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| Striving For Godliness |
| Tuesday, February 01, 2011 |
We live in the age of "cheap grace", and as a pastor I often hear Christians suggest that God doesn't really care if you still stumble around in sin -- it's all forgiven anyway. So, they not only make little effort to be godly, but they believe that God doesn't insist on it anymore ("cause it's legalistic!").
But the Apostle Peter puts the lie to that:
His divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of him who called us to his own glory and excellence, by which he has granted to us his precious and very great promises, so that through them you may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped from the corruption that is in the world because of sinful desire. For this very reason, make every effort to supplement your faith with virtue, and virtue with knowledge, and knowledge with self-control, and self-control with steadfastness, and steadfastness with godliness, and godliness with brotherly affection, and brotherly affection with love. (2 Peter 1:3-7)
We are not excused from a life of godliness just because we may fail in trying to carry it out. Jesus made it very clear that "a good tree will bear good fruit" (Matthew 7:17,18). He also made it clear that professing to be a Christian must be accompanied by "doing God's will" (Matthew 7:21-23). A heart that strives for godliness is a heart that has been transformed.
The popular notion that the only commands God expects us to carry out as Christians are to love Him and love one another, is false. Yes -- those are the primary commandments; but no -- they are not the only commandments. God still wants us to make every effort to supplement our faith with virtue, knowledge, godliness, and self-control. They may not earn us salvation, but God is very pleased when we make an effort to live like Him (Romans 12:1; 14:17-19)
The difference now is that we have the Holy Spirit to help us. Labels: faith, godliness |
posted by Alan Harstone @ 1:26 PM   |
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| EVOLUTION: Why Christians MUST Reject It |
| Friday, September 24, 2010 |
It has become very popular in some Christian circles today to argue that science has trumped the creation account, and that now we must fit God's Word into the "proofs" of science, rather than the other way around.
Let me tell you why, as believers in the salvation of Jesus Christ, we must reject that completely .
1. First, if we are to suggest that man simply evolved out of the dust of the ground, we are striking at the the very heart of Scripture and its entire teaching about sin and salvation. To put it bluntly, we are offering a REVOLUTION IN THEOLOGY, one in which our view of sin and salvation must be radically overhauled!
2. Second, a theory of evolution and/or Evolutionary Creation must insist that we deny the truth about sin and death found in Romans 8:20-22. This passage teaches that the "groaning and travailing of creation" was due to it's subjection to corruption by man's sin. Evolution, on the other hand, insists that the elements of our universe spent billions of years "groaning and travailing" as it naturally sifted out the best from the worst. This means that there would have been eons of animal strife, fear, pain, and death, not as a result of sin and God's curse upon the earth, but as a result of the universe painfully pounding out the results that we see on the planet today. This then denies the Bible's teaching that death came to our world because of man's sin. Evolution insists that death is nothing more than an inevitable part of the natural selection process.
3. Third, if evolution is true then man has not "fallen", he has actually "risen". He is the most splendid specimen of the evolutionary process. He is greater now than he ever was before. This, of course, means that he is not uniquely created in the image of God; rather, he is nothing more than an elevated level of life and beast -- much more in "the image" of apes and hominids than an unseeable God. Sin, then, becomes a mere "disorder" which the evolutionary process will continue to refine and correct. There is no need for moral judgment against man's imperfections....he isn't "fallen", he is simply not fully evolved. Furthermore, the "wages of sin" (which is death) isn't the wages of sin at all; death is simply a part of the natural selection process. So for these reasons, in this system of thought, Christ's sacrifice for sin and victory over death isn't really necessary. Death isn't the consequence of sin, it is simply a part of the evolutionary process.
And so we see that to adopt evolution as a Christian is to downgrade the atonement, if not totally eliminate it altogether. Man is no longer a sinner in need of a Savior, he is simply a result of colliding matter and chance. Christ has not risen -- man has! Jesus has no reason to rise from the dead, because death has nothing to do with sin. Man has not fallen, he has actually "risen" as the strongest and smartest of beings to emerge from that eons-old primordial soup.
No, my friends, Christians MUST REJECT EVOLUTION in every form. It is a sick and toxic marriage to wed evolution with God's creative hand. We don't need the Theory (and I stress "theory") of Evolution to explain what science observes. God is completely capable of creating a fully mature universe with all the scientific principles that we see in play today. The only reason that any one needs to posit a theory of evolution is because he/she denies the truths above, and wishes to eliminate God from the scientific process. Then one is forced to rewind the tape, bypassing God's declared creation, all the way back to what appears to them to be the beginning of time. Unwilling to accept that God can create a fully developed universe instantly, they seek a different beginning.
But if we are willing to accept God as a starting point for creation, we can also accept that He has the power to create an already mature universe in six days, and believe that His account of creation in Genesis is correct.
Don't be bewitched and "taken captive by empty philosophy , the traditions of men, and the elementary principles of this world."(Colossians 2:8) Evolution insists that sin does not exist, and that death is not a result of sin --it is a selective process that existed long before man was ever made, which of course make's Christ's sacrifice at the cross completely worthless, untrue, and unnecessary.
No, my friends, if The Gospel is true then EVOLUTION MUST BE FALSE, AND HAS NO PLACE WHATSOEVER IN THE CREATION ACCOUNT!
Labels: evolution |
| posted by Alan Harstone @ 4:26 PM |
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| Real Fellowship |
| Wednesday, September 01, 2010 |
I can't tell you how often I've wrestled with disillusionment in ministry.....just as many of you have probably wrestled with the hypocrisy you see in yourself and other Christians. We tend to enter church (and its ministry) with many pre-conceived ideas of what church should look like -- what fellowship "ought" to be; what Christians "ought" to act like, etc. And before long our dreams are shattered, and we either retreat to another church to try all over again, or we just simply leave church and its ministry altogether, either emotionally or physically, declaring it to be abysmally deprived and unable to meet our needs.
