Retire? There's Too Much Work To Do

Most people retire to take it easy. Most people fill their quotas for adventure with movies, amusement parks, games, and tourism. Most people try to keep the needs of humanity from getting too close. I hope to persuade you to "retire" to a life of adventure while serving humanity.

I will be able to retire in mid-2013 (I'll be 52). At that time, my wife and I will take our meager savings and small pension to the Philippines. (If we were to stay here, we wouldn't be able financially to retire yet. In that Third-World economy, we'll be living pretty well.) We'll devote our lives to the welfare of poor children. Startling fact: 50% of the population in the Philippines is age 16 or younger. With the poverty, domestic violence, neglect, and child-labor abuse in that nation of 80 million, there's a lot of need.

Don't praise us for any perceived altruism...imitate us! Ask God to show you a need in a Third-World country that you can get passionate about.
Many of you have job-related retirement benefits waiting for you in the future. Others have savings and investments prepared. Why retire here and barely get by, playing games and rocking your chair every day, when you can live well and do good in Mexico or Liberia or the Philippines?

You probably have an ability that would be a great blessing in a Third World nation. Even if you can't do things like construct buildings or repair laptops, since you're reading this, you can teach conversational English. Millions of people elsewhere know some English but desperately want to learn it better. And if you're a Christian, you have something better than such abilities. You have the answer to every soul's desperate need. If you don't think of yourself as much of a soul-winner, please consider the fact that in many nations, average Americans are celebrities. You can use this attraction to point people to Jesus. And people in such countries are often much more hungry for truth than the average American.

OK, I understand that this missionary retirement is not for everyone. But billions of people have no idea why they were created. Is the Church is fully obeying The Great Commision? It is God's will that none should perish.
How can people have faith in the Lord and ask him to save them, if they have never heard about him? And how can they hear, unless someone tells them? And how can anyone tell them without being sent by the Lord? The Scriptures say it is a beautiful sight to see even the feet of someone coming to preach the good news.
Romans 10:14,15

Dinosaurs and Dragons

If Genesis is reliable history, and if the Earth is relatively young (probably not more than 12,000 years old), then dinosaurs roamed the Earth at the same time as mankind before dying out. Job (probably the first book of the Bible to be written) chapters 40-41 speak of animals called Behemoth and Leviathan that, according to the dialog, were around for Job and his friends to see. Chapter 40 describes Behemoth's great strength and its "tail like a cedar" tree. Chapter 41 refers to Leviathan's huge, powerful build, as well as a back covered with armor plating that deflected swords and arrows. I believe these accounts tell of dinosaurs.

What about dragons? Could fire-breathing creatures be a real part of biological history? Who would have thought that amazing creatures such as electric eels, fireflies, snakes that spit venom, angler fish, chameleons, or ink-spewing squid were real if they were not still with us? A few lines of evidence should be considered. First, there is the fairly clear teaching of scripture. The Bible leaves very little room for a hyperbole or metaphor interpretation. Job 41:19-21 says of Leviathan that,
"Out of his mouth go burning lamps, and sparks of fire leap out. Out of his nostrils goes smoke as out of a seething pot or caldron. His breath kindles coals, and a flame goes out of his mouth."
Secondly there is the matter of historical evidence. Multiple ancient societies from around the world told stories of fire-breathing dragons. Thirdly, consider some biological evidence. There is a "fire-breathing" creature called the Bombadier beetle. Hydrogen peroxide and hydroquinone are contained in separate chambers in the beetle's abdomen, from where it can be ejected to confront a predator with an explosive mixture reaching 212�F! Lastly, there is some paleontological evidence that a skull arrangement could have accommodated "fire-breathing." In his book Dinosaurs by Design, Dr. Duane Gish discusses how the hadrosaurs' nasal cavities could easily have connected to chemical reserves in the hollow, horny crest.

