Before we get to today’s article, I just want to mention that am writing from the perspective of a man that has experienced many of the challenges of which I write…. and those spiritual battles continue daily. The articles are implications of what it means to obey the commandment to raise your children in the discipline and instruction of the Lord. They require some reflection and are particularly for Christians who, as Peter would say, are diligently seeking to confirm their calling and are making every effort to supplement their faith. Said more succinctly, serious Christians. If you know other believers who desire to walk more faithfully with the Lord, please forward an article to them and tell them to sign up for future articles. Thanks so much!

The Collisions Between God’s Will And My Will Reveals Much!

You know the song and it goes like this:

This is my Father’s world, And to my listening ears
All nature sings, and round me rings, The music of the spheres.
This is my Father’s world: I rest me in the thought
Of rocks and trees, of skies and seas–His hand the wonders wrought.

This is my Father’s world: The birds their carols raise,
The morning light, the lily white, Declare their Maker’s praise.
This is my Father’s world: He shines in all that’s fair;
In the rustling grass I hear Him pass, He speaks to me everywhere.

This is my Father’s world: O let me ne’er forget
That though the wrong seems oft so strong, God is the Ruler yet.
This is my Father’s world: Why should my heart be sad?
The Lord is King: let the heavens ring! God reigns; let earth be glad!

So why do we love this song so much? We love it because it brings us great comfort. It reminds us that He is the sovereign Creator, and he not only has the power to create, but what he creates is beautiful and reflective of His glory. It also reminds us that no matter what we face in this world, our loving Father is ruling and because He loves us with a love beyond our comprehension, we can continue our walk in this life and even find joy in the madness of it all.

Every Christian welcomes the will of God to be done in their lives, but what happens when the desires I have for my life differs from His? Put another way, what happens when God’s Providence for me does not align with my everyday expectations for my life? Answer: hard collision.

I do believe these so-called “collisions” with God’s will are not so apparent when we experience the smaller negatives in life such as a minor car accident, or a short term physical malady. As people who have been raised in America, we have been taught that all people experience ups and downs in life, and we need to pull ourselves together, work harder, and trust that those short term negatives will pass, and better days are ahead. Unfortunately, these are missed opportunities for the Christian because this is part of God’s plan to condition our minds to think properly about our short term stay here on earth. It is important that our awareness of God’s presence and activity in our lives grows overtime as part of our sanctification.

But what happens when these “collisions” are not small collisions? What happens when you are devastated by the death of a loved one or your life is being continually diminished because of aging?

Such is the challenge that my wife and I are experiencing. In the past three years, she has had two total knee replacements and one hip replacement, and we’ll soon have another hip replacement. Following that, there is significant signs that we will have to deal with a degenerative back as well. I have had a number of setbacks physically, but they are pale in comparison to hers. I am so grateful that God continues to provide the grace that enables us to weather His storm, even with joy.

However, our walk through these calamities has not been without questions and the temptations to disagree with God’s will for our lives. For example, If we pray for relief, will he give us the desires of our heart? Does it make sense for us to pray for relief of pain when our theology tells us God uses suffering to make us more like Christ? How do we think about praying for things that are essentially asking Him to give us a pass on the curse He promised? We are so thankful for His financial blessings and how that has made us anxiety free about the future, but is it possible that due to future health issues, we may experience the God who gives and takes away?

I am not looking for answers to those questions. Thankfully, I have been taught by many good men, both alive and dead, and have answers sufficient enough to strengthen my faith. But what I am pointing to is what this time has revealed more clearly in myself and maybe sharing these thoughts with you will be helpful.

First, as much as I do not think I lead a worldly life, the significant setbacks that we are experiencing has revealed that I am much more attached to this world than any Christian should be. Therefore, daily repentance is needed.

Secondly, I need to wake up every day and declare to myself, my life is not my own. I have been purchased with the precious blood of my Lord and savior Jesus Christ. I should have no plans other than my Master’s plans revealed for me and all Christians in His sacred book. Therefore, I live not to please myself but to please God. I serve at His good pleasure and the only reason myself or my wife are here today is because He is not done using us for His glory. And that may be for our sanctification, the sanctification of others, or both at the same time.

Third, I need to pray God will continue to diminish my love for this world and He will give me a greater yearning for heaven and help me remember that He is not in my world; I am in His world! Don’t get me wrong, I’m not asking for some kind of fatalistic death wish, but I do want to have a perspective that the Puritans had- they said you should have one foot in this world and one foot in heaven. In other words, prepare for and welcome the river crossing of death that takes you from this world into His presence.

This is my Father’s world: O let me ne’er forget
That though the wrong seems oft so strong, God is the Ruler yet.
This is my Father’s world: Why should my heart be sad?
The Lord is King: let the heavens ring! God reigns; let earth be glad!

Before we get to today’s article, I just want to mention that am writing from the perspective of a man that has experienced many of the challenges of which I write…. and those spiritual battles continue daily. The articles are implications of what it means to obey the commandment to raise your children in the discipline and instruction of the Lord. They require some reflection and are particularly for Christians who, as Peter would say, are diligently seeking to confirm their calling and are making every effort to supplement their faith. Said more succinctly, serious Christians. If you know other believers who desire to walk more faithfully with the Lord, please forward an article to them and tell them to sign up for future articles. Thanks so much!

Most Christians Worship Two Gods on Sunday. Let’s Change That.

Well, that’s a pretty shocking title but of course, I intended it to get your attention on an incredibly important topic. And immediately, there is a sense of frustration in my heart because I am anticipating that most Christians will dismiss this topic and refuse to even give it some careful consideration. However, if God might use this article to his glory in the life of one Christian, it will be more than worth my time.

