The Mindset of Christ: Teach Me How to Live, Lord

So get rid of every filthy habit and all wicked conduct. Submit to God and accept the word that he plants in your hearts, which is able to save you.
James 1:21 GNT

You gave me a soul, Lord.  You gave me a life.  Now show me how to live it.  How do we go about living this life before us?  Where do we go from here?  

So the Christian commitment comes.  Faith in Christ descends like a dove from heaven.  A transcendent power and presence begins to dwell among us.  The journey ahead takes shape.  I had been going in one direction, now that direction changes.  I ask God where to go, what to do... where does he want me?

Being a Christian is definitely about holding and pursuing a certain mindset.  It's about embracing a different way of life.  That way is described in great detail in the books of the Bible, especially in the letters of the New Testament.  It can be challenging though.  We wonder how to translate the words on the pages into practical application.  

Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name -Philippians 2:5-11 (ESV)

For me it begins with a mindset, and I have to pursue that mindset everyday.  It doesn't just happen.  I have to chase after it.  Prayer becomes absolutely vital to building on that mindset.  And of course that makes sense.  Through prayer we access the power of God to spur changes within us.  

God dealt with the sin in my life.  That was a huge part of the positive transitions in my life and mindset.  I've had to come to believe again and again that God can and will help me to overcome sins in my life.  He grants victory when I put in the daily footwork.

The primary work of Jesus Christ, God, is the legal absolution of my sins.  He legally absolves me from my sins, like I am in a court room, with a list of my crimes being displayed to the judge.  Then enters Jesus Christ, who says to the judge that he will suffer the consequences of those sins instead of me.  

Yet just as important is that I am a new creation in Jesus Christ (2 Corinthians 5:17).  I have been born again (John 3:1-8).  God has declared me "not guilty" in Jesus Christ, innocent, and now gifted with eternal life.  Though my body will die, my spirit will live forever.  Continuing forward, I'm asked to participate in a new plan for my remaining life on Earth though.  Many Christians seem to forget this part.  They think they are saved, and then they go do whatever they want.  Not so.

God asks me to become a servant of his kingdom and his plan on Earth.  He asks me to participate in my own sanctification, or the process of growing out of past sinful patterns.  That is a gradual process for most, taking our entire lives. 

God asks me to serve others, to become the servant of all.  In my past I was a servant of myself.  I did what I wanted, I did what felt good, and I pursued my own goals in life.  Now I look to meet the needs of others.  I look to love and serve those around me.  What does that look like?  I think it means inviting people to relationship with Jesus Christ.  I think it means volunteering and serving in ministries.  I think it means donating money to charity.  I think it means praying for others.  A big part of that process begins with prayer.

Part of my daily walk with God is praying once in the morning and once at night.  I also try to pray an "Our Father" at the mid-point in the day.  Three times a day seems reasonable, that's how Daniel did it (Daniel 6:10).

I had to watch closely for the messages I was receiving in my life.  Certain movies I stopped watching, certain music fell off my playlist.  I actually got rid of my television set altogether.  Too many ads.  Too many sexual commercials, beer ads, tempting food ads, that is a literal assault on my senses, and it triggers a lot of my sinful desires.  And of course so, that's how they make money.

I stopped spending time in certain places around town.  I began to back away from friends that were a bad influence on me.  A tough one was beginning to reform my sexual conduct.  Many, many Christian men struggle with that area of conduct.  It definitely needs to be addressed.  Masturbation, pornography, pre-marital sex...  All of those need to be removed.  

I changed a lot of the messages I was receiving in my life, I didn't just shut off all those sources and replace them with nothing.  I started listening to Christian radio, going to multiple Bible studies, church events, services, and filled my social media feeds with encouraging Christian posts.  The old mindset had to be challenged at every turn, and replaced with the new.

I was also a cigarette smoker.  And I had to deal with that issue as well.  A friend suggested a plan of sorts.  He said set a date 90 days from now.  Everyday from now until then pray once a day for God to remove the compulsion to smoke from you.  Then on the date, quit.  I did that, in conjunction with calling 1-800-QUIT-NOW.  I read some free material they sent me.  I used their website.  I even went to a few Nicotine Anonymous 12 step meetings to learn more about freedom from that addiction.  I also used a nicotine patch for the first two weeks.  In short, I accessed God's power in conjunction with my footwork.  I took practical actions to encourage the desired outcome.  And it worked.  I haven't had to smoke a cancer stick in almost two years now.  Praise God!

One powerful tool for growing in my spirituality is through reading books.  I love reading.  I love audiobooks too.  I put them on my mp3 player and listen while driving or working out.  I tend to look for books to help deal with issues in my life, or just books by Christian leaders that inspire me.  I've learned a ton and it's very enjoyable.  Some of the most powerful books were from authors like C.S. Lewis, Neil Anderson, Minirth & Meier, Stephen Arterburn, Larry Crabb, Bill Wilson, John Piper, Ravi Zacharias, and G.K. Chesterton.  But I would suggest exploring Christianbook.com or smile.Amazon.com searching topics that perhaps you struggle with or need guidance in. 

But the biggest change was a small, yet massive adjustment of attitude. 

I had treated God like a wishing well, or an errand boy at times.  "Give me this"  "I want this."  "Lord heal my friend."  "Lord give me this job."  "Lord make a leader."  And I liked to add conditions, and special agreements to my prayers.  The issue was it was almost right.  I was praying a lot.  I was asking for good things.  The goals I were pursuing were certainly reasonable.  But there was a fundamental flaw: I was trying to get God on board with what I was doing.  Whoops.  That isn't how it works.  

My job is to get on board with what God is doing.  That tweak can change a lot.  

I'm very good at defaulting back to my old mindset, of trying to manipulate events into my favor.  Left to my own devices I am a fundamentally selfish human being.  Most of us are.  And when I try to manipulate events and they don't go my way, I get angry.  And upset.  Even depressed.  What helps in those moments is whispering: "Thy will be done, not mine."  

I've got to learn continuous surrender to God's will for my life.  I've still got a lot of rebellion floating around in my soul.  I've always been a defiant type.  In fact I still am quite defiant.  The defiance is just aimed in a new direction.  Instead of defiance toward society, work, responsibility, now my defiance is toward sin, the ways of the world, and the schemes of the evil one.  In so doing, I abide (remain) in the will of God.  

It's all about God's will (Ephesians 5:17).  He's the one running this show called Earth.  He's the CEO, I'm the desk clerk.  He's the General, I'm the foot-soldier.  My emotions flow much better, in serenity, when I recognize God's sovereignty over everything.  It doesn't take long: Thy will be done.  

Philippians 2:14-15 (NIV) Do everything without grumbling or arguing, ¹⁵ so that you may become blameless and pure, “children of God without fault in a warped and crooked generation.

I believe that a sorely neglected part of the Christian life is the act of confession.  The Bible says "Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed" (James 5:16a ESV).  Confession to God in prayer is vital (Proverb 28:13).  But so is confession to one another (Acts 19:18).

Why confess?  We as humans tend to lock things inside ourselves.  I know I did, and often still do.  Those hurts, pains, and troubles can eat us up inside.  They rot and fester and eventually we become bitter and broken.  I've found it extremely useful to journal about past issues.  I write things down that I've never really processed, things from the past, and share them with a trusted friend.  It has a way of clearing out wreckage from the past.  It opens me up to the sunlight of the presence of Jesus Christ.  We all have past pains and traumas, have you considered buying a notebook and pen, and writing out some of those pains in total honesty?  It can be a very powerful healing experience.  Ask the Holy Spirit to cleanse your mind and soul of past sorrows.

Ever forget to love your neighbors?  I have.  I tended to resent society in the past.  Sometimes I catch myself falling into that mindset.  I have to keep alert to make sure I'm obeying the central command of Jesus Christ: love others as I have loved you (John 15:12).  I'm a flawed human, I can very quickly become contemptuous, nit-picking the flaws of others, resenting their shortcomings, or downright loathing them.  Instead I try to remind myself, love them.  Just let yourself feel love and affection for those around you.  Let it flow out.  I think sometimes we're afraid to love, because we've been hurt or we've been rejected.  God calls us to love them anyway.  Love is definitely an emotion, it's a warm response inside us.  But it doesn't end there, it continues in actions and warm, kind words spoken.  

 This life can be ugly.  It can be very difficult.  We see death and struggle around us on a daily basis.  We hear the news, and it never seems to be good.  We see people working long hours for little pay.  We see people trapped in addictions, depression, or diseases that they can't break from.  We encounter these struggles ourselves and often on days it's just too much.  We feel broken down.  