Make Jesus the Reason for the Season

Here's a plan for letting your neighbors know that the Kingdom of God is near to them: Get about twenty Christmas cards and write something like this in each one:

Season's Greetings! We're so happy to be your neighbors. Please let us know if we can help you in any way, whether it's loaning a tool, helping with a chore, or maybe you just need someone to talk or pray with.
Love,
(name, phone number, address)

Then, as a couple or as a family, knock on the twenty nearest doors and spread some Christmas cheer. Maybe bring bags of cookies or chocolates, too.

Lock the door! Turn off the lights!

I used to think it was my Christian duty to hate Halloween. Participating in a "Harvest Festival" a few days before 10/31 was OK, but on that dreaded date, we would turn off the porch light, close the curtains, hunker down, and watch a video. But I was missing an excellent opportunity to meet my neighbors and share the gospel. How often do dozens of people ring my doorbell in one evening?

Our new Halloween tradition consists of us all dressed in non-scary, non-evil, non-slutty costumes, passing out candy with an attached note on orange card-stock:

Enjoy the chocolate! We're John and Gina. We teach Sunday School at Chandler Christian Church. We hope you kids can visit us there soon! http://www.chandlercc.org

Maybe we'll get visitors to church that way. If nothing else, our neighbors will know that the Kingdom of God is near.

How Then Should I Preach?

Christians are too often known for being against a lot of things, rather than for being positive. Looking at other Christians around me, and especially at myself, I think I know the reason. I think it's due to the fact that it's fairly easy to logically explain why homosexuality, lying, gossip, pornography, and divorce are harmful to everyone involved, and there can be a certain accompanying amount of pride in revealing these truths--I demonstrated superior wisdom, and I did my Christian duty. But to be for something, we have to be for someone--Jesus--because we know better than to preach ourselves. And it's natural for us to feel embarrassed to preach a 2000 year old Messianic message of miracles to the modern, mocking masses.

How does one preach Jesus? Talk about the predictions of his first coming. Describe his blameless life. Gush over the incredible wisdom he used to lift the oppressed and confound his opponents. Proclaim his imminent return. Most of all, tell about his grace! Grace that washes away our sins, grace that nailed the requirements of the Law to the cross, grace that sovereignly intervenes in every area of our lives, grace that gives us the power to live right.

God give us enough holy boldness and humility to share this indescribable gift with every people group on Earth, as well as to our next-door neighbors.

Tithes

It is commonly accepted among Evangelicals that a Christian must pay tithes to his local church. I do not find this anywhere in the Bible. The Old Testament shows Abraham tithing to a priest, and Moses commanded Israel to pay tithes to priests, but in the New Testament, all Christians are priests. Jesus taught that giving to the poor or to "the least of these" is the same as giving to him, and, in fact, this principle is found throughout Scripture. Yes, there are a few New Testament instructions and examples concerning giving to churches, but it is never referred to as a regular ten per cent that is due.

My wife and I divide our ten per cent between a variety of ministries, with the bulk of it going here. The founders of this evangelistic charity are good friends of ours.

For more detailed dissertation about Christian giving, read this. I don't agree with all of his conclusions, but it's food for thought.

"Cussing"--Why Is It Wrong?

Profanity is often referred to as "mature" language. Yet we've all heard children use these words. Are these kids more mature than their peers? Hardly. It is immature language because:

--cussers don't care if they bother others (in this, they are on a level with those who pass gas, loudly chew gum, or burp in public),

--cussers usually don't even use profane words according to their definitions, and

--cussers often trivialize and disrespect the names and titles of the awesome and wonderful Lord of Lords.

I don't misuse the names of your loved ones; please don't do so to the one I love more than anyone else.

Everything in this article thus far is also in my other blog, http://jgapinoy.blogspot.com, which is aimed at the general public. The reason I bring it up in this blog--aimed at the Church--is because of the phenomenon of "Christian cussing". Do you use slang words that were invented for the sole purpose of sounding like the cuss words you condemn? I used to, but God convicted me about it, and I made an effort to stop. At first it was an effort--I actually had to think of ways to express myself properly. Now it is no effort at all. Please consider what I'm saying, and give it a try.

Confessions of a Church-Hopper...?

