The Life You So Desire

In just a few days the community where I live will have what is called a “Community Wide Revival.” A lot of time and effort has been put into planning and preparing for the event. There are several churches coming together to worship the Lord and hear the proclamation of the gospel of Jesus Christ. And yet I wonder…

Wanting revival means desiring God, perhaps after a period of indifference or lukewarmness. I sense there is, in general, a lack of desire for God across our nation. For getting God means forgetting self. He must increase, we must decrease. “Not my will but Your will” becomes our prayer. All of this looks good on paper (or a computer screen), but then one must begin to actually examine his or her own heart… your heart (2 Corinthians 13:5)!

What’s in there? A thirst and hunger for God? Are you satisfied in God most of all, above all other things?

If the truth were told, many get much more satisfaction out of sleep, food, drink, sex, clothes, sports, politics, houses, cars, etc. At least we act this way. Facebook itself stands as a living testament to how much more fascinated we are in the categories mentioned above than the Creator, the giver of life. Crazy, isn’t it? Yet we yearn for these things! We want more of them. We spend a great deal of time thinking and talking about sports, politics, food, clothes, things… stuff.

Do you find this to be your own experience? How much time do you spend thinking, talking, and longing for God in comparison to the other areas of your life.

In walks Jesus of Nazareth; the self-proclaimed “Bread of Life” (John 11) and “Living Water” (John 4).

Certainly, we know what it means to be hungry and enjoy the satisfaction of a home cooked meal. We can relate to that! We definitely know what it is like to come inside after a hard day’s work in the hot sun and grab a cold drink from the refrigerator. And we have all felt the comfort of lying down in our own bed after pulling an “all-nighter” for school or work. Healthy individuals – and those who are in their right mind – crave food, drink, and rest.

Obviously, being hungry for food, thirsty for drink, and weary for rest is not wrong. That’s just the point. The reality is, it is healthy and good to crave such things. God created us with a need for these things. So this is where our sickness comes into focus. There is something wrong with the person who doesn’t want to eat, drink, or sleep since such diseases lead to misery and even death. But there is a greater spiritual reality: Jesus is more satisfying than mere bread, water, and rest. He is the Bread of Life and Living Water. Furthermore, he invites us, “Come, you who are weary and heavy laden. I will give you rest.”

Insofar as your soul doesn’t yearn, crave, and desire Christ in this way reveals the depth of your sickness and unsoundness of mind (Scripture calls it blindness, e.g. 2 Corinthians 4:4). We live in a dry and weary land where the Lord alone is water for our souls (Psalm 63). Amazingly, we find ourselves more fascinated with the sand and tan than with the life-giving water. We find our desire for real life and true joy surprisingly weak.This is why we pray for God to revive our hearts. Consider the words of C. S. Lewis:

If we consider the unblushing promises of reward … promised in the Gospels, it would seem that our Lord finds our desires not too strong, but too weak. We are half-hearted creatures, fooling about with drink and sex and ambition when infinite joy is offered us, like an ignorant child who wants to go on making mud pies in a slum because he cannot imagine what is meant by the offer of a holiday at sea. We are far too easily pleased (C. S. Lewis, The Weight of Glory).

May we hear the invitation of the ancient prophet: Come, let us return to the Lord. Let us press on to know the Lord. He will come to us as the showers, as the spring rains that water the earth (Hosea 6:1-3).

The life and joy you so desire is found in Christ. He is more than enough.

The Tragedy of a Powerless Cross

I was asked to share some thoughts from my recent sermon over 1 Corinthians 1-2. So here are a few thoughts.

Why Many Churches Are Powerless

In 1 Corinthians 1:17 Paul makes an incredible statement:

For Christ did not send me to baptize but to preach the gospel, and not with words of eloquent wisdom, lest the cross of Christ be emptied of its power (1 Corinthians 1:10-17 ESV).

 The more I chewed on this verse, the more provocative it became. How could anyone empty the cross of its power? Apparently with eloquent wisdom – giving Paul something to boast about. Later Paul said that he did not come to this particular church with “lofty speech or wisdom” (1 Cor. 2:1). And again he asserted, “my speech and my message were not in plausible words of wisdom” (2 Cor. 2:4). Well, obviously Paul was out of touch! Indeed, the superstars of the day were the “wise” and “eloquent” Greek philosophers and orators. By the way, go ahead a give your favorite Socrates quote(s). Now, what quotes can you remember from Paul? Moving on…

We simply do not think the way Paul did. The result is a powerless church preaching an empty cross. I have read several “church growth” books explaining how to grow local churches. Basically, according to these books, some suggestions are…

1. Proper facilities and an organized budget

2. Good programs for young families

3. Good technology and a sharp website

4. Awesome music

5. A good coffee café’ to boot!

Other than the obvious exception of the coffee café (!), name one of these elements that was present in the early church. None of the above. What do I have against the points mentioned above? I am afraid they just might be successful in growing churches.