Well, God just slapped me upside the head again today regarding this. I've been re-reading the wonderful old classic by Dietrich Bonhoeffer entitled LIVING TOGETHER. Let me quote for you something that I hope He uses to slap you too:
Innumerable times a whole Christian community has broken down because it sprung up from a wish dream. The serious Christian, set down for the first time in a Christian community, is likely to bring with him a very definite idea of what Christian life together should be, and then he tries to realize it. But God's grace speedily shatters such dreams. Just as surely as God desires to lead us to a knowledge of genuine Christian fellowship, so surely must we be overwhelmed by a great disillusionment with others, with Christians in general, and if we are fortunate, with ourselves. By sheer grace, God will not permit us to live even for a brief period in a dream world. Only that fellowship which faces such disillusionment, with all its unhappy and ugly aspects, begins to be what it should be in God's sight, and begins to grasp in faith the promise that is given it. A community which cannot bear and cannot survive such a crisis, which insists upon keeping its illusion when it should be shattered, permanently loses in that moment the promise of Christian community. He who loves his dream of a community more than the Christian community itself becomes a destroyer of the latter, even though his personal intentions may be ever so honest and earnest and sacrificial.
So what is Bonhoeffer suggesting? That when we enter church life expecting other Christians to be increasingly perfect so that we might repose in harmony and rest, we are ignoring the great reality that we are all sinners saved by grace --- and that it is this forgiveness and grace of Jesus which is our great rallying point as Christians. This is our bond. This is our celebration. And instead of "these Christians are such hypocrites" being our point of departure, it should be our point of solidarity and strength.....because Christian fellowship is all about celebrating the amazing grace and love from God that covers all of that.
Anything different than this is a myth, and makes us complicit with Satan in accusing both God and our brothers!Labels: church, faith, fellowship |
| posted by Alan Harstone @ 5:03 PM |
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| Near Death Experiences |
| Thursday, June 17, 2010 |
It's very popular in some circles to recount "near-death experiences" as proof of the after-life: "I saw a light" "I was taken at supersonic speed by angels through a dark tunnel up into heaven". Even my late father-in-law (an unbeliever) had one of these Peaceful Light experiences, and was convinced from that point forward that he didn't need Christ to get to Heaven.
But have you ever noticed how deafeningly silent the Bible is about this so-called phenomenon? Wouldn't you expect there to be some mention in the NT about what happened to the little girl in Mark 5 after she died; or the woman named Tabitha in Acts 9; or Lazarus himself (John 11)? But there's nothing. Even Jesus said nothing about the 3 days He spent in the grave.
Why is that? Jesus makes it clear in John 3:13 - "No one has ever gone to Heaven and returned." According to tradition -- and some scant evidence in the NT -- when Jesus died He didn't ascend to Heaven, but instead descended into that holding place where souls are held (1 Peter 3:20). While He was there He preached to those souls in prison. It was only after His resurrection that He ascended to the Father (John 20:17). And He saw fit to say nothing about the events that happened between His death and resurrection. Even the Apostle Paul, who was taken up into the Third Heaven in a vision, was sworn to secrecy....and so it is clear that God has no intention of revealing to us the after-death process.
So let's be careful about embracing these so-called near-death experiences. Let's never let one person's experience outweigh the biblical record on any matter.... especially this one. Labels: death, heaven, hell |
| posted by Alan Harstone @ 11:23 AM |
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| No Talent Christians! |
| Saturday, June 12, 2010 |
Are you aware that God will judge us for every talent He has given us, but which we haven't used?
In Matthew 25 Jesus tells the story of a man who entrusted his servants with his property. One received five talents, one two, and one received one talent...."each according to his ability" (vs. 15). Then the master went away. Upon his return he discovered that the men who had received five and two talents had used them well and wisely, but the man who only received one talent did nothing with his at all.
With this story Jesus is painting a picture of our relationship with God. He has entrusted each of His children with talents and spiritual gifts. Some are using them wisely. The man in the parable with five talents represents the Billy Grahams and Beth Moores of our world....highly gifted/talented, and using them well. The man with two talents may represent the missionaries, pastors and full-time Christian workers world-wide.....less gifted/talented, but faithfully using them well. The man with one talent in the parable probably represents many of the rest of us.....Joe and Jane Average in Somewhere USA.
But notice the difference in their attitudes? The "five" and "two" guys stepped out in confidence and faith. But the one talent guy felt a little insignificant. He may have even accused his master of being unfair in his distribution of talents. "Why have I been given less than the others? Why do they have the ability to preach, sing, and write, but I don't?" So he hid his talent. He didn't fulfill his calling, and he used what talents God had given for himself and not for the kingdom.
Does this describe you today? Perhaps you're not a pastor; or a Christian celebrity; you're not even a mover and shaker in your own church. And you're jealous of those who are. Or......you feel so insignificant and insecure that you are hiding the talents and gifts that God has given you.
Jesus will examine you and me, just as the master in the parable examined his trusted servants. To those who use the talents we're given wisely, there will be a reward, Jesus says. But to those who choose to hide their talent out of jealousy, laziness, selfishness, or insecurity, Jesus promised to rebuke them and remove their rewards.
Don't make the mistake of hiding your talent. God gave it to you to use for His glory!
If you EXCUSE IT, you'll LOSE IT. So buckle down and USE IT!!!
Labels: apathy, character, eternity, faithfulness, growth |
| posted by Alan Harstone @ 10:40 PM |
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| Our Growing Porn Culture |
| Thursday, May 06, 2010 |
According to the website TOP10 Reviews internet pornography is a multi-billion dollar business, which affects not only men and women in our secular culture, but also many families in our churches:
The statistics are truly staggering. According to compiled numbers from respected news and research organizations, every second $3,075.64 is being spent on pornography. Every second 28,258 internet users are viewing pornography. In that same second 372 internet users are typing adult search terms into search engines. Every 39 minutes a new pornographic video is being created in the U.S. It’s big business. The pornography industry has larger revenues than Microsoft, Google, Amazon, eBay, Yahoo, Apple and Netflix combined. 2006 Worldwide Pornography Revenues ballooned to $97.06 billion.
