The New Doctrine.1

"Whoever hears my words,
and acts upon them,
is wise,
and builds on a foundation made of stone.
The rains descend,
and the floods rise.
Hurricane winds beat against the house,
yet it stands strong:
for it is built on solid rock."

--Jesus

Oh how I remember my first building project: I was determined to build a bunk bed for my boys.

Sadly, no one ever actually slept in it! Why you may ask? It seems the concept of "level" (essential if you don't want to, you know, slide off the bed) didn't figure into my work!

Years later I went to work for one of my best friends, Paul Maxim, master carpenter! I quickly learned that there are tools for measuring these concepts: level...and true...and square...

The best thing I learned is if you want

to build something enduring, useful and strong, learn from the best! But the real question is when does learning occur; more specifically, when does understanding take hold? When you grasp it in your head or when you put it into practice?

One of the first jobs Paul gave me when I went to work for him was cutting off "rafter tails" on a house he was building. It was a simple enough task: using an electric saw to trim off excess board lengths...until he pointed out that they were on the second story of the house! I would have to stand on the roof, reach over the edge as far as I could while trying not to look down! It was a windy, damp and cold day and I came very close to handing in my tool belt and walking away from carpentry for good!

But I did it; I did what he told me to do! It changed me. At least it began the change in me. First I conquered a fear. Second I realized, through the experience, that I actually could do it! Third, it made the next task a little easier having that extra confidence in myself, confidence that comes from doing what is required and accomplishing it.

My Master, Paul, sizing up my capabilities (including my lack of experience and skill) gave me a job, challenging enough, he needed done and figured I could do. He did not give me something entirely beyond my abilities. He gave me the basic information and tools I needed to accomplish it. No classes, no detailed explanation of the characteristics of wood, no theories on the variety of ways to cut it. Just simple directions. I got just enough information to do it. The only thing left was will, choice, and action. The only hope of understanding ultimately comes in the doing!

And yet...think about our relationship to our Master, Jesus. Consider how much emphasis is put on understanding things about Him rather than simply putting His words into practice! How many seminaries and seminars, sermons and series, books and opinions on what others think He meant (and what they mean for us to think) are offered rather than the encouragement to just obey. As George McDonald says, "It is the one great heresy of the church that it is always offering anything other than obedience as faith in Christ!"

But what is the faith OF Jesus? The same as He requires of each of his followers: obedience! Obedience to the will of His Father.

Start with one of his commands. You could look them up yourself but I'll use a portion of a list compiled by the Institute In Basic Life Principles to help:

• Repent
• Follow Me
• Rejoice
• Let your light shine
• Honor God's Law
• Be reconciled with others
• Do not lust
• Keep your word
• Go the second mile
• Turn your cheek
• Give to those that ask
• Love God
• Love yourself
• Love your neighbors
• Love your enemies
• Be Perfect
• Fear Not
• Seek first God's Kingdom
• Lay up treasures
• Judge not
• Ask, seek, knock
• Do unto others

Let's say, in light of the world's preoccupation with viruses today, we put into practice this one:

"Fear not."

(its been said that this is the most frequent command in the Bible...interesting)

• Are you afraid of dying from an unknown disease?
• Are you afraid the healthcare system will break down?
• Are you afraid of not having enough toilet paper? (kidding...sort of)
• Are you afraid other people won't take the warnings as seriously as they should?
• Are you afraid for the elderly and vulnerable?
• Are you afraid the government is not doing enough? Doing too much?
• Are you afraid society might not recover from the economic sanctions?
• Are you afraid for your own financial security?
• Are you afraid your neighbors might turn you in for not being afraid?
• Are you afraid nothing will ever be the same?
• Are you afraid for the future?
• Are you not even sure of what you are afraid?

Those fears are associated with just one current life issue. Add to that the myriad of cares, past-present-future, you and I deal with daily! You can see how just a simple command like this can be difficult to put into practice! So can Jesus, our Master!

However, like my friend Paul, Jesus sizes up our experience and skill then gives us what we are able to handle to give us the experience and confidence we need, as we try, to keep on trying...and growing...and getting better! Honestly, it may take a lifetime to learn, really learn to the core of our being to Fear Not; i.e., learn that God is fully capable of shielding, protecting, providing, and proving Himself more than adequate for our trust! But what better way to learn than knowing we have a Master Builder in our life to watch over us, applaud our progress and lead us where we need to be and eventually realize there is no other place we'd want to be!

If you, as an individual, learn to not fear for yourself by trusting in the God of all Goodness to use the current situation to craft your character, it is surely the beginning of salvation for your family, community, country and the world!