So, what am I talking about? I’m talking about Christians neglecting the 4th commandment which says,

Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days you shall labor, and do all your work, but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the LORD your God. On it you shall not do any work, you, or your son, or your daughter, your male servant, or your female servant, or your livestock, or the sojourner who is within your gates. For in six days the LORD made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that is in them, and rested on the seventh day. Therefore, the LORD blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy. Exodus 20:8

This commandment is the only commandment of the sacred 10 commandments that most modern day Christians have put into a category of commandments that no longer apply. It should be noted that that view of the 4th commandment was not held by Christian leaders and the Christian church in general prior to these last 100 plus years. For the first 1800 years following Jesus’ return to heaven, orthodox Christianity taught that the 4th commandment observance was moved to the first day of the week (Sunday) and the entire day (not just church attendance) was a holy day to the Lord. Again, to be clear, I am not addressing the issue of church attendance. My concern is what the Christian does with the remainder of the day.

I’ve read many books and articles that present views on whether or not the 4th commandment is one of the 10 commandments to obey for today’s Christians, and I’m going to give you some brief bullet points so you can see both sides of the argument. It is important to note that people on both sides of the discussion are fine Christian theologians who are well respected in Orthodox Christian circles.

And then, guess what? I am not going to enter into a debate over these two points of view. However, I am going to present an entirely different approach to the question at hand. But first, the arguments of others-

Common Points Made Against The Observance Of The 4th Commandment.

Common Points Made For Observance Of The 4th Commandment.

My Challenge to Your Christian Mind And Heart

As I mentioned earlier, many books have been written through the years debating the topic and I do not intend to get into the responses from each camp concerning criticisms of the other. However, my appeal is a very basic one, and that is to the heart and mind of a listening Christian who is familiar with the revealed character and attributes of God. For example, did God, being God, intend to place the 4th commandment on a tablet for His beloved Moses and the Israelites knowing that it would have no relevance for His New Testament bride?

How Did We Get Here?

I started this article with a title indicating that most Christian worship two Gods on Sunday. One God is the one and only true God, The Lord Jesus Christ. The other god (note the lower case “g”) is the one that the Bible calls the god of this world; the wicked fallen angel named Satan. Satan hates God and hates God’s people. He wants to control and destroy every creature made in God’s image and he is smart and crafty. Some of his schemes to destroy are worked out in days or weeks, but there are some that he has planned to bear fruit after years or decades. In his plan to lure Christians into worldly pleasures on The Lord’s Day, he has been slowly dismantling the importance and value of the 4th commandment over many years.

You may not know this, but there was a time in America where stores were closed on Sundays and professional sporting events were not scheduled. It was also a time when children’s practices and games would never be scheduled. Even pagans considered the day as a day for rest and family time. But as the years went by, incremental changes took place that catered to people’s desires to fill their hearts with all manners of entertainment and self-satisfaction. Simultaneously, churches deemphasized the gift of the 4th commandment and by doing so, placated the convictions that the commandment brings to our consciences. For the modern Christian today, Sundays are days that are planned out not for spending the entire day honoring the Lord, but a day of planned entertainment. It is as if the things that honor Jesus are done in the morning and the things that Jesus hates, the worldly things, are given honor in the afternoon and evening.

Some might claim that in order to be financially successful in this competitive world, a person must work on Sunday. But frankly, that kind of is thinking reveals a heart that doesn’t believe God’s promises. You see, the truth is that thousands upon thousands could testify how the Lord provides in ways that you might never expect- but He does provide! One well known example is the fast food chain, Chick-Fil-A. Chick-Fil-A is a Christian owned and operated company that began in Georgia with one store in 1967. They believed that Sunday was the Lord’s day and have remained closed on that day for the past 57 years. They believed God’s promise to the Israelites to provide all that they needed to eat for 7 days in only 6 days, would apply to their business in principle. Today, after being closed for business 14% of each week (Sundays), Chick-Fil-A is the number one fast food chain for sales per store in the nation. The Lord will provide.

What Should We Do?

The answer to this question strikes fear in the hearts of church leaders. Why? Because any time we are given a list of things to do for the Lord, our foolish hearts are tempted to rely on doing our lists rather than the grace of God. I understand the concern, but it is not consistent with the lists that we establish to keep us from breaking the other commandments. There are places we don’t go or things that we don’t allow our eyes to see in order to not covet, commit adultery, etc.

My suggestion for the Christian and the Christian family is more of an outline than a list. Let’s call it a number of things that you can consider for honoring the Lord throughout the day-

Finally, if you have read or listened to this article and have come under conviction to change, please do not suppress it! Rather, ask the Lord to give you grace to make the change. You will never regret it.

Before we get to today’s article, I just want to mention that am writing from the perspective of a man that has experienced many of the challenges of which I write…. and those spiritual battles continue daily. The articles are implications of what it means to obey the commandment to raise your children in the discipline and instruction of the Lord. They require some reflection and are particularly for Christians who, as Peter would say, are diligently seeking to confirm their calling and are making every effort to supplement their faith. Said more succinctly, serious Christians. If you know other believers who desire to walk more faithfully with the Lord, please forward an article to them and tell them to sign up for future articles. Thanks so much!

Hello everyone!

I have been asked by a number of people why they are not receiving weekly articles from me. So, I thought it might be good to give you a brief update.

I have been using Apple Podcast, YouTube, and my website to house material that I hope is helpful to the Christian and non-Christian community. Over the past two years I have learned that keeping a website up to date is frustrating  and some people like podcasts while others love YouTube.

Therefore, I have decided to focus primarily on the CherishEphesians 64 YouTube channel (http://www.youtube.com/@MichaelLeeCE64) because it is easy for me to produce and load videos quickly. Using YouTube has also given me a place to receive comments and questions- which is great because it gives me a ministry opportunity with people- and I love that!

How many followers do I have? I have about 500 followers on the YouTube and Podcast. Not a huge number, but it is not surprising given the fact that culturally we are at an all-time low on people’s desire and ability to think.

