This very morning, the grave marker was lowered into its place. I didn’t want the day to come, but knew that it must. It feels so final.

Yet strange hope rouses me.

I remember Mama’s trust in Jesus. She knew, perhaps more than anybody else, how much she needed the Lord. She knew she had sinned and strayed. Haven’t we all? She knew she’d relied too heavily on the securities of the world. She knew her own spiritual bankruptcy: that she was entirely unable to earn the favor of God.

But. She knew she was loved and forgiven.

My mother understood what Jesus had done for her on the cross, and all that He had secured for her 2000 years ago.

She knew that following Christ is even better than having your slate wiped clean.

She knew that following Christ is even better than being granted a brand-new start.

She knew that following Christ is even better than receiving supernatural strength.

She knew that following Christ is even better than taking up a fulfilling way of life.

Each of those … a forgiven past … a new mission and the needed power supply to walk it out … and a decisively unexplainable contentment … represent beautiful realities of the Christian life. But, as we consider our own mortality, we need to know the core truth of Christ’s gospel.

So, if you’re a believer, here’s the good news about you …

Your guilt was put on Christ.

Christ’s righteousness is put on you.

“For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God” (2 Corinthians 5:21). That means that God has declared you perfect in Jesus Christ. Totally perfect. Totally. Perfect.

When God the Father sees my mother, He sees the goodness of His own Son. The same is true for you, and for me.

“O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting” (1 Corinthians 15:55).

Friends, death is not the final word. For those who are trusting in the perfect righteousness of the Son of God, it never is. The final word is an empty tomb! My mother’s life, and death, and guaranteed resurrection point to her risen Savior and Lord. So my heavy, humdrum heart is stirred anew with riveting gospel hope.

As Mama’s gravestone itself echoes the spellbinding words of Jesus, I can hear with new ears His unshakable promise: “I am the resurrection and the life” (John 11:25).

Charles Wesley penned the words in 1739, and my mother included these great and gracious truths in the last Easter presentation which she led with her beloved St. Paul Silver Singers …

“Soar we now where Christ has led, Alleluia!
Following our exalted Head, Alleluia!
Made like Him, like Him we rise, Alleluia!
Ours the cross, the grave, the skies, Alleluia!”

ALLELUIA!

ALLELUIA!

ALLELUIA!

ALLELUIA!

I can almost hear Mama shouting.

Pastor Charles

After our worship service concluded Sunday morning, a friend and member of our congregation approached me and told me that – though she had barely made it to church because of excruciating pain – the Lord had relieved her pain while I was preaching. She was both touched by the inexplicable grace of Christ, and grateful to be hurting no longer. We celebrated the goodness of God.

Don’t misunderstand me for even a second. It’s nothing that I did. Saturday night I had prayed that the Lord would do something miraculous and out of the ordinary among us on the Lord’s Day. That’s not always one of my prayers, admittedly, but the reason that I had asked for such a thing is because my appetite for it had been whet by the events of the week before.

I want to tell you about those events. Some of you will say this didn’t happen. I understand that. Some will explain it away scientifically. I get that too. Some will say “I doubt it” because you weren’t there to see it with your own eyes. I understand all of that too. But please listen anyway.

Eileen and I have dear friends, more like extended family, who own a house on a gorgeous lake – a place we love – where friends and family gather throughout the summer for all that you might imagine: boating, skiing, swimming, cookouts, bonfires, relaxation, and all the delights of just such a picturesque environment. It is a respite. It’s a haven for great fun and adventure. It’s a sacred place for the renewal of relationships, prayer, and time with God. It’s a special place where you go to leave behind many of the cares of our daily grind.

This particular gathering was important for their family, because they were in the midst of making some critical decisions. Decisions with lifelong consequences. The kinds of decisions into which one enters soberly and in the fear of God. It was one of those gatherings where every conversation seemed important, because it was.

On the last night of this particular vacation, the mood was celebrative – a time for sparklers for the kids and s’mores for young and old alike. The bonfire was glowing with exceptional ferocity, and at last the time had come to prepare the one final ingredient: the flawless marshmallows. Gooey outdoor goodness on a stick. A Norman Rockwell moment if ever there were one.

Our friend, the grandmother and matriarch of the family, decided to roast the marshmallows for everybody – because the fire was too hot, high, and dangerous for the kids to get too close. A wise move, and one that would keep the long-anticipated evening treat on schedule.

Out of nowhere, the 7-year-old grandson snagged his tennis shoe on a rock. Unable to loosen it immediately – and in what seemed like less than the blink of an eye – the boy lost his balance, fell backward, and landed on the floor of the fire pit. Picture this traumatizing scene if you can: a  stunned and helpless child is lying in a blazing fire, surrounded by flames from head to toe.

As you might imagine, full-blown mayhem ensued. Some of the adults froze in sheer panic, but the child’s uncle – almost autonomically – reached in and pulled the little boy out of the blazes. In the process, as you might expect, the uncle suffered some minor burns.

But here’s what you might not expect.

The little boy of whom I testify came out of the fire completely unharmed! Not a single burn. Not a singed hair. No evidence of fire on his shirt, his pants, his shoes, or his socks. No injuries whatsoever. No emergency room required. No sign that he was ever in the fire at all.

