Losing Faith

 

Losing Faith

      I grew up as an only child in the corn fields of Mercersburg Pennsylvania.  Our neighbors were cows, cows, and yes, more cows.  There wasn't much excitement in our single-stop light town.  Needless to say, there weren't many kids out in our area and as an only child, I created many make-believe friends and pets.  I vividly remember wanting a dog for most of my youth.  I would ask, beg, plead, and might have been tempted to steal but I never got a dog.  I didn't have the pleasure of being a 'dog person' until this past year.  My wife's father died and a part of her heart died with the loss of that incredible man.  Her joy and laughter were diminished a bit.  The night seemed darker at times.  In the Spring of 2021, she suggested we get a puppy.  I was extremely hesitant because we are a family of five that is constantly on the go with missions work, but after a family meeting we all agreed, the time had come to become dog people.  God blessed us with a precious white Bichon-poo named Muffin (I know, an intimidating name for a male dog).  Muffin has enriched our home and brought back to life that which was stagnant.  We are thankful to be dog people.

      One unique feature that changed in my life since becoming a dog dad was noticing other dogs.  I know other people had dogs in the past but they were never on my radar until we had a dog.  Since then dogs magnetically seem to come up to us.  This past week my family was getting in the ministry machine (the name for our sweet minivan) when we noticed a King Charles Spaniel puppy roaming around in a busy parking lot.  As soon as she saw our dog Muffin she came running.  She was a gorgeous and playful pup.  She wanted nothing more than to get belly rubs and to give kisses.  This puppy was an expensive breed and we knew the owner would be looking for it.  We put her in Muffin's cage and off I went walking through the town praying that God would put the owner into my life.  After walking for about twenty minutes I saw a woman frantically calling out "Faith, Faith."  She was obviously looking for something.  A quick conversation confirmed that this was indeed the puppy's owner.  The owner was overjoyed to have 'Faith" back in her arms and we were grateful to have kept Faith safe until she could be returned.

      Driving away I found it ironic that the lost dog's name was Faith....lost faith.  How many people's paths do we cross each day who have lost faith in God?  How many people do we encounter that are struggling with their faith?  How many people are filled with doubts, despair, and questions?  Maybe it's the waitress at the restaurant, the teacher at our kid's school, the cashier, our co-worker, our neighbor,  maybe even the person we sit beside in church, or maybe the reflection in the mirror.  That sweet little puppy was all alone.  I wondered how many people passed by her feeling bad for her but did nothing for her.  I mean, someone must have seen her and said "someone should do something" but kept walking away.  When a person begins to lose their faith they will quickly find that the journey is terribly lonely.  They will pass other people, some even noticing them, but few if any actually engage them.  They are actively departing from the faith.  A faith walk can be hard, especially when we are alone...isolated.  Each of us need someone to walk the faith journey with, especially when doubts arise and the ground is quickly giving way under us.  We need someone to call, someone to encourage us, someone to challenge us.....someone to bring us home.  The sweet puppy named Faith was lost.  Are you losing faith?  Come alongside a trusted Christian and talk with them.  They are there to love you and help you.  Do you know someone losing faith?  Waste no time bringing them home.  Don't look with sympathy, be moved by compassion.  Come beside them and bring faith home.

Reflections on the Road: week twelve

Reflections on the Road

Week Twelve

Supping in the presence of my enemies

Focus Passage: Psalm 23

Focus Verse: Psalm 23:5

Bible Reading: John 10-16

      The last few weeks have been very hot and humid.  If the virus didn't keep us inside surely the intense heat will.  My kids love being outside but are not fans of the blazing sun.  We typically go out in the evening hours when the sun starts to set over our West Virginia mountains.  The temperature starts to become cooler and more pleasurable to play.  The other night the wind started to kick up so the kids wanted to fly a kite.  We went outside, strung the beautiful kite with the long tail, and let the wind take it.  Higher and higher it went into the sky until you almost couldn't see it.  My oldest child made an observation that if the wind wasn't strong enough then the kite would not rise.  There is a beautiful spiritual truth in his thought.  As Christians, we are going to face opposition and troubles.  Jesus promised us as much.  When the world's oppression comes against us we will either crash down to the earth or we will soar higher and higher for the Lord.

