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A tale of two novels

“Oh, the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are his judgments and how inscrutable his ways!” —Romans 11:33

I enjoyed a few weeks off from writing this article to focus on other things. I was able to complete my work for next year’s Bible study and outline a new book project. But I also spent time reading and being still to think. I’ve often said it is an effort to separate our thoughts from the normal daily things that fill our minds. It takes time to think at a new level and in new ways. I’m always amazed by the thoughts and ideas that God introduces when I set aside the average moments and make the effort to think with God and seek his thoughts. Those God-thoughts came in some unexpected ways this time!

Over my break, I read two novels that were excellent, in completely different ways. God used both novels to make me think differently about many things and to stretch my worldview. He gave me answers to the divisions in our culture, and each book also produced (or gave me) some new ideas.

Two novels that can make a reader think

The first novel was The Calamity Club by Kathryn Stockett, and the second was Theo of Golden by Allen Levi. You’ve probably heard of Kathryn Stockett. She wrote the now-famous novel, The Help, which also became a popular movie. She fell off the radar, however, and lost her contract with her publisher, because it took her fourteen years to write her second novel. She said she just couldn’t write anything she felt had value during those first years. Then, she created and came to know her fictional characters. Stockett credits the dialogue and circumstances we see in The Calamity Club to each of them. A book review in The New York Times is titled, “A Raucous Tale of Found Family by the Author of ‘The Help.’” That is an accurate description of the characters Stockett came to know and write about.

Most people have never heard of Allen Levi, a seventy-year-old lawyer, judge, musician, and now author. Theo of Golden is his first and only novel. A Wall Street Journal article was titled, “Theo of Golden Broke Every Rule in Publishing. It’s an Unprecedented Bestseller.” The article describes the novel as, “a nearly 400-page story of an old man who travels to a fictional Southern city where he mostly sits on a park bench.” Theo of Golden is one of the best novels I’ve read in a long time. It became a national bestseller simply because so many people shared it with their friends.

Great novels have great characters

I have enrolled in several writing seminars over the years, and the fiction-writing classes I attended always emphasized the importance of “character development.” Great novels cause you to engage with and care about the characters. The characters have to be interesting and believable, and the reader has to be drawn into their lives. Kathryn Stockett’s description of “getting to know” her characters and allowing them to write the dialogue was fascinating. Both novels featured rich character development. But the authors had very different purposes for their characters. As a result, the two novels create different worldviews for the reader.

I listened to a Southern Living podcast with Kathryn Stockett, where she described the thoughts that eventually led to her characters. She said she was inspired by history to write a novel about “the underestimated women” of a particular period. Fair warning: The New York Times was accurate to use the word “raucous.” I actually questioned some of the language and subject matter in this book until I read the epilogue at the back. I realized the book, while very one-sided, was based on historical facts. Let’s just say “the church” is not appreciated in this novel, and the street savvy of the characters is how they overcome oppression from people and politics in their lives.

Allen Levi’s characters were as diverse as the line at the coffee shop where the story begins. His novel isn’t limited to a particular period or a specific category of people, and as a result, Theo of Golden offers a broader view of the world. According to the Wall Street Journal article, Levi created his characters from “people he’d encountered over decades in his multifaceted career.” His novel doesn’t deny the difficulties and differences in the culture but points to the strength of people who embrace those realities. His characters learn to value others and extend grace to those around them. Levi wouldn’t allow the book to be listed as a “Christian” novel because he said that would limit his audience. The church is valued in his novel, but only when the Church, the true family of God, becomes people who are careful to live with biblical values.

Two different worldviews created two different novels

I read The Calamity Club first, and a couple of days later, Theo of Golden. I enjoyed both novels as well-written stories, but was struck by the very different approaches they took to their worldviews. I grieved the historical realities described in The Calamity Club, and it was a window into the way our culture still needs to improve and grow. The racism of the past was evil and, truthfully, is still evil today. Racism has always existed in our world, and it always will because it is an aspect of our sin natures. People are different, and unless our values reflect God’s, we will fail to understand how to love and serve others.

The Calamity Club teaches that a person’s success depends on their ability to out-smart and out-wit those around them. The characters are rather one-sided, as the New York Times articles described them: “portraits of good and evil, of rich and poor, of women with class and those who can’t afford it.” The men in this novel seem “universally pathetic” and “comically impotent in more ways than one.” The women, in contrast, use the men’s weaknesses to justify their own behavior, and their strength and cunning are what enable them to overcome the odds. The New York Times described Stockett’s characters as “cartoonish,” but the end result is a story of “hell-raising entertainment.” I found those words both accurate and sadly true.

Theo of Golden takes a very different approach. The characters develop slowly in this book, and the reader gets to know them slowly, much like we come to know people in our own lives. One quote in the Wall Street Journal article said, “Reading this book, you feel like, ‘If I just sit down with my neighbor and talk to them, I can effect change,’ and that’s a very powerful message.” Katie Couric did a podcast with the author, Allen Levi, and said, “To have this gentleman who just exuded kindness and compassion was like an antidote to all the tumult and vitriol in the world.”

Both novels were “good reads” with very different outcomes. If your current worldview is “us against them,” Stockett’s novel will likely be your preference. If your worldview is biblical, you will probably enjoy the complexities, the quiet values, and the realities described in Levi’s book. Reading both novels back-to-back provided a very accurate account of why worldviews clash in our world today.

Both novels reflect and reveal truth. The question is, which novel do you want as your example for living in this world today?

We need to think as Isaiah 55 teaches

I want to close this article with the words of Isaiah 55. The entire passage is the best biblical conclusion I could write for each of us. That passage encourages us to submit our own thoughts to God. The two novels speak to human strength and weakness, and each of us has both. Isaiah 55:9 is God’s advice for our thoughts. God told the prophet, “For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.”

It was wonderful to have a few weeks to think with God. There is a quiet in my soul as a result. God used two extraordinarily different novels to broaden my worldview and to recommit me to the pursuit of God’s thoughts. His are the only perfect ideas in this world. God’s ideas have the power to change our world. That could be the theme of Theo of Golden.

I encourage you to read both novels, back-to-back. (Remember: The Calamity Club is “raucous” and NOT Christian literature.) It is the stark differences between the two novels that make them real and important, and that speak to the divisions in our world today. I honestly think God can use most anything to turn our thoughts to his. We can’t make a difference unless we care about everyone. I think that is the tale of two novels. Theo of Golden is the novel that best explains how caring can become the Christian’s way of life.

Photo by Tony Hanks on Unsplash

The seven churches: Ephesus

The seven churches of Revelation are located in Asia Minor, or modern-day Turkey. The Revelation is John’s letter that traveled to many churches, so his messages were for every church then and now. Yet, Jesus pointed out the specific strengths and weaknesses of each church, illustrating how those strengths and weaknesses can impact a church community as well as an individual’s walk of faith.

