Heart Like Mine - Secular Music Ponders Christ

Over the course of the past few months, Miranda Lambert's "Heart Like Mine" has rocketed up the country charts. It's a song that espouses Jesus' love for sinners, and the chorus proposes that Jesus would "understand a heart like mine."

Now I disagree with the premise that Jesus drank fermented wine, indulged in alcoholic beverages and engaged in behaviors that you would find in an East Texas pasture party. (They don't have pasture parties in West Texas, too big a fire hazard.) Still, this song touches the hearts of many people. Why?

Maybe it is because the song proclaims that Jesus loves sinners, and accepts sinners as they are. Maybe it touches that void that is left in a person when they don't know Christ. Maybe it gives the idea that a relationship with Christ can be a reality, despite a sinner's shortcomings. In that sense, I believe the song actually does a fairly decent job of explaining the personality of Jesus to lost people. Don't believe me? Let's look to the scriptures.

In Luke 15, Jesus has walked out of a Pharisee's meal, and sinners and publicans drew near to Him. The Pharisees criticized His association with sinners and publicans, but Jesus told them the parable of the lost sheep. Those lost sheep, the sinners and the publicans, were the ones he came to earth for.

1 Timothy 1:15 says "Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am chief." Jesus came to earth to save sinners. Why not? He loved sinners. Read the four Gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke and John). Jesus was always with sinners and publicans. Why? Because He loved them.

Bro. Jim Slocumb told me during a recent missions conference that Jesus loved the sinners and the publicans, but He didn't partake of their sin. In reading the New Testament, any reasonable person would conclude the same.

I know in my presentation of the Gospel, and of the personality of Jesus Christ, I often omit this very principle, the love of Christ for sinners. Shame on me. All too often my focus is on how wretched we are because of our sin, and how we must repent and turn to Christ. All too often I tell that part without telling about the love Jesus has for sinners. Maybe this is why I fail to lead people to Christ, because I fail to introduce people to Christ. All I do is tell them about an experience I think they should have. Ironically, a secular country music song presents Jesus' personality (aside from the drinking of wine) better than I do.

It's important to remember the love Jesus has for sinners, because we are all sinners (Romans 3:23). Seriously, what makes any of us think we are pleasing to God? Why do you think you deserve to go to Heaven and inherit eternal rewards? Is it because you were faithful to your church, didn't listen to this sinful Country music like Bro. Leland, didn't smoke or drink, wore suits, lived a separated lifestyle from the world, and never watched TV? Hey, good for you! But remember on your best day, your actions still fall way short of God's glory. All our righteousness is as filthy rags before Him.

So, with that in mind, where do we find our blessed assurance? In the knowledge that Jesus loves us, and died for our sins on the cross so that we could have eternal life with Him in Heaven. How awesome is that!

Jesus loves you! If you have never turned from your sin and trusted Him as Savior, let today be your day of salvation. He doesn't want to bring you into some sort of restricted legalistic lifestyle. He wants a friendship with you that will last for all of eternity. All you have to do is accept that friendship.

Trust Christ to save you, not because of what you can do for Him, but because He took the punishment for your sin. If you trust in Him, you are saved.

Fellowship of Believers, Dividers over Doctrine

During a recent conversation with a dear brother in Christ, the question was raised,"How can so many brethren, who are saved, Spirit-led, committed to studying and standing for the scriptures, come to so many different conclusions on points of doctrine, and be so divided over that doctrine?"

The answer is actually quite simple. Men and women who come to know Jesus Christ as their personal Savior often begin their walk with Christ by attending church, Sunday School, Bible studies and doing their own personal devotions. This practice leads to an increased knowledge of the Word of God, increased faith, and an increased desire to defend the faith and stand on the truth of God's Word.

While this is good for Christian growth and maturity, there is a downside. The sin nature within us, with which we will struggle until the day we are reunited with Christ (in person), often skews or hinders our understanding of the scriptures. Also, our lack of total knowledge of the cultural and situational context can often affect the way we interpret scripture. So, despite the Holy Spirit's helping us understand scriptures, our sinful minds often pick up the wrong message.

Couple this problem with the fact that many who get to this level of study see anything other than what they believe as false doctrine, and you see divisions arise out of the finer points of doctrine.

Some have even gone as far as to take Amos 3:3 out of context to justify breaking fellowship with other believers over minor doctrinal points. Amos 3:3, which says "Can two walk together except they be agreed?" is not dealing with fellowship between believers over doctrinal issues, but rather can Israel and God walk together seeing how Israel continually rebels against God? To relate this to our modern society, can God fellowship with unrepentant sinners? The answer is obviously no.

Now, when we discuss minor points of doctrine, we are discussing doctrines like the timing of the rapture (pre-, mid- or post-tribulation), the Bride of Christ, and if properly understood, even more controversial doctrines.