My guess is that if you're a married woman who has a family, both your husband and your teenage sons are battling with a growing porn problem in their lives. I'm convinced that one of the biggest reasons that today's modern churchman lacks the ability to truly lead in his household and his church is that so many of them are either exploring or are addicted to porn.....which leaves them morally bankrupt and living a double-life. It's a different world today, and the temptations are harder to overcome. One no longer needs to go to a seedy motel (where you might get caught) for an expensive rendezvous; today all it takes is just a couple of clicks on the ole computah and, PRESTO, instant sexual gratification, often for free.
So how did our world get to the point where the most searched for item on the internet each day is porn? The answer can be found in Romans 1:
"They do know the truth about God, because He has made it obvious to them. Through everything He made they can clearly see His invisible qualities....but they wouldn't worship Him as God or even give Him thanks. And they began to think up foolish ideas of what God is like. As a resut, their minds became dark and confused." (Rom 1:19-21)
North America, indeed most of the world, has turned its back on God over the past 100 years. In response, God sent prophets like Billy Graham to call people to repentance and faith, but in spite of moderate success through the 20th century, more and more people began to "think up foolish ideas of what God is like", thus clouding their minds with confusion.
"And instead of worshiping the glorious, ever-living God, they worshiped idols..." (1:23) [read "sex goddesses" for our context]
"So God abandoned them to do whatever shameful things their hearts desired. As a result, they did vile and degrading things with each other's bodies. They traded the truth about God for a lie and began to worship and serve the things God created instead of the Creator Himself, Who is worthy of our eternal praise! Amen." (2:24,25)
This accounts for the growing porn problem in our culture. But even that no longer satisfies us anymore. As Howard Hughes once said when asked what it takes to make a man happy: "Just a little more!" he said. More and more people are wading into the gay sex/porn culture -- it's a growing market, not just on the internet, but now on TV too.
"God abandoned them to their shameful desires. Even the women turned against their natural way to have sex and instead indulged in sex with each other. And the men, instead of having normal sexual relations with women, burned with lust for each other. Men did shameful things with other men, and as a result of this sin, they suffered within themselves the penalty they deserved." (1:26,27)
Now watch what happens when God abandons a culture and men and women grow increasingly licentious:
"Since they thought it foolish to acknowledge God, He abandoned them to their foolish thinking and let them do things that should never be done. Their ives became full of every kind of wickedness, sin, greed, hate, envy, murder, quarreling, deception, malicious behavior, and gossip." (1: 28,29) Sounds like the evening news!
"They are backstabbers, haters of God, insolent, proud, and boastful. They invent new ways of sinning, and constantly disobey their parents. They refuse to understand, break promises, are heartless, and have no mercy. They know God's justice requires that those who do these things deserve death, yet they do them anyway. Worse yet, they encourage others to do them, too." [read "Hollywood"]
It almost looks hopeless, but this is definitely where we're at today. The only hope to change this is not to force Obama and Congress to legislate moral values, but to repent as a nation and individuals, and ask Christ to be more than just our Savior.....He needs also to rule our hearts as LORD! (see Jeremiah 32:40 and 2 Corinthians 7:1)
Labels: faith, pornography, repentance |
| posted by Alan Harstone @ 11:02 AM |
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| Born Gay: Why It Doesn't Matter |
| Wednesday, April 14, 2010 |
 A provocative new study posted in 2008 suggests that the brains of heterosexual and homosexual people are significantly different. It has given ammunition to the humanists who would argue that homosexuality is a genetic condition which is as natural to the human condition as heterosexuality; "Therefore," they assert, "it is no longer a moral issue. One can hardly be condemned for being born a certain a way!"
Of course, at face value, when looking at this study we have to question which came first, the chicken or the egg? Are the brains of homosexuals different because they are born that way, or because their choices have rewired a few things upstairs? Studies have certainly shown that behavioral choices CAN change the map of the brain. But the solution to the question is relatively simple: scan the brains of infants and children to see if these differences are present early on in life. Then revisit them again in their adult years to see what choices they have made and if their brains remain the same.
But the whole exercise is moot anyway. Every one of us is born a sinner (Psalm 51:5) and destined to practice sin (Romans 8:8); yet God still holds us accountable for choosing sin. So no one is excused for being born with a predisposition to practice sin, including the homosexual.
Someone once argued the fairness of this with the Apostle Paul: "Why does He still find fault?" His answer was "Who are you, o man, to answer back to God? The thing molded will not say to the Molder -- why did You make me like this? -- So then He has mercy on whom He desires, and He hardens whom He desires." (Romans 9:18-20)
Here's the point: if God calls it sin, it is sin, and we are without excuse....period. God in His great authority could have declared that anyone who chooses to write with his left hand instead of his right is sinning (thankfully He didn't). He has the authority to do that. So homosexuality is still a moral issue, because God makes it a moral issue. The fact that we're born gay (or not) has nothing to do with whether it's moral or not.....IT IS IMMORAL BECAUSE GOD DECLARES IT TO BE SO (Leviticus 18:22). In other words He is saying, "I have set up a certain order of things in this universe, and any deviation from it, whether through choice or through birth is sin, and it will be punished." And so, homosexuality is immoral, not because it's any worse than heterosexual adultery or molesting children, but because God has declared it to be so....case closed!
But here's the great news, for all sinners....including gays. God loves us so much that He sent His only Son into the world, not to condemn it, but to save it. God in His great grace is able to make us all become right(eous) through Jesus Christ. He lived a perfect life in our place, and took the punishment for our sins on the cross. Forgiveness can then by ours by simply admitting that God has every right to call whatever He wants sins, and by confessing that we are guilty of those sins, even if we're born with them.