How many listens and views? I’m approaching 20,000. That may sound like a lot or a little to you. But in the world of social media, it is a relatively small number and there is a logical reason for it- I don’t do soundbites, I don’t do entertainment, and I don’t do short form videos. I produce things that are at least 5 minutes long and sometimes as long as 30 minutes. Relatively few people are willing to commit to that level of engagement for the things of God.

Actually, the number of people who have listened to an entire video is much less. Most people will click on a video or podcast episode and leave after 30 seconds. In my own mind, I would estimate that there has been only 2,000-4,000 people who listened or viewed the entire post.

However, I am encouraged. Although I would like the numbers to be greater, I am confident from the feedback I receive that God is using the channel as a help to both Christians and non-Christians.

So, what will a person find when they go to CherishEphesians64 on YouTube? All sorts of Christian recordings (about 450 videos to date) that people can listen to while they are doing something else! For example-

OK, that was too long! Hope all is well with you and come visit the YouTube channel if you get a minute! 

Mike Lee

Before we get to today’s article, I just want to mention that am writing from the perspective of a man that has experienced many of the challenges of which I write…. and those spiritual battles continue daily. The articles are implications of what it means to obey the commandment to raise your children in the discipline and instruction of the Lord. They require some reflection and are particularly for Christians who, as Peter would say, are diligently seeking to confirm their calling and are making every effort to supplement their faith. Said more succinctly, serious Christians. If you know other believers who desire to walk more faithfully with the Lord, please forward an article to them and tell them to sign up for future articles. Thanks so much!

You Know Nothing! You Know Nothing!

I’m going to transport you back about 40 years to find a young Mike Lee working for what some called an arrogant, obnoxious person. To me, he was not only my boss, but a friend. In some ways he was absolutely charming; in others, a nightmare to deal with. But in any case, I had started in the job and within a year, I was beginning to have the kind of success that made others take notice.

As the months quickly passed, he began to trust me more and listened to what I thought about the business and life. Then, one day after an important discussion, he leaned forward and with a smile on his face, raised his voice, and proclaimed to me and all who were within earshot, “You know nothing! You know nothing!” We laughed together and I thought I understood the motive for his verbal assault, but in fact, I did not.

Now 40 years later, I am just beginning to understand how much truth was carried in his words. Neither of us were Christians so his comment was not based on anything that he had found in the Bible. But he was 16 years my senior and was operating from the well-known fact that wisdom is accumulated over time and experience. I may have proved to be a pretty smart young man and even a fast learner, but because I had not lived for very long, I really didn’t know what I thought I knew, and he was happy to bring the point home- You know nothing!

So, I became a Christian at 36 years old and for the first time, I realized that all I thought I knew just got tossed out the window. And yes, now I knew something (the gospel message) and knowing the Lord is the beginning of knowledge, but my old friend’s words landed on me in a new way. I knew nothing! In fact, It was worse than I could have ever imagined.

Let’s get up to date. I have been a Christian 31 years and I thankfully, I do know some things. Now in my 69th year on the planet, I can say that I have had a vast array of experiences- good and bad- during my time, but can I finally shake the declaration my old boss made so many years ago? Do I still know nothing?

So now we arrive at the problem and maybe through my problem, you will find your problem. My problem is that I believe I no longer “Know nothing.” My problem was created because several elements came together to form something nasty. My problem came about because I was well educated, have had many life experiences, including many successes. My problem is, “I know everything.”

Well, I may have lost you so let me explain further. When I say that I believe I know everything, I do not mean that literally. I know that I don’t know everything. I am using hyperbole to make the point that I speak and behave as if I knew everything. The Bible describes this problem using the words pride, or lack of humility. And God hates it and works against it . “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.” James 4:6

Pride makes us the worst mathematicians in the world. We secretly count the times that our judgments about people, situations and outcomes are correct, but we forget to count the times that we were wrong. Our measuring scales are corrupt because they are being run by our flesh.

A lack of humility makes us the worst listeners in the world. We have conversations with people and never hear or discern how many times we have injured them with our words. God hates all of this because it works against the commands to love all people. But He hates it even more because pride operates in a heart small on love and reverence toward God and big on stealing His glory. In other words, when we behave like we know everything, we act as if we know what God would do. Do I want to be Job? Do I want God to come to me and ask, “Where were you when I created all the world and how much did you contribute? And how much of it do you even understand?”

The antidote against such a condition is to remember the truth. The truth is that it is God Who gives whatever physical or mental capacity we have. It is God Who decided that His Spirit would blow into our dead hearts and draw us to Him. It is God’s Spirit that enables us to understand truth and apply to life situations. It is God Who providentially ordains every life experience we have had, and it is God Who, by His grace, gives us life and breath and keeps us from falling away from our faith and trust in Christ. In his first letter to the Corinthians Paul said it this way:

“What do you have that you did not receive? If then you received it, why do you boast as if you did not receive it?” 1 Corinthians 4:7

“But by the grace of God, I am what I am!” Corinthians 15:10

Finally, James tells us how to live. “Who is wise and understanding among you? By his good conduct let him show his works in the meekness of wisdom.” James 3:13

The bottom line- my old boss was more right than he knew. I have learned that compared to what I could know in this life, I know so very little, and compared to Almighty God, I know nothing. I know nothing. God help me remember it.

Before we get to today’s article, I just want to mention that am writing from the perspective of a man that has experienced many of the challenges of which I write…. and those spiritual battles continue daily. The articles are implications of what it means to obey the commandment to raise your children in the discipline and instruction of the Lord. They require some reflection and are particularly for Christians who, as Peter would say, are diligently seeking to confirm their calling and are making every effort to supplement their faith. Said more succinctly, serious Christians. If you know other believers who desire to walk more faithfully with the Lord, please forward an article to them and tell them to sign up for future articles. Thanks so much!

The Lord Has Promised To Meet All Of My Needs, But It Seems He Is Not Doing It.

