In the last article “The Laodicean Legacy Part I” we looked at the problems that are inherent with a belief that our duty as the church is to cater to the norms of the world. In that article, we talked about the difference between the prepositions “out” and “in” as it relates to the church’s Gospel mission. I wanted to expand that a bit by looking at yet another news item that showed up this week. Perhaps you have noticed that much of the secular media has picked up on the report that several megachurches will be cancelling their church services on December 25th. It always interests me when the secular media becomes interested in “religion” – it usually happens when there is a controversy, or even a perceived controversy of some sort. This story is revealing in many ways because CNN continued by saying that many main line “churches” will be open on that day – Catholic, Episcopal, Lutheran and Methodist etc. By the time I read that line, I was reminded that our culture does not know what the church of Jesus Christ is. Defining the church is no small matter, for without a right understanding of what the church is, we would have no hope of comprehending what it is supposed to do. Therefore, let me offer the following summary about the church’s calling in Christ: Without a doubt the “church” (ekklesia) is the assembly of the “called ones,” that is, those who have been called and redeemed by God. The true church is comprised of those who are the spiritual members of His household, as His children (Ephesians 1:19); we are called the “saints” (hagion) because we have been separated out of the domain of this world and have been set apart in Christ. As the true church, we have a clear mission of serving Him in such a manner that we would be the “pillar and support of the truth” (1 Timothy 3:15); and our assembly as the children of God is so important and needful that we are not at liberty to forsake it (Hebrews 10:24-25), if even in the face of persecution (Hebrews 10:32-39). And as the sheep of His pasture (Psalm 100:3), we assemble together under the teaching of the Word of God for, without God’s Word we will become spiritually emaciated and weak:

John 21:15-17: 15…Jesus *said to Simon Peter, “Simon, son of John, do you love Me more than these?” … “Tend My lambs.” 16 He *said to him again a second time, “Simon, son of John, do you love Me?” …”Shepherd My sheep.” 17 He *said to him the third time, “Simon, son of John, do you love Me?” …”Tend My sheep.

Like Peter, all those who are called to shepherd Christ’s sheep (His church) are not at liberty to do as they please according to their own whim and pleasure – they are commanded (three times) to shepherd and feed Christ’s own possession, which He purchased with His own blood. The simple point is this: the church is the assembly of God’s people (His sheep) and it comes together for the equipping and building up of its members for the work of service:

Ephesians 4:11-12: 11 And He gave some as apostles, and some as prophets, and some as evangelists, and some as pastors and teachers, 12 for the equipping of the saints for the work of service, to the building up of the body of Christ;

Now, back to our prepositions (out & in). The primary duty of a pastor is to feed, equip and build up those in the church (Christ’s sheep) so that they can do the work of service, which includes going out into the world with the Gospel message. None of what has been said here eliminates the fact that unsaved people will attend church services (1 Corinthians 14:24-25); however, the principal objective of the local church is to build up believers through the teaching of sound doctrine, so that they can carry out the ministry of serving the Lord in all contexts. This simple definition of the church has been steam rolled by the modern “seeker sensitivity” movement. Instead of making Christ’s sheep the highest priority, the unbeliever is given pre-eminence, as is revealed in a recent CNN article:

Cally Parkinson, a spokeswoman for Willow Creek Community Church in South Barrington, Illinois, said church leaders decided that organizing services on a Christmas Sunday would not be the most effective use of staff and volunteer resources. The last time Christmas fell on a Sunday was 1994, and only a small number of people showed up to pray, she said.

“If our target and our mission is to reach the unchurched, basically the people who don’t go to church, how likely is it that they’ll be going to church on Christmas morning?” she said.