I remember the first time I walked through the streets of Ephesus, amazed at the beauty and grandeur of the ruins and antiquities. You can make a virtual “visit” if you have never been there. Ephesus was a favorite city for some of Rome’s wealthy leaders. It’s located on the Aegean Sea with cool ocean breezes, making summer heat more bearable. In addition, it was located on a river that brought a continual source of fresh water. The wealthy from Rome could have owned a summer home in the city and often retired to that part of the world. Ephesus was also a major port city, making numerous goods from around the world available to those living there.

Why might Jesus have started with Ephesus?

In his revelation to John, Jesus mentions seven key churches in Asia Minor. Paul visited most of these churches on his missionary journeys. Ephesus was central to the region’s commerce, culture, and politics, and most Christians receiving John’s letter would have traveled to that city at some point.

Ephesus, a cultural seaport city, was well known for its many pagan practices and temples. The temple of Artemis, or Diana, is considered one of the “seven wonders of the world.” Diana was the goddess of fertility, and “worship” in that temple usually involved prostitution. Many sacrificial altars in the city involved dark and evil practices.

It is thought that John brought Mary, the mother of Jesus, to Ephesus when they were forced to flee from Jerusalem. There is a home that is thought to be where she lived. The ruins of the Basilica of St. John are located next to the site where the apostle is said to have been buried. John ministered to all the churches mentioned in the Revelation, but apparently, Ephesus was his “home,” and Jesus spoke to that church first.

What did Jesus say about the church in Ephesus?

Jesus said, “To the angel of the church in Ephesus write, ‘I know your works, your toil and your patient endurance, and how you cannot bear with those who are evil but have tested those who call themselves apostles and are not and found them to be false. I know you are enduring patiently and bearing up for my name’s sake, and you have not grown weary” (Revelation 2:1–3).

The “angel” is likely the pastor who would have read John’s message to the church. The words read are the words of Christ who walks among the churches—the “golden lampstands” (Revelation 1:20). The job of the church and its congregation was to share the light of Christ with others.

Those in the Ephesian church were given reasons to be proud of their character. John praised them for:

Their works or their Christian deeds done for the sake of the church and one another. They “toiled” to serve Christ through the church with patient endurance.
They did not put up with the people who “called themselves apostles” but were actually “evil.” John had written letters to these churches warning them to pay no attention to the Gnostics, a group that distorted the gospel of Christ and the original apostolic truth of Paul and others. The Gnostics’ message was considered more popular in Greco/Roman culture, and they had successfully turned some people away from the truth. The Ephesian church had not grown weary of faithfully honoring the pure truth of the Christian faith.

Jesus also said, “But I have this against you, that you have abandoned the love you had at first” (Revelation 2:4). It’s difficult to fully understand what Jesus meant when he spoke those words. We know these churches had likely existed for about forty or fifty years by this time. Many in the early church were convinced that Christ would return quickly, yet decades had passed without his final coming. Life as a Christian in Ephesus had become increasingly difficult, and many suffered physically, mentally, and financially to continue in the Christian faith. Jesus praised them for their patient endurance but then told them they had “lost their first love.” Quite possibly, their devotion to Jesus and to sharing the gospel message had changed. Jesus told them to “remember” and “repent” or turn back to the “works” they had done at first.

Remembering our “first love” for Christ is always a good idea—heartfelt gratitude and praise we felt when we realized our souls had been saved and heaven was our promised hope. We eagerly shared our faith with others, excited to share the good news.

We are to love Jesus now, just as we loved him then. Jesus wants us to remember Easter and all he did to give us eternal life with God as our Father.

The message to the Ephesian church reminds us that we can be faithful to our works or deeds at the church, yet forget to gratefully love and honor the One who is the reason for our church community of faith.

Jesus told the Ephesian church, “I will come and remove your lampstand from its place, unless you repent” (Revelation 2:5). In other words, the light of God’s word is hindered or even extinguished if it does not shine through people who love its Author.

What does Jesus hate?

Jesus continued his message to the church in Ephesus with one last important message. He said, “Yet this you have: you hate the works of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate” (Revelation 2:6).

Much study and writing have been done about the Nicolaitans, a group we don’t know much about. A Christianity Today article said, “The Nicolaitans appeared to conform to this Roman culture and seemed to encourage Christians in Ephesus to do the same in a time of dire persecution (1 Corinthians 6:12). In eating the food given to the idols. This implies they had gone to the temples to receive the food and would’ve had to engage in the immoralities there to acquire this meat.” Some believe a man, possibly named Nicolas, had led some in the church to compromise their faith to make their lives more bearable or pleasant. Jesus praised those who “hated” that behavior and said he hated it as well. The Christianity Today article also said, “Overall, the warnings against the Nicolaitans in Revelation emphasize the importance of maintaining the purity of the Christian faith and avoiding compromise with practices that are contrary to the teachings of Christ.”

The message to Ephesus

Jesus closed his message to the church in Ephesus, a message for every church, saying, “He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To the one who conquers I will grant to eat of the tree of life, which is in the paradise of God” (Revelation 2:7).

Those who are Spirit-led are privy to the voice of Jesus in their lives today. Jesus promised those Spirit-led believers that they could look forward to an eternity in the “paradise of God.”

If your “first love” has faded, or if you have accepted teaching that is contrary to the pure perfection of God’s word, you can “repent” and turn back to a purer faith walk with Christ. All of us need to “have an ear” and “hear what the Spirit says to the churches” and to us.

These messages are timeless truth, directly from the teaching of Christ to John. We are blessed to read and study his truth. We will be abundantly and eternally blessed if we will listen and heed it today.

Photo by Marc Pell on Unsplash

Six signs you are a genuine Christian

I ran across an article from Huffington Post that caught my attention. The article was titled “6 Signs You’re A Truly Genuine Person.” The article listed six ways people live according to their true selves. I was curious to see how I measured up, so I read the article. By the time I reached the third point I knew I would be writing on the subject from a spiritual perspective. I am always amazed when people “discover” truths that God has revealed since the beginning. God has been teaching people how to be genuine since the book of Genesis.

I think one of the greatest needs in our world today is for Christians to learn how to maintain a genuine walk of faith. Unfortunately, we like lists that teach us if we know these six or seven things, then we will have attained X or Y. We need to remember that knowing and doing have always been hard for people. Adam and Eve knew they weren’t supposed to eat the fruit. The Pharisees knew what God’s word said about the coming Messiah. You and I know what God says about loving others and forgiving others, just to mention two. Has knowledge been enough for you? (I’ll plead the 5th!)

Michael Kernis and Brian Goldman are “authenticity research pioneers.”

They found that the following six signs mean that a person is living according to his or her true self. I added the spiritual emphasis to their teaching points. Let me know if you agree.