We're thirsty for righteousness, for hope, and we're fed a mouth full of dirt.  Someone kicks us while we're down.  Then kicks us again.  It does happen, it certainly does.  One bad thing happens, then two more pile on top.  (Why does it always happen in threes?)  Yet life can also be so beautiful.  Hope sneaks in at the last moment.  When we think we can't go on another day, and all sides are closing in... a sudden faith fills us, and we survive.  God appears in the time fog, and reassures us.  Angels come in the shadows of brokenness and tend our wounds.  

Sins overwhelm us and we feel God could never love one of such intense sins.  Then Jesus reminds us, "You are mine.  I have overcome the world.  I forgive you, I love you."  Like little white flowers dotting the bushes on the sun swept trail ahead, God pours out grace and mercy, mercy after grace, forgiving us, accepting us, tending to us, changing us, and loving us with an everlasting love.  

We reflect then, in the shadow of the valley, asking ourselves, with tears in our eyes, "How is it that He is so good, always?"  It's at those moments when our breath is taken away by His presence, by his response to our turmoil that we know that God is for us, He loves us, and his ways are entirely exceeding of what we could imagine.  Jesus Christ gives us joy.

⁹ I love you just as the Father loves me; remain in my love. ¹⁰ If you obey my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have obeyed my Father's commands and remain in his love.
¹¹ “I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete. ¹² My commandment is this: love one another, just as I love you. ¹³ The greatest love you can have for your friends is to give your life for them. ¹⁴ And you are my friends if you do what I command you. ¹⁵ I do not call you servants any longer, because servants do not know what their master is doing. Instead, I call you friends, because I have told you everything I heard from my Father. ¹⁶ You did not choose me; I chose you and appointed you to go and bear much fruit, the kind of fruit that endures. And so the Father will give you whatever you ask of him in my name. ¹⁷ This, then, is what I command you: love one another.
¹⁸ “If the world hates you, just remember that it has hated me first. ¹⁹ If you belonged to the world, then the world would love you as its own. But I chose you from this world, and you do not belong to it; that is why the world hates you. ²⁰ Remember what I told you: ‘Slaves are not greater than their master.’ If people persecuted me, they will persecute you too; if they obeyed my teaching, they will obey yours too. ²¹ But they will do all this to you because you are mine; for they do not know the one who sent me.

-John 15:9-21 (GNT) 

As with all things, we grow and learn and step slowly into the mindset of Jesus Christ.  Through practice, dedication, and dogged determination our spiritual muscles bulge and grow.  We learn how to be human, truly human, as we were meant to be.  We gain freedom from selfishness, and learn to love and connect with others, which is such a deep desire within all of us.  We get to become who we were always meant to be.  Slowly but surely, day in and day out, doing good and loving mercy.  It isn't easy.  But he helps us. We learn to love, we learn to be of service to those who are struggling around us and there are many.  

In the final analysis, as far as happiness and fulfillment in life goes, I've learned in my brief stint in the Christian faith one penultimate truth: You have never truly lived until you've served someone who can do nothing for you in return.  Serving those struggling is one of the greatest blessings you can receive, paradoxically.  It's at those moments when the very Spirit of God awakens feelings in my soul of warmth, connection, serenity, and love.  A temporary fire is struck in the very core of my being, a prelude, a sneak peek at what the future joy of eternal life with the blessed Jesus Christ will be like, in the next world.  The very answer to the deepest yearning of my soul... 

Lord, teach us how to live as you lived.  Teach us love and service. Grant us the mindset of Jesus Christ.  In Jesus name, Amen. 

Related Posts:

1. The Paradox of Victory through Surrender: Rise Above
2. Reflections on the Salvation Army Regeneration Conference
3. How to trigger a Great Awakening
4. You Oh Lord are my Strength: The Manifold Provision of the Architect of Reality
5. Love Others: The Second Great Command
6. Sex, Cuisine, and Television: Overcoming the World...
7. What is the matrix?
8. Love God: The First Great Command
9. Logic, History, Statistics, & Astronomy: Interdisciplinary Approach to the Truth Claims of Christianity
10. What is the will of God?

Where Do Good and Evil Come From?

The Spiritual Journey of Bill Wilson & Implications of the Genesis Mindset

"The door opened and he stood there, fresh-skinned and glowing. There was something about his eyes. He was inexplicably different. What had happened? I pushed a drink across the table. He refused it. Disappointed but curious, I wondered what had got into the fellow. He wasn’t himself. “Come, what’s all this about?’’ I queried. He looked straight at me. Simply, but smilingly, he said, “I’ve got religion.’’ 

I was aghast. So that was it—last summer an alcoholic crackpot; now, I suspected, a little cracked about religion. He had that starry-eyed look. Yes, the old boy was on fire all right. But bless his heart, let him rant! Besides, my gin would last longer than his preaching.

But he did no ranting. In a matter of fact way he told how two men had appeared in court, persuading the judge to suspend his commitment. They had told of a simple religious idea and a practical program of action. That was two months ago and the result was self-evident. It worked!
 
He had come to pass his experience along to me—if I cared to have it. I was shocked, but interested. Certainly I was interested. I had to be, for I was hopeless. He talked for hours. Childhood memories rose before me. I could almost hear the sound of the preacher’s voice as I sat, on still Sundays, way over there on the hillside; there was that proffered temperance pledge I never signed; my grandfather’s good natured contempt of some church folk and their doings; his insistence that the spheres really had their music; but his denial of the preacher’s right to tell him how he must listen; his fearlessness as he spoke of these things just before he died; these recollections welled up from the past. They made me swallow hard.

That war-time day in old Winchester Cathedral came back again. I had always believed in a Power greater than myself. I had often pondered these things. I was not an atheist. Few people really are, for that means blind faith in the strange proposition that this universe originated in a cipher and aimlessly rushes nowhere. My intellectual heroes, the chemists, the astronomers, even the evolutionists, suggested vast laws and forces at work. Despite contrary indications, I had little doubt that a mighty purpose and rhythm underlay all. How could there be so much of precise and immutable law, and no intelligence? I simply had to believe in a Spirit of the Universe, who knew neither time nor limitation. But that was as far as I had gone.

With ministers, and the world’s religions, I parted right there. When they talked of a God personal to me, who was love, superhuman strength and direction, I became irritated and my mind snapped shut against such a theory.

To Christ I conceded the certainty of a great man, not too closely followed by those who claimed Him. His moral teaching—most excellent. For myself, I had adopted those parts which seemed convenient and not too difficult; the rest I disregarded. The wars which had been fought, the burnings and chicanery that religious dispute had facilitated, made me sick. I honestly doubted whether, on balance, the religions of mankind had done any good. Judging
from what I had seen in Europe and since, the power of God in human affairs was negligible, the Brotherhood of Man a grim jest. If there was a Devil, he seemed the Boss Universal, and he certainly had me.
 
But my friend sat before me, and he made the point blank declaration that God had done for him what he could not do for himself. His human will had failed. Doctors had pronounced him incurable. Society was about to lock him up. Like myself, he had admitted complete defeat. Then he had, in effect, been raised
from the dead, suddenly taken from the scrap heap to a level of life better than the best he had ever known! Had this power originated in him? Obviously it had not. There had been no more power in him than there was in me at that minute; and this was none at all.
That floored me. It began to look as though religious people were right after all. Here was something at work in a human heart which had done the impossible.
 
My ideas about miracles were drastically revised right then. Never mind the musty past; here sat a miracle directly across the kitchen table. He shouted great tidings. I saw that my friend was much more than inwardly reorganized. He was on a different footing. His roots grasped a new soil.
 
Despite the living example of my friend there remained in me the vestiges of my old prejudice. The word God still aroused a certain antipathy. When the thought was expressed that there might be a God personal to me this feeling was intensified. I didn’t like the idea. I could go for such conceptions as Creative Intelligence, Universal Mind or Spirit of Nature but I resisted the thought of a Czar of the Heavens, however loving His sway might be. I have since talked with scores of men who felt the same way. My friend suggested what then seemed a novel idea. He said, “Why don’t you choose your own conception of God?’’
 
That statement hit me hard. It melted the icy intellectual mountain in whose shadow I had lived and shivered many years. I stood in the sunlight at last. It was only a matter of being willing to believe in a Power greater than myself. Nothing more was required of me to make my beginning. I saw that growth could start from that point. Upon a foundation of complete willingness I might build what I saw in my friend. Would I have it? Of course I would!
 
Thus was I convinced that God is concerned with us humans when we want Him enough. At long last I saw, I felt, I believed. Scales of pride and prejudice fell from my eyes. A new world came into view.

The real significance of my experience in the Cathedral burst upon me. For a brief moment, I had needed and wanted God. There had been a humble willingness to have Him with me—and He came. But soon the sense of His presence had been blotted out by worldly clamors, mostly those within myself. And so it had been ever since. How blind I had been.