I don’t have time – and you don’t either – for me to tell you all the ways in which our gracious God is using this miracle in the lives of people – including some who are only remotely connected to this family. Even a few unbelievers are inquiring about this shocking report, and it’s clear that God has been preparing their hearts for this moment. For this particular testimony of rescue. Perhaps, for them, saving faith is on the horizon. Only the Lord knows. But we know that Christ never stops working for our good and for His glory.

And, as for the family members themselves, they’re discovering with crystal clarity those critical answers they’d been searching for. Sometimes, friends, God’s unmatched words of comfort, hope, direction, and resolve come to us in the strangest of ways.

“And the satraps, the prefects, the governors, and the king’s counselors gathered together and saw that the fire had not had any power over the bodies of those men. The hair of their heads was not singed, their cloaks were not harmed, and no smell of fire had come upon them” (Daniel 3:27).

May I quote the great theologian, Alabama?

“They wear so many faces; show up in the strangest places

To grace us with their mercy, in our time of need

Oh I believe there are angels among us

Sent down to us from somewhere up above

They come to you and me in our darkest hours

To show us how to live, to teach us how to give

To guide us with the light of love”

And the little boy himself, well, I’ll just call him Shadrach – to protect his anonymity. Since the life-changing moment that I’ve described here, he’s boldly told a number of people – whoever would have ears to listen to the voice of a child: “I went in the fire, but Jesus saved me.”

I’ll close with the astounding testimony of the pagan king who came close enough to the blazes to be enthralled by the God of Daniel’s friends: “There is no other god who is able to rescue in this way.”

Pastor Charles

Maybe it’s just me, but – today – God seems quiet.

I started blogging in early 2012. Once a week, without fail. Today is the first “post day” I have not known what to say. That’s a long stretch for today to be the first such day.

I had one idea which I thought was excellent – just ask me – but the Spirit has now shut that down for the third time. So I’m considering it shut down, officially. So much for my “excellent” idea. I just knew it would stop you in your tracks, but we’ll never know. At least not today. Despite praying about it, and seeking the Lord for a creative idea, I don’t have one. And I’ve gone back to the Bible twice. Still, nothing.

I don’t feel depressed like Elijah felt depressed – when he really didn’t want to go on. I have related to Elijah’s despondency before, but today is not that kind of day. I’m not unusually sad. I’m feeling more Charlie Brown than Elijah. I just don’t have my normal new-week juiced-up level of “I can’t wait to write this and see what God makes of it!” Not today.

What’s been different about today?

Almost nothing. Normal wake time. Normal shower. Normal breakfast. Normal drive to work. Normal coffee with normal cream. About as normal as normal can be.

Has anything been out of the ordinary? Strange phone calls? Strange interactions with others? Any particularly shocking news? Any particularly terrible news? Any particular exciting news? Bad hair day?

You guessed it. Nope. Just normal. All normal. Normal. Normal. Normal. The only thing that doesn’t seem normal is me. Because I wanted to hear from God – but He’s been quiet.

So I’m left with no choice. I’ll take up the subject of God’s quietness, trusting this to be His will.

As I sit in the quietness, I’m remembering. I’m recalling times when God wasn’t so quiet. In fact, He’s spoken to me so loudly that I couldn’t miss it! I remember the unique sound of His voice. Not an audible sound, but a powerful, unmistakable voice. A voice like no other. The voice of One who loves me enough to step right into my dullness. A know-it-deep-down-in-your-gut voice. Somewhat unpredictable, yet anchored in unalterable truth. Sometimes as piercing as spring thunder – at times, as gentle as the flutter of a bird’s wing.

Thunderous, yet soothing.

Arresting, yet welcome.

I remember countless times when God has met me and shown me wonderful things! He’s opened up His Word to my understanding. He’s changed and orchestrated my circumstances. He’s given me the words to speak in a difficult conversation. He’s resolved a near disaster that I didn’t think could be fixed. He’s changed my heart when I was bitter. He’s convicted me when I was proud. He’s help me see another side of the story, or the situation. He’s let me see something beautiful about a person I presumed to be an enemy.

He has unequivocally directed my path. When I had no idea, He’s shown me what to do. He’s delivered me from my mistakes. He’s provided when I had no idea how to provide for myself. He has proven Himself to be faithful – so much more than faithful – day in and day out. Year in and year out.

As for me, I haven’t been so faithful. But, every time I’ve asked, He’s forgiven me! Every single time! When I was bitter – and I mean bitter – He’s given me love. Unexplainable love. The kind that I knew wasn’t from me. He has silenced my foes. Boy, has He! If you’re a foe and you’re reading, watch yourself! Better yet, just forgive me. I can assure you that I’m far worse than even you think.

Over the decades of my walk with Jesus, God has given me plenty to ponder. Plenty to study. Plenty to learn. Plenty to write about, and plenty to write. Plenty to preach. He’s never left me feeling abandoned in my calling. Never once. Not even for a moment. Over nearly forty years of sermon preparation, He’s provided resources … and encouragement … and outlines … and energy. And even a little alliteration when I’ve needed it. Quietness. Questions. Quelled. (Sorry, couldn’t help myself.)

I am blessed. So, so blessed.

Maybe I’m having a quiet day because you’re having a quiet day. And you needed to hear again that the Lord is good. He really is good, even when He seems quiet. Trusting God when we don’t hear Him is vitally important, friends. We all find ourselves there on occasion, if not for a protracted season. And spiritual holding patterns are neither fun nor easy.

Maybe His quietness is just that. After all, it was quiet between Friday and Sunday.

He won’t be quiet forever.

