The Shepherd's Voice

Fasting and Fighting

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“Shout loudly! Don’t be quiet! Yell as loud as a trumpet! Confront my people with their rebellious deeds; confront Jacob’s family with their sin! They seek me day after day; they want to know my requirements, like a nation that does what is right and does not reject the law of their God. They ask me for just decrees; they want to be near God. They lament, ‘Why don’t you notice when we fast? Why don’t you pay attention when we humble ourselves?’ Look, at the same time you fast, you satisfy your selfish desires, you oppress your workers. Look, your fasting is accompanied by arguments, brawls, and fistfights. Do not fast as you do today, trying to make your voice heard in heaven. Is this really the kind of fasting I want? Do I want a day when people merely humble themselves, bowing their heads like a reed and stretching out on sackcloth and ashes? Is this really what you call a fast, a day that is pleasing to the LORD? No, this is the kind of fast I want. I want you to remove the sinful chains, to tear away the ropes of the burdensome yoke, to set free the oppressed, and to break every burdensome yoke. I want you to share your food with the hungry and to provide shelter for homeless, oppressed people. When you see someone naked, clothe him! Don’t turn your back on your own flesh and blood! Then your light will shine like the sunrise; your restoration will quickly arrive; your godly behavior will go before you, and the LORD’s splendor will be your rear guard. Then you will call out, and the LORD will respond; you will cry out, and he will reply, ‘Here I am.’ You must remove the burdensome yoke from among you and stop pointing fingers and speaking sinfully. You must actively help the hungry and feed the oppressed. Then your light will dispel the darkness, and your darkness will be transformed into noonday. The LORD will continually lead you; he will feed you even in parched regions. He will give you renewed strength, and you will be like a well-watered garden, like a spring that continually produces water. Your perpetual ruins will be rebuilt; you will reestablish the ancient foundations. You will be called, ‘The one who repairs broken walls, the one who makes the streets inhabitable again.’ . . . ” Know for certain that the LORD has spoken. (Isaiah 58:1-14, NET)

There’s been a fair amount of teaching on the subject of fasting in the last twenty years within the church. Many of us know what fasting is supposed to be about, and even how to do so. There are even movements dedicated to the idea of fasting and prayer for specific things. With all the fasting going on, many wonder why we don’t see more breakthroughs. This passage sheds some light on the question.

Confronting God’s People With Their Rebellion

The Lord starts out by telling the prophet to loudly and forcefully confront the people of God (Israel/Jacob) with their sin and rebellion. Yes, He uses the word rebellion for what He is about to describe. Whatever it is, the Lord takes it seriously. In the same way, we must take His words to us as seriously.

The first thing God points out is that Israel seeks Him daily. Surely this is no sin in itself. The Lord acknowledges that Israel wants “to know my requirements, like a nation that does what is right and does not reject the law of their God. They ask me for just decrees; they want to be near God” (v. 2). Sounds like Israel is on the right track there. Israel wants to be near the Lord, but they cry out, “Why don’t you notice when we fast? Why don’t you pay attention when we humble ourselves” (v. 3a), For some reason, God was not hearing their prayers and paying attention to their fasting. Why is that?

God does not keep the reason hidden from them: “Look, at the same time you fast, you . . . .” (v. 3b). Here the Lord begins to lay out a series of indictments. What it comes down to is this: While the people pray and fast, their heart is not pure. They are not doing what He told them to do. He called them to devote themselves to His way, and they are trying to gain His favor while doing what they want. In fact, he says:

Look, at the same time you fast, you satisfy your selfish desires, you oppress your workers. Look, your fasting is accompanied by arguments, brawls, and fistfights. Do not fast as you do today, trying to make your voice heard in heaven (vv. 3-4).

In other words, the Lord was telling Israel, “Don’t keep doing things the same way you have been and expect different results!” He calls such a fast a fake or false fast. He asks the rhetorical question,

Is this really the kind of fasting I want? Do I want a day when people merely humble themselves, bowing their heads like a reed and stretching out on sackcloth and ashes? Is this really what you call a fast, a day that is pleasing to the LORD? (v. 5)

Of course the expected answer to that question is, “No!” Then the Lord tells Israel what they do need to be doing. He lays out His desires in detail:

  • to set free those bound in sin
  • to work for the freedom of the oppressed
  • to share food with the hungry
  • to shelter the homeless
  • to clothe the naked

These are the things the Lord wants His people to be about. This is not new territory either. In Deuteronomy 10, the Lord reminded Israel:

“And now, Israel, what does the Lord your God require of you, but to fear the Lord your God, to walk in all his ways, to love him, to serve the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul, and to keep the commandments and statutes of the Lord, which I am commanding you today for your good? . . . He executes justice for the fatherless and the widow, and loves the sojourner, giving him food and clothing. Love the sojourner, therefore, for you were sojourners in the land of Egypt” (Deuteronomy 10:12–13, 18-19, ESV)

Because the Lord was concerned about the fatherless, widows, sojourner, and homeless, Israel was also commanded to care for these vulnerable peoples. They had failed to do that. Not only that, but they were fighting each other! Read again the Lord’s indictment: “Look, your fasting is accompanied by arguments, brawls, and fistfights” (Isa. 58:4). And James tells us where such quarrels come from:

What causes quarrels and what causes fights among you? Is it not this, that your passions are at war within you? You desire and do not have, so you murder. You covet and cannot obtain, so you fight and quarrel. You do not have, because you do not ask. You ask and do not receive, because you ask wrongly, to spend it on your passions. (James 4:1–3, ESV)

Is This For Us?

Can anyone who takes an honest look at the church today deny that these words are as much for us as they were for Israel? Do we not see the church embroiled in controversies (which often have little to no eternal value), quarrels, and even fights? Many in the church claim to be followers of Christ while aligning their heart with a political system that is anti-Christ and anti-gospel. Even if we don’t often fast, we do engage in other religious activities–church, prayer, witnessing. And when we do those things without obeying God’s commands to see and care for people, we fall under the same condemnation.

