A Lifestyle of Peace

Thursday, July 5, 2018

The Twelve Steps and Jesus: Steps 1 through 5

The twelve steps are by far the most effective method of permanent recovery from drugs and alcohol ever developed. That’s why we make use of them here, in your workbooks, and that’s why twelve step fellowships like AA, NA, and GA have sprung up across the globe.

We’re going to today look at steps 1 through 5 of this process, and hopefully you’ll be able to gain a better understanding of the steps and how they function toward recovery.

Of course we must always remember that the greatest help to recovery and new life is Jesus Christ himself, as displayed in the gospels.

So let’s look at step one: "We admitted we were powerless over alcohol/drugs–that our lives had become unmanageable."

•Surrender is the key

•Recognition of Powerlessness

•Willingness to see the reality of total brokenness

What does it mean to make an admission of powerlessness? Its to admit that we can’t do it ourselves. We admit that we can’t overcome addiction alone. Let’s be real, many of us have tried time and again to quit, and we couldn’t on our own.

The Big Book of alcoholics anonymous refers to it this way:

“The fact is that most alcoholics, for reasons yet obscure, have lost the power of choice in drink. Our so called will power becomes practically non-existent. We are unable, at certain times, to bring into our consciousness with sufficient force the memory of the suffering and humiliation of even a week or a month ago. We are without defense against the first drink.” –Big Book, pg. 24

So, step 1 is a difficult thing. None of us like to admit we are powerless over anything. We want to think that we have it all under control. It’s only humility after a lot of suffering in active addiction that gets us to admit step 1.

Next we consider step 2: Came to believe that a Power greater than ourselves could restore us to sanity.

So if we’ve become powerless over the drugs and the drink, then we need to discover a power outside ourselves that is stronger. Step two is about the process by which we come to believe that God can restore us to sanity. Because to drink and use drugs until we’re near death is insanity. And this power greater than ourselves, God, is the only one who can remove the addiction problem from our soul.

We had always tried to quit on our own will power. We would swear off and say “I’ll never do that again.” And that’s how most normal people quit drugging or drinking. They just quit. But with an addict, we can’t just quit. We always go back. So the solution is to seek God and be broken free by the power of God.

•Essentially this is a realization that God can do what I can’t

•Builds upon a recognition of personal powerlessness

•Begins to point the key to recovery away from self and toward God

Step 3 says: Made a decision to turn our will and our lives over to the care of God as we understood Him.

The Big Book says pg 14: “Simple, but not easy; a price had to be paid. It meant destruction of self-centeredness. I must turn in all things to the Father of Light who presides over us all.”

There’s no way around it. If we really want to be free from addiction for life, then it means turning our will and life over to God. And that is a decision we make.

Essentially what this is, is a design for living that works in rough going. According to the big book, on pg 15. “There is scarcely any form of trouble and misery which has not been overcome among us.”

Bill Wilson, the creator of the 12 steps, thought to himself, when he had finally accepted these facts and taken his 3rd step prayer: “These were revolutionary and drastic proposals, but the moment I fully accepted them, the effect was electric. There was a sense of victory, followed by such a peace and serenity as I had never known.” Pg. 14.

•While step 1 was a recognition of our own ability to force ourselves out of addiction

•And step 2 was a recognition that a force beyond ourselves is the only way to escape addiction

•Step 3 is the point at which we recognize God is real, that only God can break the chains of addiction

•Then we turn our will (our choices) and our life (our future) over to God

But it’s important to remember that faith without works is dead. Which is why after taking the 1st three steps we have go on into steps four and five.

Step 4 says: “Made a searching and fearless moral inventory of ourselves.”

I’ve worked with many guys on the twelve steps. And I would always get every excuse under the sun for why they don’t want to do a 4th step inventory.

“I want to leave the past in the past.”

“I don’t need to do an inventory I’ve already talked about it with others.”

And a million excuses. But the truth is they’re afraid. They know if they open up all those memories from the past, of all the things they’ve done, it will be painful. And it is painful. But when we keep all of that stuff locked in the past, it eats away at us, and the pain of it, even locked away in our minds, leads us back to addiction.

Which is why we have to do this step thoroughly. We have to get a notebook and fill that thing up with these memories and stories. We absolutely have to, because these memories and experiences are the key to why we feel miserable when we’re sober. They affect our present mind, even though they exist in past memories. These are traumatic experiences that fill our present with pain, post-traumatic stress, intense anxiety, and depression. We have to bring them into the light, and then the pain disappears.

So on the screen here you’ll see an example of how I was taught to do the 4th step inventory, and I’ll just walk you through the process. If you’ve got a notebook with you, just jot down this diagram on some paper and use it in the future.

•Most never do this and wonder why they keep relapsing

•An honest personal inventory forces us to see who we really are, good and bad

•This takes guts & courage to do

•If we are brave enough to do this, we will be transformed by the process

Finally we reach step 5 which states: “We Admitted to God, to ourselves and to another human being the exact nature of our wrongs.”

So very simply, this is where you take what you’ve written and share it with your sponsor, or a pastor or priest. You read through everything you wrote, and share the memories, and the pastor or sponsor provides feedback on the various resentments, fears, and harms to others.

I want to let you know that while I’m here I’d be willing to hear any of your 5th step inventories if you’d like. My office is on the 2nd floor. I’m sure others staff here might be willing to hear such an inventory as well, though you’d need to ask that person directly. Or if you prefer, go to some outside AA and NA meetings, and see if you can find a sponsor to do the steps with. That is probably the best way to go about this.

•Take your 4th step inventory and read it to a trusted individual (preferably a sponsor)

•Discuss the issues involved

•Leave nothing out, even talk about the very worst things that have happened

•After completing this step, spend some time alone reflecting on what was said

So I’d really encourage you to work all of the steps. The truth is, if I had just started going to church, and I never attended AA or NA. And if I hadn’t worked the steps with my sponsor, I would’ve relapsed, and probably be dead today. Church isn’t enough for most of us, we need the weekly support of AA and NA meetings.

