Filtered Faith

Is your faith filtered?

Filters protect us in many areas of our lives. Oil and fuel filters protect cars from dirt. Email filters keep out messages we don’t want. Water filters improve taste by removing impurities.

Then there are the faith filters we use to protect our faith.

“Now hold on just a minute! How can faith be filtered?”

It’s easy to do. If we don’t agree with something, we can ignore it. True or not—it doesn’t matter. If it doesn’t feel right, we don’t like it--and that’s all that matters to us.

William P. Young helps us understand filtered faith in his book, “The Shack.” He observes somewhat cryptically, “Paradigms power perception and perceptions power emotions.”

A paradigm is a model we construct in our mind about how the world works or should work. For instance, “Good guys always win and bad guys always lose” is a paradigm.

Young adds, “Most emotions are responses to perception—what you think is true about a given situation. If your perception is false, then your emotional response to it will be false too.”

He concludes, “So check your perceptions, and beyond that check the truthfulness of your paradigms—what you believe. Just because you believe something firmly doesn’t make it true. Be willing to reexamine what you believe.”

Many people are afraid to examine what they believe. A fearful person’s natural response is to say, “You’ve got your opinion and I’ve got mine. And you’re not going to change my mind.”

When we talk like that we are acting as if there is no standard of comparison higher than us! And that is the height of pride.

The Bible warns us to beware of those who “measure themselves by themselves and compare themselves with themselves.” It says such people “are not wise.”

Religious people are often portrayed in the media as mindless robots programmed by others. Or as opinionated ignoramuses who ignore the obvious. In some cases that may be true. But don’t let that be you.

God encourages us to use the minds he gave us to examine the evidence, look for truth and then put our faith in what is true. To the skeptic he says, “Come now, let us reason together.”

Over and over Jesus said, “I tell you the truth” (some versions have “Verily, verily” or “Truly, truly”). Then, in one of his most famous quotes, he said, “If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. Then you will know the truth and the truth will set you free.”

Notice that it is not just any truth that brings freedom. Jesus is not speaking philosophically.

In the context he is speaking about truth that leads to salvation and freedom from sin. And it is only in listening to Jesus that we learn eternal truth leading to ultimate freedom.

Are you a truth-seeker? Or do you look only for evidence to bolster your dearly held beliefs? Like a sick man going to his doctor, only the truth can help us solve our real problems.

In “Hamlet” Shakespeare wrote, “This above all: to thine own self be true.” Being true to self demands we seek truth above all else. For only then can we live with a clear conscience. Only then can we be all God made us to be. Only then can we truly worship.

The people of Jesus’ day thought worship had to happen in a certain place. Jesus disagreed. He said, “God is spirit and his worshipers must worship in spirit and in truth.”

In matters of faith, truth matters. So drop the faith filters and pursue truth all the way to Jesus.

Listen to the Bible; it’s great for your soul!

Gift or Gamble?

Which is better? A present or a lottery ticket? A gift or a gamble?

When it comes to religion, most people seem to prefer a gamble instead of a gift.

“Now hold on just a minute—why gamble your soul for eternity?” Good question.

But millions of people do it every day. Why? Because their religion teaches them to gamble.

Many religions emphasize salvation by works. In other words, when you die, your good works are weighed against your bad. And if more than 51% are good, you get to go to heaven.

But how do you know if you have enough good works? What if you die before that point?

Most people want assurance about eternity, but a false religion gives none. It’s a gamble.

One religion promotes a martyr’s death as the path to paradise. Another religion offers an endless cycle of rebirths. The hope is of one day being able to escape the cycle. Good luck.

False religions offer no forgiveness, only fate and fear of an unknown eternity.

Some religions teach that all paths lead to the same God and the same truth. But that can’t be true when you compare faiths and discover opposite beliefs.

If you’re born into one of these traditions, there is pressure to keep the family faith. To remain true to your religion. So you must decide if you will pursue tradition or truth.

In his book “Jesus Among Other Gods,” Ravi Zacharias compares the claims of Christ with the founders of other major religions. (It is a book well worth your time.)