From a humanistic point of view, this medical study sounds like a lot of good news. But from a moral, spiritual, and Kingdom point of view it does nothing to change the picture. Only the cross and resurrection can do that! Labels: homosexuality, sinfulness |
| posted by Alan Harstone @ 3:52 PM |
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| "Peanut Butter" Rules |
| Friday, April 09, 2010 |
"It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery." Galatians 5:1
"So let no one judge you in food or in drink, or regarding a festival or a new moon or sabbaths, which are a shadow of things to come, but the substance is of Christ. Let no one cheat you of your reward, taking delight in false humility...." Col 2:16-18
In his book The Grace Awakening, Chuck Swindoll tells the almost absurd story of a missionary couple who were forced off the mission field because their fellow missionaries were incensed that they ate peanut butter. That's right! Peanut butter.
It seems that this delicacy wasn't available on the mission field, so this couple had been asking friends at home to send them jars of peanut butter. But the other missionaries were of the opinion that "if you can't buy it on the mission field it's more spiritual to sacrifice and do without."
Mike Yaconelli writes about this attitude in one of his books: Petty people are ugly people. They are people who have lost their vision. They are people who have turned their eyes away from what matters and focused, instead on what doesn't matter. The result is that the rest of us are immobilized by their obsession with the insignificant. It is time the church refused to be victimized by petty people. It is time the church stopped ignoring pettiness.....pettiness has become a serious disease in the church of Jesus Christ... a disease which continues to result in terminal cases of discord, disruption, and destruction. Petty people are dangerous people because they appear to be only a nuisance instead of what they really are.....a health hazard. God doesn't have a petty heart!
In fact, Jesus demonstrated a distinct distaste for petty people. " Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you cleanse the outside of the cup and dish, but inside you are full of extortion and self-indulgence." (Matt 23:25) "For laying aside the commandment of God, you hold the tradition of men--the washing of pitchers and cups, and many other such things you do. All too well you reject the commandment of God, that you may keep your tradition." Mark 7:8-10
God simmers when He sees a petty heart!
Why? Because His own heart is full of patience, love, and kindness. He understands what so many petty people don't seem to get: that EVERYONE is frail and prone to sin; that we are only made of dust.
Have you been acting petty with your children or your spouse lately? You need to ask Jesus to give you His Father's heart, who is long-suffering and kind toward frail flesh. "The Lord......is long-suffering toward us, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance." (2 Peter 3:9)
Why not follow God's heart and practice a little more patience and long-suffering with the ones you love? It will cover more sins than any amount of pettiness or criticism can ever do. (1 Peter 4:8). |
| posted by Alan Harstone @ 2:59 PM |
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| Crazy Love |
| Tuesday, March 30, 2010 |
I've been reading the runaway bestseller by Francis Chan called "Crazy Love", and it has been smacking me upside the head like I haven't been smacked for a long time. You see, I've been getting lazy lately. Spiritually lazy. I turned 50 a couple of years ago, and have found myself increasingly stepping back from the spiritual passion that consumed me in my younger years (including this blog). "Been there. Done that. Feeling bored."
Part of it, I think, was the death of my father. I've been examining his life for him as I carry on without him. And I have secretly wondered what it all added up to. There's so many things he DIDN'T do; trips he never went on; risks he never dared take; experiences that passed him by; and we buried him an elderly man who hadn't lived life to the fullest. And now, with the sand running out of my own jar, my flesh is knocking on my heart and asking, "do you want to die like that too?" So I've spent the last two years pulling back from many of my spiritual commitments and resting on my laurels, even seeking worldly things that I had long ago abandoned in pursuit of my ministry and faith. I've also been far too concerned about turning people's attention to me as a person, instead of to God....something I couldn't have cared less about ten years ago.
Thankfully Chan has clubbed me over the head with this book. "Life isn't about you", he says. "This movie we're all in is about God, and you're just a bit player. You're just a two-second clip in the drama, and all we'll ever see is the back of your head anyway; trust me, no one will care about your role; no one will remember you. Fifty years from now everyone will forget that you ever existed." Harsh? Yup. Necessary? Yep, again.
That was brought painfully home to me last summer when my wife and I attended the 50th anniversary celebration of our first church, a little country parish. We had pastored there for three and a half years, and I thought I'd made a pretty big splash. Boy was I in for a rude awakening. I breezed through the door figuring everyone would celebrate my return. But not only was I NOT fawned all over, the reception from my old parishioners was decidedly cold, and many of the people from the community couldn't even remember me (it was only 18 yrs ago for crying out loud). I came home with my ego pretty badly wounded. But it only served to feed my vanity: "Maybe if I lose more weight here at my home church? Maybe if I change my hairstyle? Maybe if I'm larger than life this time 'round I won't be forgotten?" Stupid!!!
Chan says: "the point of your life isn't to promote you; it's to point to Christ! All that matters is the reality of who we are before God!" How did I forget that? How did I lose my way? I'm a pastor, for crying out loud. This used to be my passion.
I'm staring at my father's picture as I write this. Man, I miss him, but I know that fewer and fewer people think of him anymore. His legacy is fading quickly in the busyness of cluttered lives. Let's face it, we are all quickly forgotten, and frankly, it's time for me to stop examining my father's life and start looking at my own again, because only what I've done for Christ will really matter. "Your work will be shown for what it is, because the Day will bring it to light. It will be revealed with fire, and the fire will test the quality of each man's work. (Oh no). If what you have built survives, you will receive your reward. If it is burned up, you will suffer loss; you yourself will be saved, but only as one escaping through the flames." (1 Corinthians 3:13-15). Yikes. I could be in some serious trouble. Especially considering the past couple of years.