At the hospital I was separated from alcohol for the last time. Treatment seemed wise, for I showed signs of delirium tremens. 

There I humbly offered myself to God, as I then understood Him, to do with me as He would. I placed myself unreservedly under His care and direction. I admitted for the first time that of myself I was nothing; that without Him I was lost. I ruthlessly faced my sins and became willing to have my new-found Friend take them away, root and branch. I have not had a drink since.

My schoolmate visited me, and I fully acquainted him with my problems and deficiencies. We made a list of people I had hurt or toward whom I felt resentment. I expressed my entire willingness to approach these individuals, admitting my wrong. Never was I to be critical of them. I was to right all such matters to the utmost of my ability. I was to test my thinking by the new God-consciousness within. Common sense would thus become uncommon sense. I was to sit quietly when in doubt, asking only for direction and strength to meet my problems as He would have me. Never was I to pray for myself, except as my requests bore on my usefulness to others. Then only might I expect to receive. But that would be in great measure.

My friend promised when these things were done I would enter upon a new relationship with my Creator; that I would have the elements of a way of living which answered all my problems. Belief in the power of God, plus enough willingness, honesty and humility to establish and maintain the new order of things, were the essential requirements. Simple, but not easy; a price had to be paid. It meant destruction of self-centeredness. I must turn in all things to the Father of Light who presides over us all.

These were revolutionary and drastic proposals, but
the moment I fully accepted them, the effect was electric. There was a sense of victory, followed by such a peace and serenity as I had never known. There was utter confidence. I felt lifted up, as though the great clean wind of a mountain top blew through and through. God comes to most men gradually, but His impact on me was sudden and profound. For a moment I was alarmed, and called my friend, the doctor, to ask if I were still sane. He listened in wonder as I talked. Finally he shook his head saying, “Something has happened to you I don’t understand. But you had better hang on to it. Anything is better than the way you were.” The good doctor now sees many men who have such experiences. He knows that they are real. While I lay in the hospital the thought came that there were thousands of hopeless alcoholics who might be glad to have what had been so freely given me. Perhaps I could help some of them. They in turn might work with others.

My friend had emphasized the absolute necessity of demonstrating these principles in all my affairs. Particularly was it imperative to work with others as he had worked with me. Faith without works was dead, he said. And how appallingly true for the alcoholic! For if an alcoholic failed to perfect and enlarge his spiritual life through work and self-sacrifice for others, he could not survive the certain trials and low spots ahead. If he did not work, he would surely drink again, and if he drank, he would surely die. Then faith would be dead indeed. With us it is just like that."

-Bill Wilson (1895-1971) quoted from The Big Book, Chapter: Bill's Story.

The change that took place in Bill's life is incredibly revealing.  He walks us through his mindset and the changes that took place in a very descriptive manner.  I don't normally include quotes this large, but Bill Wilson's spiritual journey is a fascinating topic.  He touches on so many thoughts that I'm sure many of us have struggled with in our own spiritual journeys.  

Whether you struggle with alcoholism, drug addiction, or just life on a daily basis, or if you're just an average Joe, I think we can all relate to the thoughts and reactions within Wilson's story.  Bill's situation was dire.  And whether we want to face it or not, each and every one of us face this same predicament.  

We have our current lives, day by day.  And eventually we face death.  It's true.  No one comes out alive.  The current death rate of all humans who've ever lived on Earth is 100%.  We get 70-100 years and then we're done.  Many don't even last that long.  More and more are dying in their 50s and 60s from cancer, heart disease, and other issues related to overeating and poor diet (among other issues).  We all face the death that Bill had come upon early in his life.  The alcohol simply sharpened the edge and forced him to face the full fury of destruction and death early on.  

So we all face it.  Many of the attitudes and functions of life and the society around us seem geared to help us ignore and push aside that face off.  But it's there none the less.  As uncomfortable and difficult as it seems to be.  

Every single human being born on Earth (aside from a certain Jesus Christ) begins a journey, after birth, headed in the direction of the first two humans, Adam and Eve post-fall.  They have an attitude of resistance to the correct nature of reality, which is man in connection to God.  There are three basic functions of the mindset of every human: 

1) A disgust for any God, a disdain for religion, and yet a quiet yearning for a perfection of existence and a penultimate relationship. 

2) A tendency toward wrong actions (sins) and a tendency to flee from God, and from the guilt of those wrong actions.  Yet a notable sense of a moral universe, that is, structures in which things ought to be "fair." 

3) A primarily selfish attitude, a concern for self and the glorification of self, and the service to self.  Included is a tendency to want to play god, and redefine good and evil to suit personal preference.

We live in a sort of tangent universe, a tangent reality, unsustainable and rushing into oblivion.  It doesn't appear that way at first though.  Especially in the United States.  Things are tough, but overall there are sunny days of laughter and balmy nights of passion.   

I get a picture in my mind of a person almost being "force walked" down a path to the left; a path that unwittingly leads to destruction, being rushed down that path... while the head slowly turns and the eyes track toward a path leading to the right, to peace and everlasting life, with an increasingly grimacing appearance to the face and an increasing resistance to the dismal march down the road to disaster.  

Is it any wonder that so many choose the wrong path?  Many, many do.  And I can understand why.  The default positions of the human mind, with what theologians call "the sin nature" tends toward selfishness, materialism, and an anti-God attitude.  Is it so strange that the world is just the way it is now?  I don't think so.  If the "sin nature" weren't enough, we're also told there is an evil kingdom on Earth that welcomes us into such derision and encourages us to proceed down the wrong path.  

Thankfully, there is also a Spirit.  A sort of Gandalf the White individual, fully God, galloping about the kingdoms beckoning people to come down the path of everlasting light, gathering the body of Light for battles against the growing darkness.  Or as C.S. Lewis pictured it, a sort of Maquis, a french resistance beckoning believers to acts of holy sabotage against the kingdom of darkness. 

There is a God.  And we see so clearly in Bill's Story how God will work on an individual.  We see how God will offer his path.  God kept Bill safe as he struggled more and more, and then made himself available to Bill through the words of a childhood friend.  Yet Bill had to struggle through his old ideas.  His old attitudes about life remained and he had to confront them directly.  

Recently I read the stories of two men, Chuck Colson and William Wilberforce.  Both of these men had to experience these transitions as well.  Just like Bill Wilson, and myself.  The old ideas, the post-fall ideas are there right when the conversion occurs.  We give our lives to Jesus Christ, but the old ideas are still in the mind.  I'm convinced the first few years after any conversion exist for the purpose of processing from the old self centered worldview to the Christian worldview.  

If the old mindset was 1) anti-God  2) tendency to sin and 3) selfishness, what does the new mindset look like?  Perhaps something like this:

1) A growing love for God, a growing level of forgiveness and grace for those of religious persuasion.  And a growing enjoyment of the newly founded relationship with God through Christ.  Also, a continuing yearning for a perfection of existence and relationship that is yet to come.

2) A growing tendency to live in a healthy (righteous) manner, while also struggling day to day with temptation and sin.  A tendency to begin to come to God in prayer when facing guilt, pain and daily struggles.  And of course a continuous yearning for the perfect moral universe to come when God repairs/renews the tangent universe.

3) A growing selfless attitude, or an approach to life that places Jesus Christ at the center.  Service to others begins to play a prominent role in life.  The default mindset begins to develop, that his or her primary purpose is to glorify Christ who in turn glorifies God the Father. The individual less and less turns to worldly views regarding reality and increasingly trusts the Bible for knowledge about the world (He/she stops playing god and let's God reign in their lives.)

As Bill Wilson put it "God-consciousness."  Theologians might call it "the process of sanctification."  In other words, becoming more like Christ.  Wilson was very severe on the fact that the religious experience was an entire life process that needed to be practiced and built upon.  

Another great Christian man named Chuck Colson also believed that the Christian life was much more than a "one and done" affair.  He firmly believed that being a Christian was akin to relationship, but also about holding a "Christian worldview."  Colson described the process of worldview change that happened in his life after he gave in to God, crying desperately in his car on a rainy day.  That change is an internal change, yet it's also an external change.  The Christian change is different from others in that in affects entire communities.  

Let's look at an example.  Suppose a man comes to the odd realization that UFOs must be real and aliens are certainly scampering about in the bushes.  As a result, internal ideas are altered but externally nothing really changes.  The people at the local diner may look at him funny.  When a man switches over to Jesus Christ, some may look at him funny, but lives are beginning to change around him.  I saw much the same happen when Jesus Christ entered my story.  I had gone on various crusades about the city, calling for political change, writing stories to inspire, but nothing had really caught.  Apathy reigned in general.  But after the Christian change, I noticed others beginning to rally as well.  After two and a half years I've seen a genuine spiritual awakening in central Wisconsin, based around the hard work of many young leaders in this area.  It's a beautiful thing.