      The Psalmist has a similar thought in mind when he tells us in verse five "You (God) prepare a table before in the presence of my enemies."  Keep in mind we are still talking about the sheep's testimony.  A sheep is constantly beset with danger and is helpless to defend himself.  Around every corner the feeble sheep finds something that can harm or molest him.  He is literally encompassed about with enemies.  As Christians, we also understand that we are surrounded by enemies, now probably more so than ever.  Evil men are waxing worse and worse and the voices grow louder and louder against the faith.  The verse might strike because it says that we will have enemies.  We don't necessarily want enemies but as a believer, we can expect to have them.  Charles Spurgeon once wrote, "the good man has his enemies."  If we choose to live righteously and pursue the Good Shepherd in obedience then we can expect enemies.  Our Savior did, so why wouldn't we?  If we have enemies in this world then it is evidence that we are friends of God.  What are we to do when we are in the presence of those that are against us?  Do we run?  Do we flee?  In a moment when fear should cripple us, God tells us that is the one setting up a table that will be surrounded by our enemies.  Their presence is no mistake.  God put them there and it is there that God will show Himself incredibly faithful.  It is there that God will pour out His richest blessings.  We need not fret when our adversary is before us, we need not cower.  There is a purpose and an opportunity that God will not waste to prove Himself faithful.

Reflections on the Road:

Have you ever been opposed for your faith?  Maybe it was a workplace or a conversation with a friend or family member.  Maybe they laughed at you or thought you were crazy for coming to church, listening to Christian music, reading your Bible during lunch break, or refusing to go along with their sin.  Maybe they even labeled you as the 'choir boy' or a 'puritan.' What did you do at that moment?  Were you silenced?  Did you recoil in the presence of your enemy?  God wants you to stand your ground because it is the table He set before you.  You are not alone when the enemy presses against you, He is with you, and in that place He will bless you in ways you have never known.

"What If"

      Most of you know that I’m a nut over old black-and-white movies.  You might also know that I’m a person who ADORES Christmas.  When you combine an old black-and-white movie with a classic Christmas tale then you have me hooked.  The perfect marriage between the two is blended from Charles Dickens's classic piece of literature called "The Christmas Carol."  There have been dozens of renditions over the course of the years on the big screen starring Bill Murray, Patrick Stewart, Jim Carrey, Mickey Mouse, and even a band of muppets.  My personal favorite is one of the oldest, filmed in 1938.  Charles Dickens wrote the classic book “The Christmas Carol” in the year 1843 and since then has become a timeless piece of literature. Many people are familiar with the main character, a man named Ebenezer Scrooge.  Scrooge was an old, tight-fisted business owner that was only concerned with his own life.  Scrooge was a selfish, hateful, odious, and intolerable man.  The opening chapter begins with Scrooge telling people collecting money for charity that the needy were either better in the workhouses (which worked people for roughly sixteen hours a day and many died for pennies) or they were better off dead.  Scrooge even refused to give his employee Bob Cratchit any more coal to keep warm.  Scrooge was full of "bah humbugs."  That night Scrooge was visited by four ghosts, focusing mainly on the ghost of Christmas Future.  This ghost showed Scrooge what his life would be like "IF" he didn't change and the outlook was very grim.

    Now you might be asking “Don’t you know it’s Easter season, why are you talking about a Christmas story?”  The reason why is because Scrooge had a chance to look back at the past, to see the results of his past decisions.  There have been times in my life when I looked at the past.  I’m sure that we have all done that from time to time.  Sometimes we look back wondering what life would be like if something didn’t happen, what if we didn’t make that mistake or committed this act or said that word.  What if I would have taken this job or moved to this place or married that person or went to this college or majored in this?

      Life is filled with lots of ifs, but let me throw a curve ball at you, probably the biggest “if” statement in the history of man, what if Jesus didn’t rise from the grave. What would this world be like?  What would we be like?  The Apostle Paul uses this argument in 1^st Corinthians 15:13-19 by asking multiple different if statements.  We are going to take the next two posts to address the "what if's" of this powerful chapter.