How about you? Where are you at in all of this? Do we need to repent together? "Lord, help me to get myself back on track. Lord, help me to put You first in everything I do, whether I'm eating, drinking, changing diapers, or whatever I do. Restore unto me the joy of my salvation, and help me to understand again that the point of my life is to always be pointing toward You." AMEN Labels: faith, faithfulness, fathers |
| posted by Alan Harstone @ 3:32 PM |
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| Family First? |
| Tuesday, February 02, 2010 |
 I grew up in a Christian home that many would say was the balanced version of the American Dream: Mom stayed home, Dad worked, they both served in the church and community; they rarely argued, and we kids were happy, normal, and barely rebellious. We were the Canadian version of the Cleavers.
But in all of that, my brother and I never had the impression that our family was the most important thing to our parents. Instead, we grew up understanding that serving Christ was the most important thing to my parents, and that it should be to us as well. Both of them took turns watching their children during many evenings while the other was out serving Christ somewhere. For us, that was the norm.
That's why when I entered adulthood and began to hear Christians suggest that this was unhealthy, I was a little confused. What was unhealthy about it, I wondered? Well apparently, according to "them", it was my parents' inclination to put church service ahead of family events. "Family life should always come first", they argued, "because there are too many abandoned kids coming out of homes these days, and your first priority should be your family. What are you telling your kids if you're always out at a church meeting somewhere? You're building bad memories." And armed with Dr. Dobson's personal blessing, this became the mantra of an entire generation (or two) during the '70s and '80s. "Turn Your Heart Toward Home" they were taught.
But as I spread my own parenting wings, partly buying into this philosophy during this era, I kept hearing the words of Christ in the back of my mind: "If anyone comes to Me and does not hate his father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters, yes, and his own life also, he cannot be My disciple." (Luke 14:26-27). What did He mean by this? Why did it keep nagging at me as I turned down many church opportunities in order to keep my heart focused on my home? How did the Dobsonites deal with this passage?
I won't answer that last question here, but let me show you what God has taught me. When you look at the context of these words, Christ is speaking of God's great invitation to enter His Kingdom and participate fully in it. He had just spoken the parable of the Great Feast where the king has invited men and women everywhere to join him in his feast. But many had excused themselves because of work or family. Apparently those things were more important to them than entering the palace and "dining-like-never-before" with the king. Then immediately after this parable Jesus utters those famous words, "you must hate your father/mother/wife/kids, or you cannot enter the Kingdom". Good grief! That's a little harsh, and it certainly isn't PC in the current Christian Culture. What did He mean?
.....this, I believe: we must never allow our affection for our parents, spouse, kids, etc., to cloud our judgment and color our decisions when Christ calls us to follow Him in service.
God calls us to put Him, and service to Him, FIRST. Everything else must come second. This is made clear by Jesus' words, not only in Luke 14, but also to the rich man who couldn't part with his wealth, and the seeker who wanted to bury his father before following our Lord. Family and/or the pursuit of wealth must take a back seat to following Christ! THIS IS CHRIST'S CLEAR TEACHING. And sometimes this means that family will be left behind altogether, or that family events will be canceled, plans altered, etc., in order to be obedient to the call of the Master.
My parents did this, and we all thought it was normal. We kids weren't emotionally abandoned or robbed of great childhood memories. Instead some of my best memories are of activities and functions at the church; our home full of Christian friends; and parents who were dedicated to serving Jesus Christ. It played a great role in my own spiritual development and helped to lead me into pastoral ministry.
Family First? I'm still not convinced. While Dr. Dobson was trying to correct the wild swing of the pendulum away from family development during the rise of the me-first Baby Boomer generation, I think it has swung too far in the other direction. Today I see God's work languishing as many parents have chosen soccer games over worship services, and music classes over Christian kids clubs.......all the while cultivating the notion in their children that their growth in Jesus Christ is less important than putting a ball into a net or joining a symphony orchestra.
Oh, that the Body of Christ would learn to live with a healthy balance between two extremes!
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| posted by Alan Harstone @ 3:45 PM |
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| God Not Answering Your Prayers? |
| Thursday, December 10, 2009 |
Many Christians I know have lived with the frustration of feeling like they're talking to the walls when they pray. "I'm ready to give up" I sometimes hear. "God obviously doesn't care about my problems. I'm finding it really hard to believe Christ's prayer promises anymore." But is the problem with God's promises, or is the problem somewhere else?
God's Word gives us very specific direction regarding the practice of prayer. Without question He wants us to come to Him in prayer -- day in and day out -- and with great expectation, hope, and trust. But He also makes it clear that the door is closed if we don't meet certain expectations.
Listen to the Apostle John in his first letter to the Church:
1 John 3:22
And whatever we ask we receive from Him, because we keep His commandments and do those things that are pleasing in His sight.
Short, sweet, and to the point! John has great confidence in his prayers. Why? Because he knows that he's met God's requirements to be heard: "we keep His commandments and do those things that are pleasing in His sight." That's the positive side of this equation. Now let's look at the negative side.
Psalm 66:18 says this about unanswered prayer: "If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not listen."
You see, we might have all the faith in the world that God CAN answer prayer and accomplish anything, but if we are not obeying His commands and doing the things that please Him, we should not expect that we will receive anything from the Lord "being double-minded and unstable in all our ways" (James 1:8) The reason that God holds back on His promises is not that He isn't faithful to keep them with us, but that we have hindered our prayer lives by not keeping His commands and not doing the things that are pleasing to Him. Conversely, those who have a demonstrated pattern of answered prayer in their lives are the ones who have been keeping His commands and doing the things that are pleasing to Him. The problem with unanswered prayer isn't ever with God; it's always with you and me.
So what do we need to know? Well, "keeping His commands" isn't the toughest thing to figure out if you've been reading His Word. If we've been studying His Word and praying for enlightenment we will know quite clearly what God's will is on many matters. But God wants us to go beyond the "do's and don'ts" that are so clear and to the point! He also wants us to learn how to use a sensible spiritual judgment in pleasing Him, especially in what we call the gray areas -- things He hasn't specifically spoken on. For example, whether or not we should be smoking, or doing a little drugs from time to time.