These elements are not meant to grow churches.

The church is not designed to be grown by them.

Why?

When asked why people attend Your Community Church, they will respond with powerless statements like, “I like their music, programs, or coffee.” This answer will have taken the place of, “Because I want to know Christ, I delight in His Word, I love the Bride of Christ, and I am hungry to grow with other believers into the likeness of Christ!” The message of the former is: I want Jesus plus… The message of the latter is: Jesus is more than enough, He is sufficient, He is all-satisfying. The message of the former is: what do you have to offer me and my family. The message of the latter is: I will sacrifice personal preference just as long as I can worship the King with my beloved brothers and sisters in Christ.

Powerful Churches

Churches today are too explainable. It makes sense why some churches grow. If you put a star singer on stage and follow him up with “the next Billy Graham” as you drink your mocha while the children are playing at a nursery rivaling Six Flags… WHAT DO YOU EXPECT?

Growth for all the wrong reasons.

And people are actually surprised when members begin to act “ unchristian like”! Remember, they didn’t come for Christ, they came to shoot hoops, rope a calf, sip some coffee, or enjoy the show. So many are not winning people with Christ, but with gimmicks.

Where is the glory in that? Where is the power?

Why was the early church so powerful and dynamic in spiritual and numerical growth (not saying they didn’t have problems):

1. The gospel was central and the gospel is power!

In the same chapter Paul says,

For the word of the cross is folly to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God (1 Corinthians 1:18).

 Later Paul said, “we preach Christ crucified… Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God” (1 Cor. 1:23-24). Truly, “the gospel is the power of God unto salvation” (Rom. 1:16). The centrality of Jesus Christ marked the early church. He was considered to be the Head of the church, the “Chief Shepherd” (1 Peter 5:4). Accordingly, the early church gathered in the name of Jesus Christ, not in the name of personal preference or the latest gimmick. So David Platt ponders:

“This is the question that often haunts me when I stand before a crowd of thousands in the church I pastor. What if the screens are gone and the stage is no longer decorated? What if the air conditioning is off and the comforts removed? Would his Word still be enough for his people to come together.” (David Platt, Radical Church).

Is the gospel of Christ enough for you?

Is the gospel central in your life and the life of your church?

Churches which keep the gospel central, keeping Jesus central, are powerful churches. This was the philosophy of Paul’s ministry in Corinth, to keep the gospel central (1 Cor. 2:2).

2. The Spirit was demonstrated and the Spirit is power!

And my speech were not in plausible words of wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power, that your faith might not rest in the wisdom of men but in the power of God (1 Corinthians 2:4-5).

Certainly, there is nothing wrong with being a gifted preacher (see Apollos, 1 Cor. 1). But Paul seemed to be very cautious not to do anything that would cause people to convert to Christ for the wrong reason. He wanted the raw power of the Holy Spirit to be demonstrated in their midst.

The demonstration in many churches today is a demonstration of human ingenuity. I believe the dependence upon man and the utter disregard for the Spirit leads to multiple false conversions; people walking aisles to join the only free club in town (with all its benefits) rather than repenting and believing out of a deep-seated and heart-transforming conviction that Jesus is Savior, Lord, and Treasure.

Conclusion

When churches lean on gimmicks and human power to grow the church, this is tragic. The cross is emptied of its power. Christ is treated as though he were lacking, insufficient, and in need of our help.

What if churches began to just live like Jesus truly is all-satisfying, life-giving, and joy-filling? Where is our passion for this Christ? Why do we feel the need to stir up people’s passions for other gods just to entice them to come join in worshipping the one true God? Our cleverness and eloquence have brought about the tragedy of a powerless cross.

AWAYO “Fear to Faith” Review

Of the 6,500 people groups in the world, there are 2,500 who are unreached with the gospel of Jesus Christ. This video provides a startling account of how God used two missionaries to transform an entire village with the glorious gospel. The video is nine minutes long, and worth every minute. I have included my observations below.

I have three observations of this video.