So, what should be the basis for fellowship among believers? Some give five basic doctrines that all believers must agree on, and others say that the ABA doctrinal statement should be the basis for fellowship. While that may be well and good, these are still man-made lists. What is God's standard for men to fellowship with each other?

1 John 1:7 says "But if we walk in the light, as He is in the light, then we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanseth us from all sin."

To walk in the light means to conduct ourselves the way God has taught us to in the Bible. God expects us to live by faith, to make ourselves available for His service, and to love others. If we are doing that, and we know Jesus as our Savior, then we have sufficient grounds for fellowship. Notice that this standard applies to fellowship between individual believers.

The person who breaks fellowship with everyone who doesn't believe exactly like he does will eventually find himself in a lonely, bitter and angry world. Don't be that person. Live by faith, fellowship with other believers, and let your joy be full (1 John 1:4).

Reformatting Again

Almost four years ago, I launched this blog to share my thoughts on theological issues as well as to journal my ministerial efforts in Brownwood, TX. Over the past four years, this blog has evolved from one of theological discussion, to missionary reporting, to current events analysis, to thoughts on life in general.

Today, I am taking this blog back to its roots. From here on out, the discussions will be about Biblical issues with occasional denominational issues thrown in. It is my hope that we return to what we had in 2008, where brothers and sisters in Christ could discuss Biblical topics with a spirit of love and learning.

Manufactured Holidays

Call me a Grinch, but there are only three holidays I really care about. The first is Easter (celebration of the resurrection of Jesus Christ), the second is Christmas (celebration of the birth of Christ) and the third is Thanksgiving (getting together with family and remembering how God has blessed us, even if annoying "in-laws" show up.)

Memorial Day, Veterans Day and Independence Day are also important to me as I am given the opportunity to remember how blessed I am to live in such a great country that has remained free due to the selfless sacrifice of men and women who died in combat. However, the latter three holidays have little effect on my daily routine. I still work and honor my responsibilities on those days.

However, on Easter, Christmas and Thanksgiving, I step back from the rat race (so to speak) and draw closer to my family and church. Scattered throughout the rest of the year are smaller holidays that appear as speed bumps in my daily routine, some of which are manufactured holidays.

The first manufactured holiday is New Years Day. Sure, a new year means a new beginning. However, when you wake up on January 1, you are still the same person with the same challenges as you were on December 31. Perhaps the changing of a calendar year gives you motivation to do things better, and if that works for you, then great! I'm still going to bed on time.

Then there's Valentine's Day. This holiday in particular gets my goat because the premise in marketing the sales on Valentine's Day is ridiculous. "Let her know you love her." Sure thing. It's not as if you can expect your wife to know you love her by your working two jobs, buying a home, fixing her car, supplying her needs, taking time to take her out on dates, and making sure she has the best life possible the other 364 days of the year. If you fail to go all-out on Valentine's Day, all that stuff will go out the window and she'll think you don't love her. Really? Please! (I'm thankful that Jessica actually "gets it." I do celebrate Valentine's with her, but she doesn't base our love on whether we have a "perfect romantic evening" that night.)

St. Patrick's Day is cool if you are in the third grade. Seriously, I'm 33. If you are over 18 and try to pinch me for not wearing green, you are responsible for what happens to you next.

Tax day is not a holiday. Even if you get a refund, you had to jump through hoops or pay a tax preparer to get it done.

Then there's Mother's Day. The premise is a good one. It's a day that we set aside to honor our mothers. However, often times the premise gets taken as far as the Valentine's premise. "If you don't do something super-special on this particular day, then you don't love your mother." Hogwash. I spend all year trying to do things to make my mother proud of me. On Mother's day, I have to officiate church services and do the ministerial thing. I'll give Mom a call. Would I celebrate with her if I were back home, sure thing. But just because I don't paste a Facebook status, write a big gushy blog post, send a card, and preach a sermon on how great mothers are, doesn't mean I don't love my mother. So there.

I have no problem observing and even enjoying these holidays. The only problem I have is that so many of our holidays honor ourselves. We want to celebrate our history, culture, love lives, family members, veterans, etc. When these holidays roll around, we want church services to center around them. So, a service that is meant to honor God gets reworked to honor man. It doesn't set well with me.

In the Bible, the holidays ALL centered around God. There were holidays that commemorated God delivering His people from their oppressors, or that celebrated how God reconciled Himself to man by atoning for man's sin. We don't celebrate that way in America.

So what am I getting at here? Celebrate what you want and have a good time. However, don't expect me to preach holiday-themed sermons at Grace Pointe, and don't look for that "My mother was so great blah blah blah repost this if you agree" statement on my facebook page. If you want to, go ahead. I won't think any less of you for it. My calling, however, is to preach the Gospel of Jesus Christ, and teach people about God. Sundays are about Him, not us, our position, nor our accomplishments.

Happy Mother's Day. Tell Mom you love her, then go to church and worship God.