Faithful on Fridays Blog

It’s inspiring to find unity in the Church, Catholic and Protestant, and that’s where we find the phenomenal influence of Augustine. He’s considered the father of faith in both branches of Christianity in the midst of our division. Let’s consider this man.

Living at the turn the fifth century he was saved as the Holy Spirit revealed his true identity, a hopeless sinner, and he spent the rest of his life seeking God, writing Christian doctrine, and defending the faith. He was a philosopher, pastor, bishop, mystic, poet, and theologian extraordinaire that has had incalculable influence on the Church. The Reformation was an attempt to bring the Church back to the Bible and the Bible teachings of Augustine as we saw in Luther and Calvin.

When God delivered Augustine from his self-centered and pleasure-seeking lifestyle he realized a simple truth; he never would’ve sought God by choice. His revelation, as Jesus taught, was that mankind is totally unable to come to God on his own but only through His grace are we drawn. That’s good, God-centered Bible doctrine of Catholics and Protestants.

No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him. John 6:44a ESV

Augustine was also a gifted speaker and saturated himself with Scripture for preaching. His realization of this amazing grace and the experience of extreme joy stirred up passion and devotion to God at being empowered by the Holy Spirit to live in Him.

I’m intrigued by his famous writing entitled the City of God. It clearly shows what scripture calls the Kingdom of God and it’s distinction from the Kingdom of Darkness. Augustine’s contrast is dramatic and inescapable; where is your citizenship? Are you living for God or for yourself: that’s his enduring question.

Augustine explains the two loves in our life: self and God. Our choices in life reflect our ‘city’. When you reside in the City of God you’ll reflect humility, love, and obedience. Your love and trust of God will exceed yourself and He will be your Lord. On the other hand, when you love and trust yourself, living in pride and rebellion to God, your citizenship remains in the City of Man. Augustine taught that we are constantly battling our flesh (City of Man) to remain in the City of God. Can you identify?

For the desires of the flesh are against the Spirit, and the desires of the Spirit are against the flesh, for these are opposed to each other, to keep you from doing the things you want to do. Galatians 5:17 ESV

I think if Augustine were preaching today he’d see very little difference in our culture from his own, consequently, he’d have the same message; be so in love with God that you live every day for Him and not yourself. Remember who you were before Him but keep your eyes focused on who you are now and for eternity: in Christ.

Are you Ready?

For the next few Midweek Messages we’ll be focusing on the Second Coming of Christ. With prophecy being fulfilled in the Middle East in unprecedented ways, famines and earthquakes increasing in frequency and intensity just as Jesus predicted (Matt. 24), and nations forming alliances with each other in preparation to come against Israel, it’s time to look at ourselves. The reports of the international scene, beheadings, chemical warfare, nuclear war are sobering but let’s turn to the personal areas of preparation. The nations of the world are preparing but are you?

Scattered throughout the New Testament are scriptures that instruct us to be ready for His return therefore I’ve summarized them into eight strategies. For the next eight weeks the Midweek Message from the Archive will hopefully encourage you, enlighten you, and even excite you that He’s truly coming back. That Day will be like no other. There will be an appearance that rocks our planet with trumpets blaring, angels spinning, and believers rising from the dead. Our bodies will be joined with our spirits in the sky as the Creator of the World rides in on a white horse with the armies of heaven riding with Him. He’s not coming as a little baby born in a stable (really a cave); He’s coming as the King of all Kings and Judge of the Universe. Every eye will see Him and every knee will eventually bow to Him. It will be a unique day, scripture calls it the Day of the Lord or That Day and it will be unmistakable. There will be no doubt in anyone’s mind; this is the Lamb of God, the Son of God, and the King of all kings.

This vision is for a future time.
It describes the end, and it will be fulfilled.
If it seems slow in coming, wait patiently,
for it will surely take place.
It will not be delayed. (Habakkuk 2:3 NLT)

This Old Testament prophet encourages us to wait patiently for the Last Day or the Return of Jesus Christ and not let doubt of it’s fulfillment enter into your thinking. That’s my goal for these messages. It will be a glorious day in which our Savior inaugurates a new Kingdom for us. We’ll not be floating around in heaven playing harps; we’ll be ruling and reigning with Him over this planet. Hey, doesn’t that sound familiar?

And God blessed them. And God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth and subdue it, and have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over every living thing that moves on the earth. Genesis 1:28 ESV

This was the original plan before sin entered our world so buckle your seatbelt as these scriptures may cause your spirit to defy gravity. I pray that these messages will stir up passion in you to live intentionally for Him every day. He’s coming back, wait for it!

Several years ago two of us drove the Martin Luther Trail in Germany. Being raised Lutheran but not understanding the heart of the Reformation, I hoped this prayer journey would show me what drove a monk/priest/professor to confront religious abuses of his day.