1. Genuine people have a good sense of self-esteem. They are not arrogant, nor are they overly worried about their flaws. Good self-esteem is found in the middle. A genuine person knows that all people are capable of many things and that no one is capable of perfection. God’s Word put it this way: “Righteousness is given through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference between Jew and Gentile, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus” (Romans 3:22-24). Christians have a genuine quality when they realize that no one person is better than another. On the other hand, those of us who have discovered our redemption in Christ have been abundantly blessed.

2. Genuine people embrace vulnerability. A person with strong self-esteem can admit when they are failing. You can receive criticism without crumbling. Negative and positive feedback affect the way you think about something you have done, not the person you are. Proverbs 27:17 reads, “As iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another.” God will always give us other Christians to hold us accountable and help us. Occasionally, some of them can have sharp edges!

3. Genuine people share their true thoughts, beliefs and opinions with the world. No explanation needed. But God would add this clarification: “Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will grow to become in every respect the mature body of him who is the head, that is, Christ” (Ephesians 4:15). I’ve known a lot of Christians, myself included, that don’t have much trouble sharing our thoughts and opinions – but speaking the truth in love can often be a struggle. Thank goodness genuine people can also embrace vulnerability!

4. Genuine people openly give and receive compliments. Enjoy the success of others. Recognize the greatness that is in others and be an encourager. Hebrews 10:24: “And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds.” Compliment Christians for what you see the Lord doing in their lives. It may “spur them on” to continue their ministries. But, empty compliments are just that. Refer back to #3. Genuine people tell the truth.

5. Genuine people really listen and prefer deep conversations. Empty conversations are similar to empty compliments. I love the book of James, and this is one of my favorite verses: “My dear brothers and sisters, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry” (James 1:19). To that I would add: “One of the best ways to demonstrate God’s love is to listen to people” (Bruce Larsen).

6. Genuine people are driven by an inner voice rather than their surroundings. I think I could have written an entire blog on this one point. The Huffington Post article said, “When you have thought through what you think, what you feel, what’s important to you and why it’s important to you, that determines a certain sense of purpose and directive.” Jesus said, “My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me” (John 10:27). When I wrote my book, Content to be Good, Called to be Godly, I titled the second chapter, “Do You Recognize the Voice of God?” I often tell people that the rest of the book really doesn’t matter unless they understand and embrace chapter two. Who is the author of your inner voice? I hope it is the Holy Spirit of God. Paul told the church in Corinth: “For who has known the mind of the Lord that he may instruct him? But we have the mind of Christ” (1 Corinthians 2:16).

D.L. Moody said, “More depends on my walk than my talk.” I hope all of us will walk in such a way that the world can believe the message of salvation. Genuine people have genuine faith in the genuine God. Whether you turn to the right or to the left, your ears will hear a voice behind you saying, “This is the way; walk in it” (Isaiah 30:21). Genuine Christians listen to that inner voice and then walk in it. Enjoy your journey!

This blog was originally published on August 12, 2014.

What Does It Mean To Mock God?

That is the question that kept coming to my mind, after Dan Patrick’s tweet was being volleyed about in the news. I will probably get into a bit of trouble with this blog, but I have to write it. I decided to spend a good amount of time studying the passage, thinking about the news, and trying to find an answer to the question. When does a person “mock God?”

I have often said that I think Galatians 6:1–10 is one of the most provable, practical passages in the Bible. We think of Scripture in terms of chapter and verse, but that was not how it was written. Paul’s letters need to be read as letters, from start to finish. The epistles are popular because every word came from Paul’s Spirit-led heart, and he wrote to churches he loved.

Paul wrote to the church in Galatia because they were struggling to maintain the Christian doctrine they had been taught. Teachers had come to the city, insisting that Gentile Christians needed to enter into Jewish practices, like circumcision, if they were to truly be accepted by God. At the same time, Gentile believers were teaching that no matter what a person did, they could be forgiven. Many Gentiles wanted to maintain some of their sinful practices and used the message of forgiveness to distort spiritual truth.

The book of Galatians is among the most relevant books for the American culture. Galatians 5 ends with one of my favorite passages in Scripture. The gist: Christians are to live by the power, purpose, and priority of God’s Holy Spirit. That is what it means to be “Spirit-led.” God’s people have often wanted “five easy steps” to forgiveness or “ten ways to know God’s will.” The truth: God gave us his Holy Spirit so that we could “keep in step” with him (Galatians 5:25).

Paul, in chapter 6, calls the mature, Spirit-led Christians to restore the brothers and sisters who have fallen away from the standards of the Christian faith. Paul tells the mature Christians to be careful, because it will be tempting to trip over our own set of sins while trying to help others with theirs.

It is then Paul writes verse 7, the now famous tweet, “Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows.” What does it mean to “mock God?” I’ll let God’s word provide the answer.

“As I have seen, those who plow iniquity and sow trouble reap the same” (Job 4:8).
“The point is this: whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows bountifully will also reap bountifully” (2 Corinthians 9:6).

Basically, a person mocks God when they think they can live apart from his laws. We can’t plant carrot seeds and think we will grow squash. We mock God if we think we can jump out of a tree and defy the law of gravity. We mock God if we think we can fool God because we can fool others. We mock God if we think we are more intelligent, more forward thinking, or more advanced than his Word. We mock God’s word if we try to change it.

Jesus was teaching that truth to his disciples in the parable of the sower (Matthew 13:1–23). Every farmer understands the laws of nature and works accordingly. God can forgive a sin, and remove our punishment, but the consequences of our choices remain.

We can choose not to love a person and God can forgive our sin, but there is still a broken heart and a damaged witness. God can forgive us our reckless driving, but there is still a ticket to be paid and a car that is damaged. God can forgive sexual sin, but there are still people who have been hurt, disease that has spread, and even children born, or aborted.

When that man entered the bar with the intention to kill, God’s laws were broken, and the consequences will endure. God grieves every child lost and he grieves every sin that separated those people from his love and direction. God grieves the rallies, the politics, and the obscuring of his truth, whether that takes place in the media or in the church.

God’s word has always been the same, and he cannot be mocked. When people break his laws, there are always consequences. That is true for the shooter, the people in the bar, and the people in the church. God loves all of us and wants us to spend our days on earth Spirit-led. He gave us Scripture so we could understand how to live our earthly lives and how to live one day in heaven. God’s word, like God, cannot be mocked. Truth cannot be a lie.

There are so many people who want to be loved in this world. They are lonely, broken, and looking for something or someone to meet their needs. There, but for the grace of God, go we. I know this is a controversial statement, but I have lived with this thought since I heard the news of Dan Patrick’s tweet. It has been proven that the tweet was randomly scheduled, before the events that occurred in Orlando. The tweet has been labeled “unfortunate,” “random,” “racist,” “homophobic,” “insensitive,” “slanderous” and many other things.

