Wednesday, December 26, 2007

When Satan Strikes

Scripture tells us that Satan is roaming the earth like a lion looking for those whom he can devour (see 1 Peter 5:8). I suspect that most Christians would admit that they know that. That same scripture also tells us, however, that we should always be alert and ready for his attacks. I suspect that most Christians would admit that they do not do that. It’s the classic James chapter one hear vs. obey dilemma in which we, as arrogant, disobedient children, often find ourselves. We know in our hearts that Satan is out there, but in our weakness we think that we are either immune to his attacks or somehow above their influence. Then it hits. Out of the blue you are hit with a full-frontal attack from the enemy.

Satan will use whatever means he can to discourage, dissuade, or destroy the work and ministry of a faithful believer. He will try to discredit you. He will try to guilt you. He will try to wear you down until your effectiveness is eroded away into nothingness. What is more, the attack can come from anywhere – even from within the church. Those are the worst, because it is within the church that Christians most often let their guard fall. Oh yes… don’t think for a moment that Satan cannot use the failings and weaknesses of Christians to facilitate his attacks on other Christians. He does it all the time. What is worse, those who are being used usually feel justified in their actions and may not even realize they are being used by the enemy.

I had such an attack this past week. Things had been going remarkably well with little room for complaint – other than the fact that I have been working so hard that I was tired and in need of a bit of respite. I suppose that was the opening Satan needed, because his attack came out of the blue. The details aren't important. Sufficie it to say that it was a very effective attack from someone claiming to be a Christian. It devastated me – at first.

After a brief battle between my emotions and my head, reason prevailed. I answer to my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. He alone can judge my heart, my intent, and my actions. Nothing anyone else can say to me can change that.

That brings me back to 1 Peter 5:9. That scripture reminds us that when Satan attacks, we are not to give way to his attack. Rather we are to resist him. James 4:7 tells us that when we resist the devil, he will flee from us.

When Satan attacks, we must resist. Not in our own strength, but in the name of Jesus Christ our Lord. "This is the word of the LORD to Zerubbabel: 'Not by might nor by power, but by my Spirit,' says the LORD Almighty.” (Zechariah 4:6) John 16:33 tells us that Jesus has overcome the world. Romans 12:21 tells us not to be overcome by evil, but to overcome evil with good. 1 John 4:4 says that the one who is in us (Jesus Christ) is greater than the one who is in the world (Satan).

The popular Contemporary Christian Music band Third Day performed a song called “Get On”. Worthwhile to listen to if you have access to it. As the song suggests, I will not listen to words that cause division. It is totally relevant as far as CCM theology goes. As for Word theology, though:

“No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Romans 8:37-39 (NIV)

Praise be to God Almighty.

How did I get past this particular attack? God was gracious to me, because in my personal devotionals the very next morning, I read Romans 14:1-15:13. When you get a chance, go read it again. By the way… I really like Romans 15:13.

Sunday, December 23, 2007

What Rights?

When your kids get to be teenagers, they begin spreading their wings. This is healthy. It is expected. It is even desired. A parent’s job is to raise their children in the nurture and admonition of the Lord. We are to make sure they become responsible, Christian adults. Therefore, as hard as it may be to let go of them, their blossoming independence is both important and necessary. The other day, though, my son declared to me that “we had all reached the point where we needed to give each other proper consideration.” My son can be eloquent when he wants to be – or when he wants to avoid appearing as if he is challenging my parental authority. I wasn’t fooled. I knew that what he meant was “I have the right to make my own choices.” You can imagine the discussion that ensued.

It is interesting how we – specifically citizens of the United States – like to rely upon our rights. We believe in our rights. We incorporated many of them into our Constitution and declared them to be “God-given”. My son believed simply through no other reason than he had successfully lived to be (almost) seventeen years of age that he had earned the right for additional freedom of choice. I very quickly responded that he had no rights and no authority except that which I, as his father, had granted him. It may appear as if he has the freedom to make certain choices, but every decision he makes only carries weight if it is backed by my support. If I endorse it, it stands. If I veto it, it falls. I may choose to grant him certain authority to make decisions on his on, but until he becomes a legal adult, I can take that authority away at any point. That may sound harsh, and he took it poorly at first, until I explained it to him more fully.

