Old Fashioned Revival and the Role of Forgiveness

 

Many years ago when I was a young preacher churches would schedule revival meetings with both evening and morning services. To the bystander looking on from a distance these services just seemed like a lot of robust singing, hard preaching and altar calls. In reality they were carefully orchestrated to culminate at the end of the week with the baptism of a large number of people who came to faith in Christ during the week.  

Now the evening services were given over to evangelistic efforts. The music would be robust and he preaching would be earnest, simple and focused on salvation. These evening services generally went from Sunday to Sunday with the first part of the week (Sunday through Wednesday) focused on getting the redeemed (church members) recommitted and rededicated to serving the Lord through lifestyle and witness.  

The second half of the week (Thursday through Sunday) was generally focused on winning the non-Christian (unbeliever) to the Lord. Members of the church would invite their neighbors and friends to the services in hopes that God would do something wonderful in their lives, namely call them to salvation. 

Morning service (Monday through Friday) were generally more informal and often followed by some sort of meal or fellowship time. During these sessions the visiting preacher would usually do some sort of Bible study or teaching series related to enabling God's people to experience the joy of the Lord in their lives. 

For me it was a time to deal with issues that years later would become the focus of much of the Sunday morning preaching by replacing our emphasis on evangelism and salvation with "how to have a successful Christian life," i.e., discipleship. It was the idea of scratching people where they itch.  

Much can be said about this and maybe one day I will say it but the most important thing I can say is, "It was a mistake to ever replace the gospel preaching of Sunday services with discipleship training style sermons."  We should never replaced our preaching repentance and faith with our philosophical and psychological gospel drivel. The Gospel is the power of God unto salvation . . . and walking in the Spirit is the challenge of the saint. Pulpits across Great Britain used to have carved into them the phrase, "Sir, we would see Jesus."  As preachers of the Gospel our job in preaching is to make sure that our preaching results in congregants seeing Jesus.  Our job is to preach in such a way as to "make disciples." It is the Holy Spirit's job to do the work in the disciples life to produce spiritual maturity.    

At any rate I usually used the Monday morning Bible study time to talk with the church members about the power and necessity of forgiveness in the believers life. After all, if God for Christ sake has forgiven us should we not, if we are going to walk in the Spirit, forgive those who offend us.  Besides, the preaching that night was going to focus of Christians getting rightly aligned with God and with each other. In short, revival begins in the family of God, i.e., the church.

I still believe that forgiveness lies at the heart of revival and evangelism.  In fact, forgiveness is the bridge over which one must cross in order to forgiven. Jesus said, "If you will not forgive men their trespasses against you neither will your Father in heaven forgive you your trespasses." In the model prayer Jesus again stresses the important role forgiveness plays in our Christian lives when we are told to pray that God would "forgive us our trespasses in the same manner as we forgive those who have trespassed against us." 

We need to get rightly aligned with God through confession, repentance and receiving His forgiveness and we need to do the same with each other.  This results in our being able to love God and to love one another in a way that becomes the children of God and welcomes those outside of the faith to experience the same forgiveness as we have received and which we model before them.  

Nearly everyone I know has been offended by something someone has said or done to them. Perhaps you over heard another church member being critical of how you were raising your children; Maybe your husband or wife had an affair; perhaps you felt neglected by the pastoral staff when they didn't visit you in the hospital; It could be any one  or even more of a hundred different things 

Regardless of their source or legitimacy these offenses leave you with lasting feelings of anger, bitterness or even vengeance. I remember many years ago visiting with a lady in her home about baptizing her children who had been saved in our VBS. All she could talk about was how angry she was about something that in her mind a fellow pastor and friend of mine had done.   

I began by asking her if she had spoken with him about her concerns . . . her answer was no. I asked her if she thought he even knew she had any concerns and again the answer was no. Finally, I asked her who she believed was hurting the most about all this and the light went of in her heart and she replied, "I guess I am the one doing all the hurting." — you see. if you don't practice forgiveness, you might be the one who pays the highest price.  I am happy to report that she prayed that night that God would enable her to forgive . . . and He did. However, by understanding and embracing forgiveness, you can also embrace peace, hope, gratitude and joy. 