Why are we arguing about masks, vaccines, CRT, and a host of other things (and even making them essentials to the Christian faith) while pushing the very people away to whom we are to be declaring and living the gospel? Why is our only response to the chains of sin and oppression often “Receive Jesus as your Lord and Savior?” It seems that our exercises of orthodoxy, prayer, and witnessing have fallen to the same level as those of the Pharisees.

“Woe to you, experts in the law and you Pharisees, hypocrites! You give a tenth of mint, dill, and cumin, yet you neglect what is more important in the law—justice, mercy, and faithfulness! You should have done these things without neglecting the others. Blind guides! You strain out a gnat yet swallow a camel! (Matthew 23:23–24, NET)

What must we do? The call to us is the same as the call to Israel:

[T]his is the kind of fast I want. I want you to remove the sinful chains, to tear away the ropes of the burdensome yoke, to set free the oppressed, and to break every burdensome yoke. I want you to share your food with the hungry and to provide shelter for homeless, oppressed people. When you see someone naked, clothe him! Don’t turn your back on your own flesh and blood! . . . You must remove the burdensome yoke from among you and stop pointing fingers and speaking sinfully. You must actively help the hungry and feed the oppressed. (Isaiah 58:6–7, 9-10)

When we do that, we have the same promise that God gave Israel:

Then your light will dispel the darkness, and your darkness will be transformed into noonday (v. 10).

We in the church have cursed the darkness for too long. We have “fought the culture wars” too long. It’s time to instead shine the light of Christ into the world.

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The Shepherd's Voice

The Greatest Gift of All

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[The LORD said], “I am the God of your father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob. . . . I have surely seen the affliction of my people who are in Egypt and have heard their cry because of their taskmasters. I know their sufferings, and I have come down to deliver them out of the hand of the Egyptians and to bring them up out of that land to a good and broad land, a land flowing with milk and honey, to the place of the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Amorites, the Perizzites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites. And now, behold, the cry of the people of Israel has come to me, and I have also seen the oppression with which the Egyptians oppress them. Come, I will send you to Pharaoh that you may bring my people, the children of Israel, out of Egypt.” (Exodus 3:6–10)

Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign. Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel. (Isaiah 7:14)

Some time ago on the blog, we discussed four women who each, in their own ways, asked the question, “Does God see me?” (“The God Who Sees”, 5/11/21)  In this post, we’re going to follow up on that discussion. Though we often know all the songs to sing at Christmas (such as “Immanuel”), few seem to really grasp the real impact of the birth of Christ. In fact, more and more people, it seems, are asking that same question: Does God see me? Before we get there, though, we’re going to set the answer in perspective.

Another Cry For Deliverance

It has now been 400 years since Israel (Jacob) and his people entered Egypt. All of that generation had, of course, passed away. Scripture tells us that “there arose a new king over Egypt, who did not know Joseph” (Exodus 1:8). Joseph, the one who had been used of God to save Egypt during the famine had been forgotten. By this time the people of Israel had grown tremendously, so much so that the Egyptians feared them. So, they made slaves of them. They had now been in bondage as slaves to Egypt for 400 years. 

And God calls a man named Moses to deliver them. Reluctantly, he goes to Egypt. You probably know the story. The ten plagues, culminating in the Passover. The blood of a lamb was smeared on the doorpost of every Jewish home, and the angel of the Lord “passed over” Israel as every firstborn in Egypt died. Not only did the Egyptians let Israel go, but they drove Israel out, because they were afraid they would die. God had certainly seen the suffering of His people and delivered them with a mighty hand–so much so that Israel would speak and sing about it for generations to come in the Psalms.

What part of that really made Israel’s deliverance from Egypt possible? The Passover. Israel belonged to God from the moment the lambs were slain and the blood put on the doorposts. In the law of Moses, we read that God has a claim on every firstborn, whether human or animal. The Hebrews were told to either sacrifice or redeem every firstborn. (And the law further said that every firstborn child must be redeemed.) 

Now fast forward through history. We see time and time again Israel breaking the covenant that God had given to them. Time and time again, Israel breaks the covenant, repents and sacrifices, and then sins again. In fact, the very sacrifices they offer for sin (including the Passover) simply remind them of their sin (Hebrews 10:3). They were still struggling under sin because 1) it had not been put away and 2) its power over them had not been broken. They were still in bondage–a more terrible bondage than the Egyptians, Philistines, Assyrians, or even Romans could inflict.

A Silent Night

Fast forward again. It’s now around 4 B.C. The people of Israel are once again in bondage–in fact they have been for the last several hundred years. Now it’s the Romans. Again the voice of the Lord has been silent. For 400 years, no prophet of the Lord has arisen. And again the cry of Israel goes up before Israel, as people wonder where the Lord is with His mighty promises. (They often wonder in private, mind you, for fear of exposing themselves to shame from the religious folk.) And again the Lord hears their cry, sending a deliverer.

This time is different though.

In previous times, He sent other people. Moses. Gideon. Samson. Deborah. Samuel. Saul. David. Some were good people, devoted to Him. Some turned out to be not so devoted. Yet, they were all His instruments. And they delivered Israel and gave her peace for a time–until she fell again.

This time is different. This time, the Lord decided to deal with the real bondage that enslave His people. And He decided He wasn’t going to send someone else to do the job.

He sent Himself.

His arrival follows a theme found even in the Old Testament–using those who seem the least likely to be picked (Moses, Gideon, Deborah, and David are a few examples). He arrives as a baby! Think of it: The God of the universe becomes human and lives among His sin-stained creation. Not only that, but this baby is born to a virgin who is betrothed (though not married) to a man. They were lower-end of the income scale (they could only afford two pigeons at the baby’s dedication). And finally, the family settled in Nazareth–can anything good come from Nazareth?

When Jesus grows up to manhood, what does He do? Organize an army to kick the Romans out? No. In fact, He tells people (including Pilate) that though He is a king, His kingdom is not of this world. There will come a time when His kingdom will invade the earth, but that time is not now. What He is here to do now is to deal with the real problem. That problem is the problem of their bondage to sin.