The issue was this: the Church, and there was only one Church for 1500 years, wasn’t meeting the spiritual needs of the people. God revealed to Luther that He wasn’t an angry God waiting to punish the sinner but a merciful God waiting to save him. That’s not what was preached and Luther decided to do something about it. The decision of posting 95 areas of concern on the door of the church (the community bulletin board) wasn’t meant to start a movement away from the Church but to stimulate debate and restore the purity of the gospel. Luther’s passion, imparted from God for such a time as this, was scriptural truth and he would not veer from it, not even under accusation of heresy. He translated the Bible into German for the people because his heart was for them to know God personally through His Word and experience His love. It was God’s providence that the printing press, mass media technology, was invented at this time in history and paved the way for duplication of the Word.

This sixteenth century man wrote and preached (over 3,000 sermons) for the rest of his life, age 63, and the Reformation began. Luther never wanted to leave the Church but it became dangerous to remain, hence the first denomination within the Church was born. His writings influenced believers of his day and were spread by horseback all over Europe. God’s movement back to Himself had begun and Luther’s mantra is still quoted today:

Grace alone, faith alone, scripture alone.

He suffered from physical ailments and depression consequently his later writings reflect his disillusionment. However, what he left us is a treasure-house of sound doctrine and good theology. He encouraged prayer, individual study of God’s Word, understanding Biblical doctrine, family-life in Jesus, personal holiness and God-centeredness. His impact cannot be stressed enough since his theology is the foundation for all protestant denominations.

Why is it important for a believer to know about Martin Luther who lived over 500 years ago? I think it’s because we can again veer away from those three truths. It’s vital we remember God’s love and grace shown in Jesus Christ, it’s not about who we are but Whose we are, and that’s revealed throughout the Bible, especially the New Testament. We have the responsibility to defend our faith like Luther but we can’t defend what we don’t understand. I’m encouraging you: listen to Biblical preaching, check it out in your own Bible, and allow the Holy Spirit to impart revelation to you.

As I followed the trail of Martin Luther I began to understand the passion of this man and hope I’ve now succeeded in relaying to you.

In 1960, presidential candidate Sen. John F. Kennedy challenged students at the University of Michigan to volunteer 2 yrs. of their life to helping others. In 1961 President Kennedy, signed an Executive Order to establish the Peace Corps. It’s goal was and remains to be an instrument of world peace and friendship to other countries.

As we approach the next beatitude from Matt. 5 let’s first be reminded that peace, shalom, with God is the initial step in becoming a ‘peacemaker’. As much as I admire and respect the work of the Peace Corps., there is no peace without Jesus first.

Yet now he has reconciled you to himself through the death of Christ in his physical body. As a result, he has brought you into his own presence, and you are holy and blameless as you stand before him without a single fault. (Colossians 1:22 NLT)

I think Jesus’ point was experiencing spiritual wholeness from God causes a desire to bring wholeness to others. This desire to be a peacemaker creates passion for reconciliation between people in our lives. We, in essence, are enlisted in God’s Peace Corps.

What is reconciliation? You may remember from English Class that the prefix ‘re’ means to do it again. Do what again? Look at the root word conciliate. Even though we don’t hear that word often it’s crucial to understanding re-conciliation. It’s meaning is to overcome hostility by making friendly overtures. Get it? If you’re in God’s Peace Corps. then you’re His instrument of reconciliation. You are His co-worker and agent. Sound important? It is. It’s so important that He calls peacemakers His children: sons of God.

The holidays are prime-time for reconciliation. Families that are torn apart through unresolved hurt or disagreements are in dire need of a peacemaker. What can you do? Pray and ask God for an opening. Express to Him that you want to bring harmony back into your family but don’t know how. He’ll give you the wisdom and understanding to see both perspectives and speak to them. As a believer in Jesus Christ you have a ministry of reconciliation (2 Cor. 5:18) in your family, your neighborhood, your church, or even at work. Is your desire to reestablish relationships, restore friendships, or reunite people? Pray, express your desire, and listen to that quiet voice of His as He directs you. Your example of seeing different perspectives will make a difference. It may not happen this year but God is a God of action and He will start the ball rolling toward true peace between people through your prayer. Initiate a conversation, send a card, extend an invitation; be an initiator of peace.

St. Francis of Assisi wrote this:

“Preach the gospel, if necessary, use words.”

And those who are peacemakers will plant seeds of peace and reap a harvest of righteousness. (James 3:18 NLT)

Welcome to God’s Peace Corps! May you plant many seeds this year.

“Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a huge crowd of witnesses to the life of faith, let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily trips us up. And let us run with endurance the race God has set before us.” Hebrews 12:1 NLT

I picture this heavenly gathering of saints cheering us on in our faith with Martin Luther and John Calvin among them. Calvin was a Frenchman living, like Luther, in the sixteenth century amidst the Reformation. He read Luther’s works and jumped into the fray but unlike Luther, Calvin was an intellectual. When the Holy Spirit got ahold of him he used his gifts to impact the Church with sound doctrine and inspired Bible teaching.

The Church has always had statements of faith, creeds, however, the Reformation brought greater understanding of what we believe. Calvin was a studier, teacher, pastor, professor, and defender of Christianity whose life was centered on Christ and the Church. The Holy Spirit burned two wonderful truths that drove him to influence believers around the world.