I believe it would be fair to say that all Christians experience times in their life when they need the Lord to provide something, and He does not. If we choose to give very little thought to why this happens, we can quickly arrive at the flimsy conclusion that God is not trustworthy. Maybe we don’t say it out loud but there’s something inside of us that imperceptibly registers thoughts of doubt in the veracity of God.

What I would like to do through this article is to assure you by using the scriptures that God is not only trustworthy, but His plan is gloriously brilliant for his children. First, let me introduce several examples of Christians who are praying for God to fulfill a need:

I could literally make up another 100 examples, but they are not needed to make the point. Many Christians find themselves in similar situations where they are praying for God to act, and it seems that their prayers aren’t even being heard.

So, let’s go to scripture to begin to work through this challenging question. First up is Matthew 6:25-30:

“Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life? And why are you anxious about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin, yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is alive and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? Therefore, do not be anxious, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.”

The key takeaways here are the absolute sovereignty of God over all things, the knowledge that God has regarding our needs, the command to seek God and His righteousness in your life, and the promise that all of your needs will be provided for.

And here we have to ask the question, “do the things that I determined to be my needs correlate with the things that God has determined to be my needs?” Clearly, there is room for disagreement between the Christian and the Lord, so there may be situations where the needs we’re praying for are not the same as what the Lord’s view of what we need. We have to remember, as the passage illustrates, our value in the eyes of the Lord is greater than we can even imagine, and He will never provide something for us that we don’t truly need. If we were honest, we would admit that many of the things that we think we need in this life would simply not hold muster In light of what God’s word tells us about loving the world.

James is a help in thinking this through as well. In 4:2-3 he says, “You do not have, because you do not ask. You ask and do not receive, because you ask wrongly, to spend it on your passions.”

But wait you say, the examples that you gave above seems to be the kinds of needs or desires that would be pleasing to God. Yes, I agree. However, there is something much greater going on here than what we can understand with our finite minds, and that involves another promise the Lord has made. We can find it in Romans chapter 8:29: “For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son.”

This is, without exception, God’s revealed plan for every Christian. He is working in our lives to change us so we may behave and think more like Jesus Christ. Ultimately, he is preparing us for heaven. Is this promise more important than the promise to provide our needs? Well, it certainly isn’t more important in the context of deciding which promise kept would prove His faithfulness more than the other. He cannot be unfaithful to either promise, but he must work all things together for our good and his glory.

So, let’s look to scripture again to learn how He makes us more like Christ. The best place to look for the answer is to examine the life of our Lord and King Himself. As we begin to study His life, we have to remember that the Bible teaches that Jesus was fully God and fully man and because He was fully man, He went through his life learning the things necessary to reflect His Father in heaven to the watching world.  In an amazing passage from Hebrews 5:7-8, the Bible says, “In the days of his flesh, Jesus offered up prayers and supplications, with loud cries and tears, to him who was able to save him from death, and he was heard because of his reverence. Although he was a son, he learned obedience through what he suffered.”

Of all of the things that we know from scripture, this one truth may be the most unpleasant. This passage is not an isolated passage about Jesus’ sufferings. His life was a life of many sorrows. Nor are passages hard to find about the suffering the believer faces during his time here on earth. And why? Because we don’t learn to be more obedient to God, to trust Him more, and to love Him more, during the times things are going well. When times are going well, we are prone to think of Him less, depend on Him less, and strive less in our battle to walk worthy of His calling. In a word, we succumb to our flesh. However, when we are struggling or suffering in some way, we go to Him and learn more of His grace, mercy, and love. Truly, there is nothing greater than suffering in its number or magnitude that is effective in making us more like Christ, and that is greater need than any temporal earthly need.

What does that suffering look like? Well, it can be anything the Lord knows is best for our life at any particular time. Can it be withholding our need for a larger salary even if it is for a God honoring cause? Yes. Can it be withholding one of His great gifts, the gift of children? Yes, if He thinks we will learn more by having to wait. Can it be withholding wisdom, so we have to grind a situation out for a longer period of time, causing us to depend on Christ’s grace more deeply? Yes. And we should understand, wisdom does not come through lightning bolts of information but through the experiences of life overlaid by the truth of scripture. This requires a constant feeding of the heart and mind on the word of God.

And thinking more broadly, can our waiting or suffering in situations be used for God’s purposes than just us? Yes. Both believers and unbelievers are watching us all the time. God uses our response to difficult situations to encourage our brothers and sisters in Christ and to draw unbelievers to him who wonder what it is in the Christian that makes him smile even in the face of adversity. And what about the experience itself and how God may use that in the Christian’s ministry to someone else facing a similar situation?

Listen to 2 Corinthians 2:3-6: “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our affliction, so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God. For as we share abundantly in Christ’s sufferings, so through Christ we share abundantly in comfort too. If we are afflicted, it is for your comfort and salvation; and if we are comforted, it is for your comfort, which you experience when you patiently endure the same sufferings that we suffer.”

So, what should we do when it seems God is not providing? Just a few things to think about:

Yes, the Lord will provide all of our needs and especially our need to be conformed to the image of Christ. What an amazing God we serve and call our Father!

Before we get to today’s article, I just want to mention that am writing from the perspective of a man that has experienced many of the challenges of which I write…. and those spiritual battles continue daily. The articles are implications of what it means to obey the commandment to raise your children in the discipline and instruction of the Lord. They require some reflection and are particularly for Christians who, as Peter would say, are diligently seeking to confirm their calling and are making every effort to supplement their faith. Said more succinctly, serious Christians. If you know other believers who desire to walk more faithfully with the Lord, please forward an article to them and tell them to sign up for future articles. Thanks so much!

The Thanksgiving Holiday And Crazy Families.

Well that very special day of the year is upon us and for many families, it will be a day filled with joy, stress, and anger. Why? Because members of our family can be so different one from another.