Did Jesus come to identify with our pain? Absolutely. We are told that He has suffered and been tempted in all points as we have. Where does that pain come from? The pain comes from the deepest cry of the human soul (which is to know and belong to God) that is bound in sin. Jesus came first to save us ultimately from our fallen selves. 

God sent Himself to us to tell us, “I see your pain. I hear your cry. And I hear the cry that you may not even recognize.” That is the greatest gift of Christmas.

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The Shepherd's Voice

A Day of Thanksgiving–or Anxiety?

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Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice. Let your reasonableness be known to everyone. The Lord is at hand; do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things. What you have learned and received and heard and seen in me—practice these things, and the God of peace will be with you. (Philippians 4:4–9)

There can be no doubt that anxiety floods this world. These are chaotic, anxious, and uncertain times. One never knows what’s going to happen from day to day, and things seem to always be changing. Beyond that, the world is once again divided–and that division extends into countries, including America. There is hope in the midst of the uncertainty, though. Here in this passage, the Apostle Paul tells us how we can move past the anxiety and into the peace our souls seek. 

Anxiety: The Symptom of a Larger Problem

What is anxiety? Oxford Languages defines anxiety as “a feeling of worry, nervousness, or unease, typically about an imminent event or something with an uncertain outcome.” Most would agree with that definition. Anxiety, then, comes from worrying about outcomes or events. Why do we worry about them? We only worry about them when we think they are a direct threat to our own goals. Let’s look at another passage that sheds light on this, one that’s familiar to many of us:

Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life? And why are you anxious about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin, yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is alive and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? Therefore do not be anxious, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you. (Matthew 6:25–33)

Jesus tells us here that we do often worry about our physical needs. Why are we anxious about them? 

Because the flesh and the fallen nature desire to obtain these things apart from God.

That is the root cause of anxiety and worry. Anxiety comes from us wanting to do things our way, but being uncertain that we can achieve the goals we set. This is as true about personal needs (security and significance) as it is about physical needs (food, shelter, etc.). 

It’s not enough to say “Just don’t be anxious.” Neither Paul nor Jesus did that. They got to the root cause. What’s the root cause? Control. Who am I going to let control my life? Me or God? If I control my life, then the goals I set for myself will always be able to be blocked or thwarted. In simple terms, I cannot guarantee my own success. If, however, I allow the Lord to dictate my life, knowing that He is good and has promised to meet all my needs, then the goal He sets for me (knowing Him and being conformed to His image) is absolutely attainable.

The Solution to Anxiety: Dependence

The solution to anxiety is not to focus on the anxiety. It does no good to just tell an anxious person “Don’t be anxious.” Look back at Paul’s words:  “Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” 

Instead of being anxious, we are to be dependent. 

We are to ask God for the things we need, and then thank Him. Why thank Him? Because He is good and will always give us what we need (even if it’s not what we thought we needed).True biblical dependence involves acknowledging both God’s ability to provide (His power) and His willingness to provide (His character).

We, on the other hand, are simply not able to provide for ourselves apart from God. We are by nature dependent beings, having been created. 

Peace: The Result of Dependence

When we move into dependence on God (including trusting His heart), look what happens–we receive peace. Some people teach that peace is the solution to anxiety, and we are to pray for peace. Peace, however, is the result of our obedient dependence and trust in the Lord. Why? Because when I know I am safe and secure in Him, I can have peace. We can’t just conjure up peace, it is a fruit (see Gal. 5:22-23). Fruit is the result of things.

Maintaining this fruit (peace) requires that we live in a state of dependence. By consistently turning away from the flesh’s attempt to live life apart from God. Notice that Paul describes this “peace of God” in two ways. First, it surpasses all understanding (see also John 14:26-27). In the midst of the hardest storms, we can have peace. I’ve known people and known of people who had utter peace in the midst of a cancer diagnosis.  And it was not understandable in the human perspective.

Second, this peace that surpasses understanding is said to “guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.” It is this peace that keeps us steady in our faith in the hard and uncertain times.

Maintaining this peace also requires that we change the focus of our thinking. Paul’s final instruction in this passage tells us to think in certain ways. He writes,

Whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things. What you have learned and received and heard and seen in me—practice these things, and the God of peace will be with you.

What do all of those things add up to? God. We are to think on the things of God (or in Jesus’ terms, seek first God and His righteousness). We are to think like Him. We are to develop a knowledge of His character and deepen our trust in that character. The more we know these things (by constantly thinking on them) and put them into practice, the more we will sense God’s presence in the midst of our lives (“the God of peace will be with you”). 

This Thanksgiving season is a perfect time to begin to turn to God in dependence and trust. The more we trust Him, the more faithful He shows Himself, and thus the more thankful we will truly be. And the less anxiety we will see in us and those around us.

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The Shepherd's Voice

God’s Path or Man’s Party

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And your ears shall hear a word behind you, saying, “This is the way, walk in it,” when you turn to the right or when you turn to the left. Then you will defile your carved idols overlaid with silver and your gold-plated metal images. You will scatter them as unclean things. You will say to them, “Be gone!” (Isaiah 30:21–22)

There is a lot of talk today about the Republicans, the Democrats, the Independents (well, not so much about them). Such talk is even dominating conversations within parts of the church. Now, don’t worry, this is not a post about politics or political parties or who’s right or wrong. This is a post about walking the narrow path that Jesus defined.

For followers of Christ, our authority is (or should be) the Bible. We accept the Bible as God’s written Word and our authority on belief, faith, and practice. Having established that, the question must be asked, “Why do we see so many Christians violating the fundamental spirit and implications of this passage?” Before we answer that question, though, we need to look at the passage itself.

This passage is a promise originally given to Israel. As we know, Israel consistently failed to keep the covenant that God gave them. Though the Lord was very patient with Israel and continually called them to return to Him, eventually Israel was sent into exile. This promise is part of a larger promise to bring Israel back to the land God gave them. It must have seemed at this time in history that God had hidden His face completely from Israel and rejected His people. Yet, He promised to no longer hide His face. In fact, He promised to hear their cry and be gracious to them, and more. He promised to speak to them and guide them.