The book observes that only Jesus claimed to be from Heaven. To be the Son of God. Buddha did not claim that. Neither did Krishna or Mohammed.

Instead of pointing to a “path” of rules to follow, Jesus claimed to be the path. He said, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”

Zacharias writes, “The message of Christ was not the introduction of a religion, but an introduction to truth about reality as God alone knows it.”

What God wants is a personal relationship with us through Christ, not just rule-keepers.

Some religions teach you must pay for your sins. But the Bible says that, because Jesus was sinless, God accepted his death on the cross to pay for all our sin. What amazing grace!

Jesus paid the price to reconcile man to God and change the human heart by the power of God. He did not come to offer us a new religion. He offers a relationship with a personal God.

The Bible reveals the truth about good works. It says, “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—not by works, so that no one can boast.”

Did you catch that? Salvation is a free gift through faith in Jesus Christ. It is not by works.

During this week before Easter, consider this: Jesus’ birth, life, death and resurrection are not just a myth; they are real facts of history. The evidence is there for all who will seek it. And if you will seek the truth about Christ, it will change your life forever.

It did mine. The day I put my faith in Christ is the day I found true peace and joy. I found forgiveness in Jesus. And that’s why one purpose of my life is to point people to the Savior.

The good news about faith in Jesus Christ is for people of all nations. It is for everyone who is tired of gambling on religious traditions. It is for people who want truth.

Only faith in Christ is a sure thing. For everyone. Because it’s a gift and not a gamble.

What will you trust for your eternity—God’s gift or man’s religion?

Listen to the Bible; it’s great for your soul!

Secret Life

Can you keep a secret? Chances are you already do--more than you care to admit!

“Now hold it right there for just a minute! How do you know whether or not I keep secrets?”

That’s a fair question. Let me answer with the words of Colombian novelist Gabriel García Márquez: “All human beings have three lives: public, private and secret.”

In public we cultivate the image of self we want others to believe is true. Generous. Kind. Talented. Family man. Successful woman. Whatever we think will make others like us.

In private we “let our hair down.” We become the person with whom we are comfortable. Only our family or closest friends see this person. Some parts of this self make us ashamed. So we guard it closely, afraid others will not like us if they know the truth.

Then there’s our secret life. The self we become when we think no one knows. The self of our daydreams and fantasies.

James Thurber famously portrayed this unseen side of our lives in his classic book, “The Secret Life of Walter Mitty.”

Mitty was a meek, mild-mannered man dominated by others. But in his daydreams he was a fierce, courageous hero’s hero--the man he so desperately wanted to be.

What we are in the secret playground of our minds is the self we want to be. And while we may keep our secrets safe from others, we cannot keep them from God.

The Bible reveals that one day “God will judge men’s secrets.” It adds, “Nothing in all creation is hidden from God's sight. Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of him to whom we must give account.”

Accountability is a troubling thought to modern minds. We fancy ourselves free to do what we please without unpleasant consequences.

But the beauty of the Bible is that it presents us with unvarnished truth.

God says, “Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows. The one who sows to please his sinful nature, from that nature will reap destruction; the one who sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life.”

Such truth pains our conscience. Why? Because we know God is ultimately right.

What makes the Bible unique is its uncanny ability to reveal who we really are. Its truth “judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.”

Once we admit our shortcomings and humbly approach God in prayer, we find that “we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.”

God is not the angry scorekeeper some imagine. Instead of sternly looking for people to punish, God offers forgiveness and a fresh start to everyone through faith in Jesus Christ.

The best part is God welcomes all that seek him. You don’t have to come from a certain nationality or a particular religion. Jesus said, “Whoever comes to me I will never drive away.”

Speaking of himself, Jesus added, “Everyone who looks to the Son and believes in him, shall have eternal life and I will raise him up at the last day.”

It is no secret what God can do in a person’s life through Christ. So bring your secrets to God. He will love you, forgive you and transform you into the person you always wanted to be.

Then you can be the same person all the time. No more secrets. As God’s child, you have nothing to prove and nothing to lose because you’re loved and accepted for who you really are.

Listen to the Bible; it’s great for your soul!