Very few of you will hear this and not understand what I’m talking about, but for the majority of families in America, there will be at least one typically rude person who comes to Thanksgiving. This is the self-centered person who loves to hear himself talk. He is full of opinions and is determined to let everyone know his view. He is loud and is in the habit of interrupting people who are trying to communicate with him by simply cutting them off mid-sentence and raising his voice over theirs.

Then there is the completely stressed out relative whose life is a mess. Upon arriving at your home, he will dispense quickly with the greeting and scan the room for the nearest source of alcohol.

And of course, there will be a mix of Christians and non-Christians in the room who are all coming together with potentially different ideas about what Thanksgiving represents. In fact, they will have different ideas and different worldviews about many things. And this year, we have the ultimate fuel for a fire of disagreement and anger. I am referring to the presidential election. Yes, once again, we have the wonderful combo of religion and politics!

Many Christians will look forward to Thanksgiving as the time when they can share the gospel with their nonbelieving relatives. Others will anticipate conversations about the culture and politics and be anxious to enter into the discussion armed with powerful arguments they believe will change the position of the person who is their target.

Both of the aforementioned goals are laden with traps. On conversations concerning the culture, Christians must remember that a person’s view of culture is closely tied to their heart’s condition, and their heart’s condition is absolutely tied to their view of Jesus Christ. Said another way, the knowledge of the Bible and a person’s belief in its entirety, shapes their entire worldview, and if they do not believe and trust the Word of God, it is impossible for them to have a worldview that agrees with yours, no matter how good your arguments are! I would suggest treading carefully in those discussions and make being a great listener as your primary goal.

And what about sharing the gospel? Am I suggesting that Christians not share the gospel? No, but I am suggesting that we wait on God and follow His leading. This reminds me of some people when they say, “I led someone to Christ.” Now I don’t mean to be picky here because we know when most people say that they led someone to Christ, they mean that God used them in the process of Him leading them to Christ. That said, I believe we often think that we have more influence over a person’s conversion than we actually do. The fact is no person has ever led a person to Christ; it is the Spirit who leads a person to Christ and the person sharing the gospel has absolutely zero power in the process. So, I think we need to be more cognizant of that fact when we anticipate opportunities to share the gospel. You need to be keenly aware when a person begins to ask questions about what you believe, it may be indicating God is working in their heart. When that door is opened by God, we should not hesitate to walk through it and share as much truth as the listener is willing to hear. However, if we force ourselves and the gospel on someone who has not indicated any interest in hearing us, we fall into a trap that ends up building walls between us rather than destroying hinderances that keep them from truly hearing the gospel.

So how then do we witness for Christ at Thanksgiving? Our witness for Christ is through our speech and actions. When we talk about our lives and what God has been doing, we ought to say so. So, for example, we should give glory to God and if you received a promotion at work, you might say, the Lord really blessed me, and I’ve gotten this new position. Or, if you’ve been sick or you were injured, you might say, the Lord was gracious to me, and I’ve been able to heal up fairly quickly. Or, if you are struggling in your finances, your family, your health, or anything, you might say, I’ve been praying that God will give me wisdom so I can figure out how to move forward. This is how we should be talking in our Christian lives all the time; it should be something natural for us. If not, it is an indication of something we need to change.

Another way to witness for our Lord is through Christian music. Christian music provides a non-confrontational way to hear words of truth about God, His Son, and the Spirit. I would also suggest that you put careful thought into the pre-meal prayer. You might even choose to read a Psalm or part of a Psalm. There are many that are filled with thanksgiving. And finally, your prayer should also be something significant. I don’t mean long winded but filled with truth and glory to God. I have had a problem with that long winded part in the past so that’s something I always need to work on.

In summary, look towards Thanksgiving Day as a day where the family that God has given you comes together. Some will be rude, others strange, others annoying. But all of them have been brought into your sphere of influence by the Lord and your calling is to love them where they are and share Christ with them should God Himself give you an opportunity. And when Thanksgiving is over, don’t miss the opportunities to discuss the experience with your children. They need to think correctly about their immediate and extended family and how they should respond to difficult situations.

And by the way, happy Thanksgiving!

Before we get to today’s article, I just want to mention that am writing from the perspective of a man that has experienced many of the challenges of which I write…. and those spiritual battles continue daily. The articles are implications of what it means to obey the commandment to raise your children in the discipline and instruction of the Lord. They require some reflection and are particularly for Christians who, as Peter would say, are diligently seeking to confirm their calling and are making every effort to supplement their faith. Said more succinctly, serious Christians. If you know other believers who desire to walk more faithfully with the Lord, please forward an article to them and tell them to sign up for future articles. Thanks so much!

The Election Is Over And Deliverance Is Here…Or Is It?

This has been a hard article to write, and I have vacillated many times this week over whether or not to write it at all. Why? Because I am stepping into an area of passion for many people and there is a good chance that I will be misunderstood. That said, it begins.

First, I want to say that like many Christians in America, I am happy about the latest Presidential election results. I believe we can anticipate a respite from liberal government laws that have been pushed into American culture for many years. From a Conservative Christian’s point of view, Progressive Liberals have worked hard to undermine traditional conservative values regarding family, gender, education, meritocracy, and more. These conservative values were the heart of America for hundreds of years. They were based on the United States Constitution and Declaration of Independence and rooted ultimately in a Christian worldview. 

So far, so good, right? Yes, but Christians need to think more deeply about what is happening. 2 Corinthians 4:4 tell us that there is a god of this world and according to 1 Peter 5:8, that god, or devil, is prowling around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour, and we need to be sober. Ephesians 6 describes him as the schemer and describes the armor that we need to extinguish his fiery darts. He is always scheming to deceive us, and he is playing the long game.

We may listen in to a kind of conversation that was illustrated for us by C.S. Lewis in his book, “The Screwtape Letters.” In that wonderful book, Lewis gives us a window into a fictitious discussion between the devil and one of his minions with the intention of helping Christians understand the devil’s schemes. It might sound something like this:

Devil: Listen carefully my slave. It has taken about 40 years to accomplish my plan, but it is now bearing new fruit. We have provoked God’s people long enough that they have become desperate for change. We have invited them to anger and anxiety and, in the process, have tempted them to look for help apart from their so called, King Jesus.

