The Parent Trap

Clarinda Herald Journal publication date: 05/24/12

“What does it mean to be a good parent?”

I thank God for those good parents who wisely guide their children into morality, responsibility, and an authentic Christian faith. No doubt, all parents want to be good parents, but are we?

With our busy schedules, two parent incomes, and a calendar full of responsibilities, little time remains for parents and children to spend extended time together. However, parents cannot simply schedule “quality time” with their children. “Teachable moments” result from considerable time spent together.

As a result, the major values instilled in our children stem from a secular humanistic worldview propagated by the entertainment industry, the arts, the media, the government, and secular education. I propose three solutions that can help reverse this trend.

First, we must master our schedules (Eph 5:16). We must not let all the demands placed on our time keep us from time at home. We must limit our personal interests, as well as those of our children, when those activities tend to remove us from the home. Sharing a family meal together—everyday—provides good “face time.” We should use it wisely. Furthermore, we can regularly plan family events that keep the family talking and interacting together.

Secondly, we parents must carefully explore, develop and solidify our Christian values until they harden like concrete (Eph 5:17). Moral relativity and spiritual uncertainty offers no firm foundation for our children to build upon. When we know what we believe, then we have something solid to guide our children into responsible adulthood.

Finally, we should compel our children to go to church—as long as they live under our roofs (Pro 22:6). We must hold our grounds, refusing to give into whining about church or youth group. We may be tempted to say, “When I was a kid, I was made to go to church, and I hated it. No child of mine is going to go if they don't want to!” That kind of thinking has our kids—metaphorically speaking—eating only candy and passing on the fruit and vegetables. As parents, we do what's best for them, whether they like it or not. That's what love does.

Someone (tongue in cheek) said: “We had a ‘drug problem’ when we were kids. We were drug to church, drug to weddings, funerals, and family reunions. We were drug by the ears to the woodshed for discipline.” You get the idea! Now adults, for many, the gospel of Christ runs in the veins of those with this “drug problem.”

When our kids complain about church going—or eating vegetables for that matter—they are testing the boundaries. They want to know where the lines are drawn. Firmness on our part adds to their security. Ultimately, they will love you for it. Until then, stay the course!

–Pastor Scott (www.askpastorscott.com)

A Reliable Path

Clarinda Herald Journal publication date: 05/17/2012

“Does the Bible contain contradictions?”

At issue is the reliability of the Bible. If the Bible contradicts itself, then its claim to be “God's Word” is undermined and its teaching mere conjecture. Contradictions contradict the Bible’s supernatural claims (2Tim 3:16) and reduce it to just another human effort to explain God and to foster religion.

As a one-time unbeliever, I viewed the Bible as a flawed human work. In this way, I picked and chose whatever I deemed true or false. I liked the long-haired Jesus who razzed “the establishment” and loved the sinners. However, I wanted nothing to do with the Bible's moral requirements, which were—in my view—merely human conjectures. Little did I realize that, in doing so, I set myself up as a sovereign authority—as God, if you will— deciding what is true or false.

Then one day, an authentic Bible-believing Christian invited me to turn from my sin and to follow the real Jesus. I stated my personal views and said; “You can't believe the Bible—it's full of contradictions.” Then, he posed a problem I could not solve: “Well, show me one.” I was dumbstruck. I knew not one instance of a contradiction. I had parroted a belief I could not defend. (Now, after 30 years of Bible-reading, I have yet to uncover a palpable contradiction.)

Long story short, I believed in Christ that day and joined the ranks of the Bible-believing. I exchanged a worldview that required nothing of me and enthroned me as a god, for one in which the God of truth reigned.

Jesus said, “The Word of God... cannot be broken” (John 10:35). It's truths from Genesis to Revelation follow an unbroken, consistent, and reliable path so that every believer that follows knows with absolute certainly “the way” of salvation (John 14:6).

–Pastor Scott (www.askpastorscott.com)

God of Wonders

Clarinda Herald Journal publication date: 5/10/2012

“Is it logical to believe that the biblical miracles really happened?”

The Bible teaches that God is a miracle-working God. He created everything from nothing (Gen 1). He brought the Israelites out of Egyptian captivity by many signs and wonders (Acts 7:36). He worked many miracles through the Old Testament prophets and the apostles in the book of Acts. The Son of God was born of a virgin (Luke 1:34), walked on water (Matt 14:26), healed the sick, cast out demons (Matt 4:24), knew people’s thoughts (Matt 9:4), and rose from the dead (Matt 28:6).