But remember, the steps are all essentially about Jesus. The twelve steps were inspired from the Oxford groups movement, which was a Christian movement. So as a Christian you don’t have to be afraid of the steps. The 12 Steps are biblical, and based on biblical principles. We can work the steps 1 through 12 but if we don’t know Jesus, we won’t stay sober in the long term.

We need the steps to stay sober and clean, but if we want forgiveness from our sins, and eternal life in heaven, we need Jesus Christ as our savior.

•The 12 Steps actually have their origin from principles taken from the “Oxford Groups” a movement of 19th century Christians

•Thus the 12 Steps are biblical, and based on biblical principles

•We can work the steps 1 through 12 but if we don’t know Jesus, we won’t stay sober in the long term.

•We need the steps to stay sober an clean, but if we want forgiveness from our sins, and eternal life in heaven, we need Jesus Christ as our savior.

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Sunday, July 1, 2018

The Impossible Revolution: Making War on Self and Wearing the Armor of God in a Fallen Culture

Audio Message:

It was the year 1775 and the British army was marching on the colonial cities of Lexington and Concord. In a field outside Lexington John Parker the leader of a group of 77 minute men stood in a field, attempting to block the advance of 400 British troops. The British had attempted to seize the guns of the colonial militia the previous night, but had failed due to the minute men.

Both sides lined up facing one another in an open field. Someone fired the shot heard around the world, and the revolutionary war had broken out. The militia outside Lexington were driven off, but they again made a stand at bunker hill, before again being defeated, though they forced heavy casualties on the british. Then the British took the city of Boston.

Later, General Washington successfully drove the British forces from Boston through the use of artillery cannons stolen from the British at fort Ticonderoga.

Then the full might of the British army, the most powerful military force in the world came to bear on the fledgling colonial army. At New York General Washington prepared defenses, and very quickly the full weight of the British military came against him. 400 ships of the line surrounded Long island, the greatest naval force assembled ever at that time in history. And 20,000 British troops stormed New York, driving off the force of 10,000 men under Washington.

In that time of defeat, and in that time when it seemed like it was next to impossible for the Americans to survive against such a mighty power, on July 4th 1776 the 13 colonies declared their independence from the tyranny of Great Britain. And they declared that all men are created equal, endowed by their creator with the right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.

This seemingly impossible revolution is not unlike our battle against the darkness and tyranny of addiction. We’ve found ourselves on a battlefield of the mind. The shackles of addiction are so overwhelmingly deceptive, so we must fight this spiritual war in the mind. We’ve found ourselves in a brutal war against a tyrannical evil. The odds are stacked against us. In fact, many of us will die in the grips of this malady, though for some of us there is hope.

When I was near death, in the clutches of addiction, I had given up all hope. I had resigned myself to death by addiction. I was planning to die at age 27. That’s the power of sin. That’s the power of addiction. I remember the hopelessness, the depression, and the suicidal thoughts I would have. I used to lay in roads at night and dare God to kill me. But little did I know, God was working things in the background to save my soul.

I was running from God. I was alone and afraid. All my friends had abandoned me. My family had given up on me. I was hoping for the end of it all. Yet God was still sovereign. God could see my future. He could see how He would change my life. So he waited for me to give up running.

And one day there I was at the edge of the cliff, the lamb having run away from the flock. I remember this picture, of the lamb, on the ledge, but like, two feet down the ledge, stuck on this little crevice in the side of the rock face? And Jesus is standing at the edge of the cliff wondering “How did you even get down there?” That was me. And Jesus reached down, and pulled me out of that. What’s interesting is that when the shepherd found the lost sheep, he would break the sheep’s leg, so it couldn’t run away anymore. And the shepherd would bring the sheep back hanging around his neck, and then the sheep would stay very close to the shepherd as his leg healed, and not venture too far. God certainly did the same for me, when He rescued me.

To toil in addiction is to be enslaved. It’s like being in a Nazi death camp, slowly starving to death, hopeless, waiting for our turn in the gas chamber. If you’ve ever known the horror of addiction, you know this metaphor is not extreme in the least. To be addicted, hooked on the drug, is to slowly die. So if we’ve found ourselves locked in the slow-death of addiction, just as I was, like the lamb on the cliff, then our first step is to escape.

But here is the problem: We always try to break out of addiction in our own strength. We try to muscle up our will power. And that always fails us. We’re caught by the guards and forced back into the death camp. So we have to bend down to our knees and call out to God. And God breaks our chains, and we rally our soldiers and break out of the death camps of addiction. In other words, we the lamb who is trapped on the cliff cries out for Jesus: Jesus save me! And Christ finds us in the crevice, and pulls us to safety.

Once we’ve escaped the clutches of addiction, by God’s power, we get sober and we get to work on our lives. That’s what you’re doing here right now. You’re being trained in how to survive addiction, and how to flourish in the real world out there. You're learning by God's grace how to work, how to serve others, how to rally against addiction, and how to overcome sin through the blood of Jesus.

So if you’ve broken free from the death camp, and you’ve trained yourself at the citadel of recovery, then is the time to make war. We need to make spiritual warfare. We need to send out our armies in all directions to conquer. I don’t mean a few token actions here and there. I mean on fire warfare week in and week out. I mean going to 10 AA meetings a week. I mean going to 3 Bible studies a week. I mean praying an hour a day, and studying the Bible constantly. I mean making war on the cancer of addiction in our souls. We must make all-out war, on land, sea, and air.

We must send out our armies of determination in all directions to fight, fight, fight! But we can’t fight in our own power. Jesus said, Human power is of no use at all (John 6:63). And, apart from me you can do nothing (John 15:5).