Here then, friends, is where the "do the things that are pleasing to God" principle comes in. Having drawn close to God through our study of His Word and prayer as we've been commanded, we will have a greater intuition about all the gray matter that we encounter in life. And instead of asking "what would Jesus do?" we might be better off asking "If I do this will my heavenly Father be pleased with me?" Of course, if you don't know God very well you're going to have a tougher time answering that question. But if you have spent even a modest amount of time with Jesus over the years you'll likely realize that God's not going to be too pleased if you poison your body with tobacco, pot, or 14A movies, ....even though His Word doesn't specifically forbid any of these. And that's because you've been sanctifying your conscience with His Word, and learning to lean on the promptings of His Spirit to move you in directions that are pleasing to Him -- especially in those gray areas.
So if you've been struggling with the question "Why does God hardly ever answer my prayers?" consider John's words another time:
"Whatever we ask we receive from Him, because we keep His commandments and do those things that are pleasing in His sight."
God's promise to bless us is always there, but the fulfillment of those promises must be met with certain conditions before we can receive them. Are you doing everything that you know that God has commanded you, and are you eagerly seeking to be pleasing to Him in all you do?
 Labels: prayer |
| posted by Alan Harstone @ 4:10 PM |
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| Has Your Pastor Become Dull-Hearted? |
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 Does your pastor look more like this or like this? Notice...they're both spending time in green pastures.
There are a lot of churches in North America that have grown stagnant and are dying. And while sometimes it's because God has removed His lampstand as a result of persistent disobedience and sin among His people, it might also be because their pastors and elders have switched pastures. They've traded their shepherd's staff for a 9-iron, if not physically, certainly emotionally and spiritually.
I've had my turn at this more than once. Struggling in my ministry I would look down the road with envy at the huge churches that seemed to be reaching the community and saving souls. And I'd think to myself "I'm a better preacher than that guy...how come he's doing so well? How come his church is prospering and my church is barely making it? Maybe I should just quit and go sell cars."
Then I'd move into a period of complacency and self-pity, where I'd switch my shepherd's staff for a 9-iron, spending too much time in my office on the computer, or literally golfing when I should have been praying or visiting.
Finally, at the end of my rope and complacency, I would search the Scriptures for an easy answer (all the while knowing what the answer probably was). And sure enough, God would bring me back time and again to Jeremiah 10:21
"For the shepherds have become dull-hearted, and have not sought the Lord; therefore they shall not prosper, and all their flocks shall be scattered."
There it was in black and white...and I knew it applied to me. I had become dull-hearted and distracted. I'd go to my office and think about anything but God and His precious people. Blaming exhaustion and stress I'd let my mind wander out to The Links or to the Internet and waste a lot of time in the wrong pasture.
Do you suspect your pastor has become dull-hearted? It might be because he's been forced into it by the unreasonable demands of your church's culture. Or it might be that he's just grown soft and lazy. I don't know your church or your pastor, so I can't say for sure.
But if your church has become dull and listless, or fallen into a mess the last few years, it's likely that he's spending too much time in the wrong green pasture. Friends....the calling of our pastor and elders is to seek the Lord's will for His sheep through diligent prayer and Bible study (Acts 6:4). If they are not doing that i's either because your church has forced them away from it, or they've grown soft and lazy. Either way, you will need to pray for them that God will revive them and release them to return to their first love and calling. You might even need to advocate for them if the demands of your church have become too unreasonable.
But whatever you do, don't just let it drift along. They need your help!
Labels: laziness, shepherds |
| posted by Alan Harstone @ 12:01 PM |
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| Retirement Plans? |
| Thursday, December 03, 2009 |
 Thinking of retirement, the good life, sun and beaches, and lots of golf? Then stop it! This isn't God's will for you.
I've pastored long enough to know that many Christians retreat from church life once they hit their senior years. Sometimes it can't be helped; poor health has put them on the sidelines. But most retirees still have lots of energy; they're just spending it in all the wrong places. Suddenly being a grandparent is the most important thing in their lives. Or touring the country. Or hitting the links. And little thought is given to what God might have in mind for them now that they're free from work. "Eat, drink, and be merry, for tomorrow we may die" seems to be the creed for far too many seniors. Some even believe that this is God's will/reward for sticking it out to 65.
But one verse in Revelation 14 seems to put that lie to rest:
Rev 14:13
Then I heard a voice from Heaven saying to me: "Write, blessed are the dead who die in the Lord from now on". "Yes", says the Spirit, "that they may rest from their labors and their works follow them."
Somebody once told Mother Theresa, who was still hard at it in her 80s, that it was time for her to step back and take a well deserved rest. Her response? "I'll rest when I get to heaven. Right now there's lots of work to do." Bless her! She understood God's heart.
How about you? Hasn't God freed you up from "work" so that you can now pour yourself into local ministries and/or missions? Death is our official retirement! It's at death that we get our rest and rewards. Labels: faithfulness, laziness |
| posted by Alan Harstone @ 10:47 AM |
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| DISCIPLESHIP: You Can't Fool Jesus! |
| Tuesday, December 01, 2009 |
There's so much "easy believism" in the Church today that it's scary. I myself have fallen prey to this error from time to time, and have needed a wake-up call from the Holy Spirit to get me back on track.
Jesus asked His disciples if He'd find faith on the earth when He returned (Luke 18:8). He was wondering out loud how many professing Christians He'd have to confront by saying, "I never knew you. Depart from Me you who practice lawlessness."
Jesus gave some very stern warnings about easy believe-ism in Matthew 7:13-29. "The gate is wide and broad that leads to destruction. Enter by the narrow gate." He then goes on to immediately warn professing Christians that what they do for Him, or in His name, will carry no weight whatsoever on Judgment Day. "For every good tree bears good fruit; a bad tree cannot produce good fruit. So you will be known by your fruits. Not everyone who says to Me Lord, Lord will enter the Kingdom of heaven; but only he who does the will of My Father who is in heaven."