We are human beings in need of an outside source of assistance, not something within us, but a force outside us.  We all need the massive overarching deus ex machina provision, the provision of Jesus Christ.  We need the heroic force from around the corner to enter and save us.  That process plays out in reality as the real God entering our stories.  We are in need of a hero, a certain Jesus Christ to help us to become heroes of our own stories.  

Until meeting him we're all playing it down, and living on the outside of our own stories.  We might be working decent jobs, selling vacuum cleaners or shuffling paperwork.  Or maybe we're smoking dope and hiding in lavender white walled apartments on the wrong end of town.  Yet glory and eternity call out to us, beckoning us come and die to self.  We must stop begging for pocket change in the ghettos of our stories, when we can be the conquering heroes.  Of course all for the glory of the Lord of life, Jesus Christ.  But we must first face down the problem, courageously.  

What is the root problem you ask?  The problem is our desire to rebel against God.  The solution is turning to God, and inviting him to full sovereignty of our lives.  Paradoxically from that submission comes the most profound power and provision.  Or as a certain European philosopher put it: When one makes the commitment, from the commitment flows providence.

Our problem goes all the way back to Genesis.  

"Did God really say that?" (Genesis 3:1).  

"You will not surely die" (if you eat of the tree) (Genesis 3:4).  

And of course:

"Your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God."  (Genesis 3:5). 

Three lies told by a rogue angelic being.  And they believed him.  Now every person born on this planet is default with those false positions of the mind.  And it's only through a great deal of suffering that we are broken of them.  

Fascinating isn't it, that those three views are so prominent today?  Think about it.  

The authority of the Bible is constantly attacked... "Did God really say that?"

Sin is good, it doesn't matter, there are no consequences, there is no God anyway!  Sex whenever, drugs, alcohol, materialism, do what you want, live for the moment.  "You will not surely die."

Self help, self enlightenment.  Ah, and the New Age movement: We must all wake up to the fact that we are gods and our minds control the universe.  "Your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God."  

Red pill or blue pill.  We can go on believing lies, or we can wake up to a hard truth: "I do need God, and I can trust his Word.  Sin is bad (just look at the suffering in the world).  I'm not God, but I can be his friend."  

The struggle of Bill Wilson played out through alcoholism, self achievement, and deprivation... is all of our struggles.  His journey simply magnified the process.  It really jumps out in alcohol or drug abuse.  Yet we can all relate to that process of searching for self achievement, falling short, and being left feeling empty and excluded from something beautiful that we can't quite grasp.  

The spiritual journey hinges on Jesus Christ. We come home to Christ.  He embraces us as his children, adopts us into a new family.

"So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God, built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus himself being the cornerstone, in whom the whole structure, being joined together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord. In him you also are being built together into a dwelling place for God by the Spirit." -Ephesians 2:19-22 (ESV)

The promises become a reality, yet so important is the fact of continuing forward in the Christian life.  The daily practice of the faith is vital.  The spiritual awakening must be built upon, or it fades and diminishes.  They call that "backsliding" in church lingo.  Bill Wilson built on his spiritual experience.  He began helping others.  He began studying and learning about faith.  He made amends to those he had harmed in the past.  He made frank examinations of his past, and outlined his character defects.  He dealt with those defects in quality changes, and attempts to practice the opposite.  As a result he became a giant of faith in God, triggering several massive movements, based around the twelve steps which he designed to harness the spiritual experience and build upon it.  

In conclusion, God is God.  We can trust the Bible, from cover to cover, every book of it.  We must trust it, completely, because the world is vying for our trust, in it's false belief systems.  The spiritual awakening that has happened in my life, in Bill Wilson's life, in the lives of Wilberforce, Colson, and so many others; It's open to everyone.  It's open to you.  Simply begin pursuing it.  The apologetics are sound.  The reasonable arguments are powerful.  The expert testimony provided by the greats of history is astounding.  And the magnificent figure of Jesus Christ told of in the gospels is a worthy God to follow.  Most importantly: God is real.  And he has made a way home for us in the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ.  Believe it.  It's real.  Peel away the false reality, see the truth.  

The Lord is near to all who call on him, to all who call on him in truth. 
-Psalm 148:18  

"And you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” 
 -John 8:32

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3. Who I was and Who I am: A Poetic Observation
4. Books and the Joy of Reading: George Washington, Helen Keller
5. Christian Activism: Can Christianity survive the new cultural attitudes?
6. Ten Great Minds, Ten Controversial Presentations
7. Noble: The Life of Christina Noble & her ministry to the Children of Vietnam
8. What is prayer?
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Being a Single Christian in a Sexualized Culture: The Modern Ethic vs. the Christian Ethic

Sometimes it feels like this being a single Christian right?  Stuck in the ring, lions circling, and lots of people watching.  Don't make a misstep now!

Single Christians... can we get some love?

As if being a follower of Christ wasn't hard enough, imagine being a single Christian!  That is the predicament for many in the world, and in the United States today.  Including myself.  I'm 30 years old, single and I have no children.  I follow Christ.  And as a Christ follower I'm unique in that I must impose certain limitations on myself when it comes to romance and sexuality.

Being a single Christian is perhaps one of the most difficult situations to face. An individual of either sex is fully sexually active by age 13-14 (Penner & Penner, 2003). The sexual desires are extremely intense beginning in puberty. However in the culture of the United States it's becoming increasingly common for couples to wait until their middle to late twenties to marry (Penner & Penner, 2003). In addition, masturbation and lust are sins according to the Bible (Matthew 5:28). Pre-marital sex is also quite obviously a very serious sin (1 Corinthians 7:2, Ephesians 5:5). The Bible makes references to sexual immorality many many times.  So it's clearly a very important area of conduct for followers of Christ (1 Corinthians 6:18, 1 Thessalonians 4:3-5, Matthew 5:28, Hebrews 13:4, 1 Corinthians 7:2, Colossians 3:5).  But how serious is it?

Ephesians 5:5 (English Standard Version) goes far enough to say it like this: "For you may be sure of this, that everyone who is sexually immoral or impure, or who is covetous (that is, an idolater), has no inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God."

This is the point during youth group when the kids will probably start rolling their eyes and tuning you out.  But are we followers of Christ?  If "no" then there's the door.  If "yes" then we necessarily must take every word of the Bible, especially the New Testament very seriously.  In addition, I believe many Christians today have been lulled into a false sense of security.  They believe they may accept Christ and then live however they please.  But that isn't the case.  We need to be obedient workers of righteousness.  

Anyone hanging around youth group long enough may notice a attitude regarding sex virtually synonymous with non-Christians (Morris, 2015).  I attended a Cru (CCFC) event at a local college about six weeks in a row.  By the end I had heard a lot of good teaching. But in between sessions I heard a lot of drinking, sex, and joking about lesbians (by one of the leaders).  I know I'm not alone in that frustration.  Many of us have felt that way in large groups, and many of us have been that person making a crude comment when maybe we should've just shut up.  I know, I know, I've been that person too.  We're not perfect, but we're called to obedience.

Again and again in scripture we notice how faith and trust in the work of Christ is undeniably married to Christian obedience, or in other words, repentance and the keeping of his commands (1 John 3:24, Luke 6:46, John 8:51, James 1:22-25, John 15:10, Philippians 2:12, 2 John 1:6-9, Romans 6:16).

Given the importance of moral sex conduct, what is the single Christian to do? The mainstream media would have sex before, during, and after marriage.  Sex is quite often portrayed as occurring on the first date.  Young and old alike see that portrayed in enough movies and eventually it becomes a normal attitude.  It's basically expected.  Christians and non-Christians alike are bombarded by sexually enticing imagery daily. How is the single Christian to stand against temptation?

Churches can help single Christians by beginning to generate a dialogue regarding important issues like sexual intimacy (Morris, 2015). Churches can also help by creating better support systems for the single Christians they serve (Morris, 2015). It's very important that single Christians have a place they can come to frankly discuss sexual frustrations and past sexual hurts (Morris, 2015). If single Christians don't have a place within the Christian community to discuss straight forward sexual issues, then they will most likely go outside the church with their questions and concerns (Morris, 2015).

For single Christians, there are certainly options for dealing with these issues. In many cases single Christians have unknowingly believed lies they've been fed by the media and culture (Morris, 2015). Men and women are programmed to believe that sexual intimacy is synonymous with emotional intimacy. Of course it's not.  Women assume they can "get" emotional intimacy if they offer sex.  Men assume if they can "get" sex their deep internal desires will be fulfilled.  Of course both of those assumptions are entirely false.  Singles assume that the best way to "keep" a prospective mate is to "put out." Yet studies have shown that the sooner sexual intercourse occurs in a relationship the more likely it is to end in break up (Penner & Penner, 2003). Studies have shown that those who wait longer to engage in sexual intercourse actually tend to stay together longer (Penner & Penner, 2003).