For the first two years after I came to love Jesus, I was a dedicated church-hopper. Eventually, though, I learned that I couldn't really serve the Body of Christ that way, because no one could count on me being there at any given time. For the next seventeen years, I was stuck in the other extreme. I was in a church that frequently warned against leaving "The Fellowship". "The religious world", as the rest of Christendom is called by this group, would surely make me "lukewarm". "You have to bloom where you're planted--Psalm 1!" was the mantra. So when I sensed that the Lord was leading me to leave that fellowship, I prayed about it for two years before finally leaving. I was concerned that it would take me months to find a good church, but thank God, the first one I checked out became "home"...for three years. I've been serving in yet another church for the last three and a half. Am I a church hopper now? Call me what you will, but I know beyond a shadow of a doubt that I am a better man for having had these transitions at these specific times. I can point to areas in my character, in my knowledge of good doctrine, as well as in my ministry abilities that have been strengthened as a result of changing churches. I understand that a move to the wrong church could have been disastrous, so being sensitive to the Lord's leading is always crucial.

Paul, who was a Christian for at least fourteen years before his first missionary journey, was a part of at least four churches during that time. Nevertheless, I hear slight hints of contempt from brothers and sisters occasionally when they refer to departed saints.

Yes, remaining in one church for decades can be God's will for some. But others are called to these times of transition.

"Are My Needs Being Met?"

I'm a little weary of the mindset that says that the number one thing to look for in a church or Bible study group is, "Are my needs being met?" Obviously, that should be a factor sometimes, but not numero uno every time. When Hudson Taylor labored alone in China as a missionary for all those years, was it because they were meeting his needs?
At one time, my wife and I were part of a Bible study group that was--how do I say it?--needy. The leader and his wife had their act together, but the rest of the group consisted of a man with a plethora of health problems whose wife died some months earlier, another man who was unemployed while his wife had just lost her mother and whose father and brother were battling mental illness and drug addiction, and the dear elderly woman who was nearly blind and nearly deaf. We did not attend those meetings because they were fun or fulfilling. We went to be a blessing.
The greatest missionary of all, the Lord Jesus Christ, left the honor, glory, and riches of Heaven to hang out with sinners, the sick, and hypocrites. He did it, not for any immediate kicks, but "for the joy set before Him." That joy was knowing that we would become His bride, His Church. He did it for love.

Eeek! It's the Annual Attack of the Christmas Legalists!

Happy Holidays! Oops--I can't say that without offending an army of more-righteous-than-me saints who demand that everyone says "Merry Christmas". This seasonal indignation has been a tradition since the days when we used to hear "Satan Claus" hissed because old Nick was "replacing" the Christ of Christmas. The new bugaboo is replacing the word "Christmas" with "Holiday".

The American Family Association sent me an email about what store to boycott because they said "family tree" instead of Christmas tree (that was a stupid marketing decision, Lowes), as well as a very very important very urgent bulletin informing the public that Petsmart didn't mention "Christmas" in their flyers. And AFA also warned me about a wicked, wicked hotel chain that removed Gideon Bibles from their rooms. Look, I believe in boycotts (when a company blatantly promotes evil--see my Illustration and Application post), but I don't believe in forcing the world to act like devout Christians when they're not. Do you get angry at taxicabs that don't have Bibles? Does the world see us as uptight prunefaces with Taliban tendencies?

Thanks, Coral Ridge Ministries, but don't send me a "Merry Christmas lapel pin" designed to push back the wicked powers of the Happy-Holidays devils.

Instead of being hostile, we ought to be thankful that millions of sinners everywhere celebrate Jesus' birth! Imagine hearing Gospel-packed songs like Joy To The World on secular radio at any other time.

I always prefer to say "Merry Christmas", but if a Buddhist or a Muslim or an atheist wishes me "Happy Holidays", I say, "Thank you, you too!"

