Doug Phillips, Cleansed by Fire

During a family Thanksgiving celebration, we received some news that saddened us very much. A well respected, much revered, prominent Leader of the homeschool community had fallen. He was our Hero. We thought he was "unsinkable," above reproach.

This news struck a blow at our hearts. His preaching, work & ministry have drastically changed the way my family thinks, lives & operates. I even wrote three blog posts (here, here and here) about three of his messages. God has used him instrumentally to affect & influence many fathers, mothers, daughters, sons, pastors & families over the years. But he has done the unthinkable- sinning against himself, his family & our community.

Many people have spoken out about this event. His actions have influenced many more people that he could ever have imagined. His wife, family, friends, Church, the homeschool community, critics... the world. Some people have spoken out in sadness, anger, reproach & support. Others (enemies of the conservative homeschool movement) have reacted in joy, that the Enemy has "triumphed".

You can read about Doug Phillips' resignation letter, a clarification & about the closing of Vision Forum here. Scott Brown (director of NCFIC, formerly on the board of Vision Forum & a friend of Doug Phillips) wrote about the need for repentance here. The Summers family (of Family Covenant Ministries, formerly CHEF) wrote about it in their November newsletter. Soon after this happened, I read this article in the Wisdom Hunters Devotional series.

Here are my humble thoughts on the topic. Take them for what they're worth.

It is my belief that God will use this event for good- both for Doug Phillips, his family, the Church & the homeschool community as a whole.

Events like this are like the Refiner's Fire- purifying & cleansing the Body. Showing what one really believes, at the core of his being. Time will tell just what the impact & influence of this grave event truly is.

- We are all subject to sin, weakness & temptation. No one is exempt from this, except Christ Himself. Not even our leaders. I think too often we place these men of the faith on a pedestal, elevating them to heights that they cannot reasonably live up to.

“Be on your guard! If your brother sins, rebuke him;
and if he repents, forgive him. And if he sins against you seven times a day,
and returns to you seven times, saying, ‘I repent,’ forgive him.”
-Luke 17:3,4

-  Instead of judging & pointing fingers, let us instead examine ourselves before God. Let God be the Judge. It is very important for us to hold fast to our Confession of Faith (knowing what we believe & why), lest we too fall away. "There, but for the Grace of God, go I." If a godly leader such as Doug Phillips could succumb to sin & temptation, then you & I should go forth in much fear & trembling!

"Therefore let anyone who thinks that
he stands take heed lest he fall."

- 1 Corinthians 10:12

“Brethren, even if anyone is caught in any trespass,
you who are spiritual, restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness;
each one looking to yourself, so that you too will not be tempted.
Bear one another’s burdens, and thereby fulfill the law of Christ.
For if anyone thinks he is something when he is nothing, he deceives himself.”
- Galatians 6:1-3

- What then is our response to this? Be gracious.

"Let your speech always be gracious, seasoned with salt, 

so that you may know how you ought to answer each person. "

- Colossians 4:6

 - Why are we surprised by this? We know that the devil is a roaring Lion, seeking whom he can devour. Do not discount his ability to trick, destroy & deceive.

"Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil
prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking
someone to devour. Resist him, firm in your faith..."
- 1 Peter 3:8-9a

- "A lone ranger is a dead ranger."  Accountaibility, confidence & prayer are vitally important.

- Don't let anything get before your love, commitment & devotion to the Father. Keep Him first in everything.

- Do not put your faith in man, but rather in God. For man will always disappoint us & fall short of the mark. But only Christ, the one & only sacrifice, perfect & without sin can satisfy our thirst & desire for Truth.

“Come, everyone who thirsts,
    come to the waters;
and he who has no money,
    come, buy and eat!"

- Isaiah 55:1 

- Just because the leader fell into sin, does not mean that his beliefs, lifestyle & teachings were wrong. He spoke on the importance of family, duty, faithfulness, leadership, motherhood, patriarchy, virtuous femininity, chivalrous manhood & boyhood. These are all good, important topics rooted in the Bible. They are not to be thrown out, cast aside or ridiculed. Man's actions cannot void God's Word.

- God's ways are not our ways. He sees the bigger picture. He has the Heavenly Perspective. 

"For my thoughts are not your thoughts,
    neither are your ways my ways,' declares the Lord.
'For as the heavens are higher than the earth,
    so are my ways higher than your ways
    & my thoughts than your thoughts.'"

- Isaiah 55:8-9

- This is not the end of the story. God is Sovereign, Faithful & Just. He knows the End of the Story... Whereas we do not.

