The Error of Ultimate Reconciliation

George Santayana, the Spanish philosopher once said, “Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it!” Solomon, the wisest man in the world, once said, That which has been is what will be, That which is done is what will be done, And there is nothing new under the sun. (Eccl. 1:9) Sadly, those who don’t know history are doomed to repeat the failures of the past.

Church history is one of those topics that the “hyper-spiritual” deem to have little value. Putting down the study of church history ranks right up there in the “ignorant Christian” poll with those who boldly declare, “I don’t want to study theology or doctrine; I just want to read the Bible!” Jesus knew the history of His people and He knew the doctrines of the day, as did the Apostle Paul. It was their knowledge of these practical areas that made them so powerful in so many different cultural settings and doctrinal conflicts. This lack of knowledge is the doorway for error to cycle through the Church repeatedly and be welcomed by unsuspecting generations as “new revelation.”

The prophet Isaiah boldly declared, Therefore my people have gone into captivity, Because they have no knowledge. (Isa. 5:13) While the Spirit-filled movements have introduced incredible truth into the body of Christ, they have, as a whole, been very poor theologians. The inconsistency of doctrine is a major reason Spirit-filled believers can’t get what they believe to actually work in real life. Our covenants are mixed, our doctrine is self contradictory, and we know nothing of how we got where we are! The 21^st century church is a breeding ground for doctrinal error – not the kind that simply causes an argument between you and other believers; this is the type of error that could affect every part of your life!

Error, like all trends, tends to circulate every few years. When error emerges those who don’t know history, specifically church history, think they have a revelation. They see it as a “scrumptious morsel,” unaware of the damage it has wreaked in the past. In the race to have the next new revelation some preachers rush to their pulpits, or in the case of traveling preachers, they rush to your pulpit and create havoc in the hearts of believers.

One doctrine that emerges every few years is ultimate reconciliation, sometimes called Universalism. Regardless of the name it goes by its message is the same: everyone is going to Heaven, whether they believe or not. This is an appealing message to people who will not reconcile their life and beliefs with particular aspects of truth. What seems like a message of endless love is actually a message of death, deceit, and depravity.

Years ago I traveled with a man who began the slide into Universalism. At first it seemed as if he was only preaching a mildly irresponsible grace message. People approached me after our meetings and said, “When I hear you preach about grace I believe I can live godly and I’m inspired to godly living. When I hear him preach about grace I feel like it’s just alright to sin.” In time, he was openly declaring that sin had no effect and he began rejecting any portions of Scripture that promoted responsibility and godliness. Ultimately he succumbed to a battle with sin that he no longer chose to resist! The way we know when the message of grace, peace, and faith righteousness has gone too far is when they inspire irresponsible living!

All deadly truth has an element of truth; however, that truth is extrapolated into something that is no longer true. Extrapolation is how Lucifer became Satan. He followed a flawed reasoning. (Ez. 28:17) Based on his brightness and splendor he began to build a logic that departed from reality. In the end he felt he could overthrow the One who gave him his splendor. God has given us grace, love, mercy, and the gift of righteousness so we can have the power to live a godly life, not to excuse us from godly living.

Extrapolation is the process of ultimate reconciliation. It starts with some basic truths. First, it capitalizes on God’s unconditional love. It couples that with the fact (and it is a fact) that Jesus died for the sins of the entire world, not for the few. Add this with some humanistic logic that exalts man and his needs above God and His plan, and you have a recipe for devastating error.

Jesus died for the sins of the world, not just for those who would believe and receive, but also for those who would not. (1 John 2:2) God was proactive and preemptive in His limitless love. Because of Jesus becoming the sin of the world, all men were free from the wrath of God. No man in this life has experienced God’s wrath. The apostle John said in this the propitiation we see the love of God. (1 John 4:9-10) Many people respond to His expression of love with love and trust and many others see it as a free pass for irresponsible living.