The Good Shepherd.8

"I am the door to the sheepfold.

Those who attempt to enter this fold by any other way are thieves and robbers.

Many impostors have come before me, but the sheep did not recognize or follow them.

I am the door.

Enter by this door and you will be safe, free to go in and out, and find food."

--Jesus

There is a recent radio commercial based on the "Let's Make a Deal" door choosing game. However, in this version the contestant only has one door to choose from! When she points out that there is always more than one door to choose from, the announcer flatly states there is only one door and exuberantly proclaims "You've won a year's supply of dog food!" To which the contestant sullenly replies, "But I don't even own a dog!"

Admittedly, especially here in America, we are used to, and even expect, a menu of choices when deciding what we want.

But when it comes to deciding on the best possible outcome for life, maybe many

doors to choose from isn't such a great thing. Maybe limiting our options to simply trusting, obeying and loving Jesus is the greatest gift God gives us in focusing our wayward eyes and hearts back to Him.

Many impostors have come after Jesus and are constantly perpetrating a false Christ on the unsuspecting!

"How have we learned Christ?", asks George MacDonald.

"It ought to be a startling thought, that we may have learned Him wrong!

That must be far worse than not to have learned Him at all: His place is occupied by a false Christ, hard to exorcise!

The point we must contend with is whether we have learned Christ as He taught Himself, or as men have taught Him who thought they understood, but did not understand Him....

True Christ or False Christ, the real issue is this: is only our brain full of things concerning Him, or does He Himself dwell in our hearts, a learnt, and ever being learnt lesson, the power of our life?"

--George MacDonald, The Truth in Jesus, Unspoken Sermons II (emphasis and edits added)

Why is it so seductive to hold onto doctrines, systematic theology, statements of beliefs, or plans of salvation as the measure of faith in Christ and the hope of eternal life, rather than holding onto the Author of Life Himself?

The baptism of Jesus is a great example of that seduction: Matthew sets up the scene by including an impassioned sermon by John the Baptist on how the Messiah, whose shoes John "believes" he isn't even worthy to carry, will come in flaming glory, winnowing the unworthy and burning the unrepentant!

Then Jesus shows up, rather quietly, and requests a baptism by John. "Wait, What?! This isn't how its supposed to work, I'm the lowly one, You're the exalted one. We need to send the right message here Messiah!"

The first words Matthew records Jesus making on this planet (Luke records a moment in His youth that is yet similar in it's focus) is this: "The fitting path to righteousness is obedience to God's way, whether we understand it or it doesn't conform with our pre-determined concepts."

Netflix introduced a new tv series titled "Messiah" produced by Roma (Touched By An Angel) and Mark (Survivor) Barnett. I highly recommend it even though there is frequent uses of the "F-word" and a sex scene. But unlike most "Christian" films that tend to be sanitized, this depicts the gritty struggles of a corrupt world filled with sinful people invaded by a mystery man making challenging invitations to faith in God. The main characters include a country pastor whose family and ministry is falling apart, an American CIA agent and an Israeli intelligent officer bent on uncovering the truth of the "Messiah's" hidden political agenda (but end up having their own problematic pasts uncovered in the process); a variety of religious and political figures attempting to understand this mysterious phenomenon through the lens of their own preconceptions.

As an exercise in wrestling with issues of faith it is an interesting challenge to try to figure out how you and I might respond to a similar person making claims of speaking for God, demonstrating miraculous control over nature and shaking up the sensibilities of people the world over. The producers use a variety of scenes to keep you guessing whether they are trying to depict a false Christ or the real deal. Riots break out, religious fervor is enflamed, people leave homes and family to follow this man. A desperate mother, unbeknownst to her husband, takes her cancer stricken daughter to the "Messiah" seeking healing. The daughter seemingly doesn't get healed and the husband files for divorce!

The point, I suppose, is to realize how difficult it was even for people of Jesus time on earth to come to grips with His amazing claims and measure them against their own "beliefs"! But the real struggle for every human being is choosing whether to do what God says and trust Him for the outcome or choose our own way.

Who of us thinks that we'll get a pop quiz at the Pearly Gates confirming our suitability for Heaven? And if you're relying on a "statement of faith" (would it be an an 'open book' test?) which organization or religious affiliation to you go with? Or which version of your organization's SOF do you depend on for the "right" answers (they often get edited and updated)?

But what if the Mormon's got some theology right? How about the Jehovah Witnesses? Is there any element of truth in Islam, or any other major religion? What if someone from the Westboro Baptist church found out that a gay person actually did make it into heaven...would they decline the invitation?