Pastor Charles

The waters rose 26 feet in 45 minutes. Seven inches per minute. Terrifying.

Thinking about frantic moms and dads searching desperately for their daughters after the tragedy at Camp Mystic is almost more than I can handle. As a shepherd, I’m supposed to have all the answers. But sometimes I have very few answers – only anguish.

Where was God? Where was God when the Guadalupe River raged and roared and ravaged everything in its path? Where was God?

We know that God can calm the storm. We know that God can part the seas. We know that God can command the oceans to keep their distance: “This far, but no farther.”

God could have ordered the river to stand down. He could’ve stopped the flood from swelling in the Texas Hill Country. A friend from near the camp told me that they’d been praying for rain. That’s one of the weird things about weather: the same systems which can bless and refresh can wreak havoc under the “right” conditions. God could’ve created meteorological systems which don’t permit such tragic aberrations to happen at all. But He didn’t. So, where was God?

As we try to make sense of the Texas flooding, is it easier to conclude that there is no God?

At first glance, it might help. Analyzed from a perspective of atheism or agnosticism, so-called “natural disasters” are just the way the world works. Excessive rainfall happens on occasion, and rivers rise to dangerous proportions. When that happens, where a person happens to be boils down to the luck of the draw. Some girls – and others among the unlucky – are simply in the wrong place at the wrong time.

It’s not very comforting, but it gets God off the hook. In the middle of the night, however, science has a strange way of not being enough. You and I’ve been wired to long, sooner or later, for more than science can explain. Our souls ask deep questions which crave honest answers. So the no-God notion doesn’t calm or satisfy us for long.

Today I’m challenging you to look at this from the polar opposite perspective. This disaster in Texas doesn’t point us away from God – but straight toward Him. As I write this, I’m forced to admit that even my labeling it a “disaster” is my making a moral judgment. Even when I merely imply that something is wrong in this world – that something should have turned out better than it did – it’s an admission that there’s a higher moral order emanating from somewhere.

What kind of universe best explains our emotional response to a tragedy like this? I’ll answer. It’s a universe that, from the beginning, was designed to be moral – because it was created by a good God. A very good God, in fact.

Right now, your grief and mine are whispering God’s name.

This side of heaven, we’ll have plenty of questions left unanswered. Why, despite our best efforts to make this world a better place, are we reminded regularly that our best intelligence – and our most sophisticated technology and safety measures – can fail so miserably?

Because this world is broken. There’s a spiritual brokenness, and there has been since Adam, caused by forces of evil that are as real as the air we’re inhaling right now. Spiritual brokenness morphs into brokenness in us, and in everyone and everything around us – including nature. Because of sin, there’s deep brokenness in God’s world. Everyone’s trapped in the brokenness, whether they recognize it or not – though we may experience it in different ways.

If God is real, what kind of God is able to bless a broken world? A God who not only tells us – by His Word – how to navigate the brokenness, but a God who stepped into the brokenness of human history Himself. Christ came, and He still comes. He comes alongside us in our suffering, and He empowers us to love our hurting neighbors as ourselves.

One day our God will bring complete comfort and restoration to all who trust and follow Him. If it’s true that Jesus rose from the dead, then natural disasters and the suffering they entail are never the end of the story. There’s eternal life beyond the grave! The Bible promises a time when God will make everything new. Literally, everything! The brokenness that we see today will be made right in ways so spectacular that they’ll far exceed anything we ever imagined.

This side of glory, we live in a gut-wrenching tension that stretches our heart and our faith.

Could God have prevented the flood?

Yes. Of course.

Did God have the power to reroute raging waters or dispatch mighty angels to save the day?

Beyond a shadow of a doubt.

Could God have rescued everyone?

You already know the answer. But He didn’t. Not in all the ways we hoped and prayed.

So this is where you and I crawl – sometimes kicking and screaming – into the sacred realm of secret things. Things known only to God. Now, as the Scriptures affirm, we see everything through a glass, darkly. Our vision can be cloudy and myopic. There are times – often tragic times – when divine sovereignty doesn’t line up with human expectation. When that happens to us, we mustn’t try to run away from God – as it’s the perfect time to run toward Him.

Sometimes, the brokenness of this world breaks even God’s heart. The Cross is Exhibit A. Jesus could have called heavenly hosts to halt His crucifixion. But He didn’t. Not because He couldn’t, but because there was a greater purpose in the making – a gorgeous redemptive plan temporarily eclipsed by His own suffering. Kerrville is our reminder.

We don’t know the full mind of God when it comes to everything, but we do know this: God’s slowness is never His apathy, and His silence is never His absence. Sometimes He calms the sea. Sometimes He withholds His miraculous deliverance so that a greater truth might emerge from the darkness which seems to envelope us – even through the ravages of our grief.

Here’s the good news. You and I serve a God who weeps with us, just as He wept with those who’d lost Lazarus. With nail scars of His own, Jesus steps into your sorrows and mine. We can’t answer every “why,” but we can know that He’s still righteous. When we can’t see His goodness in the circumstances He allows, we can seek it in communion with Him in His wide-open arms. He knows our every pain; He’s been there. As kids, we prayed, “God is great. God is good …” Friends, His justice isn’t always immediate, but it’s inevitable. And we look forward to the day when every tear will be wiped dry by His grace.

God’s still here. Even in the storm, He was at Camp Mystic: in the unfathomable chaos, in the desperate cries for help, and in the unexpected miracles. Because of the finished work of Christ, God is always for us. He’s “Emmanuel” – “God with us” – in the storm as much as the sunshine.