"Let us hold fast the confession of our hope
without wavering, for He who promised is Faithful."

- Hebrews 10:23

- Let us repent & cry out to God as a whole, with genuine sincerity & repentance.

"If my people who are called by my name humble themselves,
& pray & my face and turn from their wicked ways,
then I will hear from heaven & will forgive their sin & heal their land."

- 2 Chronicles 7:14

“Wash me thoroughly from mine iniquity,
and cleanse me from my sin.”

-Psalm 51:2

Please join with me, in praying for Doug Phillips & his family in this time of hurt & pain- for repentance, faith, grace, forgiveness & restoration.

"If you call out for insight & raise your voice for understanding,
if you seek it like silver & search for it as for hidden treasures,
then you will understand the fear of the Lord & find the knowledge of God.
For the Lord gives wisdom; from his mouth come knowledge & understanding;

 He stores up sound wisdom for the upright; He is a shield to those who walk in integrity,
guarding the paths of justice & watching over the way of his saints."

- Proverbs 2:3-8

To God be all the glory! Persevero...


Related Posts:
Accountability
Temptation
Faithfulness in Marriage
Unrepentant Sin & the Unrepentant Believer
Guard Your Heart!
The Power of the Will
Forgiven Much, Loves Much
Don't Waste Your Life!
Walk with the Wise
God Moves in a Mysterious Way
Humility
Whose Vision Are You Serving?
The Potter & the Clay
Are You Who You SAY You Are?
Prosperity
More Sin, More Grace
A Multi- Generational Vision
Idolatry: Part I & Part II
Love
Do Hard Things- Part I & Part II
All for the Glory of God
Our Identity in Christ
Only What's Done for Christ Will Last
The Tragedy of a Wasted Life

32 Lessons God Taught Me This Week

Here are some lessons that I learned this past week... May they be a blessing & encouragement to you!

1) Sin will always be found out.
2) Boundaries are there for a reason
3) You will reap what you sow.

"Remember this: Whoever turns a sinner

from the error of his ways will save him

from death & cover over a multitude of sins."

- James 5:20

4) It's a "slow fade"
5) Sin has consequences6) You can become the woman that you swore you would neverbe

 "In repentance & rest is your salvation,

in quietness & trust is your strength."

- Isaiah 30:15

7) You will realize the depth of your own sin, the depravity of your soul & the magnitude of God's love, forgiveness & mercy.
8) Sin affects a lot of people (collateral damage)
9) Sometimes the Lord gives us wisdom/ knowledge before He presents the challenge. Pay attention!

 "Therefore let anyone who thinks
that he stands take heed, lest he fall."

- 1 Corinthians 10:12

10) It is possible to unintentionally hurt the people you love most
11) I have learned what real grace looks like, played out in everyday life.
12) If you aren't advancing (gaining new ground), you are retreating (losing ground you already had). It is a fact of life.

"Seek the Lord while He may be found;

call upon Him while He is near,

let the wicked forsake his way,

let the unrighteous man his thoughts,

let him return to the Lord, that He may

have compassion on him & to our God,

for He will abundantly pardon."

- Isaiah 55:6-7

13) "Integrity is doing what's right when no one is watching." - author unknown

14) Growth is mandatory, required & commanded by God (not an option).

15) A man is nothing without his character, honesty, integrity, good name, reputation etc.

"Good name in man and woman, dear my lord,
Is the immediate jewel of their souls:
Who steals my purse steals trash; 'tis something, nothing;
'Twas mine, 'tis his, and has been slave to thousands;
But he that filches from me my good name
Robs me of that which not enriches him
And makes me poor indeed."

- William Shakespeare

16) It is possible to undo months or years of good behavior with one bad decision- It's not worth it!

17) It is absolutely necessary to think through one's thoughts & actions (& the consequences of them), before doing them. Weigh the consequences!
18) If a lot of people are concerned about a certain issue, there is probably a reason why. Do not ignore the "warning signs"!!!!

"For at the moment all discipline

seems painful rather than unpleasant, but later
it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness
to those who have been trained by it."

- Hebrews 12:11

19) "Honesty is always the best policy." - author unknown Even when it hurts!

20) It does not work to ignore issues & problems- they only fester & grow worse. 21) Trust lost is incredibly hard to regain.

"What good is it for a man to gain

the whole world, yet lose his soul?"

- Mark 8:36

22) It is possible to put on a good front & deceive the masses. But the Truth is known by those who love you most.

23) Sometimes the Lord has to bring you to your knees before your eyes are opened to the utter depravity of your soul & the desperateness of the situation.
24) It is better to do something right the first time, rather than spending time, energy etc to go back & redo it a second time.