Minion: why is that important?

Devil: Because if we starve them long enough, they will be willing to accept and support things that they would have never before.

Minion: Such as?

Devil: For example, their leaders. There was a time when a man running for office would be immediately rejected if he had committed crimes or had foul speech. But because we have succeeded in reducing morality, that man is not only accepted but celebrated. And as a bonus, we have even convinced his followers, many of whom say they love that terrible Jesus, to behave in the same way. In fact, they believe that in order to win, they have no choice but to speak as their opposition. They show no fear before their God of their words. They are now fighting for spiritual things with worldly ways.

Minion: We must celebrate, my sire!

Devil: No, there is more for you to learn. I want you to take note of our combined tactics and how they work together. You see, we have also been able to get them to love all of the conveniences and worthless things in this world. So, by making it harder for them to fill their desires, they long for a deliverer who can restore their deprivations.

Minion: This is truly amazing. Can we celebrate now?

Devil: Not just yet. You need to learn more. Now that we have come this far, we need to drive home the full effect. I have been able to convince some that creating a Bible with the new leader’s name on it is a wonderful idea. In fact, we have been able to create a Bible that takes advantage of Christians’ gratitude for this new President and his desire to honor the laws of the land by placing those laws in the same book as the Holy Word of God! In addition, I am working on getting a Christian flag raised at the White House and maybe a Cross in the garden. In that way we may be able to get more Christians to believe that the country is returning to Christianity and have less urgency for evangelism- even though not one person in the country placed their faith in that Christ because of the election.

Minion: Surely master, you are wiser than Jehovah!

Well, enough of that illustration and I hope you are beginning to see my concern. But before I ramble on, I want to make clear what I am not saying.

So, let’s go to the Word of God for more insight because 1 Corinthians 10:11 says,  “Now these things happened to them as an example, but they were written down for our instruction, on whom the end of the ages has come.”

First, we have to be careful not to think like everyone else. In Deuteronomy, God gives His people very specific instructions that they must be careful not to intertwine themselves with other nations because if they do, they will begin to believe what they believe, which was an abomination to God. Paul puts it plainly Romans 12:2 where he says, “Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.”

Secondly, we all have a tendency in our hearts to place our dependence on the things of this world rather entirely on God. Because of this sinful tendency, God did not want His people to have a king, but in a moment of chastening for their desire to be like the nations around them, He gave them a king and you can read of the disastrous results in 1 Samuel, chapters 7 through 15. However, in fairness, it is important to note that through the years there were good kings who ruled Israel. These good kings were the men who destroyed the idols and false worship that had been established in the land by their predecessors. In fact, even the kings who were not Jews were used by God to bless His people. Nehemiah (Nehemiah chapter 2) was blessed to rebuild Jerusalem by king Artaxerxes as was Ezra blessed by King Darius (Ezra Chapter 6). Thankfully, Proverbs 21 tells us, “The king’s heart is a stream of water in the hand of the LORD; He turns it wherever he will.”

Another example of how our hearts are prone to wander toward a reliance on earthly things is shown in 1 Chronicles 21 where David sinfully takes a census of Israel and God kills 70,000 men as a punishment. Clearly, God demands we rely on Him only.  

And finally, there is the example of the Jews and their desire for greater freedom not from the power and punishment that sin brings, but freedom from their oppression under the Romans. This was used by Satan to blind the mind of unbelievers so they could not see the glory of Jesus Christ, even as He walked among them!                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                   

Brothers and sisters, we must be vigilant. We must be sober. We must guard our hearts against being drawn into any thinking there is something other than the pure gospel that truly can change this world for God’s glory. It is not a particular political party or Conservatism that will change the world in a way that pleases God. It is not Conservatism plus the gospel because the gospel plus anything is cursed by God (Galatians 1:8). It is the gospel alone. And we need to find ourselves speaking more easily of the gospel than politics. Can we do that? With God helping us, we will.

Before we get to today’s article, I just want to mention that am writing from the perspective of a man that has experienced many of the challenges of which I write…. and those spiritual battles continue daily. The articles are implications of what it means to obey the commandment to raise your children in the discipline and instruction of the Lord. They require some reflection and are particularly for Christians who, as Peter would say, are diligently seeking to confirm their calling and are making every effort to supplement their faith. Said more succinctly, serious Christians. If you know other believers who desire to walk more faithfully with the Lord, please forward an article to them and tell them to sign up for future articles. Thanks so much!

The Milestones And Pebbles Of Repentance. Do You Have Them?

Some argue that the Book of Romans is the most important book in the Bible. Not most important in its message, but most comprehensive in doctrine because it is here that much of the Christian life is explained. We cannot exit even the first chapter without being challenged to think through weighty issues.

Chapter one declares God’s just punishment for everyone who ignores Him. There are no exceptions because God has given us adequate evidence to prove that there is a God, and that God demands obedience. Chapter two goes on to address discrimination and how God treats us equally and fairly. We are warned to be careful to not place ourselves in the judgment of other people’s sinfulness because first, we do the same things and second, judging others simply magnifies our own guilt.

And then there is this in chapter 2 and verse 4, Paul writes, “Or do you presume on the riches of his kindness and forbearance and patience, not knowing that God’s kindness is meant to lead you to repentance?”

This is a very interesting statement because it seems to be in conflict with what the Bible teaches elsewhere. The Word of God teaches us that unbelievers have been blinded by the devil as it says in 1 Corinthians 4:4 “In their case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelievers, to keep them from seeing the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.” 

And in 2 Corinthians 4:3  “And even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing.”