As the expression goes: “that’s a big ‘if.'” Parkinson’s premise reveals a great deal concerning the philosophy of ministry found in the seeker sensitive movement: “If our target and our mission is to reach the unchurched…” A philosophy of ministry such as this reveals to us all that it is not the sheep of Christ who are the focus in their services, rather, it is the “unchurched” as they say. And in view of the fact that in ’94 they only had a small number who came to pray, this is offered as a good reason to cancel their services this year. Can you imagine if Peter had cancelled the assembly of the disciples in the upper room in Jerusalem (Acts 2) because he felt that their small number could not justify the use of their “staff” and “volunteer resources”? In mentioning these things, I am not trying to legislate what kind of meetings churches should have on December 25th, what I am concerned about is the overall attitude that the contemporary “church” has over what Christ says is His church (Matthew 16:18). To forsake the assembly of the saints because of what “unchurched” people might do on that day is a grievous proposition. On the contrary, our unique devotion to the brethren, and our fellowship with one another, is what Christ says will be used to show others that we are of Christ and not of this world:

John 13:35 “By this all men will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.”

Brethren – these things I mention so that we would be on guard in our own hearts, lest we degrade in our own thinking about Christ’s church. And let us be careful to employ biblical language so that we can view our world in a right way. Instead of thinking of people as being “churched” or “unchurched” – we must consider whether they are saved or unsaved people (just as Christ distinguished between the sheep and the goats Matt. 25:31-46); by this we can be reminded of the lost’s true and urgent need: they need Christ rather than a program. At this time of year, we often have a greater opportunity to reach out to others for the sake of the Gospel of Christ – may the Lord use us as His instruments to show them the glory of the Good Shepherd who laid down His life for His sheep.

I was reminded Sunday evening (through a few discussions during our fellowship time) of how great our challenge is for evangelism in this modern era. The people of this culture are simply addicted to entertainment, and the continual flow of technological devices only continues to fuel this “addiction.” I use the word addiction here, not to suggest that people are passive victims (as that word is often used), but I use it in order to point out the severity of the problem. Like a drug addict, many in our day are practically made prisoners within their own homes, being chained to their cable-connected-large-screen-TV jail keepers. This entertainment “addiction” of the modern day has created an entire world of isolationsim. A century ago, if you tried to knock on your neighbor’s door to say “hello, how are you” – the visitation would be seen as a normal – even a welcome event; however, if you try to do the same today, you may be seen as an invader from outer space; after all, that deep reservoir of virtuous content – “Desperate Housewives” is on! We do face steep challenges in this modern era, but this addiction of self indulgence is as old as this fallen world itself “Here is the church and here is the big screen, open the door and see all the worldlings.”(Matthew 24:38), and we are deceived to think anything else. The Gospel mission of the church could be summarized by this simple thought: we are to go out into the world with the Gospel, rather than bringing the world into the church. Out, versus in – can it really be that simple? Absolutely! The Lord’s own ministry and example sets the stage for our understanding between “out” and “in” –

John 17:18 “As Thou didst send Me into the world, I also have sent them into the world.

This is a very simple message. The church is to go out into the world rather than the other way around – the world coming into us. In fact this key concept was part of the Savior’s prayer for us:

John 17:15 “I do not ask Thee to take them out of the world, but to keep them from the evil one.”

Believers are to forsake evil while engaging this wicked world – in other words, we are to be in the world, but not of the world. Failure to submit to this key principle of Scripture was the very backbone of error in the church at Laodicea. They looked to combine the red-hot firebrands of Gospel truth with the cold and dead practices of the world – thus, they were neither hot or cold, but lukewarm:

Revelation 3:16-17: 16 “So because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of My mouth. 17 Because you say, ‘I am rich, and have become wealthy, and have need of nothing,’ and you do not know that you are wretched and miserable and poor and blind and naked…”

Unlike the persecuted and impoverished church at Smyrna (whom the Lord praised for their godliness), Laodicea must have been a booming synergy of worldliness and religion. Their popularity is implicitly made evident by their financial wealth – they “had need of nothing.” Laodicea had found a way to import the sinful preoccupations of their world into their ranks and thereby establish an institution that was overwhelmed with fleshly strength, while being devoid of Spiritual substance. Instead of sending holy servants out into the world, they chose to invite the world, in all its worldliness, into the church. But the Lord saw through their game of compromise and wanted to spew them out of His mouth – extremely strong language coming from the Lord of all mercy and compassion!