I couldn’t escape this thought: what if that very public, scheduled tweet was not random at all? What if God was saying to the world, and especially to Christians, my word cannot be mocked? What if God was reminding believers of the great solution found in the book of Galatians? God is calling his Church, the body of Christ, to be Spirit-led. Galatians was written to believers. What if Dan Patrick’s tweet was as well?

This article was originally published on June 21, 2016 and makes reference to the Orlando nightclub shooting that occurred on June 12, 2016, where 49 people were killed and 53 injured.

Photo by Jakub Żerdzicki on Unsplash

Convenience and character

“Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.” —Romans 12:2

We recently had to do a complicated update on our home’s technology system. The company thought it would take a day. They showed up Friday morning, spent the day, and let’s just say our technology was a hot mess when they left at seven that evening. It was an unpleasant weekend as a result.

Our televisions didn’t work properly, we couldn’t stream our favorite shows, and I couldn’t change the channels, the source, or the sound with my remote. We had to use the TV’s audio instead of our surround sound.

Are you feeling sorry for us yet? If yes, thank you. Then again, the whole weekend taught me that I’ve become incredibly spoiled with all the benefits of technology and incredibly impatient with all the flaws that inevitably come with complicated systems.

I wanted the young men who were here guessing to pick up their cell phones and ask for help. They finally did check, but it was too late in the day on Friday to do anything about it. That was Friday, and this is Monday morning. Those same young men just arrived, and I’m hopeful they will have it figured out today. My attitude, interestingly, is so much better now than it was on Friday evening. I’m just grateful I held my feelings inside so that I didn’t have to apologize to them this morning for anything I said on Friday.

I’m writing about it this morning because I did a lot of thinking this weekend. (I didn’t have television to distract me!) I often thought about how our entire culture has become increasingly dependent on our conveniences. We have high expectations, and it has become easy to feel angry, troubled, short-fused, and even wronged when our conveniences are taken away!

I tend to value things like my technology as necessities, and there isn’t much biblical advice on computers, large-screen televisions, surround sound, and various streaming services. You have probably heard someone say, “This is a first-world problem.” How have the conveniences of our first-world culture robbed us of the first-century Christian character revealed in Scripture? How do we work hard not to develop a character that depends on convenience?

Biblical truth transcends culture

Paul wrote his letter to the Colossians while he was under house arrest in Rome. He was writing to the first-century Christians in Colossae, whose faith had cost them almost everything. They had been alienated from their culture, their families, and their friends. Many had lost their jobs as well. The Romans were beginning to place significant pressure on Christians, and compromised theology was becoming a reasonable solution for many in the church. Many believed that the compromise with the culture was a safer, more effective way for the church to survive. Paul wrote to correct that way of thinking. He wanted them to know that pure truth, pure faith, and pure living were the only options for God’s children and the only truth to teach.

Paul taught the Colossians, “Put on then, as God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience,bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive. And above all these put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony. And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body. And be thankful. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God. And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him” (Colossians 3:12–17).

My point: Friday evening when those nice young men left our home for the weekend, leaving our technology a hot mess, my character was not the character Paul insisted upon. Later, I had to wonder, when did all my conveniences begin to feel like important necessities?

Conveniences can rob us of our character and more

I’m old enough to remember the days when we had three channels on our TV. If we wanted a different station, one of us had to walk over to the television set and turn the channel. The entire family had to negotiate and then watch the same program because we only had one set in our home.

If we didn’t want to watch what the rest of the family chose, we had the options of picking up a book and reading, listening to our radio or record player, playing a game, putting together a puzzle, or, if it wasn’t too late in the day, playing with the kids in the neighborhood.

We had one phone we had to share. We were excited to eventually purchase a VCR player, even though it meant driving to a Blockbuster store to choose a movie from the shelf. We had a McDonald’s, a Taco Bell, and a Burger King, but Jack-in-the-Box was the only fast food with a drive-through!

You probably know where I’m going with this. Our conveniences today are so GREAT!! We can download a movie we want to watch at any time. We have more than one TV, we each have a phone, a computer, a tablet, and literally thousands of convenient options for our entertainment.

People today don’t read as many novels. Most of us don’t cook as often because we can drive through or have whatever we want delivered, whenever we want to eat it. We feel inconvenienced if there are long lines or the delivery runs late.

Have we exchanged our values for something more convenient, but less worthy?

What can we do about it?

I have no idea what we can or should do with all these changes. But join me in thinking about possible solutions. Our culture of convenience is creating some cultural weaknesses. I read a really great novel this weekend. Jim and I had some great conversations. (Most of those began with a complaint about our televisions, however!) We had time with our family, time with one another, and time to enjoy the quiet. We spent our time differently this weekend, but in many ways, it had greater value.

They are going to fix our technology, and we will be SO GLAD to have it all working again. Jim and I admit we are spoiled people who love our conveniences. I just want to be careful not to value my first-world conveniences more than I value God’s eternal blessings.

Faith and a Christian character are inconvenient at times. In fact, exercising our faith and putting it into practice is almost always an interruption and inconvenience to our own choices. That’s why Paul told the Colossians, “Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the inheritance as your reward. You are serving the Lord Christ” (Colossians 3:23–24).

We are a spoiled generation of Christians. My grandparents once thought of owning a phone or a car as a luxury. Eventually, those things became conveniences and are now considered to be necessities. It was good to be reminded this weekend that conveniences shouldn’t feel like necessities. That perspective can protect our character, our culture, and our companions.

Dear Lord, focus our hearts on things eternal. We know that your inheritance will matter forever.

Photo by Anastassia Anufrieva on Unsplash

A Pearl of great price

“Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant in search of fine pearls, who, on finding one pearl of great value, went and sold all that he had and bought it.” —Matthew 13:45–46

My readers have learned by now that I’m not a dog owner. My friends and family have tried over the years to convince me of all that I am missing. So far, I remain staunchly unconvinced. I know very few people who pursue and value quiet and stillness as much as I do. I’ve been that way my whole life, so I don’t think it will change. I’m sitting on my patio right now, enjoying the serenity of these moments to write. I don’t need a dog’s head on my feet or a dog’s bark in my ears. I’m enjoying the solitude.

There have been a few dogs over the years, like a white lab named Pearl, that I have imagined I could enjoy. Jim and I see Pearl and her owner quite often while we are out walking on the trail. Pearl’s favorite moment of the week is when her owner takes her to the pond, and she is free to jump in the water and chase her toy. Other days, she just walks next to the pond with wishful eyes.

It struck me today that all of us could learn a lot from Pearl’s God-given instincts. Jesus told a parable often titled “Parable of the Pearl of Great Price.“ The lesson of that parable teaches that a wise person is the one who, on finding one pearl of great value, went and sold all that he had and bought it”
(Matthew 13:46).