To deny the Bible’s miraculous claims calls into question the existence of a supernatural God and the reliability of the Bible. Furthermore, we cannot choose to accept the Bible as a moral authority and yet deny its supernatural claims.

Belief in the supernatural provides an essential ingredient of saving faith. Hebrews 11:6 says: “Without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.” The one who truly, savingly believes, believes in the unseen God.

Remember, our present day world teems with unexplained mysteries—mysteries in the oceans’ depths and outer space. Life itself is a mystery! If we limit our knowledge to that discovered by the natural sciences, and if we accept no other way of knowing as valid, then we drastically limit our intellectual possibilities. How much more reasonable to entertain any hypothesis that might lead us to the truth!

Does logic require us to believe that nothing exists beyond the natural world? Can we reasonable assume that life came into being out of non-life? Can we truly believe the vast complexities of our universe explainable by a blind evolutionary process?

Any honest thinker must conclude that, since so much of the natural world defies our understanding, we can reasonably believe in the biblical miracles—and in the God who performs them.

–Pastor Scott (www.askpastorscott.com)

I Forgive Me

Clarinda Herald Journal publication date: 05/03/2012

“Can we forgive ourselves?”

No, but we can receive Christ's forgiveness and then live every day in the bright sun of His acceptance (Eph 1:6-7). By living this way, Christ remains the focus, not ourselves. For forgiveness, we must look away from our powerless self to the Almighty Father of mercies.

Calls for self-forgiveness—due to a low self-esteem or feelings of guilt—prevail in a culture unduly preoccupied with mental health. Well-intentioned people pass on the advice hoping to help the self-loathing. Adding “forgiveness” to the equation sounds “Christian,” therefore the mantra gains a footing among the faithful—regardless of its absence from Scripture.

In my counseling experience, I have observed few who end their self-abhorrence by forgiving themselves. Rather, these tend towards self-centeredness and a distorted self-love. Better to cast aside unreliable feelings and accept by faith the love and forgiveness that God bestows upon His beloved children (1Jn 3:1).

The biblical position emphasizes God as the primary “forgiver,” conferring forgiveness upon the believing and repentant (Mk 2:7). Secondly, others may choose to forgive us when we’ve wronged them (Col 3:13). Finally, we must freely forgive those who offend us (Matt 6:12). However, the Scripture says nothing about the need for us to forgive ourselves.

Those who, by faith, receive God’s forgiveness need nothing else to allay their guilt and self-hatred. God’s forgiveness, grasped by faith, invites us to look away from self to the Father who loves us as His children (Act 26:18). “See what kind of love the Father has given to us that we should be called children of God; and so we are!” (1Jn 3:1)

–Pastor Scott (www.askpastorscott.com)

Amazing Grace

Clarinda Herald Journal publication date: 04/26/2012

"How can God love me when I feel like such a failure?"

If God left us to our own devices, salvation would forever elude us (Matt 19:26). We cannot neither save ourselves, nor follow God in perfect obedience. We are sinful, but God is holy. Apart from supernatural intervention, the unholy and the pure cannot meet. But wonder of wonders, God’s love made a way through the death and resurrection of His Son. Jesus bears the penalty for our sin upon the cross, so that that now, all who believe in Him may receive forgiveness, reconciliation, and righteousness (Rom 3:20-28).

But we do not feel righteous. Indeed, we fall far short of sinless perfection. The writer of the book of Hebrews laments this “sin which clings so closely” to the Christian (Heb 12:1). Considering our constant battle with sin, along with Satan’s accusations, we begin to understand why some Christians may despair (Rev 12:10).

Now, if we live recklessly, and continue unrepentant in sin, we should feel guilty. That kind of guilt is the love of God and voice of the Holy Spirit, calling us to change. However, when we earnestly seek to live a life pleasing to God and yet still feel guilty, we need to call to mind the following truths.

God loves us! He loved us so much that He sacrificed Himself to save us (John 3:16). God would be just to leave us lost in our sin; but His love compels Him to do all that is just and possible to save us (Rom 5:8-19). But He does not merely save us and then assign us to servant duty. No, He is a “Father,” who sets us in His family and makes us His beloved children—forever! (Gal 4:6-7).

Therefore, would such a loving God plan our salvation, offer His own blood, give us His Spirit, pledge Himself to us in covenant, and then abandon us when we fail? No, the God who calls us to marital fidelity keeps His promises Himself, forever.

Finally, remember, the Lord “saved us… not because of our works but because of His own purpose and grace, which he gave us in Christ Jesus before the ages began” (2Tim 1:9). We are unworthy! Never can we do enough to merit salvation. No wonder John Newton marveled in that most favorite of hymns, “Amazing Grace, how sweet the sound that saved a wretch like me!”