2nd Corinthians 10:3-5 says: “For though we walk in the flesh, we are not waging war according to the flesh. 4 For the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh but have divine power to destroy strongholds. 5 We destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God, and take every thought captive to obey Christ.”

There are strongholds in your life that only the divine power of Christ can destroy. Fortresses of evil in your minds. There is a stronghold of addiction. There is a stronghold of pornography, for many. There is a stronghold of fear. There are strongholds of lust, lying, theft, idolatry, and depression. But in Christ we have power to destroy those strongholds. When we break from the death camps, we must send our soldiers to invade those strongholds, and destroy them. We can do this by the power of Christ in us.

Where did all these strongholds come from? How did they gain such power over us? It's because we've been born and raised up in a broken system, a sociological system of great confusion and deception. We were each born into a fallen society. We were born into bondage to sin.

We were raised up to think science and technology had all the answers. We stared at the television screens growing up. And we did whatever the television told us to do. We were influenced by books, by media, and by the people around us, sometimes toward good, sometimes toward evil.

Even today, we stare at the television screen as it pours sin into our hearts and souls. We stare at the screens, all around us, and we have to break free. We have to break free from the shackles we were born into.

Our ancestors, the founders of this nation knew that Jesus Christ was the foundation of all of life. They built this country on the motto “In God We Trust.” They weren't perfect, not at all, but when they founded this nation they tried to do it the right way, by enumerating rights and liberties for mankind in an age when rights were only for royalty. Over time we've tried to correct the errors they made, in regard to all races being equal, and women being equal with men, among other concerns. But sadly our society has left behind faith in God, in large part.

Now our society has rebelled against God, and rejected God, and children are taught in schools today that there is no god, and science is god, and the government is god. People today believe the government must solve every problem. People today believe science explains everything. People today stare at the television, the ipad, the iphone screen, and the computer screen, and believe whatever they’re told by the media, and the academic institutions. This is a fallen society, that has turned away from God, and embraced lies.

They’ve forgotten the book of the law, the Bible, that made this entire republic possible. And I have absolutely no stomach for people who attack and mock the founding of this country. We know it wasn't perfect, not even close. We know there was oppression back then.

But it’s ironic how millennials today mock the founding of America. They call it racist, sexist, and evil white men who slaughtered natives. Some of those things may be true. But should we emphasize the positive or the negative? When we talk about King David, do we say he was a sexist murderer? (2 Samuel 11) No, we focus on all the good he did. And rightly so. Many like to focus on the flaws, but there is also so much good that was done at the founding of this nation, that we should focus on as well.

But it comes from a sense of entitlement. They don’t realize they live in a society so wealthy and so free that no other generation in history could even imagine what we take for granted every day. People who travel the world, and see the tyranny in countries like China and India, where there is so much poverty, and those who travel Europe, where there is so little liberty or freedom, will often come back and say, thank God for the USA.

But we see this nation beginning to fall apart, as the people turn toward immorality, toward the lies of the sexual revolution, as people turn toward drug addiction and alcoholism, and as human trafficking, abortion, gender redefinition, and homosexuality spreads across our land, we see how far our nation has fallen from God.

The enemy, Satan, knew how to attack us. He targeted men. He targeted and destroyed men in our society, supplanting their authority, and cutting them to the core with many sorrows, sins, and addictions. And here we are. We’re meant to be men of honor, but we’ve become men of shame and sin. But there is still hope. We can still be what America needs us to be: Men of honor. So as you march forward, day by day, to fight and win your battle, with yourself, the world, and the evil one, I call you to put on the full armor of God.

“So stand ready, with truth as a belt tight around your waist, with righteousness as your breastplate, and as your shoes the readiness to announce the Good News of peace. At all times carry faith as a shield; for with it you will be able to put out all the burning arrows shot by the Evil One. And accept salvation as a helmet, and the word of God as the sword which the Spirit gives you. Do all this in prayer, asking for God's help. Pray on every occasion, as the Spirit leads. For this reason keep alert and never give up; pray always for all God's people.” –Ephesians 6:14-18 GNT

There is still a holy resistance movement out there, a small remnant who still call Jesus Christ savior and love His holy word. And we’re fighting every day to call people to the gospel of Jesus Christ. Will you join the impossible revolution?

It’s a lot like King Josiah. Josiah’s father King Amon was an evil leader over Israel, and Josiah’s grandfather Manasseh was also a wicked leader, though he repented later in life. Israel was a nation founded by God. Yet they had fallen so far from God that they didn’t even know who God was! Josiah became king at a very young age. And during his reign he told Hilkiah the high priest to order the temple of the Lord to be rebuilt. So Hilkiah goes to the ruins of the temple of God. And he finds a book laying on the floor, probably in a pile of rubble, and he’s curious. So Hilkiah gives it to the secretary Shaphan. And Shaphan goes to Josiah and says “Hilkiah found a book.” And Josiah is probably thinking: “I wonder what it says?” As it was read to him, King Josiah realized it was the Bible of his time, the book of the law, and he tore his clothes in sorrow and repentance.

Josiah realized God was real, and His word was real. He discovered a truth lost in the history of his nation, covered up by the rubble of sin, the lies of world, and the false values of his society. He had discovered the precious truth, in a world of lies. And Josiah took action. He went to work. He called the nation of Israel to national repentance. He had the book of the law read to the people. He went to work to transform his nation, and lead his nation back to God.

So here you are today, in the temple of God, and just like King Josiah, you’ve found the book of the truth, in the wreckage of the sin of America. I found that book too, when my grandpa handed it to me 7 years ago.

Your standing here in the wreckage of your life, in the temple of God. It’s ruined, smashed to pieces. But there is a light shining through the stained glass windows toward a book on the floor. And if you’ll bend down, pick up the book of the law, and apply it to your life, everything will change.