"If you call out for insight & cry aloud for understanding
& if you look for it as for silver & search for it as for
hidden treasure, then you will understand the fear of

the Lord & find the knowledge of God."

- Proverbs 2:3-5

25) Sometimes you come to that point in your life where there is nothing YOU can "do" to "make it better." You have to put it in God's (capable!) hands & leave it there, to "surrender your precious dreams."

26) Sometimes God wants to teach you a lot of really HARD lessons in a short amount of time- Pay attention!
27) You have to constantly be in the Word, to have the weapons/ strength to fight sin.

"Love covers over a multitude of sins..."

- 1 Peter 4:8

28) It is possible to stumble & disappoint lot of people, including people who look up to you and the ones that you respect & love most.

29) Raw, open, honest accountability is essential.
30) You must take responsibility for what you have done (no more, no less). Scapegoats & blame shifiting is not an option.

31) Less is more. Keep your mouth shut, unless you have something that has to be said.

32) How quickly things can change!

"There is Power in the blood of Jesus/ to break every chain..." - Jesus Culture

"And we know that in all things God works

for the good of those who love Him,
who have been Called according to His Purpose."

- Romans 8:28

Similar Topics to read-
Idolatry
Faithfulness in Marriage
The Power of the Tongue
Fully Surrendering Our Dreams to God
Surrendering Our Precious Dreams to God
Only What's Done for Christ Will Last
Hearing the Voice of God
Better Hearing the Voice of God
Obeying the Voice of God
Temptation
God First
Walk with the Wise
All for the Glory of God

Hindsight
Unrepentant Sin

To Love Like a Child...

Earlier this week, I did something I shouldn't have. I sinned. I hurt those that I love the most. I apologized & repented, but the damage was done.

In the midst of the pain I had caused, a little girl came up & gave me a hug. A hug I desperately needed. But not just any girl. The daughter of one of the families that I had offended.

When I asked her why she did it, she said that "Everyone is acting weird." And she thought I just needed a hug. She was right. And wow. Her love & response floored me. She knew (part of) what was going on & yet she still chose to hug me. Wow. Lord, that we may learn to love like a child!

 "And calling to him a child, he put him in the midst of them & said,
'Truly, I say to you, unless you turn & become like children,
you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.  Whoever humbles himself
like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. 

 
Whoever receives one such child in My Name receives me,
but whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin,
it would be better for him to have a great millstone fastened around his neck
& to be drowned in the depth of the sea."

- Matthew 18:2-6 

"Then children were brought to Him
that he might lay his hands on them & pray.
The disciples rebuked the people, but Jesus said,
'Let the little children come to me & do not hinder them,
for to such belongs the Kingdom of Heaven.'”
- Matthew 19:13-14

Idolatry

 Almost a month ago, a mentor of mine challenged me to check my heart & make sure that it is free from idolatry. Since then, God has brought the topic to mind several different times (through books, sermons, conversations etc). Here is what I have learned:

An idol is something in your life that you are unwilling to let go, something that comes in between you & God. It can be self, movies, music, relationships, books, sin, activities, hobbies etc. Anything that distracts you from the Lord or turns your heart away from Him. 

"God spoke all these words, saying, 'I am the Lord your God...
You shall have no other gods before Me. You shall not make for yourself
a carved image, or any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that
is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth. You shall
not bow down to them or serve them, for I the Lord your God am a jealous God...'"

- Exodus 20:1-5

What is making it harder for you to focus on Christ? If any pastime, activity, habit, relationship or friendship in your life tends to pull you away from Christ, that's a sign that it doesn't belong in your life. 

Idolatry happens when we look to other things (besides Christ) to give our life purpose, identity, meaning, peace, joy, contentment, excitement, refreshment etc. God grieves over our distracted, wandering, lukewarm, divided hearts! We often look for excuses to keep living self- ruled, pleasure- seeking, sin- loving lives. Submit yourself fully & completely to His transforming work. Lay your selfish pursuits & worldly addictions upon the altar at His feet!

"Whoever loves his life, loses it & whoever hates his life
in this world will keep it for eternal life."

- John 12:25 

When we invite Christ into our life, we don't "make room" for Him amidst our selfishness, sin & worldly pursuits. Rather, by the power of His Grace, we are transformed & made completely new!

"Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation.
The old has passed away; behold, the new has come."

- 2 Corinthians 5:17 

"But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, & make no
provision for the flesh, to gratify its desires."