First, I think a major advantage of living in this Moi culture is their firm experience and belief in the supernatural, i.e. “spirits.” To the contrary,  in Western culture the purveying wisdom is naturalism and Darwinism (i.e., all phenomena in the world can be explained by science; mainly through the theory of evolution). I say “purveying wisdom” because our modern culture has a tendency to take the scientist as the final authority on certain issues (verses scholars from other fields), even though science rapidly evolves and constantly improves upon (often changing) former theories. Naturalism has led many to believe science can account for everything and is omniscient (e.g. Dr. Peter Atkins). What is most alarming is the reality that this is the mindset not only of atheists like Dr. Peter Atkins, but of many who profess faith in Jesus Christ. While most of these so-called Christians would never voice this belief (or lack thereof), it is still true that many live and function as atheists! In other words, there is no awareness nor reliance upon the Holy Spirit, little thought is given to spiritual warfare, and prayer is scarce. This means there is little difference between some claiming to be Christian and others who do not believe in a the supernatural.

If there is one issue Scripture clearly addresses, it is “we know that we abide in him and he in us, because he has given us of his Spirit” (1 John 4:13; cf. 1 John 3:24; Ephesians 1;13). Accordingly, the Apostle Paul regularly contrasts believers and nonbelievers with respect to who has received the Holy Spirit (see 1 Corinthians 2:12-16; Galatians 5:16-24). So to speak of a “Spirit-filled Christian” is like speaking of an “American Texan.” They are one in the same (see Gordon Fee, Gospel and Spirit). The Holy Spirit was upon Jesus (Luke 4:14, 18-19) and poured out on the early church (Acts 2:17f). We would do well to learn from the Bible and the Moi that there are spirits – the spirit of this world and the Spirit of God (1 Cor. 2).

Second, I think this is a good illustration of the biblical teaching of general revelation (i.e. revelation given to all people at all times through creation and human experience). The Moi apparently understood sin (adultery), punishment for sin (the adulterer was killed), and appeasement of wrath (the pig was killed to satisfy the spirits). So when the missionaries began to interact with them, they had common ground. Even though they did not have the law, it was written on their hearts (Romans 2:14-16).

For when Gentiles, who do not have the law, by nature do what the law requires, they are a law to themselves, even though they do not have the law. They show that the work of the law is written on their hearts, while their conscience also bears witness, and their conflicting thoughts accuse or even excuse them on that day when, according to my gospel, God judges the secrets of men by Christ Jesus. (Romans 2:14-16 ESV)

Finally, I think churches would do well to learn from the approach of the missionaries. I can think of at least five aspects to their mission work and strategy:

1. Incarnational. They became one of the Moi for the purpose of sharing the Gospel with them. This is what Jesus did. He became human and dwelt among us to share the Gospel and reconcile us to God (John 1:14). In order to reconcile others to God, we must become “one of them” – whoever “them” might be (see 1 Corinthians 9:22).
2. Proclamation. The purpose for their “incarnation” was to proclaim Christ and share the Gospel (cf. “ Creator talks”). This was also the purpose of Jesus Christ (Luke 4:43).
3. Apologetic. Although this is not explicitly mentioned, it is implied. I would assume they used the common ground (see above) to talk about Jesus Christ. Their defense of the faith would make the gospel message acceptable in such a culture and change the cultural milieu in which the gospel is heard.
4. Transformed by the Gospel. The man asked, “Why are they not scared of the darkness and the spirits.” Their faith had transformed them and set them apart from the others in the village. They were different because of their faith in Jesus Christ.
5. Love. When the man was ill, the believers came to serve him motivated by love. After this he was ready to listen.

We have much to learn from this video and others like it.

Examine Yourself, Part 2

I think the Bible gives many ways one might test or examine their heart to see if they are in the faith (2 Corinthians 13:5). A true believer will bear good fruit and an abundance of fruit (John 15). Voddie Baucham offers helpful insight,

What the gospel requires is repentance and faith. What the gospel produces is joyful obedience.

So a way to test and examine yourself is to look at what the gospel has produced in your life. The Apostle John offers at least three tests for the believer to examine their faith.

1. You Must Have Faith in the Gospel of Jesus Christ (1 John 1:1-4)

The first question that must be asked is, “Do you believe the gospel of Jesus Christ?” John begins his letter by proclaiming Jesus Christ in order that his readers might have fellowship with the Father. Jesus Christ is our advocate with the Father who absorbed God’s wrath on our behalf (1 John 2:1-2). Certainly, Jesus died in our place and for our sins that we might be righteous and have eternal life! Therefore, all who would enjoy good standing before God will gladly repent of their sins and joyfully place their faith in Jesus Christ. As noted above, the gospel requires repentance and faith (Mark 1:15).