I offer all this to you in order to contextualize a recent interview of interest (with Bill Hybels, October 24th 2005) – this was recently sent to me and it has recharged my passion for pursuing purity in the church and evangelism out in the world:

BY CATHLEEN FALSANI Religion Reporter for the Sun Times

As a conversation with Bill Hybels, senior pastor of Willow Creek Community Church in South Barrington, continues on the anniversary of the church’s founding in 1975, the pastor turns his attention to what the next 30 years might hold the groundbreaking “seeker-friendly” congregation and its successors on the cutting edge of evangelicalism in the 21st century.

Q: What does the future look like for Willow Creek and the church, writ large?

A: “I’ve never been more optimistic about the future of the local church than I am right now, because I think church leaders have finally come to understand that the wise thing to do is to recalibrate the methodology of the church for each societal change and each generational reality. When I started 30 years ago, the church hadn’t changed much in 50 years.

“There’s rarely been a debate about whether the church should debate its theology. . . it’s never been a serious discussion. But what used to be a serious discussion is: Should we adapt our methodology for the culture that we’re trying to relate to? And now even that is not much of a discussion at all.

Q: Whether the church should engage culture at all is not a question anymore?

A: “Right. And it used to be. There was a barricade mentality, a let’s huddle and separate-ourselves-from-this-terrible-awful-world thing. There’s none of that left. Those churches have closed down or have been merged with a church that has a more positive vision.

Let me first say that there are some small nuggets of truth in Hybels’ observations above. First, it is true that the Willow Creek model of ministry has essentially taken over the American “church.” This is, unfortunately, a statement that is mostly true. Secondly, there is such a thing as a barricade mentality that can be sinful – it is the same barricade mentality that formulated the basis of the religious monastery. Those who hide from the world, and thereby fail to engage it with the Gospel of Jesus Christ, are in sin. However, this isn’t what Hybels is talking about. What he has in mind are those who believe that we are to “separate-ourselves-from-this-awful-world.” Contrary to Hybels’ philosophy, we are to separate ourselves from wickedness and worldliness – “keep them from the evil one” [litertally – keep them “out of the evil” (tereses outous ek tou ponerou)] our Savior prayed; however Hybels believes that worldly influences should be invited into the church. That is why churches have become religious entertainment centers, complete with theatre seating, drama, puppet shows, rock bands and stand-up comedians who try to impersonate Gospel preachers. It is sad, but it is not new – in fact, it’s ancient. The children’s rhyme of old has been changed to: “Here is the church and here is the big screen, open the door and see all the worldlings.” May the Lord grow us after the pattern of those godly saints at Smyrna, rather than the worldlings of Laodicea.