Watching Pearl is like watching a lesson in growing old gracefully with God’s wisdom. God has given animals instincts that those of us created with the ability to choose could learn from. Pearl no longer chases everything she used to chase. She has learned to ignore most squirrels; she waits at the street corners; and she rarely tugs on her master’s arm. Pearl has defined her “pearl of great price” as life at the feet of her master.

We can ignore the squirrels, too

Ecclesiastes 1:14 is pure wisdom. Solomon said, “I have seen everything that is done under the sun, and behold, all is vanity and a striving after wind.” Solomon had it all according to the world’s values. He is thought by many to have been the wealthiest man ever to have lived. (Although Elon Musk seems to be pursuing that title now!) As an older, wiser man, Solomon understood that chasing the temporary stuff of this world was like chasing the wind, or a squirrel.

Pearl used to love chasing squirrels, and when she was young, she actually caught one or two. Her youthful instincts used to tell her to chase every squirrel she saw. Now, she is older and wiser and understands she doesn’t really want the squirrel anyway.

What were the things you used to chase in your younger years? One of the great lessons for growing older is the realization that the squirrels in our lives have become less enticing. The temporary, earthly stuff we used to chase tends to lose its appeal. What are the possessions, titles, priorities, awards, and even relationships that just seem to be chasing the wind?

God wants us to lay the squirrels in life at his feet. We will be much more peaceful and content with our lives when we are finished with those chases.

Stop at the streets

There is one corner where the trail crosses the road, which is often the spot we run across Pearl and her owner. We usually enjoy a brief conversation and later walk away grateful that God allowed us to become friends. Pearl would rather be continuing her walk, but she quietly sits and waits for her master to finish the conversation.

I’ve never seen Pearl tug on the leash or try to cross the street without her owner. She has been kept safe; she has been well loved and well fed. Pearl wants to be at her owner’s feet because that is where she is most content. The psalmist wrote, “Make me to know your ways, O Lord; teach me your paths. Lead me in your truth and teach me, for you are the God of my salvation; for you I wait all the day long” (Psalm 25:4–5).

I love to picture God holding a retractable leash (a leash with a button that controls the length of the leash). God can give us more room to wander and explore, but when we are not safe, he can push the button that gives us less leash and draw us back to be closer to him. God’s ways are perfect, and when he wants to talk, he will bring us near him. The only mistake we can make is to pull or tug on that leash because we want a different direction. God is strong, but his leash allows for our free wills as well. If we keep trying to run into the street, one day we might end up there. The psalmist told God, “For you I wait all the day long.” Are we willing to do the same?

When God wants to talk, we should be quietly patient until he finishes the conversation. It helps to remember that we can be content, safe, and loved at his feet. The stop signs of life are simply to protect us from the rush of this world.

When do you chase and tug on the leash? When are you quietly content?

God’s perfection is not ours yet. Pearl’s owner still uses a leash most of the time. She knows that Pearl is a wonderful dog, but she also knows she is still a dog. And now, you probably know what I’m about to say. Yep, we are all still dogs on this side of heaven. Our instincts have not been completely perfected yet, and this world will never be a perfect place. On the other hand, if we have lived our lives with God’s teaching, God’s love, and God’s direction, we have learned a LOT during our walks.

Pearl is a great dog, but we pass a lot of dogs on the trail who aren’t! I saw one young woman who practically fell into the street trying to hang on to her pet! We pass other dogs each day who still, three years later, bark at us like we are their enemy. There are also three Dobermans who are allowed to run freely in an area next to the path. Those dogs used to make me nervous because they are fast and chase everything they see. Yet, when the master calls, they come instantly to sit obediently at his feet. I’ve learned a lot watching them as well.

I’m a huge fan of Pearl. I didn’t know her as a puppy, but she has grown into a beautiful, peace-filled Labrador who is loved by her owner and knows how to love in return. I enjoy watching those Dobermans, but I want to be more like Pearl.

God has provided us with many lessons to learn throughout our lives. Pearl has taught me a lot about sitting quietly at the feet of the One who loves me most. I want to praise God for the leash he provides for my safety until I reach heaven. We know there are a LOT of squirrels here on earth!

I like to imagine what it will be like to run free in heaven, joyfully chasing the perfection around us. I like to imagine the voice of God calling me to sit at his feet. Until those eternal moments, I will work to wait patiently at the feet of God, submitted to the leash of his guidance.

I still don’t want to own a dog, but I realize that I have a lot to learn from the dogs around me. I want to remember there is a “Pearl” of great price to value and obtain!

Lord, help us to submit to your leash and enjoy the fact that at the end of our walk, it is you who will bring us safely home.

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Will God let him in anyway?

“But in your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect.” —1 Peter 3:15

Blake Shelton described the first time he heard the song Let Him in Anyway as a “gut punch.” He immediately told the songwriters that he wanted to record it. He was interviewed about the song in the church where the music video was filmed. I also feel a “gut punch” each time I listen to the song. I imagine most of you will feel the same.

The “seeker-friendly” days of church growth had a downside. The subject of eternal separation from God is not discussed very often in our churches these days. There was a day when the possibility of hell was a weekly reminder at the close of a sermon. An invitation to come to salvation and join the church followed the Sunday preaching. The problem was that most of the people who heard that message had already chosen to ask Jesus to be their Lord and Savior. Gradually, over time, the church services were designed to please God’s children more than to reach those people still needing salvation.

Will God let them in anyway?

Let Him in Anyway delivers a distinct “gut punch.”. Our culture elevated the message of tolerance so loudly that the church was influenced by the idea. The message of tolerance contains a lot of biblical truth, and while I would never want us to go back to the days of “hellfire and damnation” as the primary message of the church, I don’t want people to be convinced that God will tolerate us and our sin anyway. I doubt many of us believe in the message of universalism, but does our emphasis on tolerance quietly preach that idea to others?

That’s why I love the lyrics of this song that asks the question, “Won’t you let him in anyway?” We need to know that biblically, there is an answer to that question.

Have you asked God to let someone in anyway?

Most of us have attended the funeral of a friend, co-worker, or family member who really didn’t appreciate or acknowledge Jesus as their Lord. Maybe this person had great character and chose to treat others kindly. Blake Shelton’s song asks God to let a friend into heaven anyway, since the friend was already headed toward faith. He just needed more time. Have we asked God for that same thing at some point? Did we believe that God might possibly let him in anyway, because one day he would have believed?

Blake Shelton and his wife, Gwen Stefani, have both been interviewed about their faith in God. Everyone has a different faith journey, and none of us gets to heaven without tripping along our way. I enjoyed hearing these two speak about their faith and was reminded to be cautious about judging others’ faith. I don’t think show business is conducive to our ideas of evangelism. The world and the church don’t blend cultures easily. But God’s Spirit has always worked in both cultures to draw others to God.