- Romans 13:14

Every moment of every day we have a choice to make. We can either listen to our selfish whims & wants or we can listen to the Spirit of God. There is a constant battle between our flesh & the Spirit of God. We are commanded by God to put to death our fleshly desires & yield to the Spirit's commands. Will you listen to His Voice? Or will you listen to your own selfish desires? Daily life is filled with hundreds of choices to either give in to selfish whims or yield to Christ's Spirit. 

What in your life is keeping you from being consumed by Him alone? Do you have habits of laziness? Selfishness? Are you addicted to worldly entertainment? Is your thirst for comfort & material possessions? Are you longing for popularity & attention? Do you feel the need to control your future? Are you fascinated with the culture? Have you allowed other gods to woo your heart? Have you forsaken your covenant with the King of all kings? Nothing in this world is worth jeopardizing your relationship with Christ. Is Jesus Christ merely a part of your life? Or is He your entire life?

"Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world,
the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world—the desires
of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and pride of life —is not from the
Father but is from the world.  And the world is passing away along with its
desires, but whoever does the will of God abides forever..."

- 1 John 2:15-17

 

"You adulterous people! Do you not know that friendship with the
world is enmity with God? Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of
the world makes himself an enemy of God."

- James 4:4

Do you live as if your time & decisions were your own? Or does everything you have belong to Him? Do you allow the distractions & allurements of this world to turn your head, to occupy your thoughts, or to dictate your choices? Or is Christ your sole pursuit? What selfish patterns do you have that need to be remade by Christ's Spirit?

"Have mercy on me, O God, according to Your steadfast love;
according to Your abundant mercy blot out my transgressions.
Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity & cleanse me from my sin!
For I know my transgressions & my sin is ever before me.
Against You, You only, have I sinned & done what is evil in Your sight,
so that You may be justified in your words & blameless in your judgment...
Purge me with hyssop & I shall be clean; wash me & I shall be whiter than snow."

- Psalm 51:1-7

 
I would encourage you to spend some focused time in prayer & waiting on the Lord, allowing Him to gently reveal those areas of your life that need His transforming touch. All His Spirit to open your eyes to any parts of your daily existence in which you typically yield to your selfish whims & desires. This requires much prayer, repentance & a change of direction- a focused, lifestyle change. It may take a few days, weeks or months for those old habits to fully die. But if you allow Him to retrain & enable you to "deny yourself, pick up your cross & follow Him," you will soon understand what Paul meant when he said, "It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives within me" (Galatians 2:20)

" Search me, O God & know my heart! Try me & know my thoughts!
See if there be any wicked way in me & lead me in the way everlasting!"

- Psalm 139:23-24

 

Some questions (food for thought) :

* What can't you live without?
* Are you totally & completely surrendered unto Him?
* What other things might you be looking towards to give your life identity, purpose & meaning? 

* Are you willing to give up all the pleasures & enticements of the world for His sake? 

* What have you not yet surrendered unto the Father?
* Do you love what the Father loves & hate what the Father hates?

* What are you still holding onto???

 *  Why do you do what you do?
* Who are you working for?
* What motivates you?
* What is your work ethic?

* Are you working for the Lord?
* Do you care more about what the Lord thinks of you, than what mere man does?
* Are you working diligently for the Lord?
* When you receive praise for work well done, who gets the glory?
* Do you do the Lord's work in humility, with no thought of self?
* What are your ulterior motives when serving?
* Who are you?
* Where do you find your identity?
* Who do you align/associate yourself with?
* Where do you find enjoyment/pleasure?
* What are your priorities?
* Where do you invest your time?
* Where do you invest your money?
* Why do you "do what you do"?
* Are you trying to save face amongst other Christians?

* Are you placing things above Him (idols)?

* Is Jesus most glorious to you?
*Am you more devoted to ________________ than to Christ?
*What things are trying to replace your “first love”? (job, wealth, relationships etc)

* Is Jesus first in your life right now?

* How can your love (obedience) for God be more genuine (consistent etc)?
* How can your love for others be more ____________ (genuine etc)?

Faithfulness In Marriage

 I am to be marry to the man of my dreams in 5 short months. We have been courting for 7 months & yet I am still in shock & surprised by it all! Mark is amazing & I do not deserve someone as awesome as him in my life!!! He has exceeded my wildest dreams! God's ways are definitely better than our ways!!! :) [Isaiah 55:8-9]

In preparation for getting married, my mind have turned towards thoughts of love, marriage, children, a house of our own etc. Asking questions like, "What does a God-centered marriage look like? How can I best serve & honor my husband? What is 'true love'? What does 'true love' look like?" I am thinking about the sacredness, solemnity & responsibility of marriage. Of the real depth & magnitude of the words "'til death do us part."