Modern cosmologists must feel as though they are the most blessed, and the most cursed, of any generation. They are the most blessed, because modern technology has given us sophisticated tools to observe the stars like never before. They are the most cursed, because much of the data that is being gathered by these instruments is wreaking havoc on many of the “traditional” (secular) theories concerning the origin of the universe. To put it very simply, the emperical data does not comport with the presumption of a “Big Bang” theory of the universe; in fact, observational data has been a stumbling block to the central premises of the “Big Bang,” from the very beginning. For example, if you were to take a bomb and explode it in space, what would you expect to find (materially) 700 miles away from the blast sight? Probably nothing, unless you have a lottery moment such that you might see a single piece of shrapnel (or two, if you’re having a really good day). Now expand the bomb to the big bang – what might you expect to find several billion light years away from the “blast sight” in this case? (Remember, one light year = 6 trillion miles, so when we say billions of light years, we are saying “billions of 6 trillions of miles” – an incomprehensible distance!). By this model, what would be expected is a radical reduction of matter, the further we go out into space. However, observation of the universe has presented a conflict with this model, therefore the theory of the big bang required a fix – the theory of rapid expansion. While rapid expansion was thought to solve the problem of a relatively uniform universe, there were still other problems on the horizon. Until recently, the assumption among secular scientists has been that the furthest boundaries of the universe would yield only a few, “premature” galaxies. This investigation into the farthest reaches of the universe became the very basis of study for the NASA Hubble Deep Field photos. In one southern hemisphere photo (near the constellation Fornax) NASA committed approximately 15 weeks of orbit time from Hubble to take a series of time elapsed photographs of areas of space which appeared to have little material density. After a 1 million second exposure time, what NASA found (as seen in this STScI photograph) was much more than a few pieces of stellar shrapnel – what they found was thousands of fully formed galaxies in a very small patch of sky (observationally speaking); some that are as far away as 13 billion light years distant! These discoveries, along with recent studies concerning the expansion rate of the universe, have sent modern cosmologists back to the drawing board concerning the cosmos. The big bang theory is essentially being held together with theoretical scotch tape and glue (yes, scotch tape, not even duct tape). It makes me want to get the checkbook out and make a donation to NASA Hubble – let that orbiting light bucket keep taking photographs I say! These beautiful photographs disclose the glory of God in all that He made. When the child of God (astrophysicist or not) looks at these photos, he should reflect on a number truths from Scripture:

• The Greatness of God’s Lovingkindness: Psalm 103:11 For as high as the heavens are above the earth, So great is His lovingkindness toward those who fear Him.
• The Boundlessness of His Glory: 113:4 The Lord is high above all nations; His glory is above the heavens.
• The Glorious Power of His Word: Psalm 33:6 By the word of the Lord the heavens were made, And by the breath of His mouth all their host.
• The Transcendence of His Wisdom: Isaiah 55:9 “For as the heavens are higher than the earth, So are My ways higher than your ways, And My thoughts than your thoughts.”
• The Immutability of His Oaths and Promises: Matthew 5:18 “For truly I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not the smallest letter or stroke shall pass away from the Law, until all is accomplished.”

Modern wisdom has concluded that “religion” and science are in opposition to each other; on the contrary – all science, if it is honest, empirical, and submissive to God’s authority, declares the the absolute glory and praise of Almighty God (Psalm 19:1-3).

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At present the U.S. Supreme Court is in the throes of debate over Ayotte v. Planned Parenthood of Northern New England, involving the Parental Notification Act. This act prohibits abortions for minors unless the parents have been notified. This heated contest, as it is being fueled by Planned Parenthood, is exposing at least two things: 1. This fallen world’s hatred for the institution of marriage/family and 2. the truth of Romans 3:15-18:

Romans 3:15-18: 15 “Their feet are swift to shed blood, 16 Destruction and misery are in their paths, 17 And the path of peace have they not known.” 18 “There is no fear of God before their eyes.”

The eagerness that this generation has to reach into the womb and destroy human life is distubing – but it is nothing new; but now this issue is being used to mutilate the privacy and independence of the institution of the family, and the liberal media seems to be enjoying the contest. Consider the following excerpt from CNN today:

“Justice David Souter, a New Hampshire native, wasted little time before firing questions at Kelly Ayotte, New Hampshire’s attorney general, about how the state’s law deals with situations where a minor’s health — but not life — is in danger and she needs an immediate abortion … Justices Anthony Kennedy and Stephen Breyer zeroed in on how doctors would avoid being prosecuted or sued if they performed an abortion if the minor did not want to notify a parent and a judge was unavailable to provide the necessary approval.”