Shadowlight

Did you grow up in someone’s shadow? I did.

My parents walked in the light of the Bible and I walked in their shadow. But they filled their shadow with light, the truth of God’s Word.

As they lived it, their lives reflected God’s light into my life.

Soon there came a day I had to choose whether I would step out in the light, cast my own shadow and fill it with light. It wasn’t easy.

Coming of age and going to college brings its own kind of darkness. Each one of us has to choose the light for our self. I learned that not everyone loves the light.

Jesus said, “Light has come into the world, but men loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil. Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that his deeds will be exposed. But whoever lives by the truth comes into the light so that it may be seen plainly that what he has done has been done through God.”

God’s truth is light for the soul. It lights up a life and others can see God reflected in it.

Now hold on for just a minute! What’s all this talk about light? Doesn’t the Bible say, “God is love?”

It does. And as we learn about God and his love for us, our love for him grows. As we seek to know God better through his Word, the Bible, the result is enlightenment. Truth. Wisdom.

“Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light for my path,” a wise man once wrote in the Bible.

Jesus said, “I am the light of the world.” When we come to God through faith in Christ we enter his light. Jesus continued, “Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.”

God’s Word adds, “If we walk in the light as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another and the blood of Jesus Christ, his son, cleanses us from all sin.”

One of the blessings of God’s light is forgiveness for our failures. God said he accepts Jesus’ death on the cross as full payment for all our sin. And when God forgives us and shines his light in our life, we can reflect it to others who walk in our shadowlight.

When I stepped out of my parents’ shadow and walked in God’s light for myself, I learned that God was faithful to me. When I trusted him, I learned he was dependable. He led me, protected me and met my every need.

My children grew up in my shadow. Their faith grew in my shadowlight. And as my wife and I launched each one, we hoped they would step into the light, cast their own shadow and fill it with light for those who follow them.

Who stands in your shadow? Is it filled with the light of God?

Life can be depressing. So many people live in dark world. What they need is someone to shine God’s light into their life.

Do you walk in the light of God? If you do, then your shadow will be filled with his light. If you don’t, seek his light. Read the New Testament of the Bible and ask God to fill your mind with his truth.

God will surprise you because that’s a prayer he loves to answer.

There’s nothing quite like the joy of light entering a darkened life! Once you step into the light, you can cast your own shadow and fill it with God’s light. Your shadowlight.

Listen to the Bible; it’s great for your soul!

Behavior Problem

Do you have a problem with your behavior? I do. And I’ll bet you do, too.

We know what we should do but we don’t do it. It must be human to think we’re exempt from the rules that others should keep.

Like what? Well what about texting on your cell phone while driving? Or driving over the speed limit? What about eating too much food with salt or sugar? We all break the rules.

People often pursue with abandon behaviors that have serious consequences. Addictive behaviors. Self-destructive behaviors. Behaviors that steal time and maybe a bit of their souls.

Part of the problem is that, while we’re often given the correct information, we don’t use it to change our lives. We haven’t learned a thing.

Now hold on just a minute! What’s the benefit of education if it doesn’t change the student?

Nothing. And since we were born with a rebel’s heart we resist being told what to do. God’s solution is to change us through faith in Jesus Christ. He changes us from the inside out.

When we accept that Jesus is the Son of God and that his death on the cross was for our sin, God forgives our failures, removes our guilt and gives us a totally new outlook on life.

Rebels become worshippers.

Then God begins the process of renewing our minds. To do that, he uses his Word, the Bible.

Jesus’ final instructions to his followers include one that says, “Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you.”

Notice that Jesus didn’t say, “Teaching them everything I have commanded you.” That IS what many churches do. But it’s NOT what he said.

Jesus said, “Teaching them to OBEY everything I have commanded you.” Big difference!

It’s all about the behavior. About bringing our obedience level up to our knowledge level.

In college I took a class on Principles and Methods of teaching. One thing I never forgot is this principle: “Teaching hasn’t occurred until learning has occurred and learning hasn’t occurred until there has been a change in behavior.”

For me it was one of those rare “Aha!” moments. In a flash I realized that most of my education was just a transfer of information. Information that, by itself, changed nothing.