Christians of today are more impacted by the media and culture than I think we'd like to admit. We watch secular shows, listen to secular music, read secular books, go to church on Sunday, and assume we're acting on Christian values.  Then why is sexual immorality such a problem for Christian youth and young adults?  Maybe we're getting messages we don't realize we're receiving.  Maybe we're believing falsehoods without even consciously noticing. 

Stolen waters are portrayed as so much sweeter than those forged in relationship and time (Proverb 9:17). Yet those who have taken stolen waters often testify to the emptiness and guilt found there in. Though a one night stand, or sex with someone already married to someone else may be exciting and intoxicating at the time, later guilt, shame, remorse, and trouble come as a result. In addition, in those occasions when sex occurs rapidly and out of marriage, there is no spiritual aspect. Only the flesh is temporarily titillated. But the flesh will the next day simply cry for more, more, more (Proverb 27:20). And that desire fed is never ending, and never satisfied. 

In stark contrast is the sacred spiritual sex between husband and wife within the bond of marriage. In that sacred union of bodies there is not only fleshly enjoyment, but also a spiritual communion, and an intense love and connection between the two.  Such a sexual experience is not simply emotional or intellectual, or joyous, but also a spiritual act of closeness that draws the couple even closer together.  Such an experience is the reward for patience and vigilance when seeking the person God has fore-ordained us to be with. It is most certainly worth it to wait. True love is worth the wait. And the beautiful thing about sex within marriage is that it's meant to be enjoyed frequently, passionately, and constantly (Proverb 5:19).

Many young Christians unknowingly trust in the sexual ethic of the world, thinking they will find fulfillment within that game of chase, manipulation, control, and indulgence. But instead many find longings cracked open that can never be closed again, like sexual addiction, sexual illness, and broken patterns of relationship. At face value the sexual ethic of the world may seem appealing, yet God's word is proven right despite our best ideas again and again, as we see divorce on the rise, broken families, children born out of one night stands, and young people hurting, confused, and lost. Thankfully it doesn't have to be that way, if we would just trust that God is in fact right about sex. He provides the strength. But we need to do the footwork. We need to examine our own root convictions and adjust them into alignment with the biblical truths found in the word (Morris, 2015). 

Proverb 4:23 (ESV) says "Keep your heart with all vigilance, for from it flow the springs of life."  And in the Song of Solomon three different times the woman in the poetic saga urges the young women of Israel: "Do not awaken love until the time is right" (Song of Solomon 2:7, 3:5, 8:4).  Our hearts have a tendency to bounce around in a hundred different directions.  The culture often tells us "trust your heart."  But instead I urge you to trust the Spirit.  Access the Holy Spirit within, and request His guidance.  Seek his wisdom.  Do not look to our hearts, which are often so fickle, selfish, and flighty.   We must guard our hearts.  With threats like pornography which may seem "harmless" at the time.  We need to remember that these things we see in life cannot be unseen.  And so often these displays trigger in us desires that can never be truly fulfilled.  They are dead ends.  

As it says in the Song of Solomon, men and women be gentle with hearts.  We have incredible power over those who may have romantic feelings for us.  Don't trigger love.  Don't play on emotions, play games, and endless hollow flirtations.  Be cautious how you dress.  Do not awaken the love in another's heart until it is time.  We have many blessings in our physical appearance, the clothing we wear, and the beauty we carry.  Let us be humble, and wise with it's application in daily life. 

In conclusion, the battle is difficult.  But we can indeed stand, if we truly address the lies we may be believing and replace them with the truth of God's word.  Many would probably still say: "Well you're probably right, but I'm still going to do it my way." In that case, just as in any other, when we decide to play god about what is right and wrong, we have that choice, but we do not have the choice of determining the consequences of those actions we take. We can let God teach us through the Bible or we can learn it the hard way.  I was one of the people who had to learn the hard way.  I acted out and lived foolishly.  Ultimately it was hollow, empty, and emotionally troubling.  Today I choose God's way.  It is the best way, and truly the way of real fulfillment.  God will provide.  Trust him. But ultimately it's your choice! Make it a good one.

References
Morris, S. H. (Director) (2015, May 27). CCOU 303: Single Sexuality. Issues in Human Sexuality. Lecture conducted from Liberty University, .

Penner, C., & Penner, J. (2003). The gift of sex: A guide to sexual fulfillment. Nashville, TN: W Publishing Group. 


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The Information Age & the Christian Worldview: Is God just a delusion? Or is God real?

What does it mean to believe?  What does it mean to follow Christ?  How is this applied?  What is the process involved?  How does faith stack up against the modern views on life?  Is God just a delusion?  Or is He real?

The late Charles Colson put it well:

“It is not what we do that matters, but what a sovereign God chooses to do through us. God doesn't want our success; He wants us. He doesn't demand our achievements; He demands our obedience. The Kingdom of God is a kingdom of paradox, where through the ugly defeat of a cross, a holy God is utterly glorified. Victory comes through defeat; healing through brokenness; finding self through losing self.”
― Charles W. Colson

 Yet many do not believe in any God.  They don't think God exists.  Or they don't like the idea of God.  Or they think all truth is relative.  

I personally have come to believe that God really is.  I really believe that God is actually real, and actually exists and that Jesus Christ was a real person that was born.  I believe, in audacity I suppose, that Jesus Christ was who he claimed to be: the son of God.  I also believe that Jesus Christ, this man, the carpenter, while on Earth did not make a single sin in his life.  He lived perfection, 100%, the only person to ever do so.  How could he?  Because he was God, yet also a man.  

And after living the perfect life, he died the perfect death.  How does one die a perfect death?  Well, for one he must be guilty of nothing.  He was completely innocent.  Secondly, the immortal words that Jesus uttered on the cross seal the deal.  Do you remember what he said?

As they beat him, mocked him, spit on him, Jesus spoke his last prayer to his Lord: "Father forgive them, they don't know what they're doing."

That very simply is how one goes about dying perfectly.  I believe these events were recorded by eye witnesses in written form.  Much like how we get most of our history: through written reports.  I believe those reports survived accurately in the gospel accounts.  Why?  It's very reasonable to believe the gospel accounts are accurate, given the manuscript evidence (over 25,000 fragments) which tend to be highly cohesive when compared to each other (about 99.5%).  

Finally, I believe that after Jesus Christ died, that three days later he reclaimed his life.  I believe that Jesus Christ bodily resurrected, through the power of God.  Aren't miracles impossible?  I don't believe so.  Miracles are reasonable, given an omnipotent God.  If God could create the universe, raising Jesus from the dead isn't really that difficult.  

All of these things I believe tend to go hard against the grain.  That's alright.  I've always been one to go against the stream.  Dead things tend to ride down stream, afterall.  Modern people don't tend to believe the things I believe.  They tend to believe many different things.  Not all, but some.  

They believe in ideas like evolution, relativism, and naturalism.  These are what we might call idealogies, or presuppositions.  They are sets of beliefs, surrounded by facts, not 100% proveable, yet adhered to.

Christianity is similar, it's adherence to a certain worldview.  It's not 100% proveable, yet I adhere to it.  Now I tend to think that the evidence supports Christianity to the point that it can be reasonably believed and adhered to.  I tend to think that Christianity can be investigated to the point of being true beyond a reasonably doubt.  

Many agree with my analysis, including some of the greatest minds in the history of man kind.  Just to name a few: 

Chuck Colson, lawyer, politician, famed for prison reform
Sir Isaac Newton, famous scientist
Jackie Robinson, famed baseball player
Martin Luther King Jr, civil rights activist, Christian preacher
Mother Theresa, altruistic servant of the poor
C.S. Lewis, author of the Narnia series
J.R.R. Tolkien, author of the Lord of the Rings series 
Helen Keller, philanthropist, author
George Washington, first U.S. President
Francis Collins, scientist, founder of the Human Genome Project
William Wilberforce, famed for leading fight to abolish slavery in England
Eric Liddell, Olympic gold medal winning runner
Sir Francis Bacon, known for establishing the scientific method
Galileo Galilei, famous astronomer
Robert Boyle, famous for his work in chemistry
Max Planck, well known for his work on quantum theory

That's just off the top of my head in a few minutes.  This is the part that just doesn't fit into the modern narrative.  It doesn't fit the narrative of the new atheists.  It doesn't fit the narrative told in public schools.  It just doesn't fit at all.  But I never knew this stuff.  I had to research it myself.  