You’ve heard the expression: “there’s no such thing as a foolish question.” Actually, there is such a thing as a foolish question, as is evidenced by the queries offered by Mr. Souter, Mr. Kennedy and Mr. Breyer. Instead of worrying about whether a doctor can get away with murder, the real question should be: “Can any murderer successfully avoid the prosecution and eternal judgment of God (Revelation 21:8)?” But instead of being concerned about the glory and good pleasure of God, men continue to construe laws which seek to undermine His laws; and not being content with the act of murder alone (or as the modern redactors call it “pregnancy termination”), their feet are now swift to separate children from their parents in order to shed more blood. Let us not be deceived – this world is not our home, and the inhabitants of this fallen world march in lock-step with Satan (Eph. 2:1-2) who was a murderer from the beginning (John 8:44, Gen. 3). But neither should we forget that we too marched with them (Eph. 2:3) before the grace of God turned us into the soldiers of Christ. Let us therefore pray for mercy and the awakening of the Spirit of God in the hearts of men. Until God works in this manner, the feet of fallen men will only continue to run towards their own perdition.

Philippians 3:2 Beware of the dogs, beware of the evil workers, beware of the false circumcision…

Thanks to the therapeutic culture of our modern world, the biblical concepts of despair and joy have been turned on their heads. Modern psychology continues to give people a “life-pass” for their despair and depression, while frowning on those who joyfully endure hardships, suggesting that they are “in denial.” Sadly, the church has not only failed to refute such false doctrine, but has embraced this secularism with the hope of becoming more “relevant” and “compassionate” to this ever-changing world.

Right? It is a changing world, isn’t it?

Well, our technology has changed to be sure; however the conflict of man concerning false doctrine and depression goes back as far as the fall itself (Genesis 3:1-7). Let me say to every Christian reading this article that all spiritual despair has a common root of bad doctrine. The genuine believer must comprehend this truth and take it very seriously, for when we sink into the recesses of doubt and despair, we prove ourselves to be bad, or at least forgetful, theologians. All believers struggle with sorrow and despair, but in the end, this is not the pattern of life to which we wereFinally, my brethren, rejoice in the Lord. To write the same things again is no trouble to me, and it is a safeguard for you called. This is the very same message that the Apostle Paul had for the church at Philippi. We often refer to this epistle as the epistle of joy, for Paul wrote to the church from jail (yes, from jail) exhorting the brethren there to rejoice, rather than grumble and dispute (Phil. 2:14). This is a compelling thought when one muses over it all carefully: when someone writes you from jail, under the possible threat of death, it is hard to ignore the magnitude of their exhortation to rejoice! A response of “oh yeah, but you don’t understand our pain” would sound pretty ridiculous! What the Apostle wrote, the Philippians desperately needed, for they were in danger of losing their joy and therefore their Christian testimony (Phil 2:14-16) – all because of a very serious threat in their midst: false brethren and their false doctrine. This is clarified when Paul gives us this finale in chapter 3:

FINALLY, my brethren, rejoice in the Lord. To write the same things again is no trouble to me, and it is a safeguard* for you. 2 Beware of the dogs, beware of the evil workers, beware of the false circumcision [*asphales – something that is secure or certain – providing needed protection].

Sound doctrine, and genuine joy in Christ, are very real safeguards for the Christian. Such joy is not the shallow joy of the world, but the eternal joy of Christ which is rooted and grounded in His truth – the only truth which sets us free (John 8:31-36). Such joy is established in the heart of the believer when he embraces the truth of God’s sovereignty over all things (Phil 1:12-18); it is strengthened through our consideration of His sovereign work of salvation and sanctification in our lives (Phil 1:3-6, 29; 2:12-13); and it is purified when the Christian can comprehend that such joy does not comport with the sins of grumbling and disputing (Phil. 2:14) – by this we are “proven” to be the children of God in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation (Phil. 2:15-16). The relationship between Philippians 3:1 and 3:2 is not at all confounding when one comprehends this relationship between sound doctrine and true joy. However, when the genuine doctrine of God is supplanted with a counterfeit, then the Christian’s joy is in serious jeopardy. Philippi was in danger of losing the safeguard of their doctrine and their joy because of the corruptions which came through those whom Paul called “dogs, evil workers” and “false circumcision.” The “dogs” were probably those who imported Greek philosophy and licentious doctrines (Phil. 3:19); the false circumcision were the Judaizers in their midst (Phil. 3:3-9) and his term “evil workers” may have encompassed every other permutation of errorist, from one end of the spectrum to the other. In the end, Paul taught the Philippians (and us) that it is not enough to rehearse positive truth in order to safeguard our joy in Christ – we must also beware of and reject the leaven of false brethren and their false doctrines (Matt. 16:6, Phil 3:2), remembering that though they are adorned with sheep’s clothing they are ravenous wolves inside (Matt. 7:15).