But the Bible wasn’t given to us for information alone. It was given for our transformation!

Only the Bible contains the words of life. Its words are living, active and powerful enough to transform the worst criminal into a godly saint.

Don’t take my word on it. Find out for yourself. Pick up a Bible and check it out. Start in the New Testament Gospel of John and then keep reading.

You’ll discover that God can speak to you through the pages of his book. That’s why the Gideons put Bibles in motel and hotel rooms around the world. To see lives changed.

When I give talks about the Bible, my goal is to see lives changed. Sadly, not everyone who hears God’s Word allows it to change his or her behavior. But that doesn’t diminish its power.

God changed my heart and his Word changes my behavior. I work with him on it every day. And if you’re troubled by your bad behavior, the Bible can transform your life, as well.

Understanding this can transform church attendance from a pleasant past time to a life-changing event. Because the truth will set you free if you obey it!

Listen to the Bible; it’s great for your soul!

Beyond Belief

Do you have strong beliefs? Then brace yourself. This could come as a shock.

It doesn’t matter what you believe.

“Say what? Now hold it right there for just a minute! All these religious people who talk about faith and ‘Just Believe’ –and now you say believing doesn’t matter? What’s up with that?”

I didn’t say believing doesn’t matter. I said it doesn’t matter WHAT you believe.

What matters is what is TRUE. Belief by itself is not enough. We must believe in truth.

Do you believe there is nothing after death? Or reincarnation? How do you know that to be true? What evidence have you found that convinced you to gamble your eternity on that belief?

Or maybe you’re an atheist. You believe there is no God. Tell me, what evidence have you found to prove that? And if there’s no evidence to prove your belief, then it’s blind faith.

Many people base their eternal future on something that isn’t fact and they haven’t fully investigated. They heard about it or read about and it sounded good to them. They hope it’s true.

Some people when asked why they believe what they do say, “I believe in my heart it’s true.”

That’s nice. But have you ever believed something with all of your heart and later found out it wasn’t true? Most of us have. Maybe it was the Tooth Fairy or the Easter Bunny.

Many people like to think that we’re free to believe whatever we want about eternity. Sort of a “pick your own ending” approach. But we can’t all be right.

Well what if you’re wrong about eternity? Wouldn’t you want to know?

Someone might ask, “What if you Christians are wrong?” Good question.

Consider this: Christians believe in the only faith that has evidence to back it up. It’s true. If you doubt that, check out Josh McDowell’s book, “New Evidence that Demands a Verdict.”

Here’s something else: believing in Jesus Christ has changed my life. God made me a new person. I have peace. I have a purpose for my life that is greater than me.

But, in spite of all that, if I am wrong—I will die and go to my grave and that’s all there is.

But if someone chooses not to trust in Jesus Christ and then dies and is wrong, they are literally choosing hell for all of eternity. Is that a good choice?

If you sincerely seek truth I encourage you to read the Bible. Why? Here are some facts.

The Bible is the best selling book in the world. With that kind of record there’s a good chance it contains at least some truth. Why not read it and find out? Start with the Gospel of John

Another thing to consider is that the Bible claims to be written by God. What if it’s right?

Historical evidence also supports the Bible. No one has found an historical mistake anywhere in the Bible. That wouldn’t be true if only men wrote it.

What about archaeology? When I traveled to Israel, evidence was constantly being unearthed that proved the Bible to be true. To date not a single piece of archaeological evidence has been found to disprove the Bible!

Finally, the Bible is the only book in the world that contains hundreds of detailed prophecies about the future. The same cannot be said for any other “holy” book. And except for the few remaining prophecies about Jesus’ return to earth, every other prophecy has come true.

Who is the only one who can predict the future with 100% accuracy? God.

So when the Bible says about Jesus, “Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved” –it’s worth a second look!

Listen to the Bible; it’s great for your soul!

Reality Check

Living large has suddenly become too expensive for Mr. and Mrs. Average American.

Do you remember Stanley Johnson? He’s the guy in a 2004 TV commercial who shows off his great family, beautiful four-bedroom home and new car. “How do I do it?” he asks. “I’m in debt up to my eyeballs!” Then he adds, “I can barely pay my finance charges.”