Christianity has very effectively been stereotyped and mocked into oblivion in western civilization.  Why is that?  There must be something to that.  Well, if I were coming at it from the Christian worldview, it would be very natural to say that there is a battle being waged for the hearts and minds of all people on Earth.  And it's a spiritual battle, not necessarily a physical one.

Or as Jesus accurately phrased it: "The world cannot hate you, but it hates me because I testify about it that its works are evil."


It's a battle of mind.  And there are two primary competing worldviews duking it out in the west.  The Christian worldview, within the realm of Protestant, Lutheran, Catholic, and other orthodox faiths all surrounding the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ.  

The apposing worldview over the past 50-100 has gone under many different names: modernity, materialism, naturalism, scientism, and most recently post-modernism.  None of those views tends to be the prevailing mindset today.  The modern mind tends to be highly varied among those views.  For sake of time we'll just call this mindset the info-age man.  

The infoman tends to believe these suppositions:

You only live once.
Life is what you make it.
Science is our best test for what is true.
Believing in God is ridiculous.
I need a good job, a family, and to save for retirement.
Truth can't necessarily be known.
Ethics are relative.
Tolerance is the most important value.
Who am I to say what's true?
Jesus didn't exist, or he was a good moral teacher.

We've all heard those one-liners haven't we?  That is the modern mindset.  It's very prevalent today.  In stark contrast is the Christian worldview:

We are eternal beings.
Life is ordained by God.
The Bible is our best test for what is true.
Believing in God is reasonable.
I need to pray hard, work hard, and live in service to others.
Truth can be known.
Ethics are fixed and universal.
Love is the most important value.
Who am I to say I know better than God?
Jesus is the son of God, he existed, and he lives today.

Is the modern mind correct?  Is God just a ridiculous delusion?  I tend to think the modern man hasn't thought through his suppositions.  

The modern thinks humanity has surpassed any need for God, and charges into the future as a basically good creature ready to claim his destiny as all powerful.  Yet the modern man tends to forget that World War II was only a short 75 years ago.  The modern man tends to think the west must be above that now.  Yet the modern man forgets that racism and racial violence in our country was only 50 years ago.  The modern thinks he has surpassed all of that though.  I guess just recently?  Very recently.  For it was only 20 years ago that somewhere between 500,000 and 1 million were exterminated in the Rwandan Genocide.  Well perhaps man has ascended very, very recently then?  Yet today the sex trade industry flourishes worldwide, including within the vaunted borders of the United States.  

Doesn't quite fit the enlightenment narrative does it?  The facts are plain and simple: humanity struggles just as much today as it did during other dark periods of human history.  The malady of the human soul has not been overcome by modernity, materialism, or scientific and technological advances.  In fact it may be indicated that man has simply found more efficient ways of destroying one another.  

Has science really removed the need for God?  If that's so, then can science explain how the universe could pop into existence from nothing?  Can science explain how time + chance equals humanity, in all it's complexity?  If a bomb goes off in a junk yard will the result be a fully assembled car?  Perhaps we haven't thought through the science under-girding that assumption.  

Are ethics really relative?  Well, 2+2 = 4.  In math 2+2=4.  2+2=5 is an incorrect answer.  2+2=3 is also incorrect.  Math is not relative.  Neither is history.  The United States declared independence in 1776.  To say we declared independence in 1775 would be incorrect.  The same with saying 1777.  There is a simple correct answer, historically.  If I go to my bank account and ask how much is in it, and the clerk says $5.25, do you think she will let me take out $250,000.00?  Maybe $5.25 is true for her but not for me?  In monetary systems, truth is not relative, but objective.  In history, archaeology, math, scientific law, politics, and religion truth is not relative, but objective and absolute.  Why should ethics be different?  Hitler's concentration camps were evil, always, for everyone, at all times, in all places.  Whether Hitler exterminated Jews in Poland or France or Russia, it was always evil all the time.  

The apologetics are quite sound to me.  The science for God.  The history for God.  We've gone over it a hundred times in this blog.  Click here to view some of those discussions, if you'd like to learn more about the reasonable evidences for the Christian faith. 

Let's jump forward.  Given that the modern man's suppositions don't seem to hold up, there is only one direction to turn.  We must turn toward the roots of western civilization: Christianity.  The west was built by Christianity, by it's stabilizing moral function, in Europe as well as the United States.  

How does God come to us?  How do we come to him?  The experiences are extremely diverse.  Paul saw Jesus on the damascus road.  Today much the same is reported in areas of the world like India and China.  Christ appears to them directly.  Yet for many over history, it's been quite different.

For William Wilberforce, it was a ride in a carriage with a believer who shared his faith along the journey.  For Charles Colson it was on a drive home after being told about Jesus, and sobbing uncontrollably until he had to pull his car over because he couldn't see well enough to drive.  For Ravi Zacharias it was coming to faith in Christ after a suicide attempt at age seventeen.  For C.S. Lewis, it was reading G.K. Chesterton's The Everlasting Man.  For G.K. Chesterton it was investigating the arguments for atheism and finding them severely lacking.  For the NFL football player Deion Sanders it was winning a Superbowl, ordering a Lamborghini and feeling desperately empty at the moment of his greatest achievement.  For Bill Wilson founder of the twelve steps, it was a bright flash of light in his hospital room after he called out: "If there's a God out there show yourself!"  For author Eric Metaxas it was a dream of pulling a golden fish from a frozen lake of consciousness.  For rock musician Brian Welch (leader singer of Korn) it was being addicted to Meth and reading the scripture which read: "Come to me all you who are weary and heavy laden, and I will give you rest."  For Annie Lobert it was calling out to Jesus for help in depths of prostitution and drug addiction.  For journalist Lee Strobel it was investigating the historical Jesus.  For Mark Driscoll it was walking into a fraternity party and feeling himself stopped at the door by a voice telling him that such a life wasn't meant for him.  For Nabeel Qureshi it was fighting to defend his Muslim beliefs and being convinced by the love presented by a friend who was a Christian.   

And then there's me.  God presents himself in a million different ways.  Naturally an omniscient God would do just that.  There isn't really a set pattern.  It's very often quite different for everyone.  There are many roads to the cross of Jesus Christ.  Much of my work on this blog is to draw roads to the cross.  And to let people know that they don't have to be a khaki button up shirt evangelical to know Jesus.  You can be an intellectual, a scientist, nerd, goth, hipster, indie rocker, college professor, architectural engineer, occupier, libertarian, liberal, conservative, skidrow bum, rich banker, poor garbage truck driver, American, eastern mystic, western new ager, southern baptist, northern materialist, and anything else you could imagine.  God doesn't require joining a stiff church congregation, taking up frisbee golf, or agreeing to be boring or listen to cheesy Christian rock, or convert to being a thin lipped judgmental bore who lifts their nose and says "I don't believe I'd wish to do that, that looks like it might be fun."  

God simply says, come to me and give me your heart, believe in my son Jesus Christ, and follow him.  

He bid me to do the same, in a special way.  He saw me in trouble.  He saw me believing a lot of lies.  He saw me addicted and troubled.  He saw me self sufficient maybe, but entirely empty.  God put a Bible in my hands.  He gave me dreams that made me want to search for the truth.  He taught me how to be a seeker.  He guided me along the path.  And he stepped into my writings, and showed me a way out of the wilderness.  God put the gospel of John in front of me, which I watched, read, listened to, and observed hundreds of times.  Finally it broke through my skull: Call out to Jesus for help.  And I did just that.  I called out to Jesus, and abandoned myself to his care in a very real way.

Then everything in my life changed.  I know it sounds cliche.  But it's true.  

There was of course a long progression to that point, over years.  Up until age 20 I had absolutely no interest in any amount of higher learning what so ever.  You might say I was a materialist, but I wasn't really anything.  I just did whatever felt good.  And screw the rest!  Eventually I started attending college, and learned to love reading and writing.  After daily journaling regarding philosophy and life and reality, and morals and principles and the human condition it wasn't until 2007 that I began to accept that perhaps there was something to spirituality.  I started off as a sort of esoteric new ager, dabbling in whatever felt right.  Tarot cards, zodiac signs, all of that stuff.  It wasn't until 2011, on a quiet morning watching humming birds buzz about the front yard flowers that I came to the revelation that "God is everywhere."  From there I began exploring the various faiths, and then in 2012 I called out to Jesus Christ for help.  It wasn't a short road to get there.  God meets us at many points in our lives.  He is the grand weaver.  And as it has been said: His brush is time.  

The Christian worldview.  It's reasonable.  It's right.  The evidence is everywhere.  The witnesses are many.  I've been touched.  So can you.  And you should.  We should all know the meaning of life: Coming to know the creator of life.  Coming to know the one who made the world and you and me.  That is the meaning of life itself, coming to know the God who made humanity, through Jesus Christ the savior who sets us right, because let's just be real: We all need a savior.  The world is a rough place.  We all need a savior.  That one should be easy to tell.  