You see. I have no authority either – except that which is granted to my by my authorities – which are first and foremost God and secondly the United States of America. At any point either God or the United States may take away my authority. Every decision I make only carries weight if it is backed by the support of those in authority over me. Yet even the authority of the United States only carries weight because of the authority of (first and foremost) God and (secondly) the populace. We are all under authority and none of us have any rights except those which are granted to us by grace. Ultimately, all authority belongs to Jesus Christ (Matthew 28:18), yet even that authority was granted to him by God the Father (Ephesians 1:20-21).

Too often, we want to claim for ourselves authority and rights that have not been granted to us. We want to rebel against those who are in authority over us. 2 Peter 2:9-10 says

“…the Lord knows how to rescue godly men from trials and to hold the unrighteous for the Day of Judgment, while continuing their punishment. This is especially true of those who follow the corrupt desire of the sinful nature and despise authority…”

In Romans 13:1-2, Paul explains that governmental authority is granted by God and we are bound to that authority. Romans 13:2 actually tells us that rebellion against authority is essentially rebellion against God, since he instituted that authority. In fact, it is a fairly uniform theme throughout the New Testament that we are to submit to our authorities. In my study of scripture, the only occasions where I have found such disobedience to be sanctioned were situations where the government officials ordered the apostles to stop preaching the gospel.

So the authority that we have is only ours because someone else (ultimately God) has granted it to us. Unfortunately, even our concept of that very authority is often skewed. We often think of “rights” in the context of human selfishness. What do I deserve? What is coming to me? The only rights we have as Christians, however, are those which are related to our heavenly adoption, namely our eternal inheritance (see Galatians chapter 4) - the right to be called a child of God, the right to receive eternal life, etc.

By contrast. our earthly authority is granted for the benefit of others, not for our own selfish use. Romans 13 explains that governmental authority is granted for the purpose of doing good for the people. Even our personal authority is granted for the purpose of building up others (see 2 Corinthians 13:10). On occasion I tease my kids by telling them that the only reason I had them was because I needed someone to do all my grunt work. Of course that is a joke and I know better. If I tell them to take out the trash because I am teaching them discipline and work ethic, then I am doing good. But if I tell them to take out the trash because I am lazy and don’t want to do it myself, then I am abusing the authority that God has granted to me as their father. Likewise, I should be giving my son certain considerations; not because he deserves it, but because he needs to learn to be a responsible adult.

I guess the thing to remember is this: We have no rights in the human sense, and any authority we may have is only granted to us by the grace of God for the benefit of others. Sort of puts things in proper perspective, doesn’t it?

Thursday, December 20, 2007

Some Days...

Did you ever notice that on some days you just plain need help? You wake up on a Thursday morning and your body is telling you that surely it is Saturday. You know in your heart that God has blessed you beyond your wildest imagination, but in your spirit you just don’t feel it today. Time alone with God seems ineffective. Prayer seems to fall short. Faith is weak. Life is little more than drudgery. Living a holy life is not so much on your mind because you are just struggling to get through the day. On those days, turn to Hebrews 4:15-16.

“For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet was without sin. Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.” (NIV)

Most of us normally read those verses and think about the fact that Jesus was tempted to sin the same as we are tempted to sin and therefore understands our struggle to live a holy life. That is true, but I think it says so much more. On those days when I really just struggle to see my purpose… on those days when I would rather just walk away from whatever good work He has called me to… on those days when I just plain need help… I know in my heart that He is there. The problem is that on “those days” my confidence is very low and I just can’t see Him there. The truth is, faltering faith is a sin, and Jesus understands that sin because he was tempted just as we are – yet did not sin. The Hebrew writer reminds us that Jesus understands our faltering faith and encourages us to be confident in approaching God to ask for help – help in the form of grace and mercy - grace that is sufficient for today and mercy to endure until tomorrow. He is there ready to pour out that grace and mercy on me if only I would ask.