Fundamentally forgiveness is a conscious decision to let go of resentment and any attendant thoughts of "getting even."  I cannot tell you that the day will come when you will never recall the offense but it will lesson the grip the offense has on your heart and life and enable you to focus on your own spiritual maturity.  It might even eventually result in feelings of understanding, empathy and compassion for the person you hold responsible for your pain.  When you refuse to forgive you are consigning yourself to a life of pain and spiritual stunting if not spiritual death. 

Forgiveness, even God's forgiveness, does not deny the other person's responsibility for causing pain and it certainly doesn't minimize or justify the wrong. You can forgive the person without excusing the act. Forgiveness brings a kind of peace that helps you go on with life.  

When we forgive we let go of grudges and bitterness and  we make way for compassion, kindness and peace. Over the years I have seen forgiveness restore a multitude of people to God and each other. I know it produces better relationships; reduces stress and anxiety; and generally improve spiritual as well as psychological well-being. I remember one fellow who was saved during a revival meeting coming by the office to tell me the psychologist he was seeing in counseling told him he didn't know what had transpired but I sense a "new" you and I really don't think you need my help anymore. 

Once I learned the power of forgiveness in my own life I found it hard to understand why I didn't see it sooner and I had trouble understanding why more people didn't practice forgiveness.  Then it dawned upon me, If I forgive you your offense I have to do something with my anger, bitterness and maybe even bad behavior. I have forgiven you so I can no longer blame it on you. Now I have to own it as my own and that is a heavy load to carry. Once I forgave the offense I often found myself swallowed up by your own bitterness or sense of injustice.  That is when I discovered the secret of "casting all my care on Him (Jesus) because He cares for me."   

Forgiveness is a commitment to a process of change. It is a decision to be more like Jesus. In the process I have to become more Christ-like than ever.  I have to love God enough and be grateful to the Lord for His sacrificial life and death for me that I am willing to give the people who offend me not what they deserve but what they need . . ., my forgiveness.  After all, is that not what God in Christ has offered to us.   

Think about it: From God's perspective we have "all sinned and continually come short of His expectations; the wages of sin is death and the soul that sins will surely die; but, the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord; Therefore, whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be saved. 

So begin by realizing the essential role and importance God's forgiveness plays in your life all the time. Your life is to be reflective of Christ's life. Indeed, you are his hands and feet in this world. As you forgive you let go of grudges and resentments. When you turn loose of the grudges and resentments of an offense through forgiveness they no longer define you and you discover you have a freedom to be the person God created and redeemed you to be.  

For the child of God it really does just come down to, "Letting go of the hurt and anger and just do it!"

Got any rivers you think are un-crossable
Got any mountains you can't tunnel through
God specializes in things thought impossible
If you'll let him have his way He'll make away for you

Let go and let God have His wonderful way
Let go and let God have His way
Your sorrow will vanish
You night turned to day
Let go and let God have His way

Let the Lord have His way
In your life everyday
There's no peace, there's no rest
Till the Lord has you best
Place your life in His hand
Rest secure in His plans
Let the Lord, let the Lord have His way

Let the Lord have His way
In your life everyday
There's no peace, there's no rest
Till the Lord has you best
Place your life in His hand
Rest secure in His plans
Let the Lord, let the Lord have His way

Place your life in His hand
Rest secure in His plans
Let the Lord, let the Lord have His way

 

 

It Is Hard to Believe Its Been 50 Years Since Graduation

The date has been set and the meeting place chosen so one year from now I will be joining my high school classmates at the South Shore Harbor Resort and Hotel to participate in our 50^th High School Reunion.  Yep, the remarkable Pasadena High School Class of 1965 will once again all be in the same place at the same time. I suppose as long as I am able and we keep having them I’ll keep attending them. For whatever the reason, bringing my past and present together, as the Days of our lives has significance and meaning to me.

I suppose it is a strange phenomenon that people I hardly knew when I was in High School and who I have seen only intermittently over the years are so important to me now. Maybe classmate Bobby Powitzky can explain it to me at our next meeting on the weekend of October 26 2015.