You can no longer say that you didn’t know. You can no longer say that all you knew was the world. You’ve found that Jesus Christ is real. You’ve found that He will break your chains of addiction and set you free. You’ve found the Bible, the truth about this troubled little planet. Now what will you do? Will you run back to the dope pipe, to the booze and pills? Will you run back like a dog returning to its vomit? Or will you be courageous, rally your forces, and rise up to holy warfare and rebuild your life in the power of Christ?

Just like the founding fathers, the people of the colonies during the American revolution, they were going up against the greatest power in the world. They were fighting a seemingly hopeless cause. But they rallied, and cried out to God. The battles seemed bleak at first. They were defeated at New York, and defeated in a string of battles. Washington’s continental army was struck with disease, and thousands died. At the end of 1776 it seemed like the war was pretty much over. They’d lost. But then on December 25th, General Washington led the beleaguered troops across the Delaware river in a desperate surprise attack, and the battle was won. This marked a turning point in the war, and slowly the tide turned.

Today is your turning point. Today is when you can decide in your mind that you’re really going to do it this time. You’re really going to give your life to God, you’re really going to live for Jesus. You’re really going to turn away from sin. You’re really going to work the steps 1 through 12. You’re really going to attend Bible studies, go to AA and NA meetings, you’re really going to join a church when you get out. You’re really going to make amends with your family and friends. The time is now brothers. It’s time to make war against addiction. It’s time to make war against yourself. Greater is he who can conquer himself, than he who can conquer a city.

Fight like the founders. Dedicate yourself to change like King Josiah. Consecrate yourself to God. Fight tooth and nail, fight through all those memories, emotions, and all that pain. The time to fight back is now. I believe you can. I believe you will. You’re going to make war against the darkness, and you’re going to win.’

In conclusion, victory is certain in Christ. Revelation 12:7-11 ESV says: “Now war arose in heaven, Michael and his angels fighting against the dragon. And the dragon and his angels fought back, but he was defeated, and there was no longer any place for them in heaven. And the great dragon was thrown down, that ancient serpent, who is called the devil and Satan, the deceiver of the whole world—he was thrown down to the earth, and his angels were thrown down with him. And I heard a loud voice in heaven, saying, “Now the salvation and the power and the kingdom of our God and the authority of his Christ have come, for the accuser of our brothers has been thrown down, who accuses them day and night before our God. And they have conquered him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, for they loved not their lives even unto death.”

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Wednesday, June 27, 2018

Social Justice and Critical Theory: Biblical Justice in an Age of Ideological Civil War

This is a personal blog. The views on this blog do not necessarily represent the views or opinions of the Salvation Army, it's employees, or partners. The views on this blog are solely of those making them, based on the teachings of the Bible, in the Spirit.

Proverbs 21:15 "When justice is done, it is a joy to the righteous but terror to evildoers."

There is an ideological civil war taking place in the United States, and in western civilization overall. This is a battle that displays itself along political lines, social lines, academic lines, and along religious lines. This ideological civil war is most pronounced in the partisan political battles between left and right, though it also displays itself in other ways. Specifically, the battle for the soul of the church is a front in this battle, among many other fronts like media, academia, culture, and the sciences.

In the church we see the same divide developing across the normal lines, left vs right. We see both sides attempting to push their political views in the church, and this is causing a polarization. What happens in the culture we see mimic itself in the churches. We see struggles in denominations between high and low views of scriptures, between biblical marriage and gay marriage, between social justice and traditional justice causes. We see people in the church wanting to step behind and advocate for one party or the other. In these struggles, we must always be asking ourselves, "But what is biblical?" The timeless word of God has a word for every situation we face.

In the various movements of the churches in western civilization, we've seen a growing divide along fairly partisan lines. There is a growing polarization, and it shows itself on social media, and in decisions by the leadership of various movements. We see traditional evangelical theology and liberal theology vying for dominance.

The evangelical church has in recent times re-embraced one of it's founding concepts of justice advocacy; but it's a new ideology, that they call "social justice." And this social justice has increasingly become a concern to biblical Christians who seek to live out true justice.

Only certain causes seem to come to the surface in this new social justice ideology. It centers around issues like human trafficking, gender inequality, white privilege, institutional racism, immigration, LGBTQ advocacy, refugee advocacy, wealth inequality issues, intersectionality, and multi-culturalism/inter-culturalism.

Historically in the evangelical church, justice causes had included topics like biblical marriage support, pro-life advocacy, fighting homelessness, fighting hunger, caring for orphans and widows, human trafficking, Christian education, fighting poverty, and dealing with other evils of the times.

The new social justice causes have increasingly caused concerns with many in the church. The concerns are rooted in that many of these ideologies are not properly grounded in traditional Christian beliefs, but actually come out of the secular university system, and tend to be rooted in thinkers like Karl Marx, Herbert Marcuse, and Max Horkheimer. These thinkers come out of ideologies that tend to be rather anti-Christian, and based around an ideology that views the social structure as a constant battle between the powerful and the powerless. We should be very careful as a Christian movement when embracing ideologies like critical theory, group identity, and class warfare. I'm sure many of us have not given it a great deal of thought, so let's get into it a bit.

Let's identify some terms. Critical theory is the idea that people are enslaved in various forms by society. Therefore the fundamental reality of society is that of a constant battle between the haves and the have nots. The chief goal then is to set people free from oppressive societal structures that perpetuate oppression.

But is this actually true? It's debatable. There are elements within the scriptures that tell us of our need to advocate for the powerless. Such as Proverbs 31:8-9 "Open your mouth for the mute, for the rights of all who are destitute. Open your mouth, judge righteously, defend the rights of the poor and needy."