2. You Will Walk in Righteousness (1 John 2:1-6)

Whereas repentance and faith are requirements of the gospel, righteousness is the fruit of the gospel.

And by this we know that we have come to know him, if we keep his commandments (1 John 2:3).

1. If you claim to know God but do not keep his commandments, you are a liar (1 John 2:4; 3:6).
2. Love for God produces obedience to God (1 John 2:5; John 14:15). Do believers still sin? Yes. But they are grieved over it and desire righteousness (2 Corinthians 7:10).
3. The true child of God walks in the same way in which Jesus Christ walked. This means the genuine believer will continuously, consistently, and constantly strive to live as Jesus lived.

Overall, there should be a deep hunger and thirst to be like Jesus Christ. Salvation has never been about walking the aisle, filling out a card, and living as you please. Instead, salvation is for those who “repent and turn to God, performing deeds in keeping with repentance” (Acts 26:19; cf. Matthew 3:8). So those who are saved will experience the joy of orienting their life towards God. Are you truly hungry and thirsty for righteousness (Matthew 5:6)? Are you performing deeds in keeping with repentance?

3. You Will Love the Church (1 John 3:11-15)

We live in a day when many speak negatively of the church, think fellowshipping with believers is a waste of time, or sincerely have no desire to gather with the saints. But Scripture makes one thing abundantly clear: this was not the attitude of Jesus Christ. Jesus deeply loves the church. In fact, Jesus so loves the church he calls the church his bride, joyfully died for the church, and is the head of the church. This is why John taught that faith in Jesus produced fellowship with believers (1 John 1:3, 7). In fact, if there is one constant theme throughout First John it is this:

We know that we have passed out of death into life, because we love the brothers.

Do you love the Bride of Christ, have fellowship with the saints, and actively serve as a member in the Body of Jesus Christ?

Conclusion

So three questions seem relevant at this point:

1. Is your response to the gospel of Jesus Christ repentance and faith?
2. Is your desire to be like Christ and is your life oriented towards God in joyful obedience?
3. Is your love for God revealed in your love for and fellowship with the church?

Examine your heart as it is now, in the present. Is there faith in Christ, a desire for righteousness, and love for the saints?

 

 

 

 

Examine Yourself, Part One

 

Examine yourselves, to see whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves. Or do you not realize this about yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you?—unless indeed you fail to meet the test!

2 Corinthians 13:5, ESV

A casual reading through the Bible will consistently put on display situations in which people thought they had a certain closeness to God they really did not have. In other words, they thought they were in good standing before God when, in fact, they were not. Let me give some examples.

First, you have the church at Laodicea. In their minds, their congregation was not too hot and not too cold, but just right. However, this was to the total disgust of Jesus: For you say, I am rich, I have prospered, and I need nothing, not realizing that you are wretched, pitiable, poor, blind, and naked (Revelation 3:17, esv). Perhaps many of them were materially wealthy. Material wealth has a strange (and horrifically seductive) way of making us feel “better” about ourselves – better than we should (see Luke 16:19-31; 18:18-29). But Jesus is really dealing with the church’s spiritual status. They thought they were spiritually prosperous and well off. But not only were they not spiritually prosperous, they were in spiritual poverty. They knew how to talk a good game, but their hearts were far from God (cf. Matthew 15:8). Not only were they not “tight” with Jesus, they made Jesus sick. They were hoodwinked!

Second, you have the Pharisees and Sadducees. These religious leaders were revered in their day and were considered godly men by many. Perhaps some were. But in general they truly thought they had a closeness to God and a level of righteousness that they simply did not have. Their false assumption is painfully illustrated in one of Jesus’ parables.  In fact, this particular parable was directed at some who trusted in themselves that they were righteous… (Luke 18:9). He told of a Pharisee who prayed in the temple, thanking God for his regular fasting and abundance of tithes. How many of us can say we fast twice a week and tithe regularly? But in the end, the Pharisee was not considered righteous nor justified before God. He was duped.

Finally, the Bible offers a more general example of self-deception in Matthew 7:21-23. Jesus says there will be “many” who stand before Him thinking because of certain religious practices they performed in His name that they will enter into His blessing. But to their surprise, Jesus declares, I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness (Matthew 7:23). Again, they were self-deceived.

