressed in such a way that the criticized can infer the conclusion.  In other words, the person being critiqued will not feel personally attacked or directly assaulted when encountering a skilled critic.  Rather, he or she would hear a series of feedback statements of the best things, and things for potential improvement, and be able to easily discern the best way to continue pursuing excellence in the craft.

But get real.  Is this even possible?  Is it possible in the Church?

Well, I need to be the first to confess my sinful blunders when it comes to offering genuine constructive criticism.  I have made people feel beat down and discouraged when I know in my heart I actually meant to do just the opposite!  And a few times, I have even sat around and just flat out belly-ached and threw little fits about something in the Church I didn't like, didn't prefer, didn't want, or wanted to see changed.  Sadly, I have even done this in the presence of other church members.  I'm a horrible sinner in this area, but God is showing Himself to be a perfectly patient Redeemer and Teacher.  I speak on this not from a position of "arrived" but rather "just pulling out of the station."  All aboard!

Do all things without grumbling or disputing (Phil 2:14).

Well, given that Christians are told to admonish and rebuke and encourage one another (Rom 15:14; 1 Thess 5:14; 2 Tim 4:2), and also commanded to "do all things without grumbling or disputing," we must conclude that constructive criticism is indeed possible.  Like everything in the Christian life, it's possible only by the power, presence and grace of the Spirit of the Living Christ in us.  But, nevertheless, possible.

It's very significant that the verse above in Philippians 2 flows directly out of one of the most beloved passages on the condescension of Jesus who laid aside His Divine prerogatives to become an obedient man, even to the point of death on the cross.  It is because of our Great Savior's atoning sacrifice for our sins that we are then told to "work out your own salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who is at work in you to work for His good pleasure."  There's both the motive (His loving humiliation and sacrifice) and the engine (God at work in us making us like Christ) of the command: "Do all things without grumbling."

I find it compelling and convicting that the very first way the Holy Spirit through Paul fleshes out what it means to "work out your own salvation with fear and trembling" is to exhort us never to grumble.  Never.

Do all things without grumbling or disputing.

All things?  Yes.  All.  Without grumbling?  Murmuring?  Complaining?  Arguing?  Disputing?  Belly-aching?  Yes.  Without all these attitudes and behaviors.

Theologically and/or doctrinally, I get how constructive criticism is possible.  Why then have I managed to do so poorly at it?  Surely I'm not the only one still wondering how this all works out in practice?!  If we are trying to judge how certain ministries in the Church might be improved, how can we possibly express it without falling into the trap of grumbling?  How do we practically avoid this sin against God?  

The next blog post will seek to answer that very critical question.

Pun intended.

 

 

 

 

 

 

The man who called himself "the Greatest" is dead.

The Louisville Lip who used to float like a butterfly and sting like a bee was reduced to frailty and near inability to even speak in his final decades.  Like every man before him.  Ashes to ashes.  Dust to dust.

I never admired Muhammad Ali.  While his athletic prowess was world-class, I never bragged on him or admired him or thought much of him at all.  Maybe it's because my childhood memories are mostly 1980s, when Larry Holmes was the undisputed champ.  But mostly it's because my Dad, my earthly hero, told me Muhammad Ali was a coward not worth admiring.

My Dad, you see, was drafted in 1966.  Keep in mind Dad was a junior in college, was married, and was already intending to pursue pastoral ministry.  He could have easily pulled one of those "cards" to avoid military service.  He knew plenty of men who did pull those cards!

But not my Dad.  Not only did he do his duty, he enlisted in the United States Marine Corps because he figured if he was going to go to Vietnam (a given in those days), he might as well go with the best!  And go he did.  Two tours in Vietnam.  Four years of active duty service total.  Battlefield promoted to Sergeant.  Winner of the South Vietnamese Cross of Gallantry (the second highest medal for that government, if memory serves me).  My sister was not yet 1 year old when Dad left for 'Nam.  Call me crazy, but in my book, this is what heroes are made of.

"Somebody died in his place.  Somebody's son died in the place of that coward."  

That was Dad's assessment of "The Greatest."  It has been amazing to me how in the media aftermath of Ali's death, no one has mentioned the almost comical irony of Cassius Clay conveniently changing his name and his religion to avoid going into a real war.  With real bullets.  With real heroes who bled and died by the tens of thousands.  Sacrificed themselves for others, for a cause greater than themselves.  I mean, come on, does anyone out there not see the laughable irony of an "Islamic conscientious objector"?  Could you imagine someone trying to pull that card today?

I served for over five years in the Marine Corps alongside American Muslims.  In no way do I mean to belittle them or their religion.  The Marines I served with who were practicing Muslims trained hard and deployed, leaving family behind, and were ready to sacrifice for America just like me.  And just like my Dad did 45 years ago.  But that's precisely my point - they would not have even considered it an option to "opt out due to religion."  And `rank`ly, I am not sure any man should be permitted to do so.  It has always gotten under my skin that Muhammad Ali got filthy rich from a country he was not even willing to serve in the trenches.  All the benefits with no sacrifice.

Almost sounds like the new motto of America, huh?!

Well, perhaps you'll excuse this rant.  Perhaps not.  But one thing I can assure you of, I do not think Muhammad Ali was the greatest.  Not even close.  I am sad for his family.  But even sadder for him.  He spent his adult life in arrogance and defiance of the one true God.  He died, as far as anyone knows, believing that the Man who was truly The Greatest - Jesus the Christ - would one bow His knee to Muhammad the prophet of Islam.

Being found in appearance as a man, He humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.  For this reason God has highly exalted Him, and bestowed on Him a name which is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee will bow, of those in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and that every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God the Father (Phil 2:8-11).

Turns out Dad was right.  Somebody's son no doubt did die in the jungles of Vietnam in the place of the Louisville Lip.  But even more critically for all of us to grasp is that God's Holy Son, the Divine-Man Jesus, died in place of all His sinful people who would cry out to Him for forgiveness.  D-day is coming for us all.  Bow to Jesus today and you will know the joy and soul deep peace that no religion of human merits / works can ever truly give!  Islam is a religion of self-salvation, and a very uncertain one at that.  But no man, not even one we called "the greatest," can save himself from his sins.  That's why we call Jesus . . . Savior.  

One can't help but wonder what might have been had Ali submitted his life and his prideful lips to the Lord Christ. Surely nobody would have been able to get him to shut up about the love and grace of King Jesus!  But it was not to be.  His death is sad.  And thousands more are dying all around us on their way to the same Christ-less hell.

O Lord Jesus. help us start boasting more of You and Your cross!  And help us guard carefully who we extol as a hero.  Amen.