What does this passage, spoken to Israel, have to say to us today? There are several things we can take from this passage.

God Still Speaks

As the church, we are also God’s people. Because we have the Holy Spirit living inside us, we can be assured that God desires to speak to us and in fact does speak to us. There are many avenues through which He speaks to us in addition to the Holy Spirit: the Bible (His written word), circumstance, and others, to name a few. To deny that God speaks to His people is to deny the very desire of His heart and the nature of His relationship with His people.

God Has His Own Way

Notice in the passage above God tells Israel, “This is the way, walk in it.” God has decreed a specific way for us to walk. Isaiah 55:9 tells us, “For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.” God’s ways are not like man’s ways. His ways are spiritual; man’s way is worldly, carnal. As ones called to follow Jesus, we are to walk in His ways and shed (and shun) worldly ways of acting and thinking. 

Not only is God’s way higher than man’s way, but God’s way is straight, meaning in line with His will and decrees. Notice in the passage above that God says, “Your ears shall hear a word behind you, saying, “This is the way, walk in it,” when you turn to the right or when you turn to the left.” We can’t miss the implication that we are not to walk either on the left or the right, but walk in God’s path. To take that a step further, walking in God’s path means one does not bow to worldly agendas on the left or the right.

The Heart of the Matter

If you’ve read much of this blog, you know I try to stay away from directly engaging in political discussions, with limited exceptions. And even here, this post is not about any particular political issues. It is, as I said at the beginning, about the gospel and our commitment to it. So, let’s talk about this whole right/left thing. Is this not essentially the same party spirit we see Paul denouncing to the church of Corinth? They were lining up behind their favorite teachers, preachers, and apostles (and many parts of the church continue to be plagued with that).

At least in Corinth, they were lining up behind people who, for the most part, were committed to the gospel. It is often said (or at least asked) in Christian circles how one can be a Christian and vote for or support such-and-such party or so-and-so candidate. The truth is–and this may be a hard truth for many of you to swallow–political parties by and large could care less about advancing the gospel. Yet, the advancement of the gospel–seeing men and women come to Christ and seeing the resulting change in society–is precisely what the Christian is called to.

Former atheist David Brooks defines politics by saying “politics is usually a competition between partial truths.” So, the questions must be asked: Why would a Christian blindly follow a political party that, instead of promoting the gospel, has largely been silent and even sympathetic towards people who committed violent acts toward the government? The Bible has one word for that: rebellion. Now, I know the number one answer most many evangelicals will give–because said political party is supposedly “pro-life.” But can a person or group truly be said to be pro-life (meaning “life-affirming”) in the face of that silence and sympathy as well as other policies that ar far from life-affirming? On the other hand, why would a Christian blindly follow a party that, though they often have commendable compassion for the hurting, needy, and poor (classes of people the Lord cares deeply about), they show outright hostility to the message of the gospel, especially when it comes to certain issues? 

The truth is, as I said above, that political parties have no interest in promoting gospel change–because that requires the gospel. And that requires submitting to God and His authority of their lives. And that is something that fallen man refuses to do apart from an intervention by the Spirit. This, then, is the heart of the matter–a stubborn refusal to life life on God’s terms and instead seek our significance and security apart from Him. The Bible has a word for that also:  idolatry. But notice one final thing in our passage above. God says, “Then you will defile your carved idols overlaid with silver and your gold-plated metal images. You will scatter them as unclean things. You will say to them, ‘Be gone!’” When is “then”? When we are walking God’s path, not the path of a man or worldly group–including but not limited to political parties.

Let’s face it, every political party has an agenda–a vision, if you will. And that agenda has nothing to do with the message of Jesus Christ. Am I advocating that Christians get out of politics and political discussions entirely? Of course not–at least not yet. There will come a time, as I’ve said, when the Christian voice will be silenced in the nation. It’s coming sooner than many of us would wish. What I am advocating for, however, is that the church be the church, instead of a political arm. We as disciples are called to walk the path of Jesus, neither turning (bowing) to the right or the left. We are called to be disciples of Christ, not disciples of any worldly organization. We can live the two-handedness of the gospel (proclaiming the message as well as living it out) without swerving to one side or the other.

We have the answers that the world needs, church. Why would we embrace worldly thinking, ways, and methods? The answer is in Christ. Not politics.

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The Shepherd's Voice

Unintended Consequences

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In January 2019, I wrote a post that was triggered by New York’s abortion law that legalizes abortion up to 24 weeks (see “The Slaughter of the Innocents: Then and Now”). A year and a half later, I find it necessary to revisit this issue–this time to talk about a law and its implications on the other extreme. Texas recently passed a law (known simply as Senate Bill 8) that bans abortions when a fetal heartbeat is detected. In a novel legal twist, however, the state does not enforce the law. Rather, it empowers private citizens to bring suit against those who “aid and abet” abortions–including providers, those who provide money, even those who drive a woman to the clinic.

Now, before I continue, let me just say that I am staunchly pro-life. (And I’m learning to be more consistently pro-life.) Abortion is simply state-sanctioned murder of the most helpless humans. That being said, this law has wider implications than many realize. By basically incentivizing lawsuits, the law allows people to profit off of the often gut-wrenching decisions that a woman must make (thankfully, the woman cannot be a target of such lawsuits). My question is, how can a follower of Christ claim to support such an action?

Not only that, but this takes us further down the road of “the end justifies the means” thinking. While some Christians may think this is a biblical idea, I disagree. Jesus never taught such a thing, nor is it found anywhere in Scripture. While we must do as our conscience dictates, that must never be allowed to be an excuse to violate Scripture.

Further, has anyone considered that such a bill will only deepen the suspicious nature of fallen humanity? A woman is pregnant and is scared, but she may suddenly feel that she cannot reach out to anyone. Why? Because anyone she reaches out to may, in the event that she has an abortion, become either a target of a lawsuit or (and worse) one who goes after “a bounty” based on that information. Again, I ask, how could a follower of Christ do that in good conscience?