Redemption is the meaning of life.  Jesus Christ is the way.  Is it really such a stretch?  Is it really so hard to believe?  We're all hurtling through space on a rock, yet we can't believe in miracles?  We've all heard of the genocides and world wars, yet we can't believe we need a savior?  We've all felt the emptiness without him, yet we can't seem to see that we should know God?   

Pray to God.  Talk to him.  He is available now.  Not later, now.  Talk to him!  Say something!  Begin that journey!  It's worth it.  The answer to the riddle of the meaning of life was not what I necessarily wanted to hear.  But it was what I needed to hear.  Trust me, it's real.  Ask God to reveal himself.  Be a seeker.  Pursue the truth.  He will reveal himself.  Thank you for reading.  

Heavenly Father, I pray you would reveal yourself to the one reading these words, who seeks to know what the truth is about you.  In Christ, Amen.  

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American Christian Church

"Separation of Powers"

America is in trouble.  The very foundations of the country are at risk.  There has never been anything like America.  Our country is a Christian nation.  This nation functions best on a very specific formula.  The formula includes the Constitution, checks of power, democratic republican governmental systems, and a firm emphasis on religion and morality.  

I was born into the United States during an odd time in her history.  It's a time when forces within the country have begun to successfully root out the once dominant Christian culture.  They've done so through a variety of means, through media, hollywood, through legislation, through the courts, through academia, the sciences, and through the universities.  

The false caricature of the Christian faith was successfully perpetrated onto my mind.  I believed Christianity was a backwards tradition that needed to fade into the past.  I believed in the goodness of man.  I believed in the successes of modernity and globalization.  I was believing a worldview that did not match with reality.  The reality was much different.  It was different in my experience and it was different on the world stage.

So I had to discover for myself, the truth about western civilization.  It's a truth that's been carefully buried.  It's been excluded from textbooks and blocked from public schools.  It's ignored and minimized by universities.  No wonder it was so difficult to learn and comprehend.  But never-the-less I discovered it.  I learned about it in books.  These books are not talked about at public schools or modern universities.  

I'll pause for a moment to give you a list, if you'd like to learn more along those lines:
1. How Should We then Live? by Francis Schaeffer
2. The Truth Project DVD by Focus on the Family
3. The Sky is not Falling by Charles Colson
4. Seven Men and the Secret of their Greatness by Eric Metaxas
5. Awakening the Evangelical Mind by Owen Strachan
6. We Cannot be Silent by Albert Mohler
7. The Soul of the American University by George Marsden
8. The Dying of the Light by James Burtchaell
9. Icons of Evolution by Jonathan Wells
10. Signature in the Cell by Stephen Meyer
11. Can Man Live without God by Ravi Zacharias
12. Culture Shift: The Battle for the Moral Heart of America by Albert Mohler
13. The Silencing by Kirsten Powers
14. Christ and the Media by Malcom Muggeridge
15. Mere Christianity by C.S. Lewis
16. Orthodoxy by G.K. Chesterton
17. God and Government by Charles Colson
18. The Abolition of Man by C.S. Lewis
19. I don't have enough Faith to be an Atheist by Norm Geisler, Frank Turek
20. The Global Public Square by Os Guinness
21. Reasonable Faith by William Lane Craig
22. Seven Men Who Rule the World From The Grave by Dave Breese
23. Expelled: No Intelligence Allowed by Ben Stiller DVD documentary
24. Mining for God DVD documentary by Brandon McGuire
25. Why I'm Not an Atheist at Princeton by Ravi Zacharias  

These books, documentaries, and DVDs are well worth your time. Believe me on this.  I had to discover this stuff on my own, because I was raised in the pale orthodoxy of the public school and the secular university.  Both places were permanent stomping grounds for immorality, multiplied by the depravity poured out by the mainstream media.  I wish I could put this in lighter terms, but I can't.  It's the truth.  We can all see it.  Parents wonder what's happening to children?  Well, it's no accident.  It's a blunder.  It's a blunder by those of secular persuasion who refuse to realize that their progressive revolution has left a moral vacuum that is destroying civilization.  

Interesting isn't it?  Scary?  Yes, certainly.  But what's interesting is that it's not new.  It's happened before.  As the word of God says: "there is nothing new under the sun."  It happened in ancient Rome, and it's happening today.  It happened time and again in the ancient nation of Israel: one generation would follow God, the next would lose touch with their roots, and their children would ruin the nation and God's wrath would come upon them as a due consequence of their sinful culture.

We have school shootings.  We have sexual depravity.  We have divorce and broken families.  We have loneliness.  We have a vacuum of meaning.  We have addiction rising.  We have crime rising.  We have alcoholism.  We have teen suicide.  We have abortion.  We have pornography addiction.  And sex addiction.  We have murder.  We have child sex trafficking.  We have pedophilia.  We have economic domination.   We have a serious problem in western civilization.  

The solution?  For most, the solution is more government!  And that's a natural response.  For those who refuse any moral code or religious thought they must appeal to force.  They must appeal to the government.  They must apply force to a de-stabilizing situation.  

Yet I think even the most progressive forces are worried and disturbed by the corruption rising in not only government, but also in business and finance.  The rising corruption makes appeals to more government and more regulation futile.  We realize that when we give government more power, an already corrupt institution becomes more corrupt.  It becomes a feedback loop, a catch 22 ever amplifying itself toward disaster.  

Why is this happening?  Because a vitally important check and balance has been removed from the American equation.  Indeed it is the only reason America can function as a free society at all: It is the check and balance of morality, religious thought, and the public propensity to push for the common good.  That has been debased.  But it hasn't been removed.  It's been altered.  Now it's the progressive ethic, behind the general theme that America is bad, America needs to change, America is oppressive, America is racist, America is sexist, America needs to embrace gay marriage, America needs to bring in the population of Mexico, America needs to abandon it's sovereignty to the United Nations, and on and on it goes.  It's a very confused and irrational sentiment, more of a reaction against America than any sort of plan for it.  And these new attitudes omit morality, in favor of "liberation" in every area: sexual liberation, drug culture liberation, liberation of the LGBTQ community, liberation of women, liberation of nature, and so on and so forth.  Yet so often a supposed liberation ends up being shackles in disguise.  

Religion has been declared evil by society.  Progressives push hard to remove it from all public discourse.  Organized religion is always considered bad, always.  But spirituality, me-centered stuff is good.  That's the new ethic, and boy is it a mess.  And it doesn't work.  

“The great pillars of all government and of social life [are] virtue, morality, and religion. This is the armor, my friend, and this alone, that renders us invincible.” – Letter to Archibald Blair, January 8, 1799; Patrick Henry, Moses Coit Tyler ( New York: Houghton Mifflin Co; 1897), p. 409

We need a firm moral framework.  We need religious thought which provokes good behavior.  Much like the ten commandments.  We need strong families.  We need a strong, righteous, and moral public who are deeply inclined toward good.  And only in Christ are man's hearts truly tended toward the good.  Those factors combined produce the most important check against corruption, the American people, the moral majority.  Without it, there is no check against tyranny.  There is no stability which can enable liberty and freedom for all.  Without religious thought and moral behavior, the USA will have to become an authoritarian nanny state.   

In the public square we have become an atheistic country.  It's true.  We are still relatively free to be religious in private, but in public it is not allowed.  In fact biblical Christian views are very quickly becoming considered the new hate speech. Think of the way the media attacks Christians who stand for their faith.  Think of Kim Davis, and the family bakery fined over 100k for refusing to bake a cake for a gay wedding. (Source: Charisma News)  What happened to right of conscientious objection?  In addition, a Christian fire chief in Georgia lost his job for writing a book about the Christian view of marriage, on his own time. (Source: The Washington Post)

In the past eight years the progressive agenda has proceeded forward.  The United States is beginning to look strikingly similar to secular Europe.  Ironically also, as western countries abandon Christianity, eastern nations and African nations are building their future on the Christian faith. (Source: USA Today)  Oh the ironies, they never end do they?

We can never understand what's really going on in the west or the world without understanding that God's word is the truth and the Christian worldview are the eyeglasses by which we can clearly see the world and ourselves.  

They can't see where they're taking the country.  That's why this secular progressive movement in our culture is so terrifying.  It matches perfectly with the growth of depravity, crime, school shootings, and sexual immorality.  As the moral center of the nation is eviscerated, immorality grows.  As immorality grows, corruption grows.  As corruption grows, government must grow into authoritarian madness to stem it's tide.  Yet it can never stem it's tide, because the corruption isn't the source of the problem, it's a side effect of it.  