And God’s still squarely in control. “We know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to His purpose.” This unshakable promise doesn’t mean that all things are good; obviously, they’re not. But it means that God can use even the most horrific thing, like a flood that steals young lives, to plant beautiful seeds of glorious cosmic redemption.

It’s time for the ransomed bride of the Lord Jesus Christ to cry and to pray, to suffer with those who are suffering, and to declare through our tears the perfect goodness of God – even when the storm strikes.

I watched a video from inside one of the buses that transported some of the campers from Camp Mystic to safety. The girls were singing a song that I’ve sung many times …

“I wish for you my friend

This happiness that I’ve found

You can depend on Him

It matters not where you’re bound

I’ll shout it from the mountaintop – praise God!

I want my world to know

The Lord of love has come to me

I want to pass it on”

Pass it on.

Pastor Charles

We never know what dangers are all around us.

It was just a normal Disney cruise to the Bahamas, until it wasn’t. On Sunday, a little girl fell overboard from the fourth deck of the ship, the Disney Dream. In the blink of an eye, her father – a true hero – leapt into the ocean to save his terrified child.

Every child needs a dad like that. Thankfully, we have one. And our Father has reminded us, over and over again, how much we need to be prepared for the dangers which lie ahead.

“Let the one who has no sword sell his cloak and buy one.” That specific provision is among Christ’s instructions to His disciples in Luke 22:36.

The disciples needed a sword.

On our road to heaven, you and I should expect to be assaulted by Satan and the forces of darkness – sometimes when we least expect it. If God’s enemy and ours can’t destroy us, he’ll try repeatedly to disturb or discourage or distress us. We can count on it.

In the life of a Christ follower, nothing more certainly predicts a disastrous fall than misguided self-confidence. Quite frankly, you and I are fools to disregard the Bible’s clear warnings about the spiritual danger which surrounds our daily grind. When we fail to watch and pray, we’re drawn into those sins which we were at some point resolved to avoid. Our hearts grow spiritually cold, and we lose the sharp clarity of our much-needed spiritual vision.

If we believers were left to ourselves, we would fall beyond recovery. But the good news is that you and I are kept by the power of God – and the prevailing prayers of Christ on our behalf.

The disciples needed a sword.

Our Lord is not naïve to the trying circumstances in which His disciples will find themselves. He’s telling them as much. They need to be prepared. After all, as we well know, some “friends” don’t turn out to be so friendly. Therefore, he who has a backpack full of helpful supplies for the journey, let him take it – for he may need it. The disciples should expect that their enemies will be difficult to contend with, and they will need weapons along the way.

The men are thinking of tangible weapons – as would we – while our Lord is mindful of the bigger picture. We can tell from the text that Jesus is concerned about the critical weapons of their spiritual warfare. For a day like today, friends, the importance of our spiritual armor (Ephesians 6:10-20) – and particularly “the sword of the Spirit” – can’t be overstated. Remember: the sword of the Spirit is the Word of God.

It seems that the disciples are thinking only of necessary self-defense against bandits or wild animals while they travel. Though these are legitimate concerns, Jesus is most focused on their spiritual readiness and the challenges they’re sure to face in penetrating spiritual darkness with the light of His gospel.

Why do I make that claim? Because the disciples’ proposed remedy, “Look, Lord, here are two swords,” brings about Jesus’s corrective: “It is enough.” You and I don’t feel the weight of that statement unless we think of it as “That’s enough!” or “Enough!” This strongly suggests that – though perhaps well-meaning – their literal interpretation of “sword” is insufficient. Somehow, they’re still missing the larger and more crucial point.

And it’s a point that I don’t want us to miss. The disciples may need a literal sword, but they definitely need the sword of the Spirit!

We see this later, when Peter – attempting to defend Jesus – uses his sword to cut off the ear of the high priest’s servant. “No more of this!” says Jesus. While the disciples are focused on self-defense, Jesus heals the man wounded by their “self-defense.”

There’s a time and a place for everything. But what God is accomplishing spiritually is always what matters most. And I don’t have to tell you that we can’t always see – with human eyes – what God is doing. That’s why we need our spiritual armor.

When I need to be reminded of my never-ending need for God’s Word, I like to read Psalm 119. I encourage you to take a look as well (spoiler alert: it’s long, so don’t rush) …

God’s Word is my wake-up call.

God’s Word is my warning.

God’s Word is my warranty.

God’s Word is my way-finder.

God’s Word is my wealth.

God’s Word is my weapon.

God’s Word is my wellbeing.

God’s Word is my willpower.

God’s Word is my win.

God’s Word is my wisdom.

God’s Word is my witness.

God’s Word is my wonder.

“Forever, O Lord, your word is firmly fixed in the heavens.”

Just like those disciples, you and I are up against the devil’s schemes. Though sometimes we forget that we’re at our post, we’re battling rulers, authorities, and cosmic powers over the present darkness of this fallen world. Though we can’t see them, we’re combatting regularly evil spiritual forces in heavenly places. Other than that, our Christian pilgrimage is a cakewalk.

The disciples needed a sword.

To make it safely to homeport, you and I need heavenly weapons of unstoppable power. And the sword which we must never forget is the Word of God.

It’s your lifejacket, so don’t set sail without it.

Pastor Charles

“See that you are not led astray.”