Everything God offers us must be received, (lambano) taken hold of, by our trust (faith) in God. (Rom. 1:16) Everything of God is given freely but our personal participation is a choice, thus the idea of free will. The Universalist denies free will and insists that everyone is saved whether they know it or not, whether they want it or not. By lifting a few Scriptures out of context and ignoring dozens more personal responsibility is glossed over as a moot point!

You see, the Universalists, much like the Spirit-filled community, actually miss the ultimate point: Jesus came so we could know, (experience, be intimate) with God. For some, God is just the One we run to when we have needs. We really have no desire to know Him or His ways; we simply want His benefits. It may be this corrupt version of Christianity that creates such a breeding ground for an impersonal faith!

Extrapolation is based on a logic that creates non-existent formulas. “This equals that.” When questioned about the basis of their process of reasoning it usually comes back to, “That’s what I believe.” or, “That’s how I see it.” It doesn’t matter how we see it if it’s not supported by the truth of God’s Word. We are called to cast down vain imaginations and reasoning that exalt themselves against the knowledge of God. (2 Cor. 10:4-5) This process is called subjective reasoning. A reasoning that is based on how it makes you feel regardless of all the other facts. Subjective reasoning places “me” at the center of the equation. I fall prey to the original temptation to be as God and choose good and evil from my own judgments.

One of the well known modern day proponents of Universalism is Carlton Pearson. I met personally with Carlton when he first made his exit from the faith. According to our discussion his subjective reasoning seemed to peek when he held his newborn baby in his arms and said, “I would never send my child to Hell if he did something wrong.” That very statement and the doctrine that Carlton had been preaching made it clear he already had error in his theology. But even if God would do such a thing, who are we to say to the Potter, “You can’t do it that way.”

The Universalists are basically taking a stand that they are more righteous, more compassionate, and more merciful than God. They, too, have exalted themselves above God by exalting their own logic and condemning His! It’s in this very attitude that we may see the real root of the problem. We are called to surrender to Jesus as Lord. We are compelled to renew our minds and put on the mind of Christ. It seems that too many seek Jesus as Savior but not as Teacher and Lord.

Failure to cling to Jesus as Lord of our logic leads us down destructive, unfulfilling paths. In the absence of a meaningful relationship we search for knowledge to give what is missing in our heart. Maybe it is, in fact, the lack of an intimate relationship with God that spills over into an incredible sense of lack and insecurity that spurs the desperate search for something to bring us the peace that only comes through relationship.

It was Mike Williams who introduced or finally convinced Carlton Pearson in the doctrine of Universalism. Mike was a long time friend and associate. He is a man I loved deeply and grieved for as he made his departure from the faith. Mike came from a life of homosexuality and at the time he turned to Ultimate Reconciliation he had fallen back into an immoral lifestyle. As his life degenerated his message grew more and more compromising.

As someone close to Mike said, “You always know what Mike is going through, he always preaches his life.” And that’s true; Mike’s doctrine changed every time his life changed. When he couldn’t get grace to work in his life he simply changed his doctrine of grace. Like many, he developed circumstance theology that justified his own life. This is a common tendency among those who lean toward permissive doctrine. They need a “revelation” that justifies their failing life!

In an interview with Allen Speegle we discussed why grace preachers would be susceptible to the doctrine of Ultimate Reconciliation. It is my observation that there are three primary reasons for this. First, most grace preachers simply embrace grace as a doctrine, not as a means to a more powerful life. This, of course, means they are not experiencing grace. Grace is God’s power to live in righteousness, to live as it really should be. The doctrine is a sad replacement for the reality!

The power of grace is experienced to support the belief of faith righteousness. Faith righteousness began by Jesus obtaining righteousness by His faith; it is brought to fruition by us experiencing that righteousness by faith. As Romans 1:17 says, it is revealed from faith to faith. If Jesus’ righteousness is received by faith, then righteousness has to be the object of our faith.