A guy can spend a lot of his life wrestling with words! It seems to me a better use of one's life to focus on doing what Jesus' said and learning to listen as He corrects misunderstandings and teaches what He means by those words.

It is what is "fitting" to fulfill His righteousness and know with certainty He is the Door!

The Good Shepherd.7

"I am the good shepherd who gives my life for the sheep.

The hired hand is no substitute.

He does not care for the sheep as if they were his own;

and when the wolf comes he runs away,
leaving the sheep unguarded.

The wolf catches them, and they are scattered."

--Jesus

Are the Wolves at the door?

David French, senior editor at the National Review, observes: 

"In my travels around the country, one thing has become crystal clear to me. Christians are not prepared for the social consequences of the profound cultural shifts — especially in more secular parts of the nation. They’re afraid to say what they believe, not because they face the kind of persecution that Christians face overseas but because they’re simply not prepared for any meaningful adverse consequences in their careers or with their peers." (emphasis added)

Author Rod Dreher has dedicated an entire book, The Benedict Option, to describing the challenges facing Christ followers in a post Christian world and offering insights from how the church has responded to similar challenges in times past.

"I have written The Benedict Option to wake up the church and to encourage it to act to strengthen itself, while there is still time. If we want to survive, we have to return to the roots of our faith, both in thought and in practice. We are going to have to learn habits of the heart forgotten by believers in the West. We are going to have change our lives, and our approach to life, in radical ways. In short, we are going to have to be the church, without compromise, no matter what it costs.... 

In the first part of this book, I will define the challenge of post-Christian America as I see it. I will explore the philosophical and theological roots of our society's fragmentation...I will consider the critical importance of believers thinking and acting radically in the face of the two most powerful phenomena directing contemporary life and pulverizing the church's foundations: sex and technology."

As an example of the kind of forces at work that Christ Followers are facing: the company I now work for recently held its annual in service day to address the issues affecting us in the coming school year. One of the presenters was a lawyer discussing changes in the federal statute known as "Title IX", a law implemented in the 1990's attempting to force equal sharing of resources for boy's and girl's sports. This "law" has metastasized to include many identity groups under its legally protected umbrella. Most recently "Trans-genders" are now included as a "protected class" under Title IX!

I was aghast! Now federal law is used to protect an entirely made up idea of social behavior!  

With that experience in the background, we recently took some of our grand-kids camping. For a devotional I read Psalm 19

1 "The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament sheweth his handiwork. 

2 Day unto day uttereth speech, and night unto night sheweth knowledge. 

3 There is no speech nor language, where their voice is not heard." 

I explained that the foundational structure of our society and our governance is based on the Laws of Nature and Nature's God. It is good to immerse ourselves in God's Biblical revelation and in His Natural revelation so that we have a firm foundation on which we can depend to know what is real and true. I talked to them about this very dangerous concept emerging in our culture called "transgenderism": the idea that a person can choose whether to be the opposite gender they were born as, and can "transition" into another sex through drugs, surgeries or government mandates. I pointed out that there is nothing in nature that is "transitioning" into another species or gender. It is an entirely made up idea being recklessly advanced in our society and is destructive to the highest possible good for which we are created. We ought to resist it on the basis of God's word and His work in creation. 

Later that night at the campfire, a friend of our three teenage grand-kids brought out her IPhone and started taking pictures of the adults using a feature of the popular app, Snapchat, that can convert a person's image into the opposite gender. We all shared a good laugh about it (some of the guys actually made attractive females!) But it was a chilling reminder of what the next generation has to deal with in combating the powerful impact of "virtual reality", i.e., the fantasy world of one's choosing, verses the Natural Order of God's creation.

Dreher sights numerous examples of companies, under pressure from LGBQT groups, to ally themselves and their employees with the LGBQT political agenda or risk negative social media retaliation. And, shockingly, many are going along to get along!

I can cite examples from my own family and friends who are dealing directly with the impact of a crumbling culture where companies are opening "Inclusivity Departments" to ensure that no "hate crimes", i.e., having contrary and/or biblical opinions to the company line, are committed on the company clock; or a friend's grief that his step daughter abandoned her sixteen year marriage and three children to take up with a "transgender" male purporting to become a female; or the inability for even state governments to protect the religious convictions of business owners against the wolves of moral morass.

Clearly Jesus' warnings are chillingly relevant today: when evil becomes so suffocatingly difficult to avoid then relationships falter, hearts grow cold, and people betray one another.