That’s Christ’s warning to us in Luke 21:8. “For many will come in my name, saying, ‘I am he!’ and ‘The time is at hand!’ Do not go after them.”

A little research proves that false christ claims have happened throughout history. In the 1800s, at least six different men claimed to be Christ. That number grew in the 1900s. I’m writing on this subject today because I expect that the frequency of such claims will increase as time marches on. Notice that Jesus used the word “many” – and I don’t think we’ve seen that yet.

So far in this century, one of the most high-profile “christs” was David Shayler, the former MI5 (the U.K.’s domestic counterintelligence and security agency) agent and whistleblower who called himself the Messiah in 2007. So as not to confuse you if you look him up, Mr. Shayler now identifies as the transgender Delores Kane.

There was also Oscar Ramiro Ortega-Hernandez, who claimed publicly to be “the modern-day Jesus Christ” on a mission to kill President Obama – whom he considered to be the Antichrist. You may remember that, in late 2011, Mr. Ortega-Hernandez used a semi-automatic rifle to fire at least eight rounds at the White House – later claiming that he “never meant to hurt anybody.”

Something tells me that we’ll look back on these imposters as amateurs compared to the ones that are coming.

When you and I consider the unfolding of God’s plan for the ages – what we should expect to see in the world, and how we should prepare to respond to each event – we better stick to our only source of ultimate truth: God’s Word! Jesus said that there would be “great tribulation, such as has not been from the beginning of the world until now, no, and never will be. And if those days had not been cut short, no human being would be saved.” Thankfully, Jesus also promised: “But for the sake of the elect those days will be cut short.”

Christ spoke plainly: “Then if anyone says to you, ‘Look, here is the Christ!’ or ‘There he is!’ do not believe it. For false christs and false prophets will arise and perform great signs and wonders, so as to lead astray, if possible, even the elect. See, I have told you beforehand.”

Surely, Jesus is calling us to spiritual sobriety, bold prayerfulness, and critical discernment.

We’re instructed not to be deceived! “So, if they say to you, ‘Look, he is in the wilderness,’ do not go out. If they say, ‘Look, he is in the inner rooms,’ do not believe it. For as the lightning comes from the east and shines as far as the west, so will be the coming of the Son of Man” (Matthew 24:21-27).

I’ll offer a few areas of particular concern. If not directly, at least indirectly, these till the soil for false christs …

1. “Lazy Jesus”

As Christ’s Church, our call is to vigilance! Even the earliest Christ followers had to struggle with assaults on the gospel, and so will we in our generation. “For such men are false apostles, deceitful workmen, disguising themselves as apostles of Christ. And no wonder, for even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light” (2 Corinthians 11:13-14). You and I have been called to “test the spirits” (1 John 4:1-3), and this requires humble hearts, faithful prayer, and hard work.

2. “Restricted Jesus”

I’m thinking of leaders like Jim Jones, David Koresh, Sun Myung Moon, and plenty more. It’s very dangerous when any group becomes convinced that they have a unique corner on God’s truth. Many movements have started with an apparent desire to teach the Scriptures, but have veered off-track by lack of accountability. Regardless of charismatic personality or personal winsomeness, we must beware of dreadfully false doctrine parading as Bible-based Christianity.

3. “Luxurious Jesus”

“Have it all, now” is cross-less glory – and a lie. Whether or not we want to believe it, times of suffering are part of God’s plan for us – this side of heaven (John 16:33). Yes, you and I have God’s unshakable promise to see us through, and His Holy Spirit to comfort us in every trial, but the idea that “your best life now” captures the essence of the gospel is severely misleading at best. It fosters self-worship, and makes Jesus nothing but a ticket to God’s material blessings. Yet the Biblically illiterate seem to love this stuff.

4. “Twisted Jesus”

Many of the pseudo-Christian cult members knocking on our doors have the best of intentions. They claim to follow Jesus, and to live for Him. They often display admirable “family values.” But they’re all sold on some version of works-righteousness – which is damnable heresy per Galatians 1:6-10 – whether they know it or not (they likely don’t). They all deny the work of Jesus, ultimately, as our only Way to forgiveness and eternal life (John 14:6). Ask them who Jesus is. You’ll find – 100% of the time – that their jesus is less than God.

5. “Reinvented Jesus”

It’s easy to see how “liberal” churches abandon orthodox teaching on important subjects, but I’m also concerned about “conservative” and “evangelical” churches in America. We’re also at risk. Anytime we minimize the more difficult truths of the Bible, we present a false Christ. (Yes, you read that correctly.) Similarly, when we pressure people to “make a decision for Christ” – bypassing their genuine repentance – we present a phony Jesus.

6. “Boring Jesus”

Second Timothy 4:3-4 warns us that a time is coming when people will despise sound doctrine. Absent Spirit-dispatched revival and renewal transforming the pervasive culture, as the world grows darker and as sinfulness – in general – escalates in the last days, many “church folks” will find themselves all too happy with a more palatable “christ” who scratches the itching ears of those who “love the darkness rather than the light” (John 3:19).

Many false christs can be expected. We know this from Christ’s own lips. Though some will be readily recognizable as whacks and quacks, I suspect that many will be far more convincing. That’s why now is the time, friends, for us to draw closer than ever before to the real Christ. Intimacy with God, and saturation in His perfect Word, will keep us from falling prey to the deceptive signs and wonders headed our direction in the days ahead.

There is no end to what the sinful human heart can do to hide from the real Jesus – by imagining a schizophrenic one. God, please save us from such.