Yet in Proverbs we also see Proverbs 28:5 "Evil men do not understand justice, but those who seek the Lord understand it completely." So it's hard to believe that a secular social theory like critical theory could be useful for us as Christians.

But fundamentally, is society a struggle between the powerful and the powerless? Think of the United States, a country where people rise and fall largely based on their merits. A place where someone like Martin Luther King Jr. can lead a movement to bring about justice for the oppressed. A society where a poor kid like Abraham Lincoln can become president. A society where a Dinesh D'Souza or a Barack Obama, or a Clarence Thomas or a Morgan Freeman can rise to be influential leaders.

Our society is considered a democratic republic. For many, it's hard to see it as an oppressive power structure of racism and bigotry. There may be individual examples of racism and bigotry, and those should be addressed. But there isn't a great of evidence to suggest it's systemic. The United States is a meritocracy, where we rise and fall based on our merits and how hard we work, not based on oppressive structures. Of course if oppressive structures do exist, they ought to be rooted out.

Critical theory is rooted in Karl Marx's ideology of power structures, that power is controlled by a select few, and only by enforcing total equality can people be free. Marx thought the structures of society must be criticized, (critical theory) attacked, and torn down to destroy the elite ruling class (the bourgeoisie).

Group identity is part of critical theory in some ways. It's about dividing people up into aggrieved groups. Victim groups are people who are considered to be victimized by the oppressive power structures of society, and need to be liberated. From this concept comes the idea of "community organizing." This is where an identity group is organized into a force to leverage political change.

Thus we are told we must advocate for victim groups, such as women, different ethnicities, those with differing views on sexuality, and so on and so forth. So, once these various disparate groups have been organized, by community organizers, they are linked through the concept of intersectionality, to advocate on a larger scale, and also to stack victimologies. So in intersectionality, someone who is female and a person of color and transexual, would have a greater victim status than say, a white female.

Scripture in the Old Testament did refer to many peoples on the basis of groups, such as Israel, Judah, Gentile and Jew, and so forth. Generally those divisions were based on nation, or religious standing, not so much on color, gender, or sexual preference. But in the New Testament we see a radical dissolving of all classes and groups, famously, in the scripture from Galatians 3:26-29, "So in Christ Jesus you are all children of God through faith, for all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. There is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, nor is there male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. If you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise."

We as Christians no longer consider others to be separate based on country of origin, or gender, or skin color, instead we are all viewed as one body of Christ.

Last term, identity politics is the process by which political movements attempt to gain power by organizing aggrieved groups. In the concept of critical theory, and thus identity politics, perceived political enemies of these groups must be criticized, or slandered, thus you see many words like "racist, sexist, xenophobic, homophobic" and so on directed toward political opponents. This also means that anyone who departs from the group think of an aggrieved group, like people of color for example, are slandered and ostracized. You'll often see black individuals who leave the group think, like Dr. Ben Carson, or Thomas Sowell, or Larry Elder or Candace Owens slandered as "uncle toms" (a racial slur) for having differing political views.

How have these social justice causes come to hold such prominence in evangelical church movements? If politics is downstream from culture, the church is also downstream from culture. The university system teaches many of these ideologies like secular humanism, Marxism, feminism, intersectionality and so on, and then those ideologies are gradually brought into the church and become part of the churches identity.

Gathered together under one umbrella, these various social justice causes can be considered part of the larger progressive ideology. The progressive viewpoint tends to see the American founding from a critical theory perspective. Critical theory says that the systems in place are in place because they are evil and stole power from the masses. So the American founding is criticized and deconstructed. The American founding is re-packaged as evil slave-holding white men killing native Americans and forming an evil oppressive religious theocracy that must be toppled and rebuilt from the ground up. This viewpoint is encouraged by a new movement called The 1619 Project that views America's founding and history fundamentally as 400 years of racism.

Essentially, progressivism is an utopian ideology. The idea is that the United States' existing structures must be overthrown, because they are racist and evil, and they must be replaced by an entirely new society. Only then will a true utopia come about, in which economic equality exists, and all classes are united as one classless society.

We in the churches of western civilization, we who follow Jesus Christ and the teachings of the Bible should consider carefully these concepts before embracing or rejecting them.

Many in the church are motivated by the desire to bring about justice in society. That is a good thing. But in our zeal to rally for justice, we've embraced many ideas that upon examination appear increasingly suspect. What we really need as the church, is a biblical alternative to critical theory based social justice. We need a biblical formula for biblical justice ministry based fundamentally on scripture and informed and strengthened by secular practices like psychology, sociology, and so on. But let's continue.

Multiculturalism - Multiculturalism is essentially the opposite of the melting pot. The melting pot is the idea that various cultures and peoples come to America for a new life, and they assimilate in various ways to American culture, while also enriching American culture with their own unique cultures. Multiculturalism is the idea of cultures remaining separate and unique. We see this play out in major cities where various cultures are divided into different parts of the city. Multiculturalism suggests that immigrants should not learn the native language, but speak their own language. Multiculturalism also largely rejects assimilation. This is not good my friends. And in the Christian worldview, we come from various cultures and societies, but we make up a unity, as the body of Christ. We are all parts of the same body, we're not broken up into groups and separated.

An improvement, possibly, on multiculturalism is the concept of interculturalism. This ideology suggests that various culturals intermingling in the larger society through dialogue form and shape one another, while still remaining distinct and separate. But once again, isn't the melting pot still the best option, in that various cultures and ethnicities all become part of the American culture, while also enriching it and bringing about needed growth and change? It would seem so.

White Privilege - White privilege is the concept that the white majority of countries like the USA have special advantages and abilities above and beyond those of other races and cultures. The cure then is for whites to "check your privilege" and listen to aggrieved groups, instead of talking. According to books like White Fragility, if you attempt to argue with these ideas, you're just being racist and trying to protect the white power structure. So to repent, you must give up your power, and listen. You must advocate for victim groups hurt from harms of the past, like slavery or Jim Crow laws.