I am convinced that there are many believers who have been taken captive by the doctrinal “dogs” of this world (Col. 2:8) – these sheep must be snatched out of the corruption of their error through the cleansing waters of Holy Writ. Under the pretense of godliness, the modern church is often guilty of giving its members over to a false joy, rather than to the joy of Christ which looks to His victory and His finished work on the cross. Whether by means of legalism, liscentiousness or by a host of other man-centered doctrines, there are many today whose joy in Christ is being snuffed out by the faulty doctrines of men. But we can thank God that the Apostle Paul was not “safeguarded” by such false teaching – his safeguard was his joy in the sovereign Lord over all. He did not write from jail, complaining about smelly Roman soldiers, the poor quality of the food or the dismal conditions of his prison abode. No – Paul, in all his imperfections and with all his difficult circumstances, joyfully looked to Christ and rejoiced greatly in view of His transcendent glory and His eternal kingdom (Phil. 3:12-14). Paul trusted in the sovereign grace of God to such an extent that he had the habit of singing and witnessing while in prison (Acts 16:22-40, Phil. 1:12-13). And through the Apostle’s imitation of Christ, we now have a great epistle of joy…and even brethren from Caesar’s household to meet in glory someday (Phil. 4:22)!

Again, let it be said – rejoice!

Here is an idea for your family devotions today: I am sure that you are familiar with the story of Mr. William Bradford who served as the governor of Plymouth Plantation almost continuously from 1621 to 1656 (except for five of years of this period) – His description of the early pilgrims, their devotion to God, and endurance through suffering, helps us to comprehend better the significance of what we refer to as “Thanksgiving Day.” Their thanksgiving day was actually preceded by another special day that was a necessary precursor for their thanksgiving celebration. In Bradford’s record below, we learn of the hardships that visited Plymouth, even after new supplies and passengers arrived on the ship called the Anne:

“These passengers, when they saw their low and poor condition ashore, were much daunted and dismayed, and according to their divers humors were diversely affected. Some wished themselves in England again; others fell a-weeping, fancying their own misery in what they saw now in others; other some pitying the distress they saw their friends had been long in, and still were under. In a word, all were full of sadness. Only some of their old friends rejoiced to see them, and that it was no worse with them, for they could not expect it should be better, and now hoped they should enjoy better days together. And truly it was no marvel they should be thus affected, for they were in a very low condition; many were ragged in apparel and some little better than half naked, though some that were well stored before were well enough in this regard. But for food they were all alike, save some that had got a few pease of the ship that was last here. The best dish they could present their friends with was a lobster or a piece of fish without bread or anything else but a cup of fair spring water. And the long continuance of this diet, and their labours abroad, had something abated the freshness of their former complexion; but God gave them health and strength in a good measure, and showed them by experience the truth of that word, (Deuteronomy 8:3) ‘That man liveth not by bread only, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of the Lord doth a man live.'”