On those lines, if someone were to ask me what character qualities I most desire/ look for in a husband, I would definitely say that he must be a man of strong faith. No if's, and's or but's about it.

But a close second to that would be that he must plan on being faithful, a man of no compromise. This is very important to me. Divorce is not an option, in my eyes.

Two & a half years ago, something happened that radically changed the way I view everything- God, faith, family, life, love, marriage etc. Not a day goes by that I don't think about it all. September 2010 was the hardest thing that I have ever walked through. [You can read more about that situation here]

Back then, my friends & I had a lot of conversations about what real love, faithfulness in marriage, sacrificial love etc look like. About what really matters in life. How there is a "slow fade" into sin. [Here I am reminded of the "Slow Fade" song by Casting Crowns] How it starts with small, baby steps in the wrong direction & all of a sudden, you wake up, years later & you are way off the beaten path, not knowing how in the world you ended up there! What we can do, to keep "that" from happening with us. The importance of prayer, accountability, community etc. How we are Called to a life of integrity, of living "without a hint of... immorality" (Ephesians 5:3) in our lives

Almost 3 years later, I still haven't forgotten those conversations. This desire for purity, faithfulness, accountability etc has not waned. If anything, it has grown stronger with time. I want my marriage to "go against the odds." To change the divorce statistics (that one in two marriages end in divorce; how more 'Christian' marriages end in divorce, than those of unbelievers!) To show the world what real, Christ-like, God-centered, sacrificial love looks like.

"Therefore let anyone who thinks that he stands take heed lest he fall."
- 1 Corinthians 10:12

"From everyone who has been given much, much will be demanded;
& from the one who has been entrusted with much, much more will be asked."

- Luke 12:48b

Hindsight

There is a Country song that goes "I thank God I ain't what I almost was". I haven't been able to get the lyrics out of my head all day. They keep playing over & over again in my mind. (Naturally, his next song on the CD was about regret)

It got me thinking, though... I wonder how many times in life we convince (read here- deceive) ourselves into believing that our plans are really God's Plans for us? How often do we want something so badly that we deceive ourselves into thinking that it is the Best thing for us? Even sin? Suppressing our consciences? That we ignore other people's advice & proceed full-steam ahead, to fulfill all our dreams & plans? Out of stubbornness, pride etc, despite everyone's cautions & warnings? Only to wake up five years down the road & say, "What was I thinking??? If only I had listened to their advice..."

I am reminded tonight of the utter importance of accountability- of staying in close relationship with strong fellow believers, who aren't afraid to tell you the "hard Truth" in life, of confronting you when you are walking in sin... Of having a close walk with the Lord- totally in tune to His Voice, Plans, Will & Purposes (for more on this topic, read here & here). Walking in obedience to Him. Of fully surrendering our Dreams to Him (read more here & here), even if it means that He changes them & conforms them into His Will for our lives... Of walking in contentment with where He has us in life right now- of unconditionally trusting in His Plan (read more here).

 I feel like we are at a cross roads in life. We have the Choice to obey God & follow Him & listen to His Voice (& wise counsel). Or not. To live a Life of Blessing or curses. To Choose His Way, Path, Will, Purposes, Promises etc or to choose our own desires over His- rushing ahead of God's Plan for our lives. Trusting in His Plan and His Timing. There is a way to do things & a way to not do them. Sometimes a good thing can be gained in the wrong way, making it a wrong thing after all & not worth the effort invested... A lot is at stake here...

I don't think there is anything wrong with daydreaming, BUT you must make sure to incorporate the "God factor" into your so-called "plans." Because, you never know, He might have a different Plan for your life. Are you okay with that??? I'd strongly encourage you to submit to His Plan for your life, because it's most likely a bigger, better Plan than you could ever come up with on your own!!! :)

"And we know that ALL things work out for the Good

of those who love God, who have been Called

according to His Purposes..."

- Romans 8:28

"For I know the Plans I have for you,” declares the Lord,
“Plans to prosper you & not to harm you,
Plans to give you Hope & a Future..."

- Jeremiah 29:11

" A man plans his course,
    but the Lord establishes his steps..."

- Proverbs 16:9

Unrepentant Sin

Two years ago today, I lost one of my friends & mentors to the Consequences of unrepentant sin. Memories are rushing through my brain... It seems like it was just yesterday... How quickly time flies by!