Neglected Solution For Sin

Confession time: For much of my life, including many years after my new birth in Christ, I was enslaved to a sinful habit. I hated it, but my flesh loved it. Pastoral counseling, deliverance ministry, accountability, and even fasting and prayer seemed to do little to free me. However, it may be that the fasting and prayer eventually led me on the path to the increased victory that I now enjoy.* I have found that God really corrects and perfects his children through suffering. For example, King David, a man profoundly aware of the filthiness of sin (Ps 51), saw pain, turmoil, and humiliation as coming from the Lord to chasten him (2 Sam 16:9-12). When you and I start to believe in and seek divine discipline, and when we see the connection ("maybe I'm going through this because I did that"), we have
--more incentive to do right
--deep awareness of God's holiness, and
--the fear of God that's the beginning of wisdom.
It was during the aforementioned times of fasting and prayer that I started to follow the lead of my pastor at that time. He learned to pray, with Paul, for "the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his suffering" (Phil 3:10). It was then, as I repeatedly prayed this verse with faith, determination, and dread, that not only did I experience suffering of various kinds, but I was able to receive it as from God. "God disciplines us as sons" (Heb 12:7). "Being punished isn't enjoyable while it's happening--it hurts! But afterwards we can see the result, a quiet growth in grace and character" (Heb 12:11, LB). I have learned, with Peter and James, how to allow hard times to bring me closer to the holiness that the Lord desires (James 1:2-4; 1 Pet 1:6,7).

*The guilt of my besetting sin for so many years was like a hundred-pound weight on my back. I say I have "increased victory", but I'm certainly not perfect yet. Nevertheless, a five-pound weight is much easier to carry as I run the race (Heb 12:1). May I never accept that the smaller 'weight' is small enough, and may the Lord continue to patiently work with me.

"God Wants You To Always Be Happy At Work!" : )

Normally I say "Amen" to any & every thing that flows from the charming drawl of James Dobson, but he said something that was just flat wrong today. It reflects what I perceive to be an emerging mantra of Evangelical Christianity. He and his guest were insisting that we probably ought to leave careers that we don't find fulfilling, and they implied that stress on the job is bad for you. As someone in a career that is entirely unfulfilling, as well as often very stressful, I am confident that God has me exactly where he wants me. The influence that I can have on my co-workers has the potential to be very fulfilling, and the stress can be very useful in shaping my character (see Neglected Solution for Sin).
How many of the persecuted prophets found their jobs stress-free and fulfilling?

Religion

Every definition listed in the Webster's Collegiate Dictionary for the word religion covers belief, manifestation of belief, devotion, or a system of devotion. Every use of the word in Scripture validates these definitions. Yet many in the Church act as if religion means lifelessness, or Phariseeism, or anti-Biblical traditions of men. I've heard this thundered by several preachers over the years: "God hates religion!" A popular worship song yearns for the day when "religion finally dies." A bumper sticker proudly proclaims: "I'm not religious, just Christian." Why do we think we can turn words upside-down and confuse seekers this way? Christianese is hard enough to master without turning good words into bad. Leave that to the gay people.

Illustration and Application

Let's say you live in a small town with only two stores. One is owned and run by an upstanding citizen, and the other treats customers just as well and has lower prices, but you discover it's owned by a wife-beating Al-Qaeda supporter. Would you shop only at the store with higher prices? Then why is it that most of you never participate in boycotts?
Most Christians would never do business with Planned Parenthood for obvious reasons--it's the USA's largest abortion provider. But if Christians knew that the Muscular Dystrophy Association, Allstate, DuPont, eBay, Sonic, AARP, Outback, the National Education Association (teachers' union), and Marriot (hotels) all give money to P.P., would Christians shun patronizing those companies? They should. I do.

