Learning to Un-learn

When someone goes through hardship or difficulty, one idea expressed by many Christians is that God is trying to teach them something. According to Oswald Chambers, God is doing the opposite: he's trying to get them to "unlearn" something. This is a profound truth that I hope I never forget.

Our lives are marred by sin for sure, and because of that we need to unlearn all the bad habits that we have ingrained into the very depths of our being. Everything that comes between us and God needs to be stripped away.

In that sense, God utilizes the "addition by subtraction" principle. Our lives get more abundant when God removes all that prevents us from walking in perfect unity with him.

For those of you who are going through difficulty right now, what do you think that God is trying to get you to unlearn?

Doing Scary Things, Part I

"I took a wrong turn and I just kept goin'..."

Campus Crusader Samantha Li spoke at our church this past Sunday and delivered a line I hope I never forget: "Taking steps of faith is just Christianese for doing scary things." What a great description!

If we are willing, God gives us God-sized tasks to do; tasks which we cannot accomplish on our own. If we could do everything without God, why would we need him? And that is what makes taking steps of faith so scary. We have no control. It's like driving a car with no hands on the steering wheel. In our hearts it feels like a car wreck waiting to happen!

But really, the people whose lives most resemble car wrecks are the ones who are NOT walking in obedience to God. If you are a believer, sooner or later you will be faced with a decision of whether or not to take a scary step of faith. What will you choose?

He Who Wants Only Good For Us

For I know the plans that I have for you,' declares the LORD, 'plans for welfare and not for calamity to give you a future and a hope.
- Jer 29:11

God Grants Independence

Our country's Founding Fathers observed that their king, more closely resembling a tyrant, caused "repeated injuries and usurpations" of rights against the inhabitants of the American Colonies. In an effort to break free of the king's bondage and free themselves from his tyranny, they organized a rebellion; one that cost hundreds of thousands of lives and heartache among leaders and laymen alike.

But through all the military, political, and social hardships, - in spite of the fact that the Continental Congress was not in full agreeance about the rebellion - God's providence ruled. Our Founding Fathers neither neglected to seek God's counsel nor were they oblivious to God's Hand.

The Declaration of Independence reads,

We, therefore, the representatives of the United States of America, in General
Congress, assembled, appealing to the Supreme Judge of the world for the
rectitude of our intentions, do, in the name, and by the authority of the good
people of these colonies, solemnly publish and declare, that these united
colonies are, and of right ought to be free and independent states;...

...And for the support of this declaration, with a firm reliance on the protection of Divine Providence, we mutually pledge to each other our lives, our fortunes and our
sacred honor.

To these leaders of men, the decision to secede from Great Britain was no small matter. Hundreds of hours of debate, tears, and heartache was poured into deliberation. Personal and corporate prayer for Divine Counsel was the norm. Their property, their families' fortunes, and their very lives were at stake. These men were seen as treasonous traitors with bounties posted for their lives.

Men from the Continental Congress convening and praying.

Nevertheless, in the end, with God's help, the United States of America successfully became independent from the rule of Great Britain.


We can commemorate our country's independence by thanking the Almighty for the good works that His hand hath brought. And by praying prayers of thanks for the leadership of our God-fearing forefathers, the courage and sacrifice of our brave militia, and the service of every man, woman, and child who supported the American rebellion against the tyranny of her king.


Today, America still stands as a beacon for those who are oppressed and whose freedoms are encroached upon by their ruling government. By God's will, America will continue to be free and free those who are in bondage.


God bless America!

Testing the Spirit

I recently came across a YouTube video of a man named Todd Bentley who is a part of a new "ministry" that is unlike any I've ever seen.

While I was initially shocked by the graphic violence he talks about as being inspired by the Holy Spirit, I ultimately did not feel threatened or disturbed by his claims. In the short video below, Bentley describes tackling, punching and even kicking the faces of people he alleges the Holy Spirit asked him to.

Though I personally don't believe the Holy Spirit is behind this new "movement", I don't have a lot of evidence to prove it is unholy. All I have in my defense is the record of what miracles the Spirit has taken part in as described by scriptures and my own gut feeling. Neither of those defenses are particularly strong when held under scrutiny because many of the miracles that were performed in Jesus' time and during the time of the early church were all without precedent. (I'm sure the whole speaking in tongues thing was pretty strange to those observing for the first time!)

But my comfort is found in Paul's exhortation that as mature Christians, "we are no longer to be children, tossed here and there by waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, by craftiness in deceitful scheming; (Ephesians 4:14)"

New fads of ministry will come and go. Whether they are legitimate or not, we needn't be swayed by what the current crop of popular Christians might be involved in.



Paul says to a young Timothy,

You, however, continue in the things you have learned and become convinced of, knowing from whom you have learned {them,} and that from childhood you have known the sacred writings which are able to give you the wisdom that leads to salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus.

All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness; so that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work.

I don't know if the whole Todd Bentley thing is real or not (I suspect it is not) but it doesn't matter to me. According to what Paul says, I am to continue in the things I have learned... things that I am convinced of and have known since childhood. My theology is clear. The scripture that I know is adequate - I don't need a new add-on.

The new trends of the season may be legitimate additions to God's repertoire of ministry techniques, but if all I ever do is hold on to what I already know to be true, then I needn't worry about the latest fads. I don't have to worry I'm missing out on God's "new instructions". I already have His old instructions.

And those will work fine from now until He comes again.

Press on.

Grape or Strawberry, God?

Whether we realize it or not, we make decisions all the time. To what extent does God want to exercise control over our lives? Should we be asking for guidance on every decision or not, and if not, how can we know if a decision falls into the "ask" category? Does God really care if I use strawberry jam today instead of grape jelly? I don't know if we will ever know the answer to these questions this side of heaven. God cares more about our decisions than some people think, but less than what others think; going to the extreme in either direction presents great difficulties. Paul in 1 Corinthians 10:31 sums this up quite nicely: So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God. If we focus on God and his glory, all our choices will fall into place. If we choose wisely, great, if not, he will let us know and guide us back to the right direction. Let's just make sure that we are doing everything for HIS glory and his alone.

How can we glorify God in the choices we make today?