I have often wondered why some people with whom I attended high school have never attended a reunion. I have over time generally narrowed it down to a handful of reasons. In fact somewhere in the past on this blog I have written about it.

Some possibly still see the class through their “high school” experience lens and feel they will not be included, recognized or remembered. Perhaps it is that same lens that causes some to stay home because they were not part of the “in group” in high school. Both of those were concerns of mine 25 years ago. I assure you we have all reached the age when those superficial distinctions have lost any real meaning. Now, as one classmate put it, “I'm so wanting to visit with old friends, share laughs over old memories and thanking each one for having made an impact in my life at a much younger age." We are no longer the "Jocks", "The Thespians," "The Band," "The Choir" or "The In Group," whatever that means. Now, we are just a bunch of folks whose lives intersected at a most important time of maturing and development in our life and whose lives have been woven into the tapestry of each of our individual and corporate lives.

I also know that one or two people have mentioned to me over the years or I have been told by people really close to them that they didn’t leave anything at PHS that they needed to relive.  I take that to mean either their experience was bad or just a part of the road going somewhere else. I will accept that though I do not believe it. You cannot spend the formative years in one place with the same people without both having some lasting effect on your life. I'm betting there was a best friend, regular companion or someone who you'd like to see again. I think you'll be surprised at how many of us will be excited to renew friendships with you.

Me, I see the Reunion much like my father saw his old WWII Army Group Reunions. It was a group of people many of whom he didn’t know personally but with whom he shared a common experience and somehow there was something refreshing and energizing when they met together as a group. I have had the privilege of witnessing that miracle as old men became young one more time. Consequently, even now I have friends from among that wonderful group of men who shed light on a part of my father's history that he could never bring himself to speak.


I suggest that attendance at our High School Reunion can afford the same kind of miracles. I am not suggesting that just by attending a reunion you'll become Best Friends Forever with someone you hardly knew growing up. I am suggesting you might discover that all these years later some of those people can become a part of a kind of rebirth wherein long forgotten experiences will come to life. We are no longer the teens we were in 1965 but just like the characters in the musical Brigadoon we can be for a night or two . . . at least in heart and mind if not in fact.

Then there is that small group of people who will just say, “I really can’t afford to attend the reunion.”  Believe me, there are more of you out there like that than will own up to it. My feeling is I cannot afford not to be there. I need that experience. If your looking for value then the reunion is the place to be. Its worth the cost.  I am, like many of you, now pretty much retired or as I like to say, “I don’t have a steady job anymore.”  As a result budgeting is more important than ever, For some of my classmates cost is a real issue and because of the day and age in which we were raised not many of us are going to ask for help, especially not help from our classmates. In spite of that I am going to say it anyway, "before saying no to the invitation give us a chance to help." We may not be able to get you here but we can sure give it a "best effort." But we cannot help where we do not know help is needed.  

I want to make a suggestion at this point. It is a practice a picked up many years ago when our children were small and so was my income.   Back in the beginning when we wanted to take a vacation or any trip for that matter that was not within the parameters of our income we adopted the following mantra: Decide on a travel project, develop a funding plan, make a commitment to the plan, work the plan and then enjoy the trip. Now, because old habits die hard I will personally be following this mantra regarding my 50^th High School Reunion.

Oddly enough, things have come full circle . . . . when Susan and I started our life together it was just the two of us living on a very small income and now that we are retired it is once again just the two of us on a smaller income than pre-retirement.

So here is my plan. I want to attend and enjoy my 50^th High School Reunion and not have any post reunion payments. Then I set my estimated budget for that event. I say estimates because I do not yet know the actual cost of each element. However, I know that I will be spending two nights at the resort; will have travel expenses; and a registration fee plus a few meals along the way. So here is my estimated budget for the reunion:  Registration $150.00 for two people; Hotel $227.70 two nights at $99 per night plus taxes; Travel $75.00; Miscellaneous Meals $75.00 for two people resulting in a total estimated cost of $527. I will then start setting aside either weekly or monthly an amount that will accumulate to the total estimated cost in 6 months.  In my example that would be $20 a week or $87 a month. I put it in a box in my desk labeled, For Reunion Only.