In addition to the unbeliever’s mind not being able to have a peek at the gospel, we also know they have no ability to understand it. 1 Corinthians 2:14 says, “The natural person does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are folly to him, and he is not able to understand them because they are spiritually discerned.”

So, how then can a person experience the kindness that leads to repentance? Jesus gives us the answer in John 3:3 when He says to Nicodemus, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.” Being born again is not something that a man can do. Jesus again a few verses later: “That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.” This is a gift from God. It is at this point that the person who may have heard about Jesus and the gospel for many years, now sees, hears, and understands the gospel for the first time. What was simply information he chose to ignore in the past now becomes the most important and shocking news he has ever received.

I remember this time in my life 31 years ago. I was like a man who was sinning secretly in a dark room, believing I could keep all of my thoughts and deeds hidden away from others. Then, all of a sudden, it was as if a brilliant light had lit up the room and my life was completely exposed to a God Who I could not escape his gaze or his wrath. Seemingly in the same moment of terror, I also understood the gospel. This same God, Who had the right and the obligation to destroy me for all the years of disobedience and wickedness, was offering me a way of peace. I don’t think I grasped this offer in terms of the love of God, but I did recognize this offer as an unfathomable kindness. I was stunned by the fact that He had allowed me to live for this moment. I was overwhelmed by the truth of Jesus’ sacrifice and how great a punishment he received in my place. All of these kindnesses and many more flashed through my mind and there was nothing else that I could possibly do but repent.  

And what is repentance? It is a dramatic change of mind where a person goes from loving their sin and ignoring God, to a person who hates their sins and beholds God as their Lord and Savior. Yes, the kindness of God in so many ways leads a person to repentance and for every Christian, this moment is the greatest milestone or landmark, in their lives.

But the kindness of God does not stop there and neither does repentance. It has been said that the Christian life is a life of repentance, and I can tell you from experience it is true. There is not a day in my life that passes that I do not have to pull myself back from thinking or acting sinfully. My language slips, my thoughts drift to ungodly places, and my actions begin to form habits that I hate. And what am I called to do? Repent. But how? How can I fight this good fight for my good and the glory of God? And why does it take me so long to even realize that I need to turn away from these sins? This is why David prayed, “Search me, O God, and know my heart! Try me and know my thoughts! And see if there be any grievous way in me and lead me in the way everlasting!” (Psalm 139:23)

The answer: Just as the Spirit of God had to give me a new heart so I could see and understand the gospel, the Spirit now works in me to make me see what I am so slow to see. He kindly pricks my conscience and mind so I can be aware when I am not walking worthy with God. He reminds me of the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. And I repent.

While the moments of great repentance (such as the day of conversion, and later times in life of great reflection) are like milestones, the multitude of repenting moments over the lifetime of a Christian are like small stones cemented together that form great walls of faith, holiness, and thankfulness. Together, they prepare the Christian for every spiritual battle and eventually make him ready for heaven.

How big a part is repentance in your daily life? Do you regularly consider the kindness of God to you? Much to think about!

Before we get to today’s article, I just want to mention that am writing from the perspective of a man that has experienced many of the challenges of which I write…. and those spiritual battles continue daily. The articles are implications of what it means to obey the commandment to raise your children in the discipline and instruction of the Lord. They require some reflection and are particularly for Christians who, as Peter would say, are diligently seeking to confirm their calling and are making every effort to supplement their faith. Said more succinctly, serious Christians. If you know other believers who desire to walk more faithfully with the Lord, please forward an article to them and tell them to sign up for future articles. Thanks so much!

Have You Been Thinking About Giving Up?

I am tired of failing. It has now been 31 years since I placed my faith in the work of Christ for me, but after all this time, I am continually disappointed in myself because I am not where I thought I would be at this point in my walk with Christ. During these 31 years I have worked in ministry teaching people what the Bible says about money and have also led a Christian school. I have led Bible studies and small groups and have had many opportunities to lead others through teaching the Bible. And yet, many of the truths I have taught I have been unable to live out in my own life.

What are these sins that I have been unable to conquer? Well, they are not the outward sins that anyone could see-although I still struggle with those. No, the sins I am losing against are the sins of the heart and mind. These are the sins that cannot be discerned by the casual observer of my life. Sometimes, they are called the “secret sins.”

So, let’s get more specific about these “secret sins.” These are what John wrote about in 1 John 2:15-17 where in warning against loving the world said, “For all that is in the world—the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and pride of life—is not from the Father but is from the world.” These desires are things like thoughts about money, both the desire to have more (greed and lack of contentment) and anxiety over losing what God has given me (“But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.”). These kinds of sins include the prideful judging of other people- their sins, motives, and lives. These kinds of sins are aligned with the world’s teachings on sexuality. These kinds of sins draw you into spending God’s gift of time on things that have no eternal value and eat up the time you should be spending on things that feed your soul and others.

In response to these failings, I would double down on efforts to fill my mind with Christ-centered thoughts. I have read more and listened more but even in the very midst of those efforts- good and helpful efforts- sinful thoughts creep in. In fact, my prayers are often invaded by thoughts that have nothing to do with God. These experiences make me want to throw up my hands in disgust with myself and ask, “when will I graduate from this unfaithfulness?” Maybe this was some of the experience of the ancient monks, who sought to eradicate sinful thoughts by beating themselves with a whip. No worries, I’m not going there.

Then, on a recent excursion through the forest of sinful thinking, I had an epiphany. Actually, it was a re-epiphany. It was the same revelation from God I had 31 years ago and that revelation, was the gospel. I had forgotten the gospel. No, not that I had intellectually forgotten the gospel, but I forgot to apply the gospel to my everyday life, and it was time for a review.

Here is what I learned 31 years ago and what I needed to review:

In conclusion, there is no giving up for the Christian. There is only remembering what is true and applying it to everyday life. When we do so, we go from frustration to exultation and have a sense of joy even in the failures. I believe Paul would give an amen to that seemingly strange idea when he said, “we live as sorrowful, yet always rejoicing” (2 Cor. 6:10).