This ideology indicates that all cultures are equal, aside from "white culture" which is evil (a misnomer because European Caucasian cultures are very diverse). It tends to place the bulk of the blame for slavery on the United States, which is a strange concept, given that slavery existed in the world in virtually every nation, including most Native American tribes, and ancient cultures like Egypt, Israel, and Babylon thousands of years before America even existed.

Your individual conduct doesn't seem to be the chief concern. Instead you are required to take group ownership, ownership of slavery, of racism, and of all the evils of white people, even if you've never personally done those things. Even if your ancestors immigrated from Poland in the early 1900s, like mine, you still are supposed to take ownership of racism and slavery, and repent accordingly.

Institutional Racism - This is the idea that entire institutions of society are racist and evil. The suggestion then is that many police departments overall are racist. Government agencies are racist. Businesses and church organizations are considered racist. They would argue societal norms are also rooted in racism. And essentially, suggest that many, many various aspects of culture are fundamentally racist. The American flag is seen as racist. Household products like bread, or Aunt Jemima are considered racist. Even statues of Ullyses S. Grant and George Washington may be deemed racist and torn dorn, or vandalized.

Racism certainly does still exist in our society. But it exists on an individual basis, not as a part of oppressive societal structures. We should fight racism and put an end to it forever. But not based on institutions. That's not where it exists. Racism exists on an individual level. Identify an individual racist based on their personal conduct, and deal with them personally. Based on Matthew 18, this seems a more biblical approach to dealing with racism.

When fighting for a more just society for all races and ethnicities, please recall the important word from Leviticus 19:15 NLT “Do not twist justice in legal matters by favoring the poor or being partial to the rich and powerful. Always judge people fairly." In other words, don't favor perceived victim groups, or favor the rich and powerful, instead treat everyone equally. Sometimes we think we need to give certain groups special privileges to make up for the past, but that is in actuality, a perversion of justice.

Illegal Immigration - Illegal immigration, also referred to as undocumented immigration is the practice of individuals or groups crossing borders of nations without going through customs or immigration departments. Biblically speaking, we are commanded to obey the ruling authorities (Romans 13.) Very simply, countries have laws. All countries have borders, and laws to cross those borders. There isn't anything wrong with that. But if we do deal with those who are on the run, disobeying laws, on an individual basis, we ought to treat them with grace, with love, and reach out to care for their needs.

Matthew 5:7 “Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy."

We should also try to look deeper at the border crisis and it's political realities. It's been suggested that many politicians make use of the crisis, hoping to transform the voting blocks along the border states. Which is a sad situation, but you know how it is with politicians. They are always looking for the angle. It's also been suggested that wealthy businesses on Wallstreet want cheap labor. There are often distinct political motivations behind these issues. It's ugly, and grim. But there it is.

Refugee Advocacy - We ought to care for refugees who are in need. As Deuteronomy 24:14 says, "Do not take advantage of a hired worker who is poor and needy, whether that worker is a fellow Israelite or a foreigner residing in one of your towns."

There is no problem with advocating for helping refugees. We should also keep in mind that there can be dangers in assisting refugees, depending upon the ideologies of the places they come from. It always comes down to the struggle between compassion and truth in the church. Recall that Jesus Christ came full of both grace and truth (John 1:14). There is a need for balancing the two, in showing compassion, but also being discerning.

Gender Inequality - Does Gender inequality still exist in our society? I'm sure it does. But once again, we must be discerning. One of the key talking points in this debate is the "gender pay gap." Please do be aware this study has been shown to not be accurate. The study suggested the gender pay gap, has been debunked because it didn't take into account several factors, like job choice, for example. Of course that's not always the case. Once you factor in differences of lifestyle choices and preferences for certain jobs, the pay gap virtually vanishes. Should women and men be treated equally? Absolutely. But not by force, in my view, but by merit. Women are wonderful, equal with men, and we shouldn't encourage an attitude of hatred or division between the sexes. Receive the promise from Psalm 46:5 "God is in the midst of her; she shall not be moved; God will help her when morning dawns."

Wealth Inequality - The concept here is that wealth inequality exists because the rich are oppressing the poor. I'm sure there are some cases where that is true. But it's not a rule for society overall itself. In a capitalist society, like the United States, one rises and falls economically based on various factors like education, marriage, children, and just how determined you are to work hard and do your best. It's actually amazing how much people can rise and fall economically in the United States. For that reason and others, it doesn't seem wise for the church to be encouraging Marxist/Marcusian ideas of wealth inequality. We as believers are encouraged to be content with what we have, according to Hebrews 13:5 "Keep your life free from love of money, and be content with what you have, for he has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.”

In conclusion, instead of encouraging secular social theory in our church movements, we should look to the Bible, the scriptures of the Old and New Testaments to understand what justice is and is not.

We as Christians need to be careful. Many, sadly, don't really love the word of God. They don't really love Jesus, in fact. They are more focused on ideologies they've been taught. As we know, in the end times there will be many false teachers, and many who turn away from the truth.

From 2nd Timothy 3:2 "For people will love only themselves and their money. They will be boastful and proud, scoffing at God, disobedient to their parents, and ungrateful. They will consider nothing sacred."

For some, not all, the ultimate goal is to transform the church into a progressive movement, in other words, apostasy. For many more, the desire is simply to live out biblical justice. And that's a sincere and good desire that we should encourage.

We should advocate for those who struggle and suffer. We should stand up for traditional marriage, pro-life causes, ending human trafficking, caring for refugees, advocating for religious liberty, and we should carry the gospel to the lost all over the world. But we should reject secular social theories based on critical theory, and instead look for our causes in the pages of the Bible.