How oxymoronic it is, then, that on “those days” my prayer life falters. I have to admit that I struggle with an effective prayer life anyway and one of my personal spiritual growth goals is to improve the effectiveness of my prayers. Part of that growth, though, is to determine precisely what that means. Since God is sovereign and has ordered all the days of my life, what is accomplished by my asking for anything? How does that comport with James chapter 5, which says

“The prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well…the prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective.” (NIV)

After all, if we pray for something that is not God’s Will and, in His Sovereignty, he just says “no,” is that really “powerful and effective”? If I pray for something that already is His Will, is that really “powerful and effective”? On the other hand, if God has both a Perfect Will and a Permissive Will, then why would I want anything other than his Perfect Will anyway? Why would I ever want “my imperfect will” to supersede His Perfect Will? Isn’t that just sin? That essentially gets me right back to the same question – what is accomplished by asking for anything? Or more importantly – what do I ask for and how do I ask it?

These are deep theological questions better addressed in a broader context, but one thing I can say with certainty. It is always God’s Will for us to be wholly and completely reconciled to Him. It is always God’s Will for us to be spiritually perfected. On “those days” when it just feels like tomorrow will never come, I can assure you that it is His Will to ask for help. He will answer your prayer for it is His Will for you to have the help – he said so in Hebrews 4:16. Tomorrow always comes.

Friday, December 14, 2007

This is a trustworthy saying

No matter when or where you may be there always seems to be one controversy or another brewing within the church. Despite the universal pleas throughout the New Testament calling for unity among the brethren, it seems that Satan finds new and creative ways to keep us divided. In the 1st Century church, it was issues associated with the Jewish law – circumcision, genealogies, unclean foods, and religious celebrations. In the post-apostolic period it was gnosticism. In the medieval church, it was corruption. Then came the reformation... In the 18th and 19th centuries, it was rationalism. In the mid/late 20th century it was eschatology (i.e. end times). Beginning in the 1980s and since, there have been the televangelist scandals. Today, we seem to have a buffet of controversies to choose from: worship style, Calvinism vs. Arminianism, 10 Commandments in public buildings, you name it. Not to say that some of these issues are not important, but has Christianity ever been more divided and balkanized?

Don’t get me wrong. I’m all about seeking the truth of God’s word, but I often wonder why we make such big deals about certain things – to the point of dividing the Body of Christ. Not long agao, I was having a conversation with a man I barely knew and he called me a “heretic” because I suggested that in God’s sovereignty He chooses to allow us freedom of choice. As you might imagine that threw some pretty icy water on what would have otherwise been a budding new relationship between believers. Now I don’t claim to be a theological expert on the sovereignty of God and its relationship to our will (maybe I will one day, but not today), but I don’t think what I said was heresy…

… or was it?

In Galatians chapter 1, Paul says that anyone who preaches a gospel other than the one he preached should be “eternally condemned.” Yikes! That’s pretty tough. I definitely do not want to fall into that category. At what point, though, do legitimate differences in the interpretation of scripture become differences in the gospel itself? I doubt very many Christians would think that differing opinions regarding the end of the world would constitute differences in the gospel. Similarly, most Christians would think that pluralism (i.e. there are multiple paths into heaven) is a fairly significant compromise of the gospel. However, what about differences with respect to eternal security? What about differences with respect to Glossolalia (speaking in tongues)? Where does the core of the absolute gospel end and interpretive doctrine begin? At what point have we crossed the line from legitimate differences of opinion to heresy?