"Of all the dispositions and habits which lead to political prosperity, Religion and morality are indispensable supports. In vain would that man claim the tribute of Patriotism, who should labour to subvert these great Pillars of human happiness, these firmest props of the duties of Men and citizens." -George Washington, Farewell Address

What is the way back?  There is no way back.  We're here and we're moving forward.  But there is a way forward. The way forward is for Christian transformation in areas of government, academia, sciences, culture, media, arts, and the public square.  We can't so much "retake" lost institutions or cultural settings, but we can innovate and step ahead of the secular progressives.  

Will it really be so easy?  I'm not saying it will be easy.  But the secular progressive movement in this country, the growing immorality and corruption; well, it's been a completely failure.  This convoy of subversion is mired in the mud. This "new way" of doing things just isn't working.  Everyone can see it, corruption is everywhere.  School shootings and gun violence are growing.  The younger generation is terrifying in their callousness and apathy.  The television media spew out filth and contempt for conservative principles and Christianity regularly.  Miley Cyrus music videos are like demented pornos.  Modern music is a sex fest of twisted perversion. Corruption is destroying our banking systems and subverting our economy.  Big business is mired in over-regulation. The biggest businesses fight tooth and nail to keep small businesses out of the game, so they can establish monopolies of markets.  They call that crony-capitalism, which the Washington Cartel is only too happy to help along through corporate welfare. 

Is it all really so shocking?  To a Christian it makes perfect sense.  You remove the moral framework,you remove the religious meaning and you've left a vacuum for corruption and moral relativism to destroy the society. We humans do not tend naturally toward good.  We tend naturally toward wrong-doing and ways we should not go.  Many of us can attest to that.  Many of us have often taken the wrong path.  And we've seen others time and again, against all logic and reason, turn again and again to situations and people that harm them and destroy them.  Humanity can only tend toward good, and sustainability as a free society in the tender love and presence of the creator of the human race, God almighty, the architect of space, time, and the universe.

We need God.  It's the only hope for western civilization.  We need God.  We know that here.  We know that.  So what can we do to change the course of human events in the west?  Well, there is a lot we can do.  I'd like to briefly articulate a strategy for a bold transformation of our current culture.  The keystone is this: We must be creative, defiant, and dogged in our determination.  We can't stick to the old ways of doing things, we have to innovate, we have to create, we have to be ahead of the game in every area.  Does that mean changing the message of the gospel?  Of course not.  But the message of the Bible, the gospel, the scriptures is fluid.  The content doesn't change, but it's application is always adjusting for the current times and attitudes.

Here are five possible strategies, ideas, but I encourage you to come up with your own strategies.  Create your own ideas and put them into practice with the long term objective of transforming western culture.  In the power of Jesus Christ all things are possible  (Thanks to Dinesh D'Souza for his October 17th presentation at Copper Springs that inspired some of these ideas.)

1. Be a Christian Social Media Juggernaut - This is the most accessible item on our list.  Anyone can do this, I can do this, you can do this, you don't have to be at the forefront of some Christian fleet or organization to do this.  Social media is a gem.  We all have a voice on social media.  We have the potential of hitting 10 times, 100 times, and even 1,000 times as many people as we would impact on a daily basis otherwise.  All you have to do is create free social media accounts and start posting.  Post on social media sites like Facebook, Twitter, Google+, Pinterest, Tumblr, Blogger, and many others.  Know where the Christian content is on the internet: on Youtube, Biblegateway, YouVersion, and start sharing.  Expand your friends, your followers, and keep posting.  The key is: do this long term, don't ever stop.  Keep posting, keep building your presence, and do it for the Lord.  The biggest problem with this is that we can start to think that it's all about us.  That is deadly territory.  Pride comes before the fall.  Stay focused on Jesus.  But just keep posting, day and night, no matter what anyone says, keep posting, keep building new accounts on new platforms, stay ahead of the game, spread the good news.  God will do the rest.  

I will never shut up about social media engagement.  If you can't at least post for Jesus, then you are a unmitigated coward and you need therapy because your so afraid of offending anyone or putting your views out there.  Take a stand!  No fear.  Do it long term, day in and day out, when no one cares and wonder "What's the point!"  That's the just the moment when God is working power changes in the world.  Don't get tired of doing good, soon enough you'll reap the harvest.  

2. Develop a strong presence on Cable/Satelite Television - Think big right?  Today, right now, Cable television is 100% enemy territory.  In fact, Cable even carries false caricatures of the Christian faith on the supposed "faith" channels like the Church channel and TBN and others.  It's a perfect package to keep a twisted culture away from the Christian message.  The true message never, ever touches the airwaves.  That is not acceptable.  I'm gonna think really big right now.  Imagine twelve Christian channels.  Imagine twelve humble Christian channels, with no "phone numbers to give us your money" or infomercial-esc programs to "purchase our dvd" or "buy my book."  People, especially young people are tired of consumerism packaged in the guise of Christianity.  How dare they anyway?  Lord rebuke them!  It's so awful because it's a bodyguard of lies surrounding the real God of creation.  

Here's a dream for you: Imagine twelve stations, perhaps various strong Christian organizations taking responsibility for a single channel each?  Now that would be something special.  Of course the greatest concern would be the big shiny camera and it's corrupting abilities.  They are legendary.  But here's a dream list.  May God bring it about, because the real message is blocked on the airwaves.

Channel 1: The Family and Christian Growth - Focus on the Family
Channel 2: Christian Charity efforts - Salvation Army/Samaritan's Purse/Cru
Channel 3: Christian Politics and Activism - Liberty Counsel/Heritage Foundation/Freedom Works
Channel 4: Christian News and Views - Christian Post / Charisma News / Life Site News
Channel 5: Religious Liberty Watch - Liberty Institute / Alliance Defending Freedom
Channel 6: Overseas Missionary Work & the Persecuted Church - Team / Send / Persecution.org
Channel 7: 24 hour child Sponsorship Opportunities - Compassion International
Channel 8: Christian History and Documentaries - Christianity Today
Channel 9: Christian Educational Videos - Liberty University / Prager University / Biola University
Channel 10: 24/7 Sermons - Sermon Index / Various
Channel 11: Christian Movies, Entertainment & Talk Shows - Socrates in the City / Living Waters / Lee Strobel / Eric Metaxas Show / Dennis Prager Show / Mark Levin Show
Channel 12: Christian Apologetics & Philosophy - RZIM / Reasonable Faith / Cross Examined / Ratio Christi

3. Christian Entertainment, Movies, and Music - Imagine a culture constantly informed by Christian media and entertainment.  This is something that is having a powerful effect with movies like God's not Dead, Do you Believe, Son of God, and War Room.  Christian Cinema is vital and needs to expand into new areas.  Think big and think outside the box.  How can Christians transform Hollywood, the music industry, and the mainstream media?  More and more these institutions are turning out garbage, because without moral underpinnings art and culture become decadent and shallow.

4. Transform the broken Education System - The current college education system is broken, so is the public education system.  How could conservative Christians provide a better option?  Could we utilize the internet?  How could we make it more affordable?  Entire generations of kids are leaving schools without even basic knowledge about the world around them.  Young adults are going to college and leaving with bizarre ideas about how the world should work.  And they're leaving stacked to the eyeballs with crippling debt.  It's a broken system, how can we be salt and light to education? 

5. Run for Congress or State Legislature - Or support someone who is doing that.  Be politically active, it's your duty as a Christian who obeys the ruling authorities, which in our government means we are required to participate for the good of the nation.  We live in a Democratic Republic remember?  We elect the governing authorities.  Our obligation is to be involved, due to Romans 13.  We need principled Christians in core leadership positions on the local, state, and Federal levels in our government.  Many Christians have done this.  Consider the Appeal to Heaven caucus.  Think of Ted Cruz or Ben Carson or Tim Scott or Mike Huckabee.  They are Christians who saw a need for change in our government and they decided to do something about it.  Is God calling you to full time service in politics?  Click here for links to relevant Christian and conservative political organizations.

In conclusion, these ideas barely scratch the surface of cultural engagement.  Be creative friends and think outside the box.  More importantly be dogged, devoted, and determined.  Never give up and never stop pushing for these changes.  A tireless minority can indeed bring about brush fires of transformation in the minds of men.  Pray hard, and pray often.  Work hard and work often.  We will not go quietly into the night.  We will not give up without a fight.  We're going to take a stand.  We're going to change the world.  We must be humble, creative, and dogged in our determination. Godspeed brothers and sisters, it's time to change the world.  

At that time Jesus said, “I praise you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because you have hidden these things from the wise and learned, and revealed them to little children. Yes, Father, for this is what you were pleased to do.

“All things have been committed to me by my Father. No one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and those to whom the Son chooses to reveal him.

“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” -Matthew 11:25-30 NIV
 

Vintage Photo of U.S. Capital

Stock Photo of Statue of Liberty

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