Pastor Charles

I continue to be shocked and saddened by how little media coverage is given to the persecution of Christians on the global stage. I won’t blame anybody for this neglect, but I will take this opportunity to update you on the situation in a few significant spots on Planet Earth.

Know this, friends: quite tragically, the persecution of Christ followers is on the steady uptick, globally.

In Afghanistan, converting to Christianity is a death sentence. Persecution can be severe, including both government-sponsored discrimination and sanctioned violence against believers. Afghan law does not recognize religious confessions other than Islamic ones, and apostasy – that includes any version of leaving Islam – is punishable by death.

In China, pastors disappear with some degree of regularity, and worship is spied on routinely by the government. The Chinese Communist Party (CCP) aims to ensure that all religious expression aligns with its ideology, leading to intense pressure on churches and individuals who do not conform. 

In Egypt, believers live in fear. Persecution is a serious concern, particularly for converts from Islam and Coptic believers. While the government publicly promotes religious diversity and tolerance, Christians face systemic restrictions on religious freedom. They may experience second-class citizenship, discrimination, or outright abuse.

In Eritrea, our brothers and sisters are locked in shipping containers. Persecution is widespread and severe, particularly against those outside state-sanctioned religious bodies. The government has little tolerance for religious minorities; evangelicals can be detained, arrested, and tortured. Many Christians face pressure from their communities if they convert from Islam.

In India, Christians are beaten in the streets, and churches are burned. Data shows a sharp rise in attacks, including assaults, property damage, and intimidation. The rise of Hindu nationalism fuels hostility. Anti-conversion laws target Christians, resulting in false arrests. Christians face discrimination; converts from Hinduism and house church leaders are particularly vulnerable.

In Iran, following Christ can be a death sentence. Persecution is severe and systemic, particularly for converts from Islam; the government considers Christian converts a threat to national security and the regime’s ideology. The Center for Human Rights (CHRI) reports a surge in intensity and brutality of persecution, with evangelical Christians particularly targeted.

In Libya, believers live in fear of violence, and Christian persecution is a grave concern. While relatively peaceful relations exist between Muslims and Christians in some regions, there are significant restrictions on Christian religious activity and the public practice of any religion other than Islam. Evangelism is illegal, so speaking of one’s faith in Christ is exceptionally dangerous.

In Mexico, the number of abducted believers is rising, while attacks on Christian property owners – and related deaths – mount. The primary persecutors are organized crime gangs controlled by violent drug cartels. Pastors are targeted for extortion due of their presumed links to Western donors. Rural areas are the most dangerous, as police fear going into those regions.

In Myanmar, Christian persecution is severe and has intensified since the military coup in 2021. The Burmese government equates Buddhism with national identity, and Christ followers are treated as second-class citizens – facing violence and repression. Over 300 churches have been destroyed. Pastors have been killed, and thousands imprisoned. The conflict has displaced millions of people, including Christians, now forced to seek refuge in makeshift jungle camps.

In Nigeria, our sisters and brothers are being hacked to death or burned alive. Muslims have killed Christians by the tens of thousands. In 2022, roughly 5000 Christians were murdered for their faith – more than those killed in all other countries combined. For 2023, the number murdered is estimated at over 7000. It’s the most dangerous country in the world for believers.

In North Korea, owning a Bible can get your family killed. Persecution is severe – among the world’s worst. If discovered, Christians face fatal consequences, included being killed on the spot or sent to brutal labor camps where survival rates are low. Authorities physically abuse those engaged in religious activities, including extended family members who aren’t believers.

In Pakistan, laws target religious minorities, with Christians disproportionately impacted. Accusations of blasphemy – even if false – lead to mob violence, bombings, lynching, prison, or death. Christian females face abduction, forced conversion to Islam, sexual violence, and marriage against their will. Courts accept coerced testimony against believers, who face widespread discrimination.

In Somalia, believers live in constant fear of violence, rape, or worse. Al-Shabab, a brutal Islamist group, wars with the government and controls large swaths of the country. Sharia law is enforced, with the goal of eradicating Christianity from Somalia – starting with Christian leaders. The persecution of believers also comes from within their families and communities.

In Sudan, followers of Jesus, particularly converts from Islam, battle serious hardship – including family backlash, forced displacement, and poverty. Due to this discrimination, the ongoing hunger crisis disproportionately affects Christians. Reports include sexual violence, imprisonment, and forced conversion. Christians face false charges, and parents lose their kids if there’s concern they might be raised as non-Muslim.

And yet … radio silence from most media outlets. No compelling headlines. No public protests. I’m not sure why.

I urge you to pay careful attention to Africa! Sub-Saharan Africa is now home to the largest number of Christians living anywhere on the planet. About 31% of the world’s Christ followers live in that important but often overlooked part of the world. For reference, contrast the 31% with 22% in Europe.

If you’re not already praying for these who are deeply loved by our God, please join me in making that a part of your regular routine. I’m asking the Lord to “blow through these countries with the wind of heaven” … and that the persecutors themselves will come to repentance and life-giving faith in the Son of God.

Pastor Charles

On the Day of Pentecost, when the famous tongues of fire were poured out, how many men were gathered there?

According to the Scriptures (Acts 1:15; 2:1-4), there were about 120 people in the upper room. But, if you look carefully at Acts 1:14, you discover that women were there among the men. You might be surprised by that observation, so I’ll include the verse in its entirety: “All these with one accord were devoting themselves to prayer, together with the women and Mary the mother of Jesus, and his brothers.” Acts 2:1 records that “they were all together in one place.”