The other day, I was reading 1 Timothy and came across the phrase “Here is a trustworthy saying” at 1 Timothy 1:15. It caught my eye, but not my attention. Then I saw it again at 1 Timothy 3:1… then again at 1 Timothy 4:9. Now it had my attention. If Paul thought something was trustworthy enough to tell you “this is trustworthy,” then maybe we ought to listen. A quick search showed that Paul was the only author in the Bible to use those words and he only did so 5 times… the 3 above plus 2 Timothy 2:11 and Titus 3:8. Sounds like study time. Of the 5, one of them (1 Tim 3:1) deals with qualifications of a pastor (I need to pay attention to that since I am studying to become one). The other 4, however, reveal something kind of neat.

1 Timothy 1:15 – Christ came into the world to save sinners. (NIV)
1 Timothy 4:9 - we have put our hope in the living God, who is the Savior of all men, and especially of those who believe. (NIV)
2 Timothy 2:11-12 - If we died with him, we will also live with him; if we endure, we will also reign with him. (NIV)

Do you see it yet? Look at it in Titus…

Titus 3:8 (Titus 3:8 actually refers back to verses 3-7) - At one time we too were foolish, disobedient, deceived and enslaved by all kinds of passions and pleasures. We lived in malice and envy, being hated and hating one another. But when the kindness and love of God our Savior appeared, he saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit, whom he poured out on us generously through Jesus Christ our Savior, so that, having been justified by his grace, we might become heirs having the hope of eternal life. (NIV)

Now do you see it? Paul is essentially saying this: There are some highly complicated mysteries in scripture, but there is one thing that you can trust in: The gospel is simple. We are sinners. In fact, we are dead in our sins. We have no hope except this: God loves us. In his love, he sent Jesus Christ to die for our sins. By his grace, he can save us if we believe and put our faith in Jesus. When we do, we become alive in him (which means we live in and for him) and ultimately receive eternal life because of him. How much simpler could it be?

Richard Baxter said “Unity in things Necessary, Liberty in things Unnecessary, and Charity in all.” I am so glad that the necessary, trustworthy things are so simple. I just wish we could be more charitable about everything else.

Wednesday, December 12, 2007

All I want for Christmas

Do you remember the old song, “All I Want for Christmas is My Two Front Teeth”?

Like many other people, Christmas is my favorite time of year. And also like many other people, I often find myself in that all too familiar conversation that begins with the question, “Honey, what do you want for Christmas?” You know, in all the years I’ve had that particular conversation, I have never responded with “this year I’d really like to have a new set of front teeth.” Nevertheless, I’ve always had a really good answer to the question. There has always been something that I wanted for Christmas. Because of my materialistic tendencies, it was usually something that couldn’t, or shouldn’t, afford. I’m the kind of guy who totally buys in to the commercialization and materialism that we call Christmas in America.

This year things were different. This year when my wife asked me what I wanted for Christmas, I came up with a great big nothing. Nada. A blank stare. When she asked me again later, I still had nothing. Truth is, I don’t really want anything this year… really. That’s not normal… at least for me. OK. I do confess. I really can’t say “nothing”, because if I were honest, I would really like a copy of Wayne Grudem’s Systematic Theology. I’ve been wanting a copy of it ever since I started seminary, but I can’t really ask for that from my wife because first of all it’s just plain weird and more importantly I eventually have to buy it for seminary anyway. It just wouldn’t make a good Christmas gift. Other than that, though, I got nothing. That’s when it hit me… is it possible that I really am cured of my materialistic tendencies?

You have to know, I was the epitome of the Rich Young Ruler of Matthew 19. He was a powerful man enslaved by the “Lust of the Eyes”. So was I. Although there was an element of fear involved, it was primarily the love of money that kept me from accepting God’s call on my life to vocational ministry when I was 17 years old. Instead, I chose a career that, at the time, had one of the highest “out of college” average starting salaries. I did pretty well for myself. The more money I made, the more it imprisoned me and the more difficult it became to let go of it. Like Gomer in the book of Hosea, I masked my adulterous spirit in feigned godliness and ended up a slave to it. I claimed that God was Lord of my life, but my real god was Money (as well as my stomach, but that is a story about “lust of the flesh” and better left for another time). As Jesus said in Matthew 6:24, you cannot serve both God and money. I was miserable. My success brought me absolutely no happiness, and as a result I made everyone around me just as miserable.