There’s one more implication that we need to consider. This law reminds me of many laws in authoritarian nations that encourage people to take action against or report those who express views that are critical of the government or established policy. Such laws are often used to discourage free speech. While abortion is not a free speech issue, does such a law not open the door to a future wider use of a similar law? This should concern the church at large, but I fear it’s a case of the church being too short-sighted, looking only at the moment, and not at the future consequences. Those worldly ideas that the church thinks are great now will often be turned against us in the future to stop the preaching of the gospel.

My friends, this is not the way. We must not stoop to worldly methods and ways to advance a righteous cause. If we want to see society changed, we will only see that happen when hearts are changed by the power of Christ through the gospel. Translation? If you want to see abortion end along with other injustices and inequalities, preach the gospel. Not everyone will believe, but those who do will be saved and changed. And ultimately that will bring us one step closer to the Eternal Kingdom.

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The Shepherd's Voice

The Fall of Nations

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If you have watched the news recently, you likely have seen the stories of the United States’ withdrawal from Afghanistan after twenty years of conflict. The images that came from the airport at Kabul were as shocking as those from the Vietnam era–and even more so. Desperate people clung to airplanes as they sought to escape the Taliban.

Of course, now we are seeing the Genesis 3 game, “Blame the Other Guy.” President Biden blames the Afghans for “lacking the will to fight” (though in fairness they have been fighting for 20 years–and much longer before we came on the scene). The Republicans blame the President (though in honesty and fairness, the withdrawal was announced by former President Obama and the deal was brokered by former President Trump). In the midst of the wrangling, people have been forgotten about.

This isn’t a post about the Taliban, American politics, or even specifically about the fall of Afghanistan. Rather, this is a post about the bigger and deeper issue that lies beneath–the loss of America’s moral leadership. That statement may shock you, and it both should and should not shock you.

Almost since the founding of this country, America has lauded itself as the great moral leader of the world. America will do what’s right. America will protect the interests of those who are weak. Yet, that moral leadership has been slowly deteriorating. No one event can be said to cause the decline. Though the so-called “religious right” like to assert that America was a “Christian nation,” that has never really been true. Founded on Judeo-Christian principles? Certainly. Christian (as in ‘submitted to Christ’s leadership’)? Never. But I digress…

What we have seen is the result of leadership not submitted to Christ. That is not a political statement. That is a biblical statement. Human nature will always seek life apart from God, and part of that is a loss of a moral compass. It was once said of America and democracy that American democracy was the great hope of the world. Even countries that disagreed with America at least trusted her. Now, America doesn’t keep the promises she made. President Biden said that Afghanistan had lost the will to fight. Could it be rather that America has lost the will to fight? (And not just in a military sense.)

I have long said that there will be a day of reckoning, where the church will have to choose between continuing to Americanize the gospel or be the church and preach the Gospel of Christ. Recent events highlight the fact that this day is coming sooner than perhaps we’d like. Make no mistake, the country that has lost moral leadership on the international level has already lost moral leadership at home. With that, we will see the nation turn against those who claim the name of Christ.

What must the church do? Prepare. We are directed to live our lives in such a way as to give no reason for the world to substantiate any accusations against us. We cannot do this as long as we look to politics to solve problems. We must stop allowing our political viewpoints to dictate how we view Scripture, the church, and others. Instead, we must thrust ourselves onto Christ alone and let Him inform our conscience and our worldview. And I daresay that His worldview will be shockingly different than those who have mixed politics and Christianity. As I wrote in an open letter some time ago, the American church has hitched herself to two horses, the horse of America and the horse of the gospel. These two are fundamentally incompatible with each other. It’s time for the church to decide on which horse she will continue to ride, because to ride on both is no longer possible.

[Read the full text of “The Church in America: An Open Letter“].

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The Shepherd's Voice

The Mind of Christ

Posted on by The Shepherd's Voice

Therefore, if there is any encouragement in Christ, any comfort provided by love, any fellowship in the Spirit, any affection or mercy, complete my joy and be of the same mind, by having the same love, being united in spirit, and having one purpose. Instead of being motivated by selfish ambition or vanity, each of you should, in humility, be moved to treat one another as more important than yourself. Each of you should be concerned not only about your own interests, but about the interests of others as well. You should have the same attitude toward one another that Christ Jesus had, who though he existed in the form of God did not regard equality with God as something to be grasped, but emptied himself by taking on the form of a slave, by looking like other men, and by sharing in human nature. He humbled himself, by becoming obedient to the point of death—even death on a cross! As a result God highly exalted him and gave him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee will bow—in heaven and on earth and under the earth—and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God the Father.

— (Philippians 2:1–11, NET)

Some time ago, I was asked a question regarding this passage of Scripture. The question focused on the idea that Christ “emptied Himself,” and wanted to know what that really meant. This is one of those topics that has caused much debate in the church, and like many such debates it misses the point of the passage.

We can naturally break this passage down into a few parts.

  • The appeal for unity and of one mind (vv. 1–2)
  • A description of the “one mind” (vv. 3–5).
  • Christ’s example of these traits (vv. 6–8).
  • Christ’s exaltation because of His humility (vv. 9–11).

Paul’s thinking here is quite logical and natural, so we’ll talk about each in turn.

A) The appeal for unity and of one mind (vv. 1–2).

Paul begins by appealing to the Philippians for unity. He appeals to them to be “”like-minded, having the same love, united in spirit, with a single purpose” (Mounce Reverse Interlinear Translation). He asks them to do this so that his joy in them my be complete. This doesn’t imply that the Philippian church was divided, but rather it is simply a call to maintain that unity that the church has within and with the apostle.

B) A description of the “one mind” (vv. 3–4).

What does this unity, this “like-mindedness” look like? Paul sets out to describe it in the next three verses. The traits he lists include:

  • An absence of selfish ambition and conceit
  • Considering others more important
  • Looking out for the interests of others, instead of only looking out for self.