Just in case you’re interested, I’ve included here a photograph of just a small portion of the exquisite “Window of the Pentecost” – dating back to 1848 – at Germany’s Cologne Cathedral. It allows us to see one artist’s rendering of a significant event in church history.

“All these with one accord were devoting themselves to prayer.” That’s where I want to focus today.

Allow me please to review the historical context. Jesus had clearly promised this miraculous outpouring of His Spirit (Acts 1:8): “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.” After appearing to more than 500 eyewitnesses over a period of forty days (Acts 1:3; 1 Corinthians 15:3-8) – and giving to us the Great Commission (Matthew 28:18-20) – the risen Jesus ascended to heaven.

So Christ’s faithful followers have been waiting. Not waiting passively, but waiting actively. They’ve been praying. In fact, they’re praying when this scene erupts.

They haven’t been strategizing.

They haven’t been planning.

They haven’t been studying market trends.

They’ve been praying. And God has used their prayers to bring all of them together– despite their undeniable differences – to an exceptionally powerful place of unity in Jesus Christ. It’s an unmistakable unity in Christ which comes only from Him!

It’s a unity that can unite men and women – in Christ! It’s a unity that can unite people who don’t speak the same language – in Christ! It’s unity that can unite Jews and Gentiles – in Christ! It’s a unity that can unite enemies – in Christ! The perfect testimony of the Bible will validate each of these realities.

The unity of Pentecost is the very unity that the Church needs today.

We need a supernatural unity that enables us to practice unstoppable love – a love that the world can’t understand. Even when people seem impossible to love, we must embody the grace of the longsuffering Christ who loved even the rich young man who walked away unhappy and unmoved. Spirit-born love is our uniquely defining characteristic in every generation.

We need a supernatural unity that helps all of us overcome our sin – sins both personal and shared. “Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working” (James 5:16). It’s a profound victory when our remaining sin leads us to practical holiness – together.

We need a supernatural unity that enables us to die to self, that we might live in harmony with each other – sharing from an open heart what we’ve been given freely. Such generosity is impossible without the Spirit, but it’s yours and mine for the asking. There’s simply no iceberg of human pride, sin, selfishness, or stubbornness that can’t be melted by God’s sun.

We need a supernatural unity that produces supernatural community. A community that will see us through the persecutions of this life – whenever and however they come – because we share a vision of our life beyond this one. A life marked by infinite resurrection and limitless joy! In Christ, we have passports already stamped by the highest ambassador of that kingdom.

There is a way for a body of believers to stay faithful to the Scriptures in regard to obvious gender distinctions, while encouraging women and men to pursue with passion their God-given gifts for ministry. But it requires gracious humility on the part of everybody. Everybody!

I call it the unity of love.

I’m blessed to serve such a congregation, so I know it can happen, and this is not to my credit. For this unity of love, I give God all the glory.

Pastor Charles

Everything about our country would be wonderful if it weren’t for those awful sinners.

Ever felt like that? It’s an easy assumption. Until we read Luke 13:6-9. I didn’t plan to blog on this subject, but my personal Bible study changed my mind. When Jesus tells a story and includes manure in it, it does make you think.

Anyway, this brief parable is worth some consideration. A man gets upset because his fig tree won’t bear fruit, and he tells the vinedresser to chop it down. But the vinedresser persuades the man to let him dig around the tree and fertilize it – and to wait one more year before he gives it the ax.

What’s going on in Christ’s story? In the immediate context, God’s people need to repent before they experience God’s judgment. Read it for yourself. It’s quite striking. Maybe we’re not used to illustrations so down-to-earth.

I’ll never forget what I was taught by an older pastor years ago: “When the plain sense of Scripture makes common sense, seek no other sense.” It’s a great rule of thumb for Bible study. It means that we should always accept a Bible passage at face value, unless the Bible itself demands otherwise. So, when it comes to understanding the meaning of words – these or any others in the Bible – the ordinary, the usual, and the literal is the best place to start.

Common sense. The Bible calls us to common sense. Folks in the South used to refer to common sense as “horse sense” in my neck of the woods. I still like that colloquial term, and it still fits when you and I take up God’s Word: We need horse sense!

The parable’s setting includes a vineyard, a fig tree, and an anticipated fruit harvest. All three should have been recognizable from the Old Testament Scriptures: 1. a vineyard, as a metaphor for God’s people (Isaiah 5:1-7); 2. a fig tree, also as a metaphor for God’s people (Micah 7:1); and 3. the expectation of fruit, which we see clearly in both. Back then, it was common to plant fig trees in vineyards, as grapes were grown on fig trees to support the vines.

We find the parable’s context in the chapter’s first few verses, where Jesus is told of a tragedy that must have taken place while He wasn’t around. We don’t know the details, except that Pilate killed some Galileans while they were offering their temple sacrifices. Maybe the victims were rebels, but we don’t know. What we do know is that Jesus knew that those who were telling Him this story were assuming that these Galileans had been judged by God for being particularly bad sinners. This was a common assumption among many people back then, particularly the religious types, an assumption shared by Jesus’ disciples – as evidenced in the account of the man born blind (John 9:1-3). Everyone in town assumed that something as awful as being born blind must be the result of some terrible sin on somebody’s part.