What will you or your children do when, in order to keep your job, are required to sign a pledge supporting unbiblical and unnatural behaviors? Lose your job or "go along to get along?" What if your spouse or family don't support your biblical/natural views and pressure you to keep the paychecks coming? Cities across the country are criminalizing "offensive" speech; are you willing to go to jail for speaking God's self-evident truth? Lawlessness is becoming the new normal...

The Benedict Option is a reference to St. Benedict, who as a young man, saw the demoralizing of a culture when the Barbarians seized control. For a while he hid himself away living the life of a hermit. But God called him to form communities that adhered to a strict lifestyle aimed at preserving faith in God, practicing His commands and being a light to a dark world.

Forming similar communities to combat the darkness, pass on Godly values to the next generation and supporting each other in these trying times, is what Dreher believes is the proper/historial response to this social upheaval.

Our "hired hands" -politicians who are either running away from the mess they've helped create or are being exposed as wolves themselves- are not the answer for our preservation. It is in forming tightly knit, loving communities that rely on the Chief Shepherd's protection and grace to see us through.

"If the foundations be destroyed, what can the righteous do?" Psalm 11:3








Now you know! 

The Good Shepherd.6

"He calls them each by name, and leads them out to green pastures.

When he leads the sheep out to graze, he goes before them.

They follow him, comforted by the words that he speaks.

They will not follow a stranger; instead, they run from the sound of an unfamiliar voice."

--Jesus

Jesus goes before us.

But where is He leading us? In a very real sense it doesn't matter. To be with Jesus wherever He goes, to be content to munch away on the pasture He gives us at any moment is Life. To Trust Him is the essence of our relationship with Him.

Speaking of trust...

Our friend Kate is an avid trail horse rider and has had many adventures

while on horseback. One of her stories is about a young gelding she took across the state of Michigan on the famed "Shore to Shore" trail ride. During the course of the two week ride there had been considerable rain which made the trail muddy and often nearly impassable. She and her young ride came to a place where the water had formed a pond deep enough to reach his belly. She stopped for a moment to consider a rider in front of her's difficulty in getting up out of the water and looking for a better place to take her steed. Suddenly, a duck and her ducklings came swimming nearby her horse! The four-year old panicked and began flailing to try to run away! After finally getting him settled, he decided that he was NOT GOING TO MOVE! For fifteen minutes she coaxed and coaxed...to no avail. Finally she had to

dismount and lead the wild-eyed, panic-stricken horse through chest deep muck onto dry land! Fortunately, Kate survived this ordeal to be able to tell the story that night at the campfire. She concluded by saying "He just wouldn't trust me! I can take my older horses anywhere at anytime, but he is not there yet!"

The truth is, often times the only way

to build that trust is to go through the swamps together!

If there is a better way of describing our relationship with our Good Shepherd I don't know of one. He goes before us. In fact you could say that in giving up His part in the Godhead and clothing himself in the frailty of humanity he also learned the difficulties we experience in trusting our Master in those fearful places.

Like having your hands and feet nailed to a wooden post after being humiliated and beaten to a bloody pulp. Makes shrinking from a duck seem, well, silly...

Yet, how many ducks swimming nearby in our own swampy, scary places will it take to get us to remain calm and trusting until he can lead us to a better place: our own cross - the place of ultimate trust and devotion to the Father's Perfect Will - wherein we learn to die to our self-will and immerse ourselves in God's Goodness and New Life!

Quack, quack! See you on the other shore!

The Good Shepherd.5

"He that enters in
by the front door of the fold
is the shepherd of the sheep.

To him the doorkeeper
opens the door,
and the sheep thrill at
the sound of his voice."

--Jesus

Thrill at The Sound of His Voice:

The Adoration of God

Is there a more beautiful and poignant description in Jesus' words -to all mankind- of the kind of relationship our Creator longs to have with each of us?

George MacDonald has rightly said:

"The reason every human is born is to become a disciple of Jesus Christ!"

Oh that we could change the hearts of those ambivalent toward abortion:

every child IS wanted

by the Creator

to know the love

and adoration

and presence of God!

[tragically, monsters of death will always be among us until the establishment of the Righteous Kingdom]

In the timeless book The Practice of The Presence of God, Brother Lawrence,

a 17th century French monk, offers insights into developing intimacy with our Creator. In describing the impact of Brother Lawrence's life a friend wrote: "God desired to keep saints for Himself until the end of the world. These saints would pay Him a respect worthy of His grandeur and majesty and would be models of virtue because of the holy example they set...such a man was Brother Lawrence."

Here are excerpts from his insights on developing intimacy with God:

"All things are possible to him who believes; still more to him who hopes; still more to him who loves; and most of all to him who practices all three. All of us who believe and are baptized have taken the first step toward perfection [the perfecting Love of God].

