Author: merittmusings

I've been in ministry in the Christian Churches/ Churches of Christ for 20+ years. Finished my doctorate in Biblical Studies in 2015. Serve today as a Hospital Chaplain.

Why go to Church when all the Church people I know don’t act any different than I do?

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“Your words have been hard against me, says the LORD. But you say, ‘How have we spoken against you?’ You have said, ‘It is vain to serve God. What is the profit of our keeping his charge or of walking as in mourning before the LORD of hosts? And now we call the arrogant blessed. Evildoers not only prosper but they put God to the test and they escape.’”
(Mal 3:13-15)

The basic problem here is Christian hypocrisy, though it includes the world’s definition of what being a Christian is. The world expects Christians to behave in a certain way, always cheerful and happy, saying, “Hallelujah!” every so often, heads bowed in prayer over just about everything. They believe in the caricature of Christianity, rather than the real thing. That said, the world sees us as hypocrites when we say we are Christians, but then have divorces, and cheat on our taxes, or cheat others in business dealings, or use foul language, or a host of other vices we succumb to. Perhaps their judgment is justified then. As Christians, we ought to be more aware of our behavior, especially as it is before God. We need to be reminded of 1 Peter 2:12.

Keep your conduct among the Gentiles honorable, so that when they speak against you as evildoers, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day of visitation.
(1Pe 2:12)

While we may not change the caricature the World believes in, we can change our behavior. We must make it plain that we do not consider ourselves better than anyone else, and we are sinners too, though saved by the grace of God. (Ephesians 2:8) That only comes through a closer walk with God. Then we must build relationships with non-Christians, so that they can see what a Christian is really like.

Growing Up

All it takes is a seed, and under the right conditions, a mighty plant will soon take its place. But growing righteousness is a careful thing. You must have light front the Son, His truth as your daily diet. You must surround yourself in the right environment, not immersed in the temptations that we easily fall prey to, but making every effort to live unstained by the world. As you grow, you will meet challenges to match your faithfulness. Storms will come that will try to blow you over back into the dirt. But the Master Gardener is there to pick you back up again. He is never far, and sees all your trouble. He wants you to grow, and will do all that you allow Him and maybe a bit more. Be firmly rooted in His soil, grow in His light, and feed faithfully upon His truth. God bless you today.

Why go to Church if God isn’t real?

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The fool says in his heart, “There is no God.”  (Psalm 14:1)

This is the objection of the person convinced by the world that there is no God. Most often, the individual has not seen the evidence, nor has this decision been made as a purely intellectual one. Typically, a person denies God because they don’t want the consequences of belief in God, namely, ethical behavior. They want to do whatever they want without a God looking over their shoulder. Arguing the existence of God will not change his position. They will continue to cite “evidence” of “Scientists” and say that anything religious is just begging to be believed.

Always begin your responses with Prayer, so that God will help you with the words. Remember that an atheist is one who has been personally hurt by the Church or by the choices they believe God has made against them (i.e., He didn’t cure my saintly mother from cancer). So you must deal gently, not with an argument for the head, but listening for the pain in their heart. Atheism is rarely purely intellectual, nor can it be son soley with logic.

You might ask the person if they know absolutely that there is no God. Ecclesiastes 3:11 says that God has set eternity in the hearts of men. Every man knows there is someone beyond his understanding. God put it there. The typical “atheist” is actually a hurt agnostic. He will admit that he doesn’t know “absolutely” that there is no God. He will cite evidence from evolution, or say that evil exists in the world, or something equally dismissive. (These arguments he has developed as walls for his conscience to reassure himself that it’s ok to be an atheist because God can be reasonably doubted.)

If he uses the argument of evil, remember that we would not know what evil is without knowing what is good. The fact that good exists, and that a standard of good and evil exists, points to greater moral sense among all cultures, and introduces what C. S. Lewis calls the Moral Argument for God’s existence. God put this morality into all people, because He is the Moral Lawgiver. (Romans 2:14)

Repeat back to him his own statement positively, “so you think there might be a God? And if there is a God, how would you know it?” He would probably ask for some miracle or evidence of supernatural things. Then you can talk about God’s word – the Bible as a written revelation of God to Man or God’s Son – the personal revelation of God to Man, or just about the miracle of the resurrection, attested to by many ancient witnesses. What you’ve done is cause doubt in his own presumptions, perhaps enough doubt for him to peek over the wall of his arguments and see God for who He is. This may require repeated discussion, and certainly love and patience, but you will have an opening into this man’s life for future conversation and conversion. You may offer to pray with him before you are done talking to him.