What do these things add up to? Humility. That’s the attitude that will promote the kind of like-mindedness and promote God’s purpose that Paul mentions.

C) Christ’s example of these traits (vv. 5–8).

Verse five really holds a key to understanding the passage. Notice that Pual says the Philippians should “have the same attitude toward one another that Christ Jesus had.” Then he proceeds to describe Christ’s attitude.

This is where most people get tangled up. They focus on what it means for Christ to empty Himself, rather than Paul’s point. Paul’s point in these verses is simply this: Though Lord of all, Christ became a servant to others. He set aside His own needs and desires for the good of others. That is Paul’s point.

D) Christ’s exaltation because of His humility (vv. 9–11).

Because Christ showed such humility, even though He is God-in-the-flesh, the Father has placed Him above all people and things. Though He became the lowliest servant and suffered God’s wrath for us all, now He has “the name that is above every name.” This echoes Jesus’ words in Matthew 28:18: “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.”

In the same way, the believer who practices such humility will be exalted in due time. James writes, “Humble yourselves before the Lord and he will exalt you” (James 4:10).

What Does it Mean?

So, the Bible doesn’t directly answer that question. There are, however, some things we can say about Christ’s emptying Himself.

Most importantly, Christ never ceased being God. God cannot cease to be God, nor can God give up any of His attributes.

What it really means is this: God took the form of a servant, both to save us and to show us how we are to live in His grace.

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The Shepherd's Voice

On the Road with Jesus: The Cost of Devotion, the Price of Forgiveness

Posted on by The Shepherd's Voice

We’re continuing our journey with Jesus and His disciples in Luke’s gospel. In this post, we’ll look at what it cost some to follow Jesus.

Now one of the Pharisees asked Jesus to have dinner with him, so he went into the Pharisee’s house and took his place at the table. Then when a woman of that town, who was a sinner, learned that Jesus was dining at the Pharisee’s house, she brought an alabaster jar of perfumed oil. As she stood behind him at his feet, weeping, she began to wet his feet with her tears. She wiped them with her hair, kissed them, and anointed them with the perfumed oil. Now when the Pharisee who had invited him saw this, he said to himself, “If this man were a prophet, he would know who and what kind of woman this is who is touching him, that she is a sinner.” So Jesus answered him, “Simon, I have something to say to you.” He replied, “Say it, Teacher.” “A certain creditor had two debtors; one owed him 500 silver coins, and the other fifty. When they could not pay, he canceled the debts of both. Now which of them will love him more?” Simon answered, “I suppose the one who had the bigger debt canceled.” Jesus said to him, “You have judged rightly.” Then, turning toward the woman, he said to Simon, “Do you see this woman? I entered your house. You gave me no water for my feet, but she has wet my feet with her tears and wiped them with her hair. You gave me no kiss of greeting, but from the time I entered she has not stopped kissing my feet. You did not anoint my head with oil, but she has anointed my feet with perfumed oil. Therefore I tell you, her sins, which were many, are forgiven, thus she loved much; but the one who is forgiven little loves little.” Then Jesus said to her, “Your sins are forgiven.” But those who were at the table with him began to say among themselves, “Who is this, who even forgives sins?” He said to the woman, “Your faith has saved you; go in peace.”

— Luke 7:36-50

Luke gives a lot of detail to what might be called minority groups in his gospel, including women. In fact, in Luke 8:1-3 we read this:

Some time afterward he went on through towns and villages, preaching and proclaiming the good news of the kingdom of God. The twelve were with him, and also some women who had been healed of evil spirits and disabilities: Mary (called Magdalene), from whom seven demons had gone out, and Joanna the wife of Cuza (Herod’s household manager), Susanna, and many others who provided for them out of their own resources.

In our passage today, we see an example of this. We see a woman invite herself to a banquet to show her devotion to Jesus. How did she get there? She likely took advantage of the law that allowed those in need to attend such events to receive the leftovers. In this case, however, it’s clear her motivation was to see Jesus.

She brought what was probably a very expensive bottle of perfumed oil. These were often bought and saved for specific and/or special occasions. The bottle would have had a long neck that had to be broken for the oil to be poured out. The woman (who is unnamed here) deides this is the best of all occasions to use the oil. She stands behind Jesus at the table weeping, her tears wetting His feet. She then dries His feet with her hair, kissed them, and anointed them with that most precious commodity she had–the oil.

It’s clear that she doesn’t speak (at least Luke doesn’t share it if she did). She just performs this simple act of devotion. And Jesus, as He often does, transforms it into a moment of both salvation and teaching. While this woman is wiping, kissing, and anointing Jesus’ feet, the Pharisee who invited Jesus is having a conversation with himself.

This woman is a sinner!
If Jesus knew who she was, he wouldn’t allow her to touch him.
Therefore, he can be no prophet.

Notice that the Pharisee (Jesus identifies him as Simon) thought nothing of the amazing act that was performed by the woman, but only about one thing–she was a sinner. Notice further that Simon did not speak those thoughts out loud. His attitude was, “If this man knew . . . .”

What does Jesus do? In short, He demonstrates that He does know. He starts with a simple statement: “Simon, I have something to tell you.” Then, Jesus begins as He often does–with a parable. He tells of a moneylender who had two customers who couldn’t pay the loan back. One owed 500 denarii, the other 50. Since they couldn’t pay him back, the moneylender canceled both their debts. A straightforward story. Then Jesus asks that question that goes to the heart of the matter:

Which of them will love him more?

The answer seems obvious, doesn’t it? And Simon answers correctly (albeit somewhat reluctantly, perhaps knowing where this conversation is going). Simon answers,

The one, I suppose, for whom he cancelled the larger debt.

After acknowledging Simon’s correct answer, Jesus proceeds to describe what really just happened. He contrasts the woman’s actions with Simon’s.

You gave me no water for my feet, but she has wet my feet with her tears and wiped them with her hair.
You gave me no kiss, but from the time I came in she has not ceased to kiss my feet.
You did not anoint my head with oil, but she has anointed my feet with ointment.