First of all, we need to be considerate of God in everything we do and say. Our goal should be to become perfect in our adoration of Him throughout this earthly life in preparation for all eternity. We must make a firm resolution to overcome, with God's grace, all the difficulties encountered in a spiritual life.

From the outset of our Christian walk,

we should remember who we are and that we are unworthy of the name of Christian, except for what Christ has done for us. In cleansing us from all our impurities, God desires to humble us and often allows us to go through a number of trials or difficulties to that end.

We must believe with certainty that it is both pleasing to God and good for us to sacrifice ourselves for Him. Without this complete submission of our hearts and minds to His will, He cannot work in us to make us perfect [in love].

The more we desire to be perfect [in love], the more dependent we are on the grace of God. We begin to need His help with every little thing and at every moment, because without it we can do nothing. The world, the flesh, and the devil wage a fierce and continuous war on our souls. If we weren't capable of humbly depending on God for assistance, our souls would be dragged down. Although this total dependence may sometimes go against our human nature, God takes great pleasure in it. Learning to do so will bring us rest.

The most holy and necessary practice in our spiritual life is the presence of God. That means finding constant pleasure

in His divine company, speaking, humbly and lovingly with Him in all seasons, at every moment, without limiting the conversation in any way. This is especially important in times of temptation, sorrow, separation from God, and even in times of unfaithfulness and sin.

***************************************

Take a moment to enjoy a

Musical Interlude: Tobymac "Everything"

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"We must try to converse with God in little ways while we do our work; not in memorized prayer, not trying to recite previously formed thoughts. Rather, we should purely and simply reveal our hearts as the words come to us.

We must do everything with great care, avoiding impetuous actions, which are evidence of a disordered spirit. God wants us to work gently, calmly, and lovingly with Him, asking Him to accept our work. By this continual attention to God, we will resist the devil and cause him to flee (James 4:7).

Whatever we do, even if we are reading

the Word or praying, we should stop for a few minutes--as often as possible--to praise God from the depths of our hearts, to enjoy Him there in secret. Since we believe that God is always with us, no matter what we may be doing, why shouldn't we stop for awhile to adore Him, to praise Him, to petition Him, to offer Him our hearts, and to thank Him?

What could please God more than for us to leave the cares of the world temporarily in order to worship Him in

our spirits? These momentary retreats serve to free us from our selfishness which can only exist in the world. In short, we cannot show our loyalty to God more than by renouncing our worldly selves as much as a thousand times a day to enjoy even a single moment with Him.

I do believe that it is a common mistake of Spirit-filled people not to leave the cares of the world periodically to praise God in their spirits and to rest in the peace of His divine presence for a few moments."

What can you do this day to Practice His Presence and thrill at the sound of His voice! Let us be those Spirit-filled people who leave the cares of this world on a regular, daily basis to communion with the Shepherd of our souls!

[emphasis added to excerpts]

The Good Shepherd.4

"Still, there are many sheep that are lost outside the fold:

I must gather them as well.
They too,
will rejoice
at the sound
of my voice,
and will become members
of one great fold,
with one shepherd
to care for them
night and day."

--Jesus

"Casting all your care upon him; for he cares for you." 1 Peter 5:7

I've been thinking about how our "cares" usually aren't a simple, focused problem but rather layers of complexity with which we struggle. An incident with our second born son perfectly illustrates this.

Last fall, friends found Jesse in his home lying in a pool of his own blood! Their timely discovery and the care of the ICU unit of ProMedica hospital in Toledo saved his life!

Certainly our primary care was saving his life; there was an emotional roller coaster of attempts to locate and stop the internal bleeding. He went through 35 units of blood (our bodies hold 8-12 units at any one time.)

But then there were

• financial cares,
• and taking time off work to stay by his side cares,
• and Jesse's job related cares
• and dog care cares
• and what-is-the-purpose-of-this cares.

So casting our cares on Him is more than hoping Jesus takes notice of our problems or feels empathy at our struggles. 

It is trusting that He takes the complexity of our cares and orchestrates them to lead us to His higher ways!

"Is it enough that God thinks about you?
To be something to God--is that not praise enough?
To be a thing God cares for and would have complete for Himself--because it is worth caring for--is not that life enough?"

 -George MacDonald

We rejoice that Our Shepherd cared to keep our son alive. We rejoice to be privileged to hear and see His voice in the tender care of the people who saved Jesse's life. We hope to be the kind of followers that the Shepherd can use to attract others to the flock.

What a Shepherd, what a Savior!