P.S. Since this post has generated a bit of attention via comments, I am going to add an additional free resource (well, I got it free anyway) that I have that I want to pass on. This is a PDF of a brochure that addresses many of the common rebuttals listed both above and in comments.

JesusCritic

Unlike Us

Love Without Limits

Two things that I know I lack, which demonstrates to me just how amazing God is. He is slow to anger. I am not. He is rich in love. Mine has limits. We could never invent a God like this one because we could never conceive of Him. And yet this is the One who sent His Son to die for us. “God demonstrates His love for us in this: while we were enemies, Christ died for us.” (Romans 5:8) Something to think about today.

A Royal Flush

Some believe that the kings of a playing card deck represent David, Alexander, Caesar, and Charlemagne. What people decide to use those cards for, well, you’ve probably seen poker being played, if you haven’t played it yourself. Basically the game is played on the basis of probability. Once the hand is dealt, each player jockeys to get the best cards in his hand, and then bets each other player that his hand is the best. The player with the best hand wins all the money in the pot.

As we move into this final group of kings, we leave the kings of Israel behind. Israel was conquered by Assyria in 722 BC and the ten tribes become the Dispersion, the lost Israelites. It is God’s judgment meted out to a nation that refused to obey Him and worshipped idols. Though they had decent kings, and greatness in King Jereboam II, they bet everything on the wrong god.

The kingdom of Judah to the south now plays the next hand. Up to now, they had done an adequate job of keeping the Temple and the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob as their object of worship. But nearly every king neglected the “high places”, private places of worship of its citizens. The Kings allowed individuals to worship as they chose, rather than enforce the worship of the One True God. Even though God had specific rules about worship, sacrifice, and sin, yet the people of Judah wanted to do things their own way, and this became the weakness of Judah.

Thankfully, this period of Kings highlights some very good kings, like Hezekiah and Josiah, who sought to serve the Lord with all their hearts. But there are also kings like Manasseh, and Uzziah, who are notorious for their evil.

The Kings of Judah are much like poker players. They bet their armies, treasure, and allegiance on different gods. Only those that bet on God, and give everything to Him come out winners.

There is a lesson here for all of us. All of us are given time, talents, and especially the Holy Spirit as gifts from God. They lay before us to use as we choose. When we use them for ourselves, we risk them on the whims of chance. But when we risk them on God’s purposes, we always win. If we learn anything from the Kings, is that those that bet on God come out winners. And the winnings God promises are truly out of this world.

Independence Day!

Maybe you’re old enough to remember the release of ID4, or, Independence Day in theaters on July 2nd, 1996. I was in a theater that week to see the latest effects-laden offering from Hollywood and I wasn’t disappointed. It was a blockbuster, with aliens, special effects, a plot to destroy the world, and a plucky band of adventurers who thwarted the aliens’ plans. Anyone who was looking for a movie about American independence from Britain in 1776 would have come away sorely displeased.

That’s how it is with sin, when you get right down to it. Sure it looks flashy and fun on the outside, and gives all kind of promises about taking your troubles all away, but in the end, you did not get what you expected. In fact, you will be a lot worse off that you were before.

That’s why when you seek your independence from sinful habits and desires, you don’t turn to other sins to take them away. That just makes it worse. Instead, you turn to the only one who can truly give you independence from sin, the Son of God.

“The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim liberty to the captives and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.” (Luk 4:18-19)

This is the year of the Lord’s favor! This is the year you can decide to shed your life of sin and give your life to Christ! For we can never be truly free of our own sins until we give our lives over to the One who made us.

Following Christ is simple, believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, repent of your sins, confess His Name, be baptized, and live for Christ. It’s a simple process, but you’d be surprised how many people don’t take that offer. The choice is yours. Continue walking down the wide road that leads to destruction, or accept Jesus, and live your life in freedom. Now that’s Independence Day!

Uncommitted!

In the gospels, Jesus walks along the seashore and sees some fishermen mending their nets. Jesus comes to them and announces clearly, “Follow Me!”. They immediately drop what they are doing and follow Him (I have to wonder where they thought they were going). But when you read in context, you find that for Peter, this was his third encounter with Jesus. He was familiar with what Jesus taught, and what Jesus’ purpose was, that is, to preach the coming kingdom. Jesus’ command to follow wasn’t from random stranger, but from a trusted friend. Maybe there is something to that in our modern context. We don’t call people to follow a random stranger they just met, but someone with whom they’ve become acquainted, even befriended. This is discipleship. Discipleship is commitment.