God showed Calvin, as he had previously shown Augustine and Luther, that He was to be central in our faith. That truth, imparted by the Holy Spirit, included divine election and predestination as Augustine and Luther taught. God had shown the apostle Paul (explained in the book of Romans) that we are born sinners and in that state we have no desire to know God and no ability to come to Him. Calvin went on to explain that you must know yourself before you can know God. When we recognize the low place of our sinfulness we can turn to Him in His high place of holiness. That enlightenment is due to His work of drawing us: not anything we’ve done. It’s called grace.

Secondly, the Spirit of Christ burned the truth of His sovereignty and supremacy. Calvin wrote, “this profound sense of His majesty is the key that unlocks the heart.” After he experienced the Holy Spirit and His majesty he devoted his short life (55 yrs.) to explaining and defending the truths of our Christian faith. His influence, through His writings, remains in Christian churches throughout the world.

Why blog about our Church Fathers? This study has redirected me to the authority and awe of God. They remind me that faith is all about the Lord and less about me. I love reading about the encounters these men had with God and know that we can also experience Him. As with Luther and Calvin, God’s placed spiritual gifts in us to be used for His glory and benefit the Church; the question remains, are you exercising your gifts?

What stirs you up, drives you, and even angers you? Let those God-given emotions direct you to be used for His glory and benefit other believers. Investigate ministries that focus on your interests and passions and allow the Spirit to funnel His love to the world.

A Simple Prayer

I’ve volunteered at Vacation Bible School for years but recently had a surprising situation come up. After the teaching the lesson we were to discuss problems in life with our age group, 2nd and 3rd graders. Before I began the discussion I thought to myself, “Are you kidding? What kind of problems can 7 and 8 yr. olds have?” Surprisingly, two out of five children said their mommy and daddy were getting a divorce. I was stunned. First, that two of them answered with the same situation at home and second because they were willing to trust me with that information. I had a split second to respond so I said, “I am so sorry; I’ll pray for you.” I felt so inadequate, that my answer was such a platitude. However, the truth is, I did and will pray for them. Even though it seemed insufficient, it was exactly what God wanted them to hear. I don’t know the tensions in their home life, the hurts their family is experiencing, or their fears but God does. My purpose in that moment was to offer them hope. I prayed that God would show them His love, that He cares about what’s happening to them, and that He’ll help them through all of it.

It’s the same for you whether you are the one who needs prayer or the one who is offering prayer. God loves you and cares about your life. Sometimes people share their burdens and you have a split second to respond and the moment is gone. What will you say? Here’s the clincher: if you tell someone you’ll pray for them you had better follow through. God not only cares about those hurting but about your integrity. Offering prayer is a serious thing to God and He holds you accountable. A simple prayer can move a mountain, soften a heart, or bring true peace to a situation. Never forget that.

“Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working.” James 5:16 ESV

As a retired elementary teacher I had forgotten what kids go through at home. VBS was a great way to remind me to pray for these kids and to reassure them, as our leaders did all week, of the love and care of their heavenly Father. Speak a word of hope to someone this week, will you? Your neighbors, your friends, or your extended family; God wants to use you to as His voice to a hurting world.

Beatitude: Pure in Heart

When I was teaching a science unit on weather to fifth graders we discussed the mystery of wind. I explained that even though you can’t see the wind you know it’s real. You can observe its effects in creation: a flag blowing, your face burning with an icy-cold or burning hot gust, a sound or odor that travels near you. It isn’t tangible, you can’t touch it, but you know it’s there. Jesus used wind in his illustration of our spiritual rebirth.

The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear its sound, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes. So it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit.” (John 3:8 ESV)

Our sixth beatitude is pureness of heart. The heart is that hidden part of you (1 Peter 3:4) that only God can know. It’s the place from where our desires come as well as our behavior to fulfill those desires. It all begins in the heart. It alerts us to whether we are living to please ourselves or to please God. That sets the bar pretty high for a believer in Jesus Christ. Our sinful nature drives us to patterns of behavior that make us feel good. God, the Holy Spirit, compels us toward holy thinking and therefore holy living. Phil. 4:8 gives us a list of things to think on, things that are pure made that list. What we think about we usually act on. True? True.

We may think that since we go to church most Sundays, occasionally read our Bible, throw a check into the offering plate, and maybe even volunteer our time and energy to a worthy cause, we have this pure heart. On the contrary, Jesus said that unless our righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees we will never enter into kingdom living. The scribes and Pharisees were all about having the right behavior without the right heart. They looked good on the outside but God knew their heart. Our standard is higher, it’s love for God and love for others. Paul tells us:

The purpose of my instruction is that all believers would be filled with love that comes from a pure heart, a clear conscience, and genuine faith. (1 Timothy 1:5 NLT)

What does this have to do with the wind? Watch Jesus’ connection. When you have a pure heart, the right motives and attitudes that drive your behavior, you will see God. You will observe His work in your life, like the wind, and watch your circumstances change. Do you want to see God? Ps. 24:3-6 tells you how. Constantly check your heart, analyze why you do things. God wants you to see that flag blowing, feel His presence, hear His voice, and give you the peace that only He can give. You are blessed when you desire to please God more than yourself: that’s a pure heart.