This brings another basic theological flaw to the forefront. The primary reason for receiving Jesus as Savior and Lord is not just to save us from the penalty of our sin but to save us from the power of sin. We are set free from the power of sin to live a righteous life. It’s in righteousness that we enjoy life as it was meant to be. When we forget the destruction of sin in our lives, we forget why we came to Jesus.

Then, the second reason grace preachers may succumb to this error is that our life often facilitates the need for self-justification. When preachers don’t reach the lost, when they don’t make their churches relevant, when they are seeking to build a ministry before building people, they need a doctrine that justifies the departure from New Testament goals and agendas. You see, it’s not the erroneous doctrine that leads to the compromised ministry and life. No! It’s the compromised life that needs a doctrine to justify itself!

The third reason is all too common. People who are not experiencing the grace of God, those who do not believe the Gospel of Peace in a way that leads to an intimate love life with God, tend to miss the point. In the absence of a life experience they think it’s the new revelation that gets people excited about their ministry. They fail to realize the excitement isn’t in the message; it’s in the power of the message. In their shallow insecurity they think they need to be ever finding new revelation to preach to people with itching ears. (2 Tim. 4:3) The preacher who is trying to impress will always end up in error!

The church desperately needs the message of grace, peace, and faith righteousness. But we need to live and model this message through our life, our character, and our commitment to the true cause of Christ. It’s those who misuse and misapply these cornerstone truths that give the legalists the opportunity to decry the message.

One of the greatest ways you can tell that grace, peace, and faith righteousness are no more than a message is when the life doesn’t change. Ultimate reconciliation misses the point that we have a predestined purpose to be transformed into the likeness of Jesus. (Rom. 8:29) That is our destiny. Being delivered from wrath and being unconditionally loved doesn’t equate salvation and righteousness by faith; it does, however, facilitate the opportunity. In the absence of fear and in the presence of love we can come unafraid. When we know everything God does is for our good we have every reason to trust and follow Him. If we continue in the same sins as before we knew Jesus, they accomplish the same destruction. That destruction is not the product of God’s wrath; it’s the fruit of sin.

In my meeting with Carlton Pearson and in discussions with Mike Williams and many others who began to follow this erroneous path, I asked the question, “Do you not believe there is any benefit to living a godly life? Do you not see the destruction of sin? If so, then why is the focus of your message the permissiveness of sin?” Paul, Peter, James, and John all echoed these sentiments in various terminologies: flee every type of sin, don’t yield to the flesh, don’t use your freedom as an excuse for sin, and don’t suffer for unrighteousness. The message is clear: sin still kills. While the beginning of Ultimate Reconciliation is not a blanket invitation to a reckless life, in the end that is the fruit.

Churches that embrace even the slightest hint of this doctrine lose sight of biblical agendas and ultimately their purpose. The need for relevancy evaporates. The passion to win the lost becomes needless. The value for the most basic ministry needs disappear with the idea that all men are ultimately going to Heaven so what’s the urgency?

We live in a day when people need God’s power working in them more than ever! The need for Spirit-empowered grace to take us to a life beyond our strength is imminent. We may be in what the Bible calls the “beginning of sorrows”; but whether we are or not, be assured we are living in difficult times, the likes of which the world has never seen. Our nation is disturbingly close to facing the horrors others nations have faced for generations. The church in America isn’t ready! We are poised for a great falling away! The only cure is a Gospel that works which will require leaders that experience it.

Fresh new revelation doesn’t come because we discover what has never been seen. Revelation is when we look at a truth in a new way, a way that empowers us to live in victory. People don’t need their lives complicated by a lot of new doctrines; they need to know how to get these doctrines we have to work. People need to be led into a relationship with Jesus. They need mentors and models. They don’t need to hear a message of grace; they need to see a lifestyle of grace.

This righteousness of God is by faith from first to last. Jesus obtained it by faith; we take hold of it by faith; and it empowers our life by faith. Inspire people to a better life than they ever imagined – a life of knowing and experiencing God’s love, grace, and righteousness.