True Christianity....the faith that Jesus measures.....is weighed by the fruit of the Spirit ( "for the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness, righteousness, and truth" - Ephesians 5:9). Christian character will be weighed on the balance; fruitful obedience to God will be the measuring stick. You cannot belong to God and live any old way that you please. The evidence of conversion is the growing fruit of truth and righteousness in your life.
"Therefore, anyone who hears these words of Mine, and acts upon them, may be compared to the wise man, who built his house upon the rock. And....." well, you probably know the rest of the story. If you don't, you'll find it in Matthew 17.
Easy believism says "Yee-haw. Got my ticket to heaven thanks to Jesus death on the cross. Now let's eat, drink, and be merry, for tomorrow we may die."
True Christianity is the display of godly character and temperament, as I've already explained. Labels: faith |
| posted by Alan Harstone @ 3:07 PM |
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| The Curse Of Catholicism? |
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 Let me start by saying that I spent my formative Christian years in the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Canada. It was a rather happy mix of evangelical fervor and catholic (small 'c') ritual. I came to know the Lord in this setting, and learned the richness of catholic symbolism.
But that being said, in my early twenties I left the Lutheran church seeking a setting with more emphasis on God's Word and less emphasis on liturgies and rituals. My pendulum swung me all the way over to a conservative Baptist seminary, where I trained for ministry. I have long since settled into the Evangelical Free Church of Canada, where I have pastored for many years. But I tell you all this because I have a soft spot in my heart for the catholic movement.
However, I've long been concerned about the growing desire within evangelical circles to repatriate our Protestant flag into the Catholic camp in the name of spiritual unity. Some very good men (e.g. Chuck Colson, J.I. Packer, the late Bill Bright) have been promoting this union for over a decade now, and while they shun the notion of a common church polity, they are open to shared doctrines and purposes. I think this could be a slippery slope.
This morning while I was reading God's Word I was reminded again of the great error of Catholicism which led to the Protestant Reformation. Christ was rebuking the Scribes and Pharisees for adding traditions and new precepts to God's Word. This, of course, has long been the practice of catholicism, and we should not take it lightly. Christ got pretty hot under the collar when He was faced with a church system that "taught as doctrines the precepts of men. For laying aside the commandment of God, you hold the tradition of men--the washing of pitchers and cups, and many other such things you do. All too well you reject the commandment of God, that you may keep your tradition." (Mark 7:8-9)
Just a cursory look at the the past and present history of Catholicism reveals the same mistake entrenched in their system. Like the Scribes and Pharisees they have long maintained that the papal edicts and decrees issued to their Church through the centuries have been God-given interpretations and additions to God's Word, even though they often contradict it. This, as well as the old practice of hiding God's Word in Latin so the people can't read it, has led to great distortion and misunderstanding of the heart of God among Catholic people.
And lest we think this is a thing of the past, let me tell you about the summer class I took at a Catholic seminary for extra credit. I was the only Protestant in a room full of Catholic "priest-wannabes". I felt a little like a sheep among the wolves. Our teacher (himself a priest) knew that I was a Baptist and so took great delight in highlighting my position. In fairness, he was a kind and generous man, not malicious at all, and he was trying to get his seminary students to understand some of the advantages that we Protestants had when it came to personal Bible study. But I will never forget the day when several of the Catholic students protested vigorously that lay people should not be allowed to study God's Word on their own, and that permitting this in the local church was a very dangerous practice. I was then confronted about it again in the hallway after class. These men were incensed that we Protestants were so "careless" with God's Word. I was a little stunned, since I thought these attitudes in Catholicism had changed somewhat since the Second Vatican Council in the 1960s. Guess I was wrong.
Yes, the curse of Catholicism remains: it is still an organization that neglects and/or trumps God's Word by relying on the traditions of men. We must be careful not to join hands with this.
Labels: faith, truth |
| posted by Alan Harstone @ 11:33 AM |
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| Self-Hatred |
| Tuesday, November 24, 2009 |
My Dad, God rest his soul, struggled his whole life with self-condemnation as a Christian. I often heard him say to himself "You stupid idiot!", as he messed things up again and again. I believe that he died feeling very defeated in his walk with Christ. Somehow he had missed the secret to peace and joy.
Some of you may be in that very same place. You've given your lives to Christ, received His salvation and Holy Spirit, and yet, it seems that you just can't overcome sin -- and you hate yourself for it. You hear Paul's words "Walk by the Spirit and you won't carry out the desires of your flesh" (Galatians 5:16), and yet you identify much better with his words in Romans 7:19: "I want to do what is good, but I don’t. I don’t want to do what is wrong, but I do it anyway."
And that's when the self-hatred kicks in. You hate your lack of progress; you hate your propensity to sin; and you feel ashamed to go to Christ over and over again, as if somehow or another you have just lashed Him again with your sins. So what do you do? You wallow around in the muck and the mire, slowly sinking in the quicksand of self-despair. And you wonder "where's the victory in that?"
Well, this isn't the way it's supposed to be friends! Let me tell you the secret that I wish my Dad had learned. You're living the devil's lie. God has made you a promise that He intends to keep -- every single time: "If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness." (1 John 1:9) "For if any man sins we have an Advocate with the Father, and He himself is the atonement for our sins." (1 John 2:1)
That's where the freedom is found, friends. In the blood of Jesus. God intends for the pricking of our conscience, not to condemn us or make us feel shame when we sin, but to remind us (and draw us back to) the blood of Jesus which cleanses us from every sin. That's the place of peace; that's the place of joy. The cross was the most significant event in history. The shed blood of Jesus was the most powerful act of love ever shared. God wants to draw us back to that again and again. And instead of feeling guilty, He wants us to feel thankful.