This one situation changed the way that I view everything- God, faith, family, life, love, marriage etc. Not a day goes by that I'm not affected by it... September 2010 was the hardest thing that I have ever walked through.

It taught me the utter importance of accountability. A person is a lot less likely to make decisions that will adversely affect the community around them, if they walk in accountability with other believers, being mentored by older Christians...

"A lone ranger is a dead ranger..."

It taught me the importance of community. My Church family grew a lot stronger & closer together, as the result of this event. I have never seen so many people from so many different walks of life pull together & rally together as the result of this decision.

"And let us consider how to stir up one another to love & good works,
not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some,
but encouraging one another,
& all the more as you see the Day drawing near..."

- Hebrews 10:25

It taught me the importance of honesty and vulnerability. If we aren't honest with those around us & let them see our faults, weaknesses & sins, then we are twice as likely to do things that we wouldn't dare to do, if we were being held accountable.

"My lips will not speak wickedness,
& my tongue will utter no deceit.."

- Job 27:4

It taught me the importance of self-control. We must learn to bring our flesh, desires, thoughts, hearts etc into submission unto the Lord.

"But among you, there must be not even a hint of sexual immorality &
all impurity or covetousness, as is proper among saints..."

- Ephesians 5:3

It taught me the importance of prayer. Prayer changes things!

"Therefore, confess your sins to one another
& pray for one another, that you may be healed.
The prayer of a righteous person availeth much..."

^{- James 5:16}

It taught me the importance of holding our family & friends accountable. If I see one of my fellow believers backsliding & falling into sin, it is my duty before the Lord to humbly confront

"Brothers, if anyone is caught in any transgression,
you who are spiritual should restore him in a spirit of gentleness.
Keep watch on yourself, lest you too be tempted..."

- Galatians 6:1

God is bringing Good from the Pain. He is working all things together for His Glory & our Good. He has a Plan & Purpose for all involved through this. He knows what He is doing. And we are trusting Him through this. :)

"And we know that God works all things together

for the good of those who love Him,
who have been Called according to His Purpose..."

- Romans 8:28

Are You Washed In the Blood of the Lamb?

Last night I was able to go English Country Dancing with some of our friends. I arrived home very sweaty & grimy. This morning, I was trying my hardest to scrub away the smell. But the harder I tried, the more futile it seemed. I washed & washed, but it seemed like I could NOT get clean.

Then God gave me an analogy (which I'm sure I've heard before)- No matter how hard we try to "achieve holiness & godliness" in & of ourselves, we cannot attain it. No matter how hard we try rid our lives of sin, we cannot remove the stain. No matter how many times we promise to not sin, we always manage to do it again.

This is why we desperately need a SAVIOR. He is God's gift to us- undeserved & unmerited Grace.  As Romans 5:8 says, "But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us."

I am reminded of Ephesians 2:1-9: "As for you, you were dead in your transgressions & sins... All of us also lived among them at one time, gratifying the cravings of our flesh & following its desires & thoughts. Like the rest, we were by nature deserving of wrath. But because of His great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy,  made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved... For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— not by works, so that no one can boast."

Our time on this earth is short. We do not know when the Lord will return. Are you assured of your salvation? What of your family & friends? I hope you sense the urgency of the situation. Dear friends, the time is NOW.

In Bible study recently, we have been talking about the necessity of doing things in His Power, Strength & motivation; for His glory. NOT in our own strength, not with fleshly motivation. "Unless the LORD builds the house, the builders labor in vain..." - Psalm 127:1

I will close with the precious words of this hymn:

"Have you been to Jesus for the cleansing power?
Are you washed in the blood of the Lamb?
Are you fully trusting in His grace this hour?
Are you washed in the blood of the Lamb?

Are you washed in the blood,
In the soul cleansing blood of the Lamb?
Are your garments spotless? Are they white as snow?
Are you washed in the blood of the Lamb?

Are you walking daily by the Savior’s side?
Are you washed in the blood of the Lamb?
Do you rest each moment in the Crucified?
Are you washed in the blood of the Lamb?

When the Bridegroom cometh will your robes be white?
Are you washed in the blood of the Lamb?
Will your soul be ready for the mansions bright,
And be washed in the blood of the Lamb?
 
Lay aside the garments that are stained with sin,
And be washed in the blood of the Lamb;
There’s a fountain flowing for the soul unclean,
O be washed in the blood of the Lamb!"

And with this- "Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up." - Galatians 6:9

Better To Be an Unbeliever than a Lukewarm Christian?