Then He does what the Pharisee would consider unthinkable. He pronounces her sins, “which are many,” forgiven. Why? “Because she loved much.” What’s Jesus saying in all this? A few things:

First, He told Simon, “Yes, I know this woman, her sins, and her heart. And by the way, I know you as well.” Simon did not find Jesus worthy of the normal treatment one would extend to a guest in that culture. That alone showed a glimpse into Simon’s heart. The unnamed woman, on the other hand, thought Jesus worthy of exquisitely special treatment, giving all she had in a special service to Him.

Second, Jesus teaches that God’s forgiveness manifests itself in loving service. One who realizes the depth of the debt that was owed but forgiven cannot help but love the one who has forgiven the debt–and consequently will love others.

So, the question for us today is this: Do we really know the debt that has been forgiven us? It’s one thing to say, “My sins are forgiven.” It’s another thing to come face-to-face with the depth of our sin–and realize it’s no more because it was cancelled by Jesus.

This is another example of this statement: There is no sin too big, no misery too deep, that Jesus cannot forgive, heal, and redeem. When we feel overwhelmed with despair in our sin, we can hold tight to this truth..

.

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The Shepherd's Voice

On the Road with Jesus: Out of Time, Out of Hope?

Posted on by The Shepherd's Voice

We’re continuing our journey with Jesus and His disciples in Luke’s gospel. Today, we’re going to look at what happens when one begin to lose hope.

John’s disciples informed him about all these things. So John called two of his disciples and sent them to Jesus to ask, “Are you the one who is to come, or should we look for another?” When the men came to Jesus, they said, “John the Baptist has sent us to you to ask, ‘Are you the one who is to come, or should we look for another?’” At that very time Jesus cured many people of diseases, sicknesses, and evil spirits, and granted sight to many who were blind. So he answered them, “Go tell John what you have seen and heard: The blind see, the lame walk, lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, the poor have good news proclaimed to them. Blessed is anyone who takes no offense at me.”

When John’s messengers had gone, Jesus began to speak to the crowds about John: “What did you go out into the wilderness to see? A reed shaken by the wind? What did you go out to see? A man dressed in soft clothing? Look, those who wear soft clothing and live in luxury are in the royal palaces! What did you go out to see? A prophet? Yes, I tell you, and more than a prophet. This is the one about whom it is written, ‘Look, I am sending my messenger ahead of you, who will prepare your way before you.’ I tell you, among those born of women no one is greater than John. Yet the one who is least in the kingdom of God is greater than he is.” (Now all the people who heard this, even the tax collectors, acknowledged God’s justice, because they had been baptized with John’s baptism. However, the Pharisees and the experts in religious law rejected God’s purpose for themselves, because they had not been baptized by John.)

“To what then should I compare the people of this generation, and what are they like? They are like children sitting in the marketplace and calling out to one another, ‘We played the flute for you, yet you did not dance; we wailed in mourning, yet you did not weep.’

For John the Baptist has come eating no bread and drinking no wine, and you say, ‘He has a demon!’ The Son of Man has come eating and drinking, and you say, ‘Look at him, a glutton and a drunk, a friend of tax collectors and sinners!’ But wisdom is vindicated by all her children.”

— Luke 7:18-35

Even the most ardent believer in Jesus will often reach a point in life when they struggle to have hope and question what they’ve believed. They may not be imprisoned–or they might. We all do. It’s part of our growth. This was even true of the Forerunner of Christ, John the Baptizer.

Out of Time, Out of Hope?

Let’s start with the basics. John the Baptizer had been put in prison. The gospels of Matthew and Luke tell us about him. They tell us that he came to announce the coming of the Messiah, and to prepare the people to receive Him. He lived a rather austere lifestyle. Matthew describes him like this:

Now John wore clothing made from camel’s hair with a leather belt around his waist, and his diet consisted of locusts and wild honey.

— Matthew 3:4

So, people probably throught him rather strange. And his message didn’t help. He called people to repent, to turn back to God and be baptized as a sign of their repentance. He proclaimed that message to all: young and old, religious leader and layperson. He even proclaimed that message to Herod–and we’ll get to that in a bit. Matthew tells us,

He is the one about whom Isaiah the prophet had spoken: “The voice of one shouting in the wilderness, ‘Prepare the way for the Lord, make his paths straight.’ ”

— Matthew 3:3

His speech, mannerisms, and lifestyle resemble an Old Testament prophet like Elijah. Indeed Jesus acknowledged him as a prophet–and the crowds apparently acknowledged him as a prophet as well. So, it seemed that John was indeed doing God’s work, declaring God’s true message to the people. Then, he proclaimed his message to Herod, and everything changed. This is what Matthew tells us:

For Herod had arrested John, bound him, and put him in prison on account of Herodias, his brother Philip’s wife, because John had repeatedly told him, “It is not lawful for you to have her.”Although Herod wanted to kill John, he feared the crowd because they accepted John as a prophet.

— Matthew 14:3–5

So, here John is, stuck in prison for doing the very thing God called him to do! And that brings us back to our passage in Luke. Let’s look at the question John asked of Jesus through his disciples: ‘Are you the one to come, or should we look for another?”

Translation? Am I suffering here for nothing? Do you see me?

Isn’t that what we all ask at times? We get stuck in life. The storms of life are swirling around us. We feel like we are in chains. And we wonder if God, the one we have been believing, following, and serving, sees what we are going through. And the implied (if not asked directly) directly is, “Will you get me out of this?” For too long, Christians have found such questions uncomfortable. We feel embarrassed to even let the question enter our mind, let alone ask it!

John the Baptizer wasn’t afraid to ask. Or maybe he was just desperate enough to ask. That should give us hope. What should give us even more hope is the response Jesus gave him. Luke notes that Jesus had been engaged in ministry when the discples of John arrived. We read, “At that very time Jesus cured many people of diseases, sicknesses, and evil spirits, and granted sight to many who were blind.” And surely John knew of the reports of Jesus before he was put in prison. So, Jesus answers the men who were sent:

Go tell John what you have seen and heard: The blind see, the lame walk, lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, the poor have good news proclaimed to them. Blessed is anyone who takes no offense at me.