In conclusion, why are you confident that you are in good standing with God? What makes you think you have His favor? Examine yourself. Test yourself (2 Corinthians 13:5).

Scripture and Abortion: Deprived of Life

 

“No person shall… be deprived of life… without due process of law.”

Amendment V, U. S. Constitution

Biblical Teaching

Some think Scripture is silent on the issue of abortion. Indeed, the word “abortion” is never mentioned in Scripture. However, Scripture clearly teaches babies in the womb are human beings. Further, it is made abundantly clear that it is unjust and sinful to kill another human being without due process of law (as the U. S. Constitution puts it). Consider the following biblical teachings for the personhood of the unborn.

1. The unborn have personalities. In Luke 1:41-44 the Bible describes the pregnancy of Elizabeth, who was pregnant with John the Baptist. When Mary, the mother of Jesus, greeted Elizabeth, the baby in Elizabeth’s womb “leaped for joy.” The baby felt joyful about hearing Mary’s greeting. Are fingers, arms, or noses ever joyful? No! Humans are. Modern scientific research affirms this biblical assertion.
2. Only human beings are filled with the Holy Spirit. Luke 1:15 teaches that John the Baptist was filled with the Holy Spirit, “even from his mother’s womb.” The Holy Spirit does not fill organs, toes, fingers, ears, etc. The Holy Spirit fills people, human beings. That John the Baptist could be filled with the Holy Spirit from the womb means that he was a person – a human being – from the womb.
3. The unborn are “babies.” Today we have a variety of terms to refer to the development of a child: fetus, embryo, infant, baby, etc. But Elizabeth refers to the preborn child as a “baby” (Greek, brephos), which just so happens to be the exact same word used for a child after it was born (see Luke 2:16; 18:15; 2 Timothy 3:15). Likewise, Esau and Jacob were thought of as “children” with distinct personalities within the womb (Genesis 25:19-26). What does this mean? It means the Bible makes no distinction between a baby in the womb and a baby outside the womb. Both are considered to be human beings.
4. The mother and the unborn child are given equal legal protection in Scripture. Exodus 21:22-25 assumes the personhood of the preborn child: “When men strive together and hit a pregnant woman, so that her children come out, but there is no harm, the one who hit her shall surely be fined, as the woman’s husband shall impose on him, and he shall pay as the judges determine. But if there is harm, then you shall pay life for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot, burn for burn, wound for wound, stripe for stripe” (Exodus 21:22-25). In this passage the punishment for harming the unborn child is the same as harming the mother. In fact, this law is more severe than other laws in which there was an accidental death (Numbers 33:9-15, 22-29). This leads Wayne Grudem to conclude,

“God established for Israel a law code that placed a higher value on protecting the life of a pregnant woman and her preborn child than the life of anyone else in Israelite society” (Wayen Grudem, Politics: According to the Bible, p. 160).

The biblical evidence provided above is mainly for believers who think the Bible remains silent on the personhood of the preborn child. Scripture is not silent in this regard. We ignore the high value God places on the unborn at great risk.

Common Sense

Initially I thought proving the personhood of the unborn would be enough to persuade people to convert to being pro-life. Perhaps this used to be the case. But, quite surprisingly, many so-called pro-choice advocates already know the unborn are human beings and should be protected by the U. S. Constitution. Consider this:

• In Minnesota the Fetal Homicide Law makes a person guilty of manslaughter if he kills the baby in a mother’s womb. Of course, there is an exception clause for abortion. John Piper adds sobering commentary,

“What does this mean? It means that if the mother chooses to have the baby killed it is legal. If she doesn’t, it is illegal. Nothing in the essence of the unborn determines the right to life. Only the will of the mother. They know it is the essence of totalitarian rule: the will of the strong determines the rights of the weak” (John Piper, Brothers, We Are Not Professionals, p. 214).

• The human code in the chromosomes (what makes us human) is present from the beginning.
• All organs are present at eight-weeks, although virtually all abortions occur after eight-weeks.
• A baby can live on its own at twenty-three weeks. However, if the mother so desires, the baby can be killed at and beyond this age (as long as the baby is within the womb).

Therefore, science, philosophy, and Scripture all teach the personhood of the unborn.