After the bank’s pitch to take out a home equity loan or refinance one’s mortgage, Stanley pleads, “Somebody help me!” –all the while smiling and putting on a brave face.

It’s one of my favorite commercials. (You can still see it on YouTube.com)

Now with some of the nations’ biggest banks going broke, it’s no longer funny. Pundits and Editorials are all telling us, “We got in way over our heads.” It’s time to “pay the piper.”

Well hold on just a minute! What will become of the “American Dream”?

Some say the answer is to face the truth. A “Reality Check.” --But what is the “Truth”?

Is it just that we need to tighten our belts, buckle down, put our nose to the grindstone and “git ‘er done”? To just apply some good old American grit and ingenuity?

Maybe. But what if the problem, or the “reality,” goes much deeper than that?

The heart of the issue is really the issue of our hearts. People the world over try to fill the emptiness inside with the false security of possessions. And we believe “more is better.”

Like Madonna’s 1984 hit song, “Material Girl,” we’re all material girls and guys at heart. Materialism is the true religion of capitalist western civilizations.

The dictionary defines materialism as “devotion to material wealth and possessions at the expense of spiritual and intellectual values.” So materialism is the disease. Envy and greed are the symptoms. And the end result is an economy in crisis.

We have sold our souls to get more stuff. And now we have the devil to pay. So with Stanley Johnson we hang our heads and plead, “Somebody help me!”

Will an eleventh hour government bailout solve the real problem? Not hardly.

Oh, it may alleviate a financial crisis for a while, but it doesn’t solve the issue of the heart. What do we do about the selfish possessive greed that got us into this mess?

Only God can diagnose and fix what’s wrong with the human heart.

Jesus once told a story about a rich man who accumulated vast wealth and possessions. But then he died and left it all behind. Jesus said, “Watch out! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; a man’s life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions.”

The solution, Jesus said, was to be “rich toward God.” To “store up…treasures in heaven.”

How do we do that? By focusing our lives on things that have eternal value.

The Bible says the first step is to care for your own soul. How? By putting your trust in Jesus Christ to save you and forgive your sin. The next step is to obey and follow Jesus with your life.

As you follow Christ, you learn that God is the source of our money and possessions. We only get to use them for a little while. And God’s purpose is for us to use them to serve others and point them toward a personal relationship with Jesus Christ.

Through the Biblical prophet, Isaiah, God calls to us today: “Come…you who have no money. Why spend money on what…does not satisfy? …Give ear and come to me; hear me, that your soul may live.”

God is the ultimate reality check. The question is, “Will we pay attention to what he says?”

Listen to the Bible; it’s great for your soul!

Truthiness or Truth?

Do you believe in truth or truthiness?

“Truthiness” is a word that television comedian Stephen Colbert popularized in 2005. He came up with the word “truthiness” minutes before taping the first episode of “The Colbert Report.” He decided the word “truth” in his script wasn’t ridiculous enough.

“We're not talking about truth, we're talking about something that seems like truth—the truth we want to exist,” he explained. “Facts matter not at all. Perception is everything.”

Colbert added, “Truthiness is ‘What I say is right.’ It's not only that I FEEL it to be true, but that ‘I’ feel it to be true. There's not only an emotional quality, but there’s a selfish quality.”

Many people call themselves “Christians” and believe truthiness instead of truth. In fact it’s common for them to describe their faith as “choosing what I want to believe.” --As if the Bible was a cafeteria line, picking what you like and leaving what you don’t!

Well hold on just a minute. Isn’t that how most Americans view their faith?

Probably. But while some religions may include that approach, the Bible does not.

Jesus said, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” Notice that Jesus said he is “THE way” and not “A way.”

Another time he added, “If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. Then you will know the truth and the truth will set you free.”

Think about that. For the truth to set you free you must believe it’s true and act on it. It’s not an option for you to adjust the truth to your preferences or make it fit your view of reality.

We can’t adjust truth in a math class. What makes us think we can do it with faith?