"Look beneath the surface so you can judge correctly.” -John 7:24 NLT

A Philosophical Transformation Series: Science & Faith

The Church on Earth: What's wrong with the church?

Five Christian Apologetics Presentations

Seven Honest Questions Regarding Christianity

A Philosophical Transformation Series: Who is God?

The Eternal City: A Real Place?

A Philosophical Transformation Series: God's Overarching History

20 Quotations for Your Pondering

False Christianity vs. Biblical Christianity

Sunday, June 24, 2018

White Garments of Righteousness: How to Get Clean and Build a New Life

Audio Message:

So here we are, fighting for our lives. We’re fighting a deadly opponent, and that opponent is addiction. We’re on a spiritual journey to defeat addiction. And I know each of you are at different points in your journey of overcoming addiction in Christ. There is no other answer to the addictions that we face, not in the intensity that we face it now. Only Christ.

All of you are at different points in your battle. Some of you don’t even know if God is really real, or if Jesus is really a living savior. Maybe you don’t even know if you really want to stay clean. A lot of you are just saying what we want to hear, and going through the motions. Some of you are even considering getting up and leaving, because your mad, or in pain, or playing the victim, and you want to go back to what’s familiar. And we’re gonna talk today, you and I.

Then there are those of you who have realized that you need God. Your eyes are starting to open. Your starting to see that lush, beautiful path of recovery opening up before you. You can hear the birds chirping along the road, you can feel the bright sun shining down, and there is hope in your eyes. Your starting to walk down that spiritual path, your mind is starting to open up, and your realizing that God is your creator. We’re gonna talk today, if that’s you.

Thirdly, we’ve got those who have taken the dive into the love of Jesus Christ. There are those of you here who are truly reborn. You’ve received Jesus as your savior. You’ve totally committed your life to Jesus. You’ve come to believe the Bible is the word of God. You’ve realized that you need to live an entirely new lifestyle of recovery and faith every week. Your going to AA, your going to NA, your working the steps, your reading your Bible and praying every day, your hungry for spiritual food, and your ready to move forward into maturity in Christ. We’re gonna talk today too.

And you’ll see as we go on, how all this fits into our scripture reading today, of the church Jesus counsels to receive gifts from Him. Jesus said to the church in Laodicea, Revelation 3:15-18 “I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were either one or the other! 16 So, because you are lukewarm—neither hot nor cold—I am about to spit you out of my mouth. 17 You say, ‘I am rich; I have acquired wealth and do not need a thing.’ But you do not realize that you are wretched, pitiful, poor, blind and naked. I counsel you to buy from me gold refined in the fire, so you can become rich; and white clothes to wear, so you can cover your shameful nakedness; and salve to put on your eyes, so you can see.”

Jesus tells them that they are broken, pathetic and miserable. Sound a lot like addiction doesn’t it? But Jesus quickly offers the remedy: (Three things) Salve for your eyes, a white robe of righteousness, and refined gold. What does Jesus mean?

1. Salve for your Eyes

To the first group of men, those of you who don’t understand, you don’t get this God stuff, you don’t believe, I’m speaking to you now:

Jesus Christ will open the eyes of your heart. In and of ourselves, we can’t perceive spiritual things. We only see the physical, we only see this world. But Jesus will open your eyes. But I’d like to give you some knowledge to chew on in your mind first…

The question: “Does God exist?” is a great question. And God does not fear our questions. There is good evidence to believe that God exists.

Scientists tell us that the universe came into existence from a big bang several billion years ago. That may or may not be true. But if you do believe in a big bang, let me ask you this: Can a big bang explode into existence from nothing? Scientists tell us that before the big bang occurred there was nothing. And then suddenly there was an explosion that caused the universe. A fair question is: Who banged it? Who caused it? I would submit to you, that God is the most reasonable explanation for this universe’s existence. The Bible says that the universe was formless and void, and then God created.

Secondly, scientists admit that this world we live in appears to be finely tuned to allow for life to exist. A nobel prize winner once indicated that a single cell in your body is more complex than New York city. It’s true. Look around you at this world, there are stars in the sky at night. The Earth is just the right distance from the sun to allow for life. If you changed anything, moved the Earth a little closer, or a little further away, no life. If there was no moon, no life. If there was no Jupiter, to protect the Earth from asteroids, there would be no life. Without earthquakes, no life. Without lightning, no life. There are birds flying through the sky, animals walking along the ground. Plants and nature produce food just right for us to eat and survive. It’s insane. And they want to tell us that this is all random? It’s ridiculous. The best explanation for the complexity of life on Earth, is that God designed the Earth for us to live on.

Thirdly, we can trust the Bible is the word of God. There are about 5,686 ancient manuscripts of the New Testament, all matching one another; in historical terms, such evidence is unmatched, it's unheard of, a revelation, a divine fingerprint on history itself! Has it been changed over time? When comparing our modern Bible with the recently discovered Dead Sea Scrolls, which sat untouched for 2,000 years, they matched perfectly. Therefore, by all available accounts the New testament is accurate.

You can believe. You can come to understand who Jesus Christ is. You can be set free from drug addiction and alcoholism. Dare to step out in faith. Dare to believe. But all you have to do is make a beginning, and at least start down the road. But most importantly of all… let me just communicate this: There is hope. There is really hope. You’re going to have to walk through a lot of pain to heal. Take hope. Open your eyes.

2. White Garments of Righteousness

Next I’d like to speak to you guys who have begun the spiritual journey. You’re walking the road. You’ve come to realize your need for God. And now God is calling you to make a decision, and to turn your whole will, and life, and future, and soul over to Jesus Christ. Jesus is calling you to put on the pure white garments of His righteousness. I’ll tell you how, listen closely.

Jesus, born in Bethlehem, 2 thousand years ago was God himself, come into human history. Why Jesus matters is because he is not just a man, he is literally God come in person. Can your mind comprehend the expansiveness of that fact? The God who made this entire planet from nothing came into human history.