However, for Christians to enjoy their God—in spite of their moral failings—they must walk by faith (Rom 5:2). We need faith that He has saved us, faith that He bore our sins upon the cross, faith that He rose for our justification, faith that He forgave us and continues to forgive us, in Christ. “Through many dangers, toils and snares I have already come; 'Tis Grace that brought me safe thus far and Grace will lead me home” (John Newton).

–Pastor Scott (www.askpastorscott.com)

The Emo Gospel

Clarinda Herald Journal publication date: 04/19/2012

“How do emotions relate to faith?”
 
God made humanity in His “image and likeness” (Gen 1:26). No, we neither look like God nor possess His power. However, capacity for choice, reason, morality, abstraction, relationship, and emotion are very much like His.
 
All that God does result from his wisdom, love, and purpose. God never acts upon mere emotion. His emotions always follow His choices. They never take the lead. Like God, Christians should not let emotions rule them. Rather they must make them subservient to the will.
 
Nevertheless, I hear much talk these days that reduces faith to feelings and emotions. Some well-meaning people present faith as an irrational blind leap—justified because “it feels right.” Furthermore, the Gospel—the good news that Jesus forgives those who believe and follow Him—gets presented as a kind of spiritualized psychotherapy, a mere band-aid for the emotionally wounded.
 
This “Emo Gospel” often sounds like a cheesy infomercial. “Are you sad, troubled, and burdened with life? Then try Jesus, and get a faith-lift! Operators are standing by!” But Jesus did not die to make sad people happy; He died to make dead people live. No doubt, emotional wholeness often follows faith, but this is not the whole Gospel.
 
Don't get me wrong. Faith in God produces satisfying emotions. In the book of Psalms, we read the testimony of many troubled souls finding find peace amid the emotional upheavals of life. But these emotions follow trust in the Lord, a mind set upon Him, and the life that pursues the good, the true, and the noble. (Phil 4:7-8).
 
Therefore, we must not seek to reduce Christianity to a strategy for mental health. The “Emo Gospel” is not a gospel at all, but a pseudo-gospel with a disturbing amount of appeal to a church culture obsessed with emotional problems. Jesus died to save sinners from the just-wrath of a Holy God (Rom 5:8). Let's keep first things first.

–Pastor Scott (www.askpastorscott.com)

Called to Preach

Clarinda Herald Journal publication date: 04/2/2012

“How do I know I have a call to ministry?”

God calls every Christian to serve Him using the spiritual gifts He gives to us (1Cor 12; Rom 12:6-9). Some people have a more public role—those who preach, for example—while others stand in the wings, quietly helping others with a heart of service. However, the “call to ministry” is an extra-biblical phrase we use to describe God's call to preach and pastor.

From my own call into the pastorate, as well as the testimonies of my colleagues, I see (at least) five questions to ask ourselves in order to confirm a “call to ministry.”

First, do I desire ministry? God places a holy desire in our hearts to serve Him. So desiring ministry or even leadership is a “noble” and virtuous desire (1Tim 3:1). A desire to serve includes a willingness to sacrifice, and is therefore unselfish. Certainly, we should examine our motives for ministry, but the desire itself may point to a call from God.

Secondly, do I have the needed spiritual gifts for the ministry? If God calls us to pastoral ministry, then He will also provide the gifts required, including teaching, leadership, and people skills. If missions, then the ability to contextualize ministry in the target culture. If singing, then one should have a good voice!

Thirdly, do others recognize my call and gifting? The early church noted in Stephen, a man of “good repute, full of the Spirit and of wisdom... full of faith” (Acts 6:3-5). When other believers—especially mature Christian leaders—note God's work through our gifts, their words of encouragement may well affirm God's call.

Fourthly, does my ministry bear “fruit”? Just as a healthy apple tree produces apples, a true spiritual gift will produce evidence of God's workings. The fruit of kingdom advancement, believer encouragement, and glory for God may signal a specific call to ministry.

Finally, do I have a settled faith-confidence in the call? The call of God should “seem good to the Holy Spirit and to us” (Act 15:28), with a settled “yes” of faith on the inside (Rom 14:22-23).

Let me close with a word of counsel. : Before God permits us to fulfill a specific call to  ministry, He first calls us to fulfill the general call of all believers—seeking God, serving others, loving people, serving our church, respecting our leaders and, in general, making ourselves useful to others. For when we are “faithful over little,” then God will entrust us with greater responsibilities (Mat 25:21).

–Pastor Scott (www.askpastorscott.com)