Many people say they believe the Bible and believe in God. They’ve heard the gospel story and agree that Jesus lived, died on a cross for the sins of mankind and rose again on the third day. But hearing it and agreeing with it is not the same as believing in it.

If you truly believe something it changes your behavior. In this case you decide to put your trust in Jesus Christ to forgive you and save you from sin’s penalty—eternal separation from God. And then you choose to obey him.

The Bible says that Christians are people who “no longer live for themselves but for him who died for them and was raised again.” If you’re a Christian you live for Jesus.

Some don’t see the need to obey Jesus. They don’t believe his teaching is the only truth.

Instead they believe the truthiness about Jesus. They think what THEY want to believe is true.

They might say, “I’m a Christian. I believe in God. I pray and attend church. I do the best I can.” And if asked what they’ll find on the other side they might say, “Heaven--I hope.”

Contrary to popular opinion, God doesn’t grade us on our efforts. The Bible says salvation is a gift of God received through faith and not by works.

According to the Bible, when you decide to follow Jesus Christ and “believe” in him, you receive eternal life. It says, “I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God so that you may know that you have eternal life.”

God sent Jesus so we could KNOW our sins and mistakes are forgiven and so we could KNOW we have eternal life. And when you know that, you can finally forgive yourself.

Jesus Christ lived, died and rose from the dead to give sinners a full and blessed life now and eternal life in Heaven later. That’s the truth. And that truth is worth celebrating this Easter!

Listen to the Bible; it’s great for your soul!

Truth Freedom

Just imagine if God allowed George Washington and Thomas Jefferson to see what's become of their country. Would they recognize it?

Today we're a nation where rights replace responsibility. Licentiousness (the unrestrained pursuit of one’s desires) replaces liberty. Diversity is celebrated instead of dignity. We do things out of convenience instead of conviction.

On top of that, the American Civil Liberties Union seems hell-bent to give us freedom FROM religion instead of the freedom OF religion. What’s going on?

Well, hold on just a minute.

If you didn’t know otherwise, you might think America was founded to give us a government and schools that are religion-free zones. Sadly most Americans have no concept of the religious heritage that helped make America great.

What Americans need is a refresher course in American History. Christian thinking was a major influence on our founding fathers. If you take a tour of Washington D.C.’s main monuments, you will see a multitude of quotes from Holy Scripture used by our founding fathers. Even the Liberty Bell in Philadelphia is imprinted with a quote from the Bible.

George Washington said, "I am sure there never was a people, who had more reason to acknowledge a Divine interposition [intervention] in their affairs, than those of the United States; and I should be pained to believe that they have forgotten that agency, which was so often manifested during our Revolution, or that they failed to consider the omnipotence [complete power] of that God who is alone able to protect them."

Thomas Jefferson was defending religious instruction at the University of Virginia when he said, "The relations which exist between man and his Maker, and the duties resulting from those relations, are the most interesting and most important to every human being and most incumbent on his study and investigation."

Theodore Roosevelt recognized the need for religious instruction when he said, “To educate a man in mind and not in morals is to educate a menace to society.”

But it was Jesus Christ who said “You will know the truth and the truth will set you free.”

Usually you hear that quote from politicians around election time and they take it completely out of context. Interestingly it’s not even about political or social freedom!

In the New Testament Gospel of John, chapter 8, Jesus talked about being set free from sin. He said, “If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. Then you will know the truth and the truth will set you free.” After pointing out that we are all slaves to sin, he added, “So if the Son [Jesus] sets you free, you will be free indeed.”

The truth of Christ brings freedom from sin.

This week, as we celebrate the blessings of freedom, don’t neglect the greatest freedom of all: freedom from sin. America cannot provide that freedom. No government can.

Freedom from sin can only be found in the Kingdom of God.

The Bible says that people are set free from bondage to sin by putting their trust in the truth that Jesus Christ died in their place. And that his death, burial and resurrection provide forgiveness of sin, a new heart and the beginning of a new life. It’s a life of true freedom.

Real freedom starts with The Truth. Not just any truth but the truth about Jesus Christ.

Listen to the Bible; it’s good for your soul!