Jesus clearly calls for an answer to his command, “Follow Me.” When He does this, He isn’t suggesting that He is one choice among many for a route to everlasting life. He isn’t suggesting a part-time partnership. He is primary to the plan. It is His blood that atones completely for our sins, and no one else’s. It is He who is the “way, the truth, and the life.” (John 14:8) “And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.” (Act 4:12, ESV) There is no one else who has the truth. (See John 6:68-69)

You may have trouble believing in a historical Jesus. Yet it has been clear, more than clear, even crystal clear, from historical evidence, personal testimony, and even scientific evidence, that the message of Christianity is absolutely reliable. It has not been proven beyond all possible doubt, but beyond all reasonable doubt. There is still room for faith. But many people: 1) don’t look at the evidence, 2) they base their opinion not on the facts, but on the evidence of their eyes, seeing Christians who fail in their discipleship, 3) they have a prior bias against Christianity anyway, and don’t either care or understand that their eternity is at stake. Therefore, when it comes to Christianity, most people vote “uncommitted”. This is a tragedy.

The Wave of Christianity has moved from through Western culture, continues on through Europe, the Americas, and now is moving through Asia to come full circle. Yet Europe is what is called by sociologists, “post-Christian”. That is to say, they have experienced the tide of the Church, gotten used to it, and now no longer deem it relevant. The Church in Europe is fast becoming a relic of history. The Church in America is still relevant, but its influence is diminishing. Why? Because the influence of the Christ is diminishing in the life of the Christian.

The question is about your commitment. The only way to stem the tide of dismissal and irrelevance is the commitment of everyday Christians. Will you be one to stand in the gap?

What Do I Need to Know to Become a Christian?

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For many Christians, we have been Christian so long that we have forgotten what it was that brought to salvation in the first place. It’s hard to explain to someone interested in Christ how it is to become a Christian, so we ought to take some time looking at what it means to become a Christian.

Most Religions in the world call upon a new convert to perform a number of tasks to be saved. For example, the Muslims believe in five “pillars” or tasks essential to becoming a saved Muslim. This includes praying five time a day (facing Mecca), giving alms, and making at least one trip (or pilgrimage) to Mecca. Mormons on the other hand have to spend two years doing evangelistic work, which is why they stop by your door from time to time. Catholics have to work through nine sacraments of grace, including Christening, First Communion, Marriage in the Church or Holy Orders, Frequent Confession, and even Last Rites. But all of these beg for grace. All of these in their own way beg the Almighty, or as they see Him, for grace to be saved. They are all efforts done by men to earn grace, but sadly, all of these fall far short to be worthy of salvation.

“For by grace you are saved through faith, and this is not from yourselves; it is God’s gift – not from works, so that no one can boast.” (Ephesians 2:8,9) This is what makes Christianity different from every other Religion. Every other religion relies on the effort of men to secure their own salvation from judgment, but in Christ, God has done all the work. All we have to do is accept it. But before we say it’s easy, accepting the salvation that God offers through Christ.

Far from being work, but effort enough to make it memorable, salvation through Christ forces us to recall the events outside Jerusalem 2000 years ago, When God came down and offered His own Son in exchange for our lives. Walking through salvation takes us through the crucifixion and the resurrection of Jesus Christ.

Salvation in Christ isn’t all bottles up in a single text, though there are several texts that include more than one element. This calls for reading throughout the New Testament to get the full picture.

Believe

And they said, “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved, you and your household.”
(Act 16:31)

Repent

For godly grief produces a repentance that leads to salvation without regret, whereas worldly grief produces death.
(2Co 7:10)

Confess

because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.
(Rom 10:9)

Be Baptized

Baptism, which corresponds to this, now saves you, not as a removal of dirt from the body but as an appeal to God for a good conscience, through the resurrection of Jesus Christ,
(1Pe 3:21)

Work Out Your Salvation

Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, so now, not only as in my presence but much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling,
(Php 2:12)

Giving

Lavish Expressions of Love

In light of the recent stories about churches removing people from membership for lack of attendance and lack of tithing, I am reminded of this passage in 2 Corinthians 8 about “God loves a cheerful giver”. A person should not give reluctantly or under compulsion, which is exactly what a church puts in place if they say you have to tithe to them to continue to be a member. There is some thing to be said for being an active attender of a church. A person ought not to neglect the fellowship. But church cannot demand a tithe, or make it a condition of membership. Rather, giving should be an expression of love and dependence on the Father who gives His own love lavishly in the atoning blood of his Son, i addition to the grace and blessings we receive every day.

God bless you on this Friday!