You and I are a lot like the people wanting to establish an immediate cause-and-effect relationship between the trouble of blindness and somebody’s else’s sin. Truth is, friends: We’re just not too skillful when it comes to identifying the problem when we look in the mirror. Surely I am never part of what’s wrong with the world!

It’s very dangerous to assume that somebody else “has it comin’ to ‘em.” Remarkably, Jesus adds another example of tragedy and makes His powerful point a second time: “Do you think that they were worse offenders than all the others? … No, I tell you, no; but unless you repent, you will all likewise perish.”

I think that Jesus is confronting the same self-righteousness that He later challenges in the parable of the Pharisee and the tax collector (Luke 18:10-14): “… For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but the one who humbles himself will be exalted.”

Hmmm. I’m the one being called to humility. Moi. That’s the point. My concern should never be whether or not somebody else gets humbled. It’s my pride that’s the biggest problem. Back to the spreading of the manure in the pungent story told by Jesus, the vinedresser knew just what to do to enrich the soil – and I’m so grateful that God’s disposition toward us is the epitome of longsuffering. But, if you’ll allow me to apply the text personally for a moment, it’s my sin that stinks to high heaven.

As the Apostle Paul, quite directly, later asks the Roman Christians (2:4): “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?” How easy it is for all of us, friends, to take for granted the patience of God! Let’s not do that.

This may sound crude, and perhaps it should: The manure has been spread, y’all. In a very earthy illustration, Jesus reminds us that He expects our lives to bear the fruit of His Spirit. Christ has saved us by His grace alone, through faith alone, but genuine faith produces fruit – including the fruit of repentance.

Today is a great day for us to recognize how readily – automatically, in fact – we see others as worse sinners than we. It’s quite natural to deceive ourselves in this way. It even feels good, temporarily. But our Lord Jesus will tolerate no such pride! (Isn’t it always easier to notice someone else’s pride?) The Apostle Peter warns us all (4:17): “For it is time for judgment to begin at the household of God; and if it begins with us, what will be the outcome for those who do not obey the gospel of God?” The best thing you and I could do today is repent.

None of us knows when our days on Earth are complete, so we must be ready at any moment. This is why Jesus calls us to have humble hearts before Him. You and I must admit that we deserve God’s judgment as much as anybody else.

Even those people.

Ah, the wonder of Christ’s grace. Here’s some horse sense: When it comes to my sin, grace is the only thing that makes any sense at all.

Pastor Charles

Does your Christian life make you feel like you’re fighting a losing battle?If it does, you’re not alone. You are so not alone.

Fellow pilgrims, the narrow way can be brutal. Our God is doing big things in us! To ready us for eternity, He is transforming us from the inside out. Such wondrous developmemnts of character and grit are seldom accomplished without blood, sweat, and tears.

So here’s a question: Is a battle a victory only when it’s won? My short answer to that question is a robust “No!” And if you’re reading, and feeling quite weary in the battle today, consider this the whisper in your ear that you’ve needed in order to press on.

You see, in God’s economy, our noble failures can be far more more redemptive than our obvious successes. It is in the temporal losses of this life that you and I come to understand that to fight with all we’ve got is where the real you and the real me is forged. Like diamonds, we’re made strongest, and we shine brightest, after waves of intense heat and relentless pressure.

I contend that it’s not as much about victory on the battlefield as it is about victory in us, what might be described as our learning to stay true to who we are — who we’re called to be in Christ — all the way to the end. That’s called perseverance, and it’s of inestimable value.

Let’s face the facts. The Lord calls us to difficult — sometimes ridiculously difficult — assignments. Oftentimes, humanly speaking at least, the odds of our success are laughable. Tried forgiving the unforgivable recently?

Life is full of “losing battles,” we must admit, but that should never deter us from our mission. The victory department is not our department, but God’s.

How do you and I fight a losing battle without losing all hope? We remember whose we are. When the deck seems stacked against us, and when the attacks and the opposition seem insurmountable, Christ stirs something deep within us until we find ourselves rising above fear and anguish with an inexplicable desire to stand! To stand firm to the end.

Each and every child of God will experience moments, if not protracted seasons, of crippling despair. These are hard but necessary segments of our journey. We see an enemy’s cold hand stretched out to destroy us mercilessly, but — instead of taking the easy way of surrender — we grab our sword and strike back! When our armor is God’s, you see, it really doesn’t matter if we “succeed” or not.

The places of desperate danger are where you and I are being trained not just to survive, but to thrive. But we must lift our eyes.

In the Hall of Faith recorded in Hebrews 11, God’s Word recalls our broader and deeper history among His beloved covenant people, who “through faith conquered kingdoms, enforced justice … stopped the mouths of lions, quenched the power of fire.” They “escaped the edge of the sword, were made strong out of weakness, became mighty in war, put foreign enemies to flight.” Spiritually speaking, you and I are descended from those who were “tortured, refusing to accept release, so that they might rise again to a better life. Others suffered mocking … and even chains and imprisonment. They were stoned, they were sawn in two, they were killed with the sword.”

Apart from that, it was all fun and games.

In his unique style, G.K. Chesterton (1874 – 1936) offers us this word of encouragement: “The one perfectly divine thing, the one glimpse of God’s paradise given on earth, is to fight a losing battle — and not lose it.”

Strangely but wonderfully, when God is in it, to lose is to win.

Friends, an enduring faith in our risen Lord Jesus Christ is the ultimate victory — whether or not we evade all the bullets for now.

For the tomb is empty, and we have won.

Pastor Charles