Praise

My wife is a talented artist. Imagine she completed a painting and showed it to me. What if I were to shout, "I praise you! I love you, Gina! I thank you, Gina!," and then repeat a time or two? She would look at me funny. But if I would say, "Wow! The colors are magnificent, the details so beautiful--it looks like a photo, only better!," then she would be quite pleased.
The Lord Jesus and the Apostle Paul taught that we ought to love and worship God with our minds as well as our hearts (Matt. 22:37, 1 Cor. 14:1-31). The Psalms are full of thoughtful exclamations of God's attributes.
Some of our dear Pentecostal brethren (I consider myself Pentecostal) have been known to chant a few phrases repeatedly, day after day, year after year, in worship. Unfortunately, one of their oft-used expressions of praise is "hallelujah," which of course means "praise the Lord." So we're telling the Lord to praise Himself? You won't find that word in the Bible addressed to God.
There's a tune by Jeremy Camp--who seems to be a wonderful Christian--that's played on the radio and sung in many worship services, and the song only has five phrases in it. Not even five complete sentences--five phrases--for about four minutes. Where is the thoughtfulness in that?
I've noticed that during my church's worship, pretty much the only time people raise their hands is during the chorus of each song. Maybe that's because they have the chorus so well memorized that they don't have to think about it, and they're then free to worship?
Is God more glorified by, "I praise you, I praise you, I love you, I thank you, hallelujah," or, "Oh, what a wonderful God we have! How great are His wisdom and knowledge and riches! How impossible it is for us to understand His decisions and His methods!" (Rom. 11:33)?

Who Is Responsible For Missionaries?

In case you haven't heard (the myopic U.S. media are more interested in the latest pop tart scandal), there are dozens of South Korean missionaries being held hostage by Islamofascists. While much of the rest of the world is moved with sympathy for the captives, in S.K. there is a significant minority that is angry with them. "You put yourselves in harm's way, and now we have to bail you out!" I hope you don't faint when I say that they make a good point. Anyone who wants to follow the Lord's leading into a dangerous place ought to register a statement with the government releasing civil authorities from responsibilty. In effect, "God called me to do this, and He is able to rescue me from any trouble I might get into. My life is in His hands--I am as safe as He wants me to be. Please do not pay any ransom or make any attempt to rescue me."

Fear or Faith?

It had been many years since I saw a horror flick. They all seemed to have immature language (commonly called mature language) and/or gratuitous sexual situations and imagery, and I don't watch those kind of films. But The Grudge came out a couple of years ago, and after consulting http://www.pluggedinonline.com/ for their take on the movie's cleanness, I took the family to see it. S-c-a-r-y. I think it affected me more than the average guy because I hadn't seen a fear flick for so long. I found myself fairly apprehensive during showers or in the dark for some days afterward. Since then, I've developed some thoughts about the horror genre, and about entertainment in general.

I was inspired to record these thoughts after listening to a Christian radio show which had as its topic: "How have TV or movies affected your thinking irrationally?" All of the callers recounted how horror films had haunted them for years or even decades--no one called about comedies or documentaries. No one regretted seeing the scary films; they were willing to live with their silly trepidations. I became somewhat angry when not one but two callers wished that God hadn't removed much of their capacity to be afraid at these movies. Publicly complaining that God shouldn't have done something is just wrong, especially when the whiner is a professing Christian.

One of the most common phrases in the Bible is "Fear not." God says that "perfect love casts out fear," and that He "has not given us a spirit of fear." Is it wise, is it God's will, to seek to be frightened by images of saw-weilding madmen as a form of entertainment?

For thrills and adventure, I think it's better to go on a mission trip, give more than you can afford, or preach the Gospel in public than to partake of the fake Hollywood stuff or roller coasters or bungee jumping. The Lord designed each of us with an appetite for adrenaline rushes, and some crave it more often than others. But God wants each of us to get a regular "fix" by stepping out by faith in whatever adventure or risk He leads us into. That way, we'll be building our faith and accomplishing some good along with getting a buzz.

Theology Works

Why call a blog theologyworks? Theology because I passionately want Christians to pursue truth, and works because what you believe will be expressed in your lifestyle. Jesus repeatedly taught that people's hearts are revealed by their deeds and words.

This blog is for Christians, so please consider carefully before you send a post to a lost sinner. Jesus said it's not prudent to cast our pearls before swine.

So today, instead of watching that mind-numbing, perverted, far-from-reality reality show on TV, and instead of joining 20,000 fanatics as they scream at a bunch of multi-millionaire steroid junkees in funny clothes hitting a ball with a stick, why not use your God-given time by obtaining, living, and disseminating truth?

My blog for everybody is http://www.jgapinoy.blogspot.com