And by the way, our children have no answer for their continued failure to obey their parents and those failures may become a source of frustration for them. What a great opportunity to share the gospel again and again.

Thanks for reading. You can find many more articles, recorded books, booklets, sermons, and devotions, all from famous preachers and teachers of the past On YouTube, the web, or Apple Podcast by entering Cherish Ephesians 64 in the search bar.

Before we get to today’s article, I just want to mention that am writing from the perspective of a man that has experienced many of the challenges of which I write…. and those spiritual battles continue daily. The articles are implications of what it means to obey the commandment to raise your children in the discipline and instruction of the Lord. They require some reflection and are particularly for Christians who, as Peter would say, are diligently seeking to confirm their calling and are making every effort to supplement their faith. Said more succinctly, serious Christians. If you know other believers who desire to walk more faithfully with the Lord, please forward an article to them and tell them to sign up for future articles. Thanks so much!

The Revolving Door Of Worldliness In Our Homes.

For many Christians, the meaning of Jesus’ words to not love the world is clear. There are many places in our world we know we should not attend, many people we should not befriend, and many things we should not see or hear. Why? Because we are spiritually weak and the level of our faithfulness to our savior is not enough to keep us from falling into sin. It is a known fact to any Bible believing Christian even though our ultimate desire is to please God, the flesh is weak. That is, the remaining power of sin, often called the flesh, is still powerfully working within us.

So, even as Christians understand John’s terrible warning, “Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him (1 John 2:15)”, and we are aware of the weakness of our flesh, we continue to seek out the very things that we have been commanded to avoid. What is happening?

I believe each of us must consider the following possibilities. First, we are blind to what we are ingesting from the world around us. This is a different blindness from what Paul talks about in his second letter to the Corinthians where he says, “The god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelievers.” This applies to the unbelievers, not believers of the gospel, but I believe Christians can choose to remain blind to the ways of the world that inhabited their minds prior to their conversion. These anti-Christian ways may have been taught to them by their parents or picked up through secular education, but the important thing to note is they were taught by others during the most formative time of their life. These “ways of the world” are so ingrained, they can actually bring comfort and joy for a short period of time to the Christian. This is why David, the great king and man after God’s own heart cried, search me and show me! He knew there were things God hated in his life he couldn’t see.

But are these loves for the world excused by God because they were infused into our soul by others? Absolutely not. God demands absolute holiness and makes it clear when He inspired Peter to write, “Do not be conformed to the passions of your former ignorance, but as He who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, since it is written, “You shall be holy, for I am holy (1 Peter 1:14-16).”

Truly, the daily fight for holiness is a brutal war that never relents and taxes our spiritual and mental strength. It is because of this we may be willing to compromise on the battle front and accept losses of spiritual terrain for Christ. In other words, we are prone to tell ourselves we have made enough progress in our goal of becoming like Christ and become satisfied with our present level of sanctification. We can agree with the great lie of the enemy who says things like, nobody’s perfect, or Jesus paid for all of your sins anyway, or you are better than most others, or this or that is really not affecting you. We can believe there is a truce with the great deceiver, all the while he continues to take ground in the battle for our hearts and minds.

Remember the standard and the promise that God would be with you: “Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things. What you have learned and received and heard and seen in me—practice these things, and the God of peace will be with you (Philippians 4:8-9).”

Unfortunately, many Christians express a kind of frustration that they are not growing in their faith, yet they continue to walk in the ways of the world. They don’t see it isn’t another Bible study, or a conference, or more prayer, that will solve their problem (although these are good things), but simple obedience to release their love of certain worldly things.

But if the fight against the world is tough enough for adults, how much tougher for the children? While adults have a level of maturity and wisdom based on life experience, the children have none. When Christian adults need a light to their path, they go to the Word of God, but when children need a light, they depend on their parents.

I am thankful many Christian parents have removed their children from the influence of secular schools and are now homeschooling or using other ways of providing a Christian education for their children. They have come to understand the vital importance of feeding the eyes and ears of their children with teaching aligned with the Bible. Many Christian parents are breathing easier because they believe their children are now in two safe environments- the school and the home.

However, the idea that their children’s minds and hearts are safe is sadly another deception from the one who roams the earth looking to destroy God’s people, even in our homes. How does he get in? He gets in by parents opening the door for him. He glides in on the back of the worldly things the parents love and works to train the children to love the very same things. So, while the parents are praying  God will eradicate worldliness from the minds of their children, the parents are allowing their hearts and minds to be trained to love worldly things. It’s like a revolving door- worldliness out while bringing wordiness in- a plan that will never achieve a Christian parents’ goal of creating a foundation for the Holy Spirit to blow the grace of God into their children’s hearts.

So, what are the worldly loves you have? Whatever or whomever they are, do you see your children now love them too? And who are the people they want to be like? Who are they taking their cues from in speech or dress? Who has taught them how to respond to authority? Besides parents as teacher/models, other means from which they learn to think are easy to figure out (anything that connects to the outside world).

And here again, parents can choose to minimize the impact on their children. They can say that a little of this or that will not significantly affect their children, but they will find no words from God’s book supporting the idea of exposing them to the smallest bit of anti-Christian speech or behavior. In fact, just the opposite. Or parents can attempt to minimize the impact by citing the source’s absence of speaking against God’s ways. Unfortunately, we have become so accustomed to following people who never speak for Christ, we think this is meaningless to the King. But this is not true. God demands He be glorified in all things so those who never exalt Him in their speech are not in some kind of neutral position, and our children do not need to learn that kind of neutrality.

Bottom line: Understand the power of worldly influences on your walk with the Lord and how they will affect your home’s battle against the world. With God’s help, be willing to jettison them from your life for the sake of Christ and your children. In doing so, your home will no longer be a revolving door for worldliness but become an exit door for worldliness and an entrance for holiness.