The Gospel of Matthew serves as a good reminder. Matthew 1 opens with a genealogy of Jesus that lists several names, revealing the fact that God has always used many different types of people to bring him glory! (Consider Rahab, Tamar, and King David, for example.)

Blake Shelton’s wife, Gwen, grew up in the Catholic church. That denomination does light candles and prays for those who have already died, hoping to pray for a person’s continued purification even after death. Purgatory is based on a Jewish tradition of praying for the dead, and while it isn’t taught in Protestant churches, the idea that God knows the hearts and future choices a person would have made is something that preachers are often asked about.

How does the Bible address the anyway question?

It is a difficult question, and we have all wanted to encourage a grieving person and friend with thoughts about the love and mercy of God. That said, what does the Bible make clear that we need to keep in mind?

Most Christians are encouraged to memorize John 3:16 as the verse that lays out God’s plan for the salvation of souls.

God loves this world and gave his only Son, Jesus, to provide for our salvation.
Jesus was given so that anyone who believed in him could be saved and inherit eternal life.

The question for today is this: Have you memorized John 3:17–18 as well? Do you deeply and profoundly trust those two verses in the same way you have come to trust John 3:16?

John 3:17–18 says, “For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him. Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God.”

John 3:16 promises salvation to anyone who chooses to believe in Jesus as their Lord and Savior. John 3:17–18 makes it clear that those who do not believe are “condemned.” There is an eternal decision everyone can make, and one everyone must make. It is easier to teach John 3:16 to today’s culture if we omit the message of the next two verses.

Let Him in Anyway is a song to consider

I really like Blake Shelton’s new song, which, at the time of this writing, is rising in popularity on the country music charts. Blake mentioned in his interview that it was difficult to find a song these days that contains a new message. That was why he jumped at the chance to record the song “Let Him in Anyway.“

I love a song, a sermon, or a story that makes me consider God and his biblical truth. The song made me realize our need to return to the old-fashioned and ever-true theology of heaven and hell. I pray the song will prompt people to ask, “Will God let someone in anyway?”

I wanted all of us to think it through for ourselves so we can “be prepared to give an answer” (1 Peter 3:15). None of us wants to think about hell, and it isn’t usually something we are excited to talk about, either. Nevertheless, if we really care about someone, we need to find a way to let them know that God’s word doesn’t teach the assurance of salvation to anyone, anyway.

Who came to your thoughts as you read this article? It would be good to pray for them specifically and to offer your time, compassion, and theology to anyone who still needs to know Jesus as their Lord and Savior. John 3:16–18 tells the whole story. Maybe we should all make certain we can quote the entire truth of God’s wonderful gospel story—his plan to save the world he loves.

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A verse for the strong

“We who are strong have an obligation to bear with the failings of the weak, and not to please ourselves.” —Romans 15:1

The book of Romans is a tough read, a comprehensive study, and quite possibly the most important book of theology in the New Testament. Paul wrote this book to help the churches serve the gospel with strength from the Holy Spirit, uphold holy standards for the Christian faith, and find the joy and hope of God’s blessings. If Christians lived according to the book of Romans, we would change the world.

Chapter 15 sums it all up

Chapter 16 is Paul’s thank-you list. Chapter 15 is the summation of his book of theology. The chapter begins with his message to the Christians who are strong in their faith, and his words should probably hang over the door of every church. Sadly, many Christians wouldn’t understand or even agree with Paul’s message.

Paul was a Pharisee. In fact, Paul described himself as a Pharisee, a son of Pharisees” (Acts 23:6). Paul’s pedigree as a Pharisee was well known, and yet, he dedicated his life to sharing the gospel message of Jesus Christ. Paul knew there was no decision in life more important than surrendering to Jesus as Lord and Savior.

The apostle knew how important it was to obey God’s laws. Paul also knew how completely impossible it was to achieve a right relationship with God through our own abilities and works. Paul had fanatically tried to kill Christianity in the beginning, using self-motivated, unrighteous indignation as his strength. He lived the rest of his life with the weight and consequences of his sin. No one teaches more about the value of God’s grace through Christ than the former Pharisee.

Paul wrote the words in Romans 15 to sum up a long list of theological truths he had been inspired to record carefully. He begins with the words, “We who are strong have an obligation to bear with the failings of the weak, and not to please ourselves” (Romans 15:1).

How might that one verse change our churches and our Christians today?

Who are the strong?

If we made a list of the strongest Christians we know, how many modern-day Pharisees would be named? Human nature still tends to measure works when defining spiritual strength. That tendency isn’t completely wrong. The book of James almost didn’t make it into our Bibles because it says, “faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead (James 2:17). A strong Christian displays their faith through their obedience to God’s Word. If a person’s life doesn’t preach the gospel, their mouth probably won’t preach it well. That said, we won’t preach it well unless . . .

Paul said, “We who are strong have an obligation to bear with the failings of the weak.” Why are strong Christians obligated to bear with the mistakes and failures of the weak?

The answer: Because apart from the strength of God’s Holy Spirit, we are weak too. The fact that we can consider ourselves strong is equivalent to considering ourselves extremely and gratefully blessed. Paul is telling the strong Christians how incredibly lucky they are to have been filled with Christ. Paul is reminding his readers that our knowledge of Christ’s sacrificial gift of grace for our own sin obligates us to bear with those who have not yet gained the strength that could be theirs as well.

What if the “weak” who entered our churches were overwhelmed by the love and acceptance of those inside? What if they felt nothing other than welcomed and included by God and his people? What if we determined that next Sunday, we are obligated by God’s Word to bear with someone’s mistake or failure? Who would leave the building thinking, “I want to come back here next Sunday!”

The tension: How do we “bear with” sin without offering “acceptance” for the sin?

This is the tension of living as a strong Christian without, as Paul put it, the choice of “not living to please ourselves.” This is the other behavior that Paul would say we are obligated to embrace.

We all need a little bit of Pharisee in our witness. The Pharisees were respected because they were so eager and careful to obey God’s laws. We “fight the Pharisee within” because we want that same respect from others. Paul, the Pharisee of Pharisees, told us we are obligated to bear with the sins of others “not to please ourselves.” In other words, we don’t offer grace for the weaknesses of others to make us look better or feel better than we truly are. We aren’t better; just more fortunate.

How do we address sin with grace? First, we admit we understand the inclination for sin. Our sins might be different, but they still separate us from God. Second, God wants better for our lives. There are consequences for every sin. God will either bless and reward or discipline our lives. Grace does not mean God doesn’t respond to our sins. Grace doesn’t usually remove the consequences of our sins either, just the eternal punishment we would deserve without his grace.

Sometimes the best way to obligate ourselves to bear with the failings of others is to obligate ourselves to sharing his message of truth. We can speak to someone who is living with spiritual weakness and failures, look them in the eyes and say with compassion, “God wants so much better for you than this. God wants to be able to pour his blessings into your life, but he can’t bless disobedience to his words of truth.” Our convictions are a gift of encouragement and grace from God if we will speak them with his love for others.