So throw all that shame back in the devil's face. There is no need to feel defeat. Instead we are to feel relief and joy! "There is therefore no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus" (Romans 8:1). When you stumble back in to sin from time to time just head back to the cross, and back to the blood, and rejoice that every time you stumble in sin it gets washed in the blood of the Lamb. Isn't that both liberating and exhilarating?
God no longer condemns you when you fall. Your conscience isn't there to shame you. It's there to lead you to peace, joy, and victory which is found in the cleansing blood of Jesus --- every single time!
So why don't you try to stop hating yourself today? Labels: forgiveness, God's Grace, sinfulness |
| posted by Alan Harstone @ 11:41 AM |
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| The Mercy Of Hell |
| Friday, November 20, 2009 |
 Many people today believe that Hell is a figment of the imagination -- that a "merciful" God would never consign unrepentant men to Hell. "God is love", they say, "and a loving God would never refuse to forgive me".
And so they continue to trample on His laws, despise His authority, abide in sin, and presume upon His mercy. "But", Jesus said, "Fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell." (Matt 10:28) "Unless you repent you will all likewise perish!" (Luke 13:3) There is NO MERCY for the impenitent! But for those who repent, there is salvation and mercy for all of eternity. It is the repentant who are "vessels of mercy". (Romans 9:23) "For as the heaven is high above the earth, so great is His mercy toward them that fear Him." (Psalm 103:11)
Okay, so we've established that. Now what about Hell? How can Hell be an act of mercy? Like this: it is God's mercy to the Elect. Wouldn't it be dreadful if God required those who are raised from the dead and cleansed of all their sin to continue to fellowship with blasphemers and the wicked forever? Hell is God's mercy to the Redeemed! In Psalm 143:12 David prayed: "And out of Your mercy cut off my enemies and destroy all them that afflict my soul; for I am Your servant." In Psalm 136:15 we read that God "overthrew Pharaoh and his hosts in the Red Sea; for His mercy endures forever." Mercy to whom? Pharaoh and his wicked host? No. Mercy to the Redeemed. "For by no means shall the guilty be cleared" (Exodus 34:7), for "the wicked shall be turned into Hell, all the nations that forget God." (Psalm 9:17)
So, while Hell is the eternal absence of God's mercy toward the wicked, it is indeed God's mercy toward the Chosen and Elect!
Can I hear an Amen to that?Labels: hell, mercy |
| posted by Alan Harstone @ 2:30 PM |
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| Health And Wealth Be Damned! |
| Thursday, October 29, 2009 |
There is a branch of Christianity that is convinced that lack of health and wealth is a discipline against your stubborn sin, or worse yet, an evidence of your lack of faith. Good luck convincing Job of that, but let's leave him aside for the moment.
Christ was deeply loved by the Father, yet He had no place to lay His head, and had to fish for money because one of His disciples was a thief with even what little He had been given. Jesus hungered and thirsted. Jesus suffered poverty, disgrace, and persecution. Life was often "unfair" for Him. He was hassled, misunderstood, spit upon, and beaten. Yet this didn't mean that He suffered because He lacked faith and/or obedience. For Christ was faithful to the end.
Somewhere in God's infinite and immutable love for us is an allowance for poverty, shame, and pain as He hammers out His will and glory upon the anvil of our life. So let none of us accuse God, or each other, of lack of faithfulness or love when we suffer poverty or poor health. Both Job and Jesus demonstrate that one can be perfectly righteous and still suffer greatly.
The lesson we must learn from this is that the principle gifts of Divine love are spiritual blessings not temporal ones.Labels: healing |
| posted by Alan Harstone @ 11:30 AM |
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| Extreme Makeover |
| Wednesday, August 12, 2009 |
Tired of how you look? Hate that crooked nose? The beady eyes? Hate that you can't afford plastic surgery? Frustrated that, for the most part, you'll look like this until you die?
Well, for starters, God made you how you look, so it shouldn't matter how you fit in. "But God gives [you] a body as He pleases, and to each seed its own body." (1 Cor 15:38-39) And don't forget that everything God makes is GOOD!
But even if God didn't make you handsome or beautiful by your own standards, He doesn't care about that anyway -- and neither should you. Your outer man is corrupted and decaying, and God's far more concerned about giving the inner you a complete makeover. For now you're just living in a temporary shell, warts and all. Your body is just the luggage that gets you from birth to death.
I used to think that when God raises you from the dead you'll look exactly the same, and so we should show great respect to it, even at death. But that doesn't seem to be the case. The Bible clearly teaches that "flesh and blood cannot inherit the Kingdom of heaven" (1 Corinthians 15:50), and that the body is "sown a natural body and raised a spiritual body; there is a natural body and there is a spiritual body" (15:44) What God raises from the dead will look very little like what you're walking around in now.
So why worry so much about what you can't take with you? God's makeover will be extreme. When He raises you from the dead -- or transforms you if you're alive when He returns -- you will look quite different. Proof of this is when Jesus rose from the dead. Mary Magdalene stared right at Him and didn't recognize Him. She thought He might be the gardener. When He walked with some disciples along the road to Emmaus they had no clue who He was. Why? Because His raised body was not the same as what He had been born with. It was quite different.
This will happen to you too. At death you'll get the surgery you always wanted. Your whole body will decay back into dust, and God will raise it up as a new creation....a spiritual body of some sort. "And as we have borne the image of the man of dust, we shall also bear the image of the heavenly Man." (1 Cor 15:49)
I'm guessing that if you're not happy with your body now, you'll be very happy with it then! Meanwhile, put a little more effort into making-over the inner you instead of the the outer you that's going to rot and disappear.
Labels: deception, humlity, vanity |
| posted by Alan Harstone @ 10:50 AM |
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| About Me |
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Name: Alan Harstone
Home: Saskatoon, SK, Canada
About Me: Senior Pastor
Saskatoon Evangelical Free Church
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