“When I think how sadly the Scriptures speaks of the famine in Jacob’s time, when he said to his sons, ‘God buy us food, that we may live and not die,’ (Genesis xlii.2 and xliii.1) that the famine was great or heavy in the land. And yet they had such great herds and store of cattle of sundry kinds, which, besides flesh, must needs produce other food as milk, butter and cheese, etc. And yet it was counted a sore affliction. Theirs here must needs be very great, therefore, who not only wanted the staff of bread but all these things, and had no Egypt to go to. But God fed them out of the sea for the most part, so wonderful is His providence over His in all ages; for His mercy endureth forever.”

“I may not here omit how, notwithstand all their great pains and industry, and the great hopes of a large crop, the Lord seemed to blast, and take away the same, and to threaten further and more sore famine unto them. By a great drought which continued from the third week in May, till about the middle of July, without any rain and with great heat for the most part, insomuch as the corn began to wither away though it was set with fish, the moisture whereof helped it much. Yet at length it began to languish sore, and some of the drier grounds were parched like withered hay, part whereof was never recovered. Upon which they set apart a solemn day of humiliation, to seek the Lord by humble and fervent prayer, in this great distress. And He was pleased to give them a gracious and speedy answer, both to their own and the Indians’ admiration that lived amongst them. For all the morning, and greatest part of the day, it was clear weather and very hot, and not a cloud or any sign of rain to be seen; yet toward evening it began to overcast, and shortly after to rain with such sweet and gentle showers as gave them cause of rejoicing and blessing God. It came without either wind or thunder or any violence, and by degrees in that abundance was that the earth was thoroughly we and soaked and therewith. Which did so apparently revive and quicken the decayed corn and other fruits, as was wonderful to see, and made the Indians astonished to behold. And afterwards the Lord sent them such seasonable showers, with interchange of fair warm weather as, through His blessing, caused a fruitful and liberal harvest, to their no small comfort and rejoicing. For which mercy, in time convenient, they also set apart a day of thanksgiving.”

[Note: “…A law of 15 Nov. 1636 (Plymouth Colony Records XI 18) allows the Governor and Assistants ‘to command solemn days of humiliation by fasting, etc., and also for thanksgiving as occasion shall be offered.'”]. Excerpt of William Bradford – Of Plymouth Plantation [1620-1647] by William Bradford, edited by Samuel Eliot Morison.

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What I love about this excerpt is that the institution of their thanksgiving celebration came some time after a day of prayer and humiliation. Here is a great lesson for us all: Genuine thankfulness can only grow and flourish in a heart that has been softened and prepared by humility (Philippians 2:1-14; 1 Cor 4:7). In view of the truth of God’s word, and in view of the historic example of these godly brethren, let us all seek the Lord prayerfully, with humility, and with thanksgiving!

Soli Deo Gloria

Americans love the ideals of liberty and justice. Our desire for these principles is so strong that even our pledge of allegiance ends with the expression – “with liberty and justice for all.” So whenever those ideals appear to be in jeopardy, the citizens of America often become quite animated. I do believe that America’s deep desire for liberty and justice is the very reason that there has been so much excitement and concern over the recent Supreme Court nominations. In droves, political action groups and government officials have again positioned themselves for the next contest of confirmation, while many in our nation are anxious to learn how the future associate justice will impact an already divided court. Ultimately, the liberties and standards of justice in our nation are in question. But amidst this highly energized contest, let me offer one important reminder:

Without Christ, the ideals of liberty and justice are a mere myth.

That statement may shock some of you, but it is absolutely true. Let me scrutinize this statement for a moment by first considering the politically charged environment that Christ faced when He walked this earth. In the 1st century A.D., the leaders of the nation of Israel were divided into two basic groups: a socially liberal party (the Sadducees) and a morally conservative party (the Pharisees). Both groups struggled over the rights and freedoms of the people, and the leaders of these parties were often guilty of messaging the laws of the land in order to accomplish their own political ends. Additionally, the real power center of their day had become the council of the Sanhedrin, which was a judiciary comprised of Sadducees and Pharisees. This judicial body of the Sanhedrin was the highest authority in Israel – thus, they were the Supreme Court for all of the people.