Romans 15:1 is a verse for the strong

If we want to follow Paul’s teaching, we should memorize Romans 15:1 and allow the Holy Spirit to use it as a check to our human natures. The Holy Spirit of Jesus has to contend for our motivations just like he had to contend with a Pharisee named “Saul of Tarsus.” That Pharisee had to be completely changed by his salvation down to his very name. Paul battled the Pharisee within every day of his life, and we will have a similar battle.

We are obligated to treat people with grace because that is how Jesus treated us. We are obligated to serve others, not to please our own sense of self, but to please Jesus. Jesus is and always will be our model of selfless service. We are obligated to serve others as Jesus would have served them.

It probably won’t take long for the Lord to test your obedience to Romans 15:1. Who will you see today and realize you have an obligation to selflessly serve? I hope we will all prayerfully welcome the opportunity.

At the end of chapter 15, Paul wrote, “May the God of peace be with you all. Amen” (Romans 15:33). I think he would pray the same thing for all the “strong Christians” today.

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This Independence Day, choose dependence on Christ

“For Christ’s love compels us, because we are convinced that one died for all, and therefore all died. And he died for all, that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for him who died for them and was raised again.” —2 Corinthians 5:14–15

I had never heard of the term semiquincentennial before this year. America will celebrate 250 years of Independence this year, our Semiquincentennial. There are many big celebrations, and I pray that Americans will be protected from those who may seek to harm or discourage our people and our values.

I’m looking forward to the day and all that it will bring. That said, I’m looking back as well, and those thoughts give a powerful perspective.

July 4, 1976

1976 was a big year for me. I graduated from high school in June of that year with more than seven hundred fellow seniors. The graduation ceremony was outdoors with red, white, and blue balloons. We were told to wear red, white, and blue clothing. The music represented our class and our country. When Steve Zerta crossed the stage, a huge roar went up from the crowd. He was a popular guy, but he was cheered for being the last name of the 700-plus students!

After graduation, we boarded buses to Disneyland’s “Grad Night” celebration. We stayed up all night at Disney and celebrated with other graduates from other California high schools. Mickey, Minnie, and the other characters were all wearing red, white, and blue costumes, and Winnie the Pooh sported a mortarboard. We drove home at daybreak, exhausted, excited, and thinking ahead. Every graduate knew that Grad Night was probably the last thing we would do as a group before we headed to various universities, jobs, and branches of the service.

July 4 was an important day for me spiritually as well. I grew up an “interdenominational” Christian. I’ve been Methodist, Presbyterian, Disciples of Christ, and then Baptist. I’ve been “sprinkled” once and “immersed” twice, which makes me the most-often baptized Christian I know.

The baptism I count as my own took place on Sunday, July 4, 1976. That was the day I stepped into the baptistry to tell God and others that I was a Christian. I remember it because of the day, but also because that was the day my baptism was between my Lord and me. I was baptized because I wanted to obey Jesus when he said, “Go into all the world and proclaim the gospel to the whole creation. Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned” (Mark 16:15–16).

In many ways, my personal commitment to Jesus as my Lord began on July 4, 1976. I had already accepted Jesus as Savior, but I chose to be baptized that day because I knew I wanted to live in obedience to Christ as my Lord. For me, those two choices were separate and unique in my life. In many ways, I felt called to give up my independence that day in order to depend on Jesus as my King.

Later, when I wanted to join the Baptist church, the pastor told me I needed to be re-baptized. I told my parents that I didn’t want to do that, so the pastor asked me to come see him. I agreed to the meeting, and he explained that I had been baptized under a different theology and therefore needed to be rebaptized to join the church. We politely “argued,” and I finally agreed to be baptized with the understanding that my real baptism was July 4, 1976. My bicentennial baptism was a spiritual commitment for me. I just got wet that day in my second immersion.

When did you give up your independence?

It has been fifty years since I was baptized as a commitment to Jesus as my Lord. When did you choose to make Jesus your King? It’s easier to choose Jesus as Savior than Jesus as Lord. If we ask Jesus to be our King, we don’t get to sit on the throne of our lives. His Word is no longer a book of suggested guidelines or good ideas. The Bible becomes a manual of required values and behaviors. None of us will ever follow it perfectly, but if Jesus is King, we will try to place his control over our lives above our own independence.

Can you remember a time when you asked Jesus to be your King?

Fifty years later

I have thought a lot about this July 4, but for different reasons than most. How might my life have been different if I hadn’t stood in the baptistry that day and truly meant the words, “Jesus is my Lord”?

My dad came home a year later and said, “I’m accepting a job in Houston, TX.” I was nineteen years old and DID NOT want to move to Houston. But I did, and my entire future changed.

There have been a lot of major decisions in the past fifty years, and when I included Jesus in those choices, he was able to redirect, control, guide, and bless those days. I was a child of the seventies when independence often meant an escape from traditional values, traditional music, traditional haircuts, and traditional religion. Fifty years later, I see some of the long-term consequences of my generation’s choices.

We elevated independence at the expense of our submission to Christ as Lord. I wonder what our country would look like today if the value changes in the seventies had not occurred. California was a hot spot in the seventies, and I still remember the communes at the beaches and campgrounds that harbored drug users and “free-love” thinkers. My generation introduced much of the thinking that shapes today’s culture.

A semiquincentennial commitment

Will America have a tricentennial? Jesus could return in the next fifty years. I, and probably most of my readers, will not be here to find out. We will celebrate that July 4 in heaven, where time is not measured, and the things of this earth have “passed away.”

This year, I will remember July 4, 1976, and the commitment I made in church that day. I want to recommit my life to have the same passion for Jesus as my Lord that I felt that day. This Independence Day, I want to once again make the choice to sacrifice my independence for the sake of my dependence on Christ as my King.

Revelation 19:15–16 describes our King today: “From his mouth comes a sharp sword with which to strike down the nations, and he will rule them with a rod of iron. He will tread the winepress of the fury of the wrath of God the Almighty. On his robe and on his thigh he has a name written, King of kings and Lord of lords.”

Can you remember the day you gave up your independence and chose to make Jesus your King? If not, join me in making this July 4 a day you will remember for every day to come. Simply pray, “Jesus, thank you for being my Savior. Today, I choose to make you Lord of each moment to come.”

Happy “dependence” day!

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Should women preach?

“There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slavenor free, there is no male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.” —Galatians 3:28

I am usually proud to be a Baptist, in spite of the recent news from the SBC Convention. I’m not directly involved in the SBC and consider myself a Texas Baptist now. I didn’t grow up a Baptist, but spiritually, I credit joining a Baptist church and attending a Baptist university for leading me into a deeper walk with the Lord. I was thinking I would keep my mouth shut on the whole “women in the pulpit” issue because I don’t want to give the controversy attention. That said, my mind kept writing this article, and I felt my thoughts were worth expressing.