He was tempted in every way we are, and he successfully resisted. Jesus grew up, just like we do, then around age 30, He began his mission. And His mission was to save us. But to save us from what? The problem we face is sin. One of the fundamentals in understanding Jesus is understanding our own brokenness.

We’ve sinned against God. We’ve used drugs, drank, hurt people around us, and done evil. We’ve literally ruined our minds and bodies to being near death. Many of us never grew up. We lived as man-boys, serving ourselves and living for self. And now it’s time for us to grow up, and become men of honor.

But How? We can’t do it alone. Many of us have tried, and slipped back down into the pit. There is only one way: Jesus.

Jesus, in completing his mission, was betrayed, falsely charged, and sentenced to be crucified. But far from being a surprise to Jesus, this was the very reason He had come. He was going to do something on that cross that would save us.

While Jesus was on the cross, slowly dying, from noon until 3pm it went completely dark. What was happening spiritually during those 3 hours? Jesus Christ was being offered up, as a sacrifice for our sins. He became forsaken for our drug habit, for our binges, manipulations, lies and sexual debauchery. And after three hours of darkness, Jesus cried out saying: “Father, father why have you forsaken me?”

Then Jesus let out a brutal scream, and He died. But then something happened that changed everything. 3 days later, Jesus resurrected from the dead. He showed himself to his disciples. He came to Thomas, a disciple who refused to believe that Jesus could really come back from the dead. Jesus showed him his hands, holes still in them. And Jesus said, “Stop doubting and believe.” And for some of you out there today, he is saying the same thing: Stop doubting and believe.

We were in a court room you and I, and our sins were being read off against us, all the evil we’ve done in our lives. And we knew that the sentence would be eternity in hell. But Jesus Christ walked into that court room and said, judge, put those sins on my back instead, I’ll pay the penalty for him. And if you will believe Jesus Christ is your savior, and ask Him to set you free from your sins, and turn your whole will and life over to Him, then you’ll be born again. And if you live the rest of your life for Jesus, you’ll go to eternal life when you die.

Jesus will help you to turn away from drugs, from alcohol, from cigarettes, from pornography, from lies and manipulation. Jesus will help you become the man you were always meant to be. Become the hero of your spiritual journey. Become a mighty man of valor. Receive Jesus Christ, put on the garments of His righteousness.

But remember: This is a lifelong journey. This is not one and done. We have to follow Him all our days, with all our heart, soul, mind and strength. All. And as addicts in recovery, we know how to give our all to something. We gave it all to drugs, held nothing back, now we must give it all to Jesus Christ, and serve Him with that same single-minded dedication. There is no middle ground. Only heaven and hell. Jesus, or self. Make your choice.

Revelation 3:19-20 says: “Those whom I love I rebuke and discipline. So be earnest and repent. Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with that person, and they with me.”

3. Gold Refined in the Fire

Lastly, to the third group. You know Christ. Your clean and sober. You’ve been here a while. You’re going to meetings. You’re going to Bible studies and services. Now, it’s time to go on into Christian maturity. Christ is calling you to be as gold refined in the fire.

God has called us to be holy as He is holy. Do this in the power of Christ. We must repent of every sin that we struggle with, and be holy and blameless. That is what God has called us to. God will set you free. He delights to. And how does God refine us as gold? Through the fires of suffering, struggles, and great trials.

When God removes a sin from my life, and sets me free… It’s like I’ve been through a storm. I open my hand, and God takes the sin from me. The storm ends, and the sun shines brightly. And I realize His presence with me is stronger and more real than before. I’ve taken another step into a larger world.

Every time we go through a trial, God is refining our heart, to make our hearts more pure. So this 3rd area is about inviting God to purify our hearts. God will then pour out pure love into your heart.

Revelation 3:21-22 says: “To the one who is victorious, I will give the right to sit with me on my throne, just as I was victorious and sat down with my Father on his throne. Whoever has ears, let them hear what the Spirit says to the churches.”

Applications: So how do we live this out?

Surrender is the key to all three of these areas: coming to believe in God, receiving Christ as savior, and going on to maturity. Surrendering is an act of the will, it’s a choice. Either we fight it or we do it.

William Booth founder of the SA said: “The greatness of a man’s power is the measure of his surrender.” It’s time give it all up brothers. It’s time to surrender everything to God. God must have all there is of you. Nothing less will do: Only total surrender.

Once we’ve made our surrender, at the altar, we get to work. We take dutiful, intentional action! We’ve gotta heal and grow, together. And I’d commend to you, and encourage you in 3 ways to grow in your spiritual walk:

1. Ask God for the gift of the Fear of the Lord.

2. Each Day ask the Lord to reveal anything in you that displeases Him.

3. Fast and pray once or twice a week to declare your devotion to God.

As we heal and grow, Christ then calls us to serve others. And whenever we do good for someone, we gather wealth in heaven. It’s true. In the next life, there will be mansions for each of us, and based on the good deeds you did, you’ll be rewarded with treasure. Serving others is the great calling of every Christian, and I’d commend you to the example that Braxton sets. He’s out there multiple times each week, handing out gospel tracts, visiting hospitals & jails, leading Bible studies, praying and fasting, and sharing his testimony. You can do that too!

In conclusion:

Jesus is coming back very soon. And He is coming for a Holy church, a church without blemish or defect. If we are content to toil in sinful selfishness, we shouldn’t expect to share in any inheritance with Christ. Instead we’ll inherit the lake of fire. We need a deadly seriousness when it comes to how we follow Jesus. Like the church of Laodicea, we as men in recovery, men searching for hope, and a new future, we’re in need of God’s grace. But God willing, we will have open eyes that see God’s reality, garments of the forgiveness found in Christ, and hearts of holiness refined in the fire.