The example reflects our choices and our plans for making those choices work for us. Others of course might have other plans. For example, classmates who have family living in the area could eliminate the hotel cost completely by spending a night or two with friends. That would eliminate half of the cost in my example.  The same is true for those who live within driving distance. 

I cannot promise that you can attend for free but I know the Reunion Committee is working very hard to keep the Reunion affordable for all of us. It will not be terribly long and invitations will be going out. Decide now to attend and make that commitment firm by registering as soon as you get the registration information.  The venue is South Shore Harbour Resort and Hotel and they have given us a fabulous price on the rooms . . . just $99 per night plus taxes.

I want to make several other suggestions that do not involve money. First if you have not joined our class website do so today. Just follow this link and create a user name and password and then complete your profile. WE especially need you active email address and your physical address so we can keep you informed as plans are developed.

Visit our PHS Class of 1965 Reunion FaceBook Group and become a member. We are sharing as much information as we have with that group and on our FaceBook Reunion page. You’ll find a lot of friends and interesting stuff on that page.

The Reunion Committee for our 45^th Reunion produced a Memory Book that is available on Amazon.com for less than $7 plus shipping. This is a large book filled with photos and memorabilia from our days at Pasadena High School. I promise it is well worth the cost . . . Especially if you did not get or have lost your Senior Year Book.

I am looking forward to seeing everyone about one year from now on October 24, 2015. It will not be as good as it could be unless you are there.

 

 

 

How Dwelleth The Love of God . . .

I have been thinking for some time now about how we arrived at where we are in the church today. The more that I think about it the more convinced it started somewhere in the 1960's with popularization of "situation ethics."  By definition Situation Ethics is a system of ethics that looks to the context of an act when evaluating it ethically, rather than judging it according to absolute moral standards. In situation ethics, within each content it is not a universal law that is to be followed, but the law of love."

I remember when I was a student at then Houston Baptist College I participated in a segment in a series called Campus on the Move which was broadcast on by a local Houston television station that focused on Joseph Fletcher and his then new book Situation Ethics.

Situation ethics was first articulated by Joseph Fletcher an Episcopal theologian who later renounced Christianity and became an atheist. As related to Christianity, situation ethics posits "Love" as the greatest good and that the Goal of Christianity is to promote the greatest level of love allowed by a situation. For him "love" trumped scriptural law and precepts. By doing the "most loving" thing in any situation any "sin" associated with the action is at a minimum absolved and at most not present.

After renouncing his faith and becoming an atheist Fletcher became one of the founding fathers of the field of modern biomedical ethics. He has written extensively on the moral questions behind such controversial practices as abortion, cloning, eugenics, and voluntary euthanasia and in most cases establishing the grounds for their practice.

As I said, situation ethics was where the journey the modern church is traveling began. It, by itself is not the cause of our journey. It is the basis on which choices have been made that have lead to a largely relativistic relationship between the church and the world. Even as we railed against it we were using its principles. The journey began here and step by step we have followed this bath and finally arrived at a place where doctrine is virtually irrelevant and left us as a people with no moral compass in a world of relativism and "political" correctness. We have at last exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and now worship and serve the creature rather than the Creator. At the same time we are doing this we are deluding ourselves into believing that we worship the true God through our self-satisfying worship.

Religiously, situational ethics and moral relativism states that God is love by definition and essence therefore love trumps every action in life. We are obligated to make decisions based on what shows the greatest amount of love. Understand, it is not that shows the greatest amount of love to culture, society, or civilization but what shows the greatest amount of love in each of life's situations as they are presented to us with no preconditions (commands).  In theological terms it is antinomianism in its most extreme form.

In 1970 the Southern Baptist Convention released a book entitled A New Structure for the 70's which was an early attempt to "modernize" the structure" of Baptist churches to make them more appealing to the population. The reasoning was if we structure our churches to be seeker friendly we will make it easier for non-believers to participate in church activities. At the time I thought and still think it was nothing more that a new twist of Reverend Solomon Stoddard's Half-Way Covenant.

The problem was not that the physical and organizational structure was changed. That has been taking place since the Day of Pentecost when the Spirit of God descended on the church. However, hidden within and underlying these physical and organization changes was a philosophy. . . . a philosophy that as Christian humorist Dan McBride stated in one of his satirical songs, "got to get them in any way we can."