When Jesus instructed the men to tell John what they had seen and heard, could it be that that witness would trigger John’s own recollections of reports about Jesus? Jesus is subtly telling John, “You proclaimed me as the Messiah. These are the things Messiah is to do.” In a short phrase, as he told the woman of Samaria, “I am he.” When we are in the same boat, we can look back and remember what we have seen and heard, how the Lord has been good.

Not Fitting In

The thing about Jesus and John is that neither fit into society’s mold (especially the religious leaders’ mold). The Lord works in ways we don’t expect Him to. This is Jesus’ point when He compares that generation:

They are like children sitting in the marketplace and calling out to one another, ‘We played the flute for you, yet you did not dance; we wailed in mourning, yet you did not weep.’

Jesus and John refused to play the games that people wanted them to play. Often, when we are serving the Lord the most, we don’t fit in either. In fact, we should sense that we don’t fit in. Why? Because this world is not our home. We weren’t created for this fallen, sin-stained world. But we are here. And we wait for Him in hope. And while we wait, we proclaim and live His message faithfully. Tell them what you have seen and heard. And in the end all things will be made right.

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The Shepherd's Voice

On the Road with Jesus: Living in the Kingdom (Pt. 2)

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We’re continuing our journey with Jesus and His disciples in Luke’s gospel. Today, we’ll finish our discussion of Luke 6 by looking at the second half of Luke 6:17-49. There we read:

[Jesus said,] “Do not judge, and you will not be judged; do not condemn, and you will not be condemned; forgive, and you will be forgiven. Give, and it will be given to you: A good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over, will be poured into your lap. For the measure you use will be the measure you receive.”

He also told them a parable: “Someone who is blind cannot lead another who is blind, can he? Won’t they both fall into a pit? A disciple is not greater than his teacher, but everyone when fully trained will be like his teacher. Why do you see the speck in your brother’s eye, but fail to see the beam of wood in your own? How can you say to your brother, ‘Brother, let me remove the speck from your eye,’ while you yourself don’t see the beam in your own? You hypocrite! First remove the beam from your own eye, and then you can see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye.

“For no good tree bears bad fruit, nor again does a bad tree bear good fruit, for each tree is known by its own fruit. For figs are not gathered from thorns, nor are grapes picked from brambles.The good person out of the good treasury of his heart produces good, and the evil person out of his evil treasury produces evil, for his mouth speaks from what fills his heart. “Why do you call me ‘Lord, Lord,’ and don’t do what I tell you?

“Everyone who comes to me and listens to my words and puts them into practice—I will show you what he is like: He is like a man building a house, who dug down deep, and laid the foundation on bedrock. When a flood came, the river burst against that house but could not shake it, because it had been well built.But the person who hears and does not put my words into practice is like a man who built a house on the ground without a foundation. When the river burst against that house, it collapsed immediately, and was utterly destroyed!”

— Luke 6:37-49

In this second half, we’ll see that Jesus continues to talk about life in the Kingdom. Not only are we to go the extra mile toward people, but we are to be careful we evaluate and judge people and circumstances.

Living in the Kingdom (Part 2)

Verse 37 (along with Matthew’s account in Matthew 7:1) is one of the most often mis-quoted and misundertood verses in the Bible. It’s often objected, based on this verse, that Christians can’t make any moral judgments. But this is not the intent of the passage at all. If you recall, verse 36 reads, “Be merciful, even as your Father is merciful.” Verse 37 is an explanation of what that looks like when dealing with others.

What does it mean to be merciful in this context? It means we refrain from judging motives and intents of the heart. It means that now is the time of grace, redemption, and restoration. Judgment will come later for those who refuse God’s offer of grace and salvation. If we look at the next verses we see the real point of verse 37. The second half of verse 38 reads, “For with the measure you use it will be measured back to you.” Now, does this passage mean that we overlook sin, especially in the Body of Christ? Absolutely not. The goal, however, is the restoration of the offender. And what did Paul say about that?

Brothers, if anyone is caught in any transgression, you who are spiritual should restore him in a spirit of gentleness. Keep watch on yourself, lest you too be tempted. Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ.

— Galatians 6:1–2

Notice how the brother who is “caught in any transgression” is to be restored: in a spirit of gentleness. The next sentence is often misinterpreted. When we read, “Lest you too be tempted,” we assume Paul is referring to the same sin that the “brother” was ensnared in. But that’s not necessarily the case. The bigger temptation here is to feel superior to my brother. What’s the solution to that? The implication is that walking in a spirit of gentleness will curb that tendency.

What’s the point of the parable in verses 39-42? Simply this: Both of the brothers (the one with the speck and the one with the log) are blind. One is not “more blind” than the other. If I think I am less blind than you (that feeling of superiority), then I am apt to try to “lead” you. My blindness will lead us both astray. Again, Jesus is not proclaiming a “judgment free zone,” in the sense of overlooking sin. He is, however, talking about how we approach sin. And we are first to examine our own heart and motives when dealing with an errant brother or sister.

Jesus also tells us in verses 43-46 that the attitude we display in relation to people comes from the condition of the heart. The implication here is a tough one. The question must be asked, “Can a Christian, who has been saved and redeemed, who has encountered the Savior, be critical and condemning of others?” It would be tempting to say “no.” But only God knows the heart, and the Lord knows who is His. But, the question does deserve some serious consideration. Over and over in the New Testament we see that salvation always leads to fruit.

Finally, Jesus tells us that those who hear these words (who let them sink into their heart and soul) and who puts them into practice will be like one who builds a house on a foundation made of rock. With such a foundation, there is no erosion (like in the sand), and the house stands strong against the storms of life.

As believers, we need to remember that we are on the same journey as fellow believers. We are all blind apart from the grace of the Holy Spirit. Superiority or haughtiness, condemnation or a critical spirit have no place in the life of a believer.

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