Is any of this sounding familiar?

It should, especially since many people of that era also hungered for liberty and justice, for all! Now this brings me to my point about the mythology of liberty and justice. What Christ taught, concerning liberty and justice, was utterly earth-shattering. In one particular instance Christ made a profound declaration to some people who had confidently asserted that they were free men (John 8:33). He said: “everyone who commits sin is a slave of sin… if the Son makes you free, you will be free indeed” (John 8:34-36). If you need to read that again, please do! Christ’s profound statement could pass you by if you’re not careful. What the Lord states here is crucial: 1. Men, of whom all are sinners (Romans 3:23), are slaves, and 2. Christ, and Christ alone, is the only hope for true freedom – period. Consider the implications of these truths for a moment.

If a man could amass an entire world of social and political freedoms; if he could singularly select the next president, the president’s cabinet, every senator and congressman, and even the entire body of the Supreme Court, then one might think that such a man is “free.” But if such a man has not trusted Christ as his Savior, for the forgiveness of his sins, then he remains as a slave of sin. The kingdoms of this world can only offer temporal, limited and imperfect forms of liberty and justice. Compared to the true liberty that Christ offers, all that the world can offer is a mere vapor in the wind. And as for the justice of Christ, we must remember that the cross is the centerpiece of all justice for mankind. It is there that Christ, who bore the sins of many (Mark 10:45) and endured the just judgment of God for our sins (1 Peter 2:24, 2 Corinthians 5:21). By Christ’s “one act of righteousness” on the cross, the many who believe in Him “will be made righteous” (Romans 5:18-19).

Here is true liberty and justice – the liberty and justice of the Lord Jesus Christ. It is the only liberty and justice that is eternal, holy, pure, and without defilement such that in future glory, no one will be able to protest, filibuster or amend any of His judgments. Truly, without Christ, the ideals of liberty and justice are a mere myth. But in Christ, there is no greater freedom in the entire universe!

Michael Beasley (Alt. November 16th 2005: Originally published in the Winston Salem Journal on August 5th 2005).

Lift Up Your EyesWe recently had the opportunity to go to Salem College and present the glory of the heavens, and ultimately, share the Gospel of Jesus Christ. The Lord provided a wonderful opportunity to meet with many people – not just the students from the campus… Even for those passer’s-by who didn’t have much time to talk, were able to get a copy of the DVD version of the Lift Up Your Eyes presentation. Many, many, many thanks to the brethren who helped in this event – with special thanks to Jessica Ramsey for inviting us on campus in the first place! For more informationon this event, go to the Lift Up Your Eyes ministry website: www.luye.us.

Our recent camping experience ended with a rather interesting turn of events. We were caught in the middle of a lightening storm, with very little time to take cover. I heard a loud bolt of thunder, and with it, an almost simultaneous flash of bright light; the proximity of the light and sound let me know that this was very close. We took two vans with us (for all our gear). When we knew that we needed to take cover, we went to the nearest vehicle – which was our grey Plymouth Voyager, rather than our green Dodge Caravan, which was no more than thirty feet away. To comfort the children, and to give them a sense of the wonder of the moment, I began reading Psalm 18 to them – Psalm 18 is where King David likens the power of God to that of a lightening storm! Well, it wasn’t but a few minutes later that we saw, and heard, a remarkable bolt of lightening strike…

The lightening bolt then hit the van and ripped several holes in the metal exterior of the van…
Then the bolt wrapped around the exterior of the rear of the van and headed for the ground near the rear right wheel…
It was here that the lightening terminated and blew out the rear tire – leaving a hole large enough for me to stick my hand inside!
In the providence of God – our old van was destroyed, and, with the generous help of the brethren at Pilgrim Bible Church, we were able to replace the Dodge van with a newer, larger – people mover – A Ford F-350 11 passenger van!