Blog by Jim Richards after a conversation with Allen Speegle. Taken from www.fambible.org

Nothing can separate you from me.  I’ve declared it… I’ve said it…Only sin consciousness keeps you in bondage. Cast down that high imagination, you see, for it is only an imagination  because it doesn’t come from me…I’ve only given you victory, deliverance, blessings, peace, joy and love. Bask in that love, understand that nothing in your past counts for anything with me, for you are my son’s and daughters and I do love you.  Ahh,… the joy of being a father and grandfather and a great grandfather and a great great grandfather. I have that joy you see because I see generations coming unto me…generations you see. And I look forward to the day we all gather together in one place and I get to enjoy you and you get to enjoy me. For you are my Sons and Daughters and I truly,… truly,… truly do love you.

(Word given by the Holy Spirit through Joe Bunch– Sunday Morning 2010)

God’s vision includes us. Prayer helps us to know and embrace that vision. It is not unusual to hear people talk about how busy their lives have become, welcome to planet earth. Jesus warned that this would be a ploy of the enemy to distract us from what is really important. Some of the early church fathers can help us rethink these priorities. Martin Luther was a man of vision yet he recognized his own inability to accomplish it without prayer. The Bible says, “Where there is no vision, the people perish” (Proverbs 29:18). Vision causes us to focus on our priorities and stay on track. If we allow God to establish these priorities, they will have eternal value.

*”John Wesley averages three sermons a day for 54 years, preaching more that 44,000 times altogether. To do this he traveled by horseback and carriage more than 200,000 miles, or about 5,000 miles a year. At the age of 83, he was upset to discover that he could not write more than 15 hours a day without hurting his eyes. At age 86, he was ashamed to admit that he could not preach more than twice a day and he was angry that he would sleep until 5am. At the age of 88, he was still traveling on horseback and preaching.”

What keeps a person alive and moving forward past the age most have stopped? It is the power of a God-given vision that gives purpose and meaning to living. Colonel Sanders discovered, “finger lickin’ good” chicken at 70 years of age. 

Ray Kroc introduced the world to the Big Mac at the age of 70. Picasso was still painting at 88. George Washington Carver became the head of the Agriculture Department at 81 and Thomas Edison invented the mimeograph machine at 85.

Some of our goals may seem small compared to these mighty visionaries. But, the purpose isn’t to become driven by performance, but alive with purpose. Titus 3:8 tells believers to be careful to maintain good works. Good works are filled with purpose, passion and love for the Lord. They are motivated by and birthed from love. Dead works are those we do in an effort to win God’s favor. His favor is a free gift. He has already given us His approval in Christ Jesus! The difference in good or dead works is the motive behind them.

What makes Grace Fellowship different from other churches, even charismatic? It is this message of faith, grace, peace and the finished work of the cross.

Matthew 5:1-2 “When Jesus saw his ministry drawing huge crowds, he climbed a hillside. Those who were apprenticed to him, the committed, climbed with him. Arriving at a quiet place, he sat down and taught his climbing companions… (The Message)

No one accomplishes a vision alone, not even Jesus. He was able to draw huge crowds with the help of His climbing companions. They were apprenticed, committed and teachable. Greater crowds were drawn after Jesus’ ascension than during His lifetime, but why? They owned His vision. A hand full of men empowered by the Holy Spirit and Jesus’ vision changed the course of the world forever. The only one who didn’t have the vision betrayed Jesus and then hung himself. A vision causes ordinary folks to do extraordinary things, but without it people perish.

Have negative circumstances robbed you of your God-given vision in 2009? You don’t have to stay there. The Lord has not lost the recipe for filling us with the Holy Spirit. Our prayer should be, Lord rejuvenate us again in 2010 and make Your vision alive in me!

*Excerpt taken from Be All You Can Be by: John C. Maxwell

A few years ago, there was an article in Christianity Today entitled, “Christmas Grinches.”  These are the thieves that have come to steal our peace and joy.  The article reads, “Things can go terribly wrong with Christmas so I want to warn you about some of them.