It is, in my opinion, almost*  (disclaimer: see below) better to be an unbeliever than a lukewarm Christian. Let me explain:

Picture for a minute an unbeliever, caught head-over-heels in sin, who has never heard the Gospel preached before and is generally unaware of his Sin. The Gospel is presented to him. He hears for the first time of he depth of his sin, his separation from God, how his good works are worth nothing, how he (in and of himself) can do absolutely nothing to save himself. When his need is revealed to him, he is full of despair, depressed, anguished, humbled, broken, contrite over his Sin. He knows he's wrong and could never be right before God. Then he is told that there IS a way to be saved from the horrors of his sin and the consequences that he deserves because of it. That God, the Creator of the universe, spanned time and space and reached down to save him (a poor, undeserving, wretched sinner). He acknowledges his sin, believes Christ to be the propitiation for the punishment that he deserved, and repents. How the angels sang on that day! He is SO happy, he cannot bear to keep the Good News to himself! He is on fire for God, passionate, zealous, constantly desiring to learn more of God. He cannot hear enough about Him. He devours every book he can get his hands upon, desiring to learn all that he can about Him. He constantly grows in relationship with God. He is in continual awe of this Creator-God, who spanned the gulf to rescue him, the lowest of the low!

Contrast that with the disgusting image of a lukewarm "Christian"-  Possibly one who grew up in the Church, who knows "everything" there is to know about God- full of knowledge, but void of a real relationship with God (that which really matters). He is numb, passionless, apathetic, ineffective, useless, deceived, self-sufficient,  even hampering the spread of the Gospel by his hypocrisy and contradictory witness/lifestyle. His "worship" is empty, hollow, half-hearted, and lifeless. He is overly familiar with the Church and is bored by its traditions, rules, and rituals. He is legalistic and lives life by the rulebook. He can quote the Bible, Church fathers, and theologians left and right. He goes to Church, listens to the "good" music, reads the right books, has Christian friends. It all looks perfect on the the outside, but on the inside... He says that he believes in Jesus, but his life (choices, decisions, values, character etc) screams otherwise. It's all head (knowledge) and not heart (real wisdom). 

Again, it is almost* (disclaimer: see below) better to be an unbeliever than a lukewarm "Christian"

"I know your deeds, that ou are neither cold or hot. I wish you were one or the other! So, because you are lukewarm- neither hot nor cold- I am about to spit you out of My mouth... You do not realize that you are wretched, pitiful, poor, blind and naked... Those whom I love I rebuke and discipline. So be earnest and repent! Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My Voice and opens the door, I will come in and dine with him, and they with Me." - Revelation 3:14-20

"'By their fruits you shall know them.' (Matthew 7:16a) You say, 'Wait a minute, I thought we were saved by grace through faith and all of that.' That's right, we are. But whether we are saved or not shows up in our deeds. James says the same thing (James 2:14-26 Your faith is made known by your works. So He says I know your deeds and therefore I know your heart. I can see by what you do who you are," says John MacArthur.

"But I submit to you that Jesus said, 'I would rather have you cold than this. I'd rather you be a prostitute than a Pharisee. I'd rather you be a sinner who knows his sin than a hypocrite who doesn't recognize it. I'd rather you say... God, be merciful to me, a sinner...who feels the coldness of his lostness than a Pharisee who says I thank You I'm not like other men.' Anything is better than lukewarmness!" - John MacArthur

"But there was something worse than being lukewarm and that was their self-deception. They had spiritual pride. They thought they were spiritually rich. They had attained spiritual knowledge. This is the hardest person to reach. The intellectual apostate, the intellectual unsaved hypocrite who stays in the Church. They are religious and damned. This is a person to be pitied." - John MacArthur

"They profess to know God, but in works they deny Him, being abominable, disobedient, and disqualified for every good work." - Titus 1:16

"What good is it, my brothers and sisters, if someone claims to have faith, but has no deeds? Can such faith save them?... Faith by itself, if not accompanied by action, is dead. But someone will say, 'You have faith; I have deeds.' Show me your faith without deeds and I will show you my faith by my deeds. You believe there is one God. Good! Even the demons believe that- and shudder! You foolish person, do you want evidence that faith without deeds is useless? Was not our father Abraham considered righteous for what he did when he offered his son Isaac on the altar? You see that his faith and his actions were working together, and his faith was made complete by what he did... You see that a person is considered righteous by what they do and not by faith alone... As a body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead." - James 2:14-26

* Disclaimer- I say "almost," because if a person was genuinely saved, there is always the chance that they have just wandered from the Faith for a time and will be back. In the case of the die-hard unbeliever, there is always the chance that they won't hear the Gospel... In which case, it would be better to be the lukewarm Christian...