This genuine and commendable desire to make the gospel user friendly flowed out of the idea that God loves everybody . . . .and He does. This desire when married with the principles of situation ethics results in a dilution of the commandments of Scripture.  Fletcher recognized this and because he was an intellectually honest man he knew he could not cling to Scripture and his philosophical view so he became an atheist.

It is not possible to be a Christian in the Biblical sense of what constitutes a child of God unless one accepts the Bible as the final authority for all matters of faith and life. That book contains a multitude of commandments that are absolute in nature. Chief among these is the fact that the Bible allows only one path to eternal life and heaven and that is through faith in Jesus Christ as ones Lord and Savior.

In Acts 4 Peter, when confronted by Annas the high priest, Caiaphas, John and Alexander and a number of other priests at Jerusalem what power by they spoke and the name in which they spoke responded with the words: “Ye rulers of the people and elders of Israel, if we this day are examined about the good deed done to the infirm man, and by what means he is made whole, be it known unto you all and to all the people of Israel, that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom ye crucified and whom God raised from the dead, even by Him doth this man stand here before you whole. This is ‘the stone which was set at nought by you builders and which has become the head of the corner.’ Neither is there salvation in any other, for there is no other name under heaven given among men whereby we must be saved."

Now with this in mind I want it clearly understood that I affirm I John 4:8 that states unequivocally that "Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love" (ο μη αγαπων ουκ εγνω τον θεον οτι ο θεος αγαπη εστιν). But let us be clear what this says and does not say. It clearly says that those who do not love do not know God. The implied reason for this is that God is the embodiment of love. He is both the source and example of what love is. It does not say that everyone who loves in some capacity knows God.

Keep in mind that Biblical Greek had used four words to express love in its various permeations. There is στοργή which is rarely used in Biblical material but when it is used is reserved exclusively for affection within the family. A second word used is ἔρως which is a passionate affection with sensual desire and longing implications. In Scripture it is almost always used in connection with immoral sexual behavior. A third word is φιλία which speaks of a general type of affection used for love between family, between friends, a desire or enjoyment of an activity or food. Finally there is the word αγάπη which speaks of the highest and most noble kinds of affection (love). In modern Greek it has largely been replaced by the word στοργή.

Part of the problem is that we do not understand that when Scripture uses a word for love it is very particular in what word it uses. The person who knows God reflects through his life the kind of love that constitutes the very essence of who God is and that word is αγάπη. The word αγάπη has as its core meaning an intense affection (its meaning and usage is illustrated by self-sacrificing, giving love to all - both friend and enemy.)  It is not to be confused with a "feeling" of affection. When used as a verb it speaks of the act of affection not the feeling that affection may or may not evoke.

 

To the situation ethics crowd and those children they have sired I would offer this reminder. The same Scripture that says, God is love also says, "He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me: and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father." It is not incongruous to say that love is the highest good and still hold to certain absolutes. It is God, the expression of pure love who gave to Moses the Ten Commandments. Why, if love is all we need does God see fit to as it were  "lay down the law to us?" It is because we are not God.

We are created in God's image and we are created after His likeness but we were not created equal or identical to Him. If we know Him then we can express love, albeit imperfectly, as He expresses love. I often represent God as an infinity symbol  meaning that He is the only perfectly balanced being. I then represent the fact that we are created in God's image and after God's likeness by using an out of balance infinity symbol. This illustrates for me that while we are created in the image of God we are not identical to God. He is a perfectly balanced being and we are imperfectly balanced being. The salvation experience of our redemption brings us into harmony with God not equal to God. The rest of our life is spent being brought more and more into conformity with Him.

Now, when it comes to God's love He sets the parameters and He does so through His Word, the Bible. He sets those parameters for our benefit. God created us similar to Himself but not equal to Himself and therefore He also addressed that imperfection by giving us the rules by which we can know that we know Him and are expressing love in a manner consistent with how He expresses His love.

Our loving God does not mean we are free to do as we please. So God, in order that there be no misunderstanding what His love demands of us, established certain universal absolutes know as commandments. The violation of those commandments constitutes sin.