It’s Not About A Mother’s Choice

If it is true that the unborn are human beings, then the mother’s right to choose has no bearing on the issue whatsoever. Indeed, mothers do not have the right to kill other human beings – no matter the reason. Therefore, since the preborn child is a human being, the mother does not have the right to kill the preborn child. Furthermore, the preborn child is protected by the U. S. Constition, “No person shall… be deprived of life… without due process of law” (Amendment V, emphasis mine).

It’s About God’s Choice

God is the Giver and Taker (Job 1:21). The choice granted to us is whether or not to live in obedience to God. All kinds of excuses emerge to support abortion or to not get involved. Yet those whose hearts belong to God are to, “Give justice to the weak and the fatherless; maintain the right of the afflicted and destitute. Rescue the weak and the needy; deliver them from the hand of the wicked” (Psalm 82:3-4). It is the responsibility of believers to “rescue the weak” and speak out against injustice.

Conclusion

To stand behind abortion as morally just and righteous is to abort sound judgment. What argument would be persuasive enough to hail abortion, killing another human being, as morally just? As shown above, both the Bible and common wisdom show that the unborn child in the womb is a person. Finally, both Scripture and the U. S. Constitution teach that it is unjust to deprive a person of life without due process of law. Therefore, let us do our part for the unborn and offer whatever help we can to mother’s considering abortion or those who have already aborted a baby. The point is not to stand in condemnation. I understand this is a sensitive issue and many may take such an article as being judgmental. But above all, the point is to herald the good news of God’s grace and favor for all who would receive His Son as Savior, Lord, and Treasure. For God is the God of the living!

America, Let Us Consider Our Ways

Many Christian Americans are thankful for God’s abundant blessings upon this nation. Indeed, we should be thankful (1 Thessalonians 5:18). But what shall we do with God’s abundant blessings? For that matter, what have we done? The following quote is by Ralph Winter and I believe it is a sobering analysis of what happens when people use the abundance of God’s blessing to build their own kingdom rather than the kingdom of God.

America today is a “save yourself” society if there ever was one. But does it really work? The underdeveloped societies suffer from one set of diseases: tuberculosis, malnutrition, pneumonia, parasites, typhoid, cholera, typhus, etc. Affluent America has virtually invented a whole new set of diseases: obesity, arteriosclerosis, heart disease, strokes, lung cancer, venereal disease, cirrhosis of the liver, drug addiction, alcoholism, divorce, battered children, suicide, murder. Take your choice. Labor-saving machines have turned out to be body-killing devices. Our affluence has allowed both mobility and isolation of the nuclear family, and as a result, our divorce courts, our prisons and our mental institutions are flooded. In saving ourselves we have nearly lost ourselves.

How hard have we tried to save others? Consider the fact that the U.S. evangelical slogan, “Pray, give or go” allows people merely to pray, if that is their choice! By contrast the Friends Missionary Prayer Band of South India numbers 8,000 people in their prayer bands and supports 80 full-time missionaries in North India. If my denomination (with its unbelievably greater wealth per person) were to do that well, we would not be sending 500 missionaries, but 26,000. In spite of their true poverty, those poor people in South India are sending 50 times as many cross-cultural missionaries as we are![1]

Wow! Our abundance has not made us more productive, has it? If anything, it is easy to see how our focus has shifted from saving others to indulging ourselves in luxury. One wonders where our priorities are. It seems the urgency of our God-given mission to build the kingdom of God has dissipated. In fact, we have come up with our own mission: build the kingdom of self. But consider the outcome of our attempt to build our own kingdom: “In seeking to save ourselves we have nearly lost ourselves.” I am not so naïve as to think my own self-seeking has not brought a “set of diseases” to my own life. For normally kingdoms collapse long after the home has already collapsed.

So, heed the words of Haggai, “Consider your ways…” (read Haggai 1). Is it time to build your kingdom or is it time to build the kingdom of God. I assure you, the outcome of your life will look vastly different depending on how you answer such a question. God’s Word to the rich and affluent, that would be us, is straightforward:

“They are to do good, to be rich in good works, to be generous and ready to share” (1 Timothy 6:18).

“What does it profit a man to gain the whole world and forfeit his life?” (Mark 8:36).

So let us consider our ways and strive to build the kingdom of God, looking forward to our heavenly reward. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

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[1] Ralph Winter, “Reconsecration to a Wartime, Not a Peacetime, Lifestyle,” in Perspectives on the World

Christian Movement,3rded., ed. Ralph Winter and Steven Hawthorne (Pasadena, Calif.: William Carey,

1999), 706.