I was a young preacher’s wife during the big Baptist blow-up over biblical inerrancy. My husband has a well-known paper on the eight different definitions of inerrancy, if you would like to read it. I knew people on both sides of the vote who I respected as leaders, teachers, and preachers. I realized as I lived through the 1980’s controversy, there were ungodly behaviors on both sides of the issue. I’m sad to see similar rhetoric about the recent SBC vote. The denomination I truly love took major hits to its institutions and witness in the 1980’s that Baptists have still not recovered from. Sadly, I expect the same will be true with this controversy.

On the one hand, I’m proud to be part of a denomination that Satan attacks with nuclear strength. If Baptists weren’t messing with Satan’s agenda, he probably wouldn’t be messing with Baptists. You can go into almost any Baptist church on any given Sunday and hear a sermon based on biblical truth, preached through the power of God’s Holy Spirit. Baptist congregations have been taught and encouraged to make sure those who visit feel welcome and find a place to belong. I’m proud to be a Baptist.

After the Convention news, there are some who won’t be proud of me.

If you haven’t heard . . .

Christianity Today has an article that describes the controversy, if you want to read about it. My Facebook page was covered with posts and comments from both sides of the vote. It’s easy to see the controversy and notice Satan at work, much like in the 1980’s. Many of us don’t see the issue of women pastors as a theological one. Rather, it is more of an individual church decision.

Are women pastors a biblical issue of theology?

First, you are allowed to choose your answer. There is really good theology on both sides. All of us should listen to sermons and lessons each week that are preached or taught by someone we believe is Spirit-led and biblically accurate. The first criterion for anyone bringing a message from God is whether or not the Lord is speaking through that person.

Second, has that person been called of God? If someone has been called by God and chooses to obey that call, they can count on God to equip them for that call.

Third, has this person taken the advice Paul gave his protégé Timothy? Paul wrote, “Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who has no need to be ashamed, rightly handling the word of truth” (2 Timothy 2:15). A pastor or teacher should work hard to study God’s word and rightly present God’s truth.

Why, then, is there controversy about women as pastors?

The controversy largely stems from a passage in Paul’s letter to Timothy, who was serving the church in Ephesus. 1 Timothy 1:3–7 says, “As I urged you when I was going to Macedonia, remain at Ephesus so that you may charge certain persons not to teach any different doctrine, nor to devote themselves to myths and endless genealogies, which promote speculations rather than the stewardship from God that is by faith. The aim of our charge is love that issues from a pure heart and a good conscience and a sincere faith. Certain persons, by swerving from these, have wandered away into vain discussion, desiring to be teachers of the law, without understanding either what they are saying or the things about which they make confident assertions.”

Later in chapter 2, Paul says, “I desire then that in every place the men should pray, lifting holy hands without anger or quarreling; likewise also that women should adorn themselves in respectable apparel, with modesty and self-control, not with braided hair and gold or pearls or costly attire, but with what is proper for women who profess godliness—with good works.Let a woman learn quietly with all submissiveness. I do not permit a woman to teach or to exercise authority over a man; rather, she is to remain quiet. For Adam was formed first, then Eve; and Adam was not deceived, but the woman was deceived and became a transgressor. Yet she will be saved through childbearing—if they continue in faith and love and holiness, with self-control” (1 Timothy 2:8–15).

It seems pretty clear if you look at this passage that women don’t have a place in the pulpit. On the other hand, it seems pretty clear in other passages that women did have the job of preaching and leading in the church (cf. Acts 18:26; 1 Corinthians 11:5). In fact, if we want to be truly in line with Paul’s message to Timothy, women also need to take his advice about personal appearance and modesty. (I haven’t seen any “votes” over gold jewelry, hairstyles, or costly attire yet.)

In theology, it’s very important to study why things were said. We know Timothy was in Ephesus. We know there were some disruptive people in that church who were teaching “different doctrine, myths, and endless genealogies” which promoted “speculations.” The problem with building a theological doctrine from this passage is that it is specific advice for a specific problem in a specific church. The church in Ephesus reached out to minister to the women in that city, many of whom had been rescued from the Temple of Artemis and local brothels. It seems likely that if these women who had come from prostitution were speaking out, they needed to be silenced. Hair and gold jewelry indicated wealth and prestige in Ephesian culture. Did Paul speak to a specific problem or author a theology for every church?

You can study, pray, and then choose what to believe about this

Paul also praised Priscilla and Aquila, who led in the church in Rome. Priscilla’s name is listed first in Romans 16, which usually meant she was the most highly regarded of the two. In fact, Romans 16 lists several women who were key influencers. But Paul doesn’t say they “preached.”

Conversely, Acts 21:8–9 says, “On the next day we departed and came to Caesarea, and we entered the house of Philip the evangelist, who was one of the seven, and stayed with him. He had four unmarried daughters, who prophesied.” Philip’s daughters “preached” to others. There is no other interpretation for “prophesied.” But, maybe they only “preached” to other women? That’s possible, but the Bible doesn’t say that.

The Bible lists many women whom God used to accomplish his kingdom purpose. There is also the passage that contains Paul’s advice to Timothy. What then should we believe about a woman’s ability or permission to preach?

My belief about women in ministry

I have delivered a biblical message to churches on a Sunday. I often teach a Bible lesson to both men and women. I work hard to learn the passage and then pray for the Spirit to deliver the message through me. I will bring God’s word to people when I am called to do that.

My confidence isn’t in anything other than the power of the Holy Spirit. It is his word, and I am just the voice being used to teach it. I believe I received the same Holy Spirit that God gave to men, and I believe that I am called to serve as the Spirit leads.

I also believe that I am not called to obey a convention vote. I won’t stand before the Father one day and answer to a room of people who defined my role as a teacher of God’s word. I’m accountable to obey God’s Holy Spirit. I do believe the Bible is our perfect truth. I do believe the Bible reveals that both men and women were used by God to share the gospel. All of us were called and gifted by the Spirit of Christ to be his disciples. My theologian husband wrote a great paper on women in ministry, if you want further study.

Al Mohler was speaking at the SBC Convention about the women in ministry vote when he said the issue marked “a great line that divides liberal and biblical evangelicalism.” I believe a line was painted on the ground during the convention. I would just ask all of us to consider this: Who, or what, exactly, do you believe was holding that paintbrush?

Let’s study, pray, and then present our lives and our ministries to God. We need to live as workers whom he can approve of because we rightly handled his word. We will all stand before God one day to answer for that. Personally, I think that is the line Scripture has painted for each of us.

There are those who will say a person is not allowed to preach God’s word. Only God can tell us that we are not able. We are all called to be his disciples. Serve the Lord with all your heart, as the Holy Spirit directs you. You are serving the Lord, not man (Colossians 3:23–24).