Like the Rich Young Ruler, the only way I could truly surrender to God’s will for my life would be to literally give Him everything. If I withheld anything from Him, that thing would become a foothold for Satan. Giving up your gods can be hard, and for me it was the hardest thing I had ever done. Once it was done, though, it was a huge burden removed - an iron weight that no longer tied me down.

However, it was not enough just to give up what I had. I had to change my very way of thinking. Otherwise, I would eventually end up right back where I started, with a huge ball and chain tied to my ankle. “Lust of the eyes” is a powerful temptress. Shiny toys. Trinkets large and small. There is always something to want.

Therefore, when I realized that there was nothing material that I really wanted, I found myself in a quandary. What do I really want for Christmas? Well, I want my loved ones to have what they want. Is that still idolatry? I don’t think so. I just want them to know I love and appreciate them. God gave the gift of His Son to us because He loved us and so in return I want to give to those whom I love.

What else do I want? The more I think about it, the more the same thing comes to mind. It is something that Paul said in Philippians 3:7-11.

"But whatever was to my profit I now consider loss for the sake of Christ. What is more, I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them rubbish, that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ--the righteousness that comes from God and is by faith. I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of sharing in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, and so, somehow, to attain to the resurrection from the dead." (NIV)

In celebrating the birth of Jesus Christ this year, what more could we ask for than to wish to become more like Jesus Christ? If that means losing all we have… well, it’s not exactly in keeping with the theme of the season, but so be it. If it means suffering… that’s not exactly jolly, but Paul says it is necessary in order for us to really know Christ. But to know the power of the resurrection! To really experience new life in Christ in ways none of us can comprehend! THAT… is the most wonderful gift I could possibly imagine. The evil temptress is still out there - lurking in the malls, invading my home via television and radio, doing everything she can to seduce me away from the love of Christ. However, I don’t believe I am being hypocritical to say that, at least for this year, all I want for Christmas is to know Christ in a new and more powerful way.

Tuesday, December 11, 2007

My First Post

*** REVISION TO THIS POST***

As indicated below, this blog is not really about my ministry.  However, much of what I say below about my ministry is out of  date.  My ministry has really grown - and changed - since this first post.  Please go to www.jjdison.com for an update on my current ministry.  Thanks.


***As Originally Posted***


This is my first post to this new blog of mine. For this first post, I don't want to reveal too much other than to say that roughly one year ago, after 22 years of running away from God's calling like Jonah, I finally surrendered to the call of his ministry. For me, every day is an exercize in totally surrendering to Jesus Christ, because for so many years, I refused to do just that. I was saved, but I was a miserable believer because I was living in disobedience to God's call on my life. So last January (2007), at 40 years of age, I committed my life to the gospel ministry and began my seminary journey. I am still working full time, but I am going to seminary part time and have a part time (is there really such a thing) ministry as a Children's Minister. To check out my ministry, go to www.centercrest.org, then click on the "CenterKids" menu item. I also have blogs related to my children's ministry on that site, so feel free to click on "Blogs and Sermons" and check out "Big Daddy's Blogs". Yep, that's me, Big Daddy. One look at my picture will tell you how I got that name. That's OK, it is a term of endearment from the kids. Children's ministries, though, are not my ultimate calling. I truly believe God is calling me into the preaching ministry, and I occassionally get to preach. So, while you are on the Centercrest web site, please feel free to check out the sermon's online... occasionally mine are out there.

I don't expect this blog to be about my ministry. Rather, I expect it to be more about my own spiritual growth. I encourage your feedback. Hopefully my postings will encourage and edify you in your own growth.