Scripture is clear as to what God's love expects and what it rejects in the lives of those whom he loves and who lay claim to loving Him:

1. His love expects believers serve one another humbly in love.  Every command of God is fulfilled in keeping this one command: “Love your neighbor as yourself.”  God expects the believer to demonstrate love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control in all their relationships. The reason believers are able to do this is because they belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.
2. His love rejects what Scripture calls, "acts of the flesh."  Scripture gives the following as examples of acts of the flesh rejected by God's love. They include sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery;  idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions  and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. This list includes the warning to those who claim to love God and continue in the activities and attitudes His love forbids:  "I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God."

Naturally people will trot out situations, many extreme, where there is no good choice and so one must weight the circumstance and make the choice that demonstrates the most love. Luther is reported to have said, "That when confronted with a choice between two evils choose the lesser and sin with boldness." I don't know if he really said that but he would be right if he did. What we are not to do is generally negate the commandments of God in the name of His love.  After all it was Jesus who said, "If you love me keep my words." In short, "Do what I said."

As we have moved away from Love that produces a particular lifestyle as reflected in the kind of life envisioned by the things God's love rejects to a life that accepts what God's love has rejected.  This in turn has produced a de-emphases on radical conversions that actually change the life and moral standards of the believer. It has also produced what I refer to as a flood of psychological preaching. More and more the messages from our pulpits are not about the fact that our churches are filled with sinners and that the general population needs a radical encounter with Jesus Christ.

On any given Sunday you are apt more to hear sermons dealing with how to have successful marriage; how to get out of debt and build a fortune; how to raise you children successfully than you are one on sin, man's need for salvation, Christ's sacrificial death for man's sin, and living by faith. Instead of focusing on issues of the day we should be preaching basic gospel truth.  Where has the kerygma gone from our services.

In my view we need to be hearing more sermons on the sinfulness of man, the love of God, the sacrificial death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, salvation by the Grace of God through the means of faith in Jesus Christ, and the fact that being a Christian means being salt and light in the world. We are not to beat people over the head with the message of redemption but we are to gently persuade them with the Gospel.

These days we hear a lot about alternate lifestyles. Let me suggest that God in His infinite wisdom and perfect love has defined the lifestyle that reflects who He is and what He desires from those who profess to be members of His family.
Keep in mind, He knows far more about us than anyone else in creation . . . after all He did the creating. He created us a certain way and he provided the means and the power for us to become exactly what He has described in His Word what He wants us to become. In describing it He did so in such a way as everyone who reads it can understand it. The Christian lifestyle is not always an easy life but God has provided in the person of his Holy Spirit a resource to enable us to meet the challenge. "No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to mankind. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can endure it."



This does not mean that anyone has the right to denigrate, persecute, belittle, deny civil rights, or take personal pot-shots at people regardless of their lifestyle. I know it is an old saying to which many object but that doesn't change the fact that is true. As the children of God (Christians) we are like our God to hate the sin but to love the sinner.  If you can't do that then you've just identified the area of you Christian life were you need to do some work.


We are not the morality police. We have no responsibility or authority from God to visit the requirements He has placed on us as believers in Jesus Christ on non-believers. No man should be to require let alone forced to live contrary to his conscience. Do I think it would be good for them and society if they did? The answer is yes. But while I would get out of my bed in the dead of a winter night to defend your right to believe as you choose I would not lift so much as my little finger to try and force you to accept my beliefs. Now having said that I will add that I might do everything in my power to persuade you.


Our responsibility is to live our own lives consistent with God's word and will; it is to share and teach the story of God's love and the redemption He offers through Jesus Christ; and to warn of the imminent return of Jesus. Keep in mind that we are all sinners. The only difference is some of us are sinners saved by grace and the rest are sinners who need to be saved by grace.


I remember when I was a young pastor one of our youth came in wearing a bracelet with the letters, PBPGIFWMY.  I was familiar with the one that had the WWJD (What Would Jesus Do) but had never seen this one. When I asked him about its meaning, he explained that the initials stood for the request, "Please be patient—God isn't finished with me yet."