Argument developed by myself. John MacArthur quotes taken from a sermon entitled "Laodicea: The Lukewarm Church" (Parts I & II) over Revelation 3:14-20 on 03.06.1992. Found at: http://gty.org/Resources/Sermons/66-14

More Sin, More Grace

"But where sin increased, grace increased all the more. What shall we say, then? Shall we go on sinning so that grace may increase? By no means! We are those who have died to sin; how can we live in it any longer?" - Romans 5:20-6:2

"Here is the great object to grace through faith apart from works of the law. It seems to open the door to rampant sinning. In fact, it seems to invite more sinning, because if grace is God's act to forgive and accept sinners on the basis of Christ's righteousness, not ours, then would not that grace shine all the brighter if we kept on sinning? The more sin there is, the more forgiveness there is. And the more sinning there is, the greater must be the righteousness of Christ to compensate for it. So doesn't Paul's radical teaching on justification open to door to careless living and indifference to holiness? No, it does not..." - John Piper

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* Objection- If justification is on the basis of Christ's righteousness, not ours, by grace through faith alone, then shouldn't we continue in sin that grace might increase?

* Answer- NO!

Reason- Because if you died to sin, you can't go on living in it. Or, to put it bluntly, dead people don't sin.

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Because of Christ, we are dead to sin & alive to God. You died, so consider yourselves dead. You're alive, so consider yourselves alive to God. You are, so now become what you are.

God's grace is transformative. When God completely removes sin, He also gives you a new life.

"If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the Truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, He is Faithful and just to forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. If we claim we have not sinned, we make Him out to be a liar & His Word is not in us." - 1 John 1:8-10

We aren't promising that we'll never sin. But God's Grace and sacrifice is not a license to be lax in our pursuit of righteousness. It should urge us to desire purity and holiness all the more...

"Sometimes I make my relationship God more about the sin I need to avoid than the good I'm called to pursue. Recently I wrote Galatians 5:22-23 in the front page of my journal: 'But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness & self control.' I wrote the words in big bold letters. These are the words that are to define and mark my life. I want them to call out to me every time I commune with God. This is who He's called me to be. This is what His Spirit wants to produce in me. I want to spend as much time seeking to be defined by love, joy, and peace as I do seeking to rid my life of anger, lust, and complaints. Becoming like Jesus isn't just a matter of not doing wrong. It's a matter of actively 'doing' righteousness. It's pursuing obedience." - Joshua Harris

"But just as He who Called you is holy, so be holy in all you do; for it is written: 'Be holy, because I am holy.'" - 1 Peter 1:15-16

"But, clothe yourselves with the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to gratify its desires." - Romans 13:14

Your sin is dead, go and walk in the newness of life!

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June 2011 Book notes from Dug Down Deep: Unearthing What I Believe & Why It Matters by Joshua Harris & from notes taken during a sermon by John Piper

Humility

I ran across some of my old "book notes" and I found this post, entitled "Humility, according to Matt Redman." Below is my entry from September 19, 2010:

"A real test of true humility is how you handle criticism.

A former United States senator once commentated: "Humility is a manner, a viewpoint, an all-encompassing thing... Humility is expressed through actions;... it can be demonstrated simply by stopping and listening to someone. Its essence is putting others ahead of yourself... A real test of humility is how you handle criticism. The natural reaction is to throw up an immediate defense, a quick excuse, a spontaneous rebuttal. The humble way to handle criticism is to try to understand the reasons for the criticism, to look for what truth there might be in it."

How do YOU respond??? Normally? Usually? How do you WISH you'd respond?

True humility starts way before getting onstage. Do we put others before ourselves? Are we spending time with (and listening to) indviduals? How do we handle constructive criticism? How do we respond in the depths of our hearts?

 Humility is picking up litter when no one is looking just because you want to serve your community. Humility is letting someone else use your idea. And then telling no one that it originated with you. Humility is listening to others even when you have plenty to say. Recognizing the difference between achievement and entrustment. Humility expresses itself in random acts of kindness, performed day in and day out, for God's eyes only- invisible acts that only you and God get to witness, the tell-tale signs of a humble heart.

 At the end of the day, true humility can never be mustered up or learned by striving. Humility is the heart of someone who's seen the greatness of God, the smallness of self, and the importance of others."

A book I would recommend reading on this topic would be: Humility: True Greatness by C.J. Mahaney

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 Roughly adapted from my book notes on Inside Out Worship: Insights for Passionate & Purposeful Worship by Matt Redman & Friends