      The first what-if statement that I want to look at is in verse fourteen, which reads "And if Christ has not been raised then is our preaching in vain, and your faith is in vain."  Hone in on that phrase "Your faith is in vain."  The idea behind vain means empty, devoid, blank, or to be

empty-handed.  The word can also mean to be devoid of purpose.  That is our faith if Christ did not rise from the dead.  Our faith would be empty.  Picture for a moment your car's instrument panel.  There is a fuel gauge with two letters, an F and an E.  The E stands for empty.  How many of you ever tried pushing your luck with the E?  How many of you paid the price for that?  Friend if we don't have a risen Savior then our faith isn't just on fumes, it is totally and completely empty...dry as a bone.  The reason why is that the entire basis of our faith is built upon the resurrection of Jesus Christ.  Church would be purposeless, singing songs of praise would be purposeless, missions and prayer and Bible reading would all be empty....pointless.

      Our faith is also built on sound doctrine and reliable Bible teaching.  I love doctrine.  I'm an armchair theologian but all my theology and doctrine is empty unless Christ is risen from the dead.  You can almost imagine a spiderweb.  All our doctrine springs forth from the center, the center being Christ's resurrection.

      The second what-if statement that I want to look at is in verse seventeen which says "You are STILL in your sins."  I remember quite a few years ago I had the joy of paying my car off.  I had been paying $293.13 a month for sixty months.  Back then they used to give you payment booklets with stubs that you would tear out to pay.  Looking at those sixty payments was overwhelming, but the day finally came when I could write my last check to pay the debt.  I walked into that bank like I was Mr. Rockefeller.  My debt was paid in full.  Most of us battle with financial debt, but everyone battles spiritual debt.  Every man woman and child who was ever born is declared by God as a sinner (Romans 3:23), except for Jesus Christ.  Our sin creates an immeasurable and unpayable debt between us and God.  No good works, morality, religion, ethics, or giving can pay off one sin in your staggering debt against God.  That is why God sent Christ to die on the cross for you.  That is why Christ declared with His dying breath on the cross "it is finished."  The idea behind the phrase "it is finished" means to pay a debt totally.  Jesus is declaring that in His last earthly moments that the mission was accomplished, that His blood would pay the FULL and TOTAL price for our overwhelming sin debt.  Jesus left nothing undone for the forgiveness of our sins.  But if Christ merely died and did not rise from the dead then all that He said was for naught, it wasn't finished unless He rose on the third day.  We are still yet in our sins and worse than that, we can do NOTHING.  But we can rejoice to know that our sin has been removed as far as the East is from the West because Christ did indeed rise from the dead!

      For the reader maybe you fall into this category of still being in your sin.  How is that possible?  It is possible because you have not placed faith in Jesus alone to pay the full price for your sin.  Acts 16:31 says that if we believe on the Lord Jesus that we will be saved (debt paid in full).  We remain in our sin debt as long as we reject Christ as our Savior.  You either have placed faith in Jesus' finished work and you are saved or you haven't.  There is no middle ground, no gray area.  Which is it for you?

      Our final "what if" statement to look at can be found in verse nineteen which says if in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men most miserable.  The term "miserable" can be a little misleading.  The term leans more toward meaning "pitiable."  Why in the world would we as Christians be the most pitiable of all people if Christ did not rise from the dead?  The reason why is because our living hope is not just invested in the here and now, but in the eternal.  If Christ has not risen from the dead we are still in our sin, and because we are still in our sin we are still destined for an eternity in hell.  As a Christian, we have a confident assurance that Jesus died and rose again.  Because of that, we have the calm assurance that we will spend eternity with Him in heaven.  Without Christ's resurrection, all our hope is in vain and our eternity is in serious jeopardy.  The reality is simply this, every one of us is going to die.  The question is not whether we will die, the question is where we will go when we die.  The Bible does not give a lot of options for life after death, it's either life in heaven with God or eternity in hell.  There is no choice C.  We should be pitied because everything we believe in would be a lie, our hope would be built on sinking sand, and when we die we will go into an eternity in hell.  That is the greatest pity in all the world.  

      But the what-if statements fall away in the undeniable reality of Christ's resurrection.  Since Christ shows indisputable evidence of His resurrection we can rest that our faith is not vain...but full.  Since Christ lives we can know we have an anchor for our souls and that our sin is indeed forgiven.  And since the Scripture tells us "Why search for the living among the dead, HE IS NOT HERE" we move from being the most pitied of all people to being the most envied of all people.  So what about you?  Have you trusted in Christ?  There is still time, but less of it with each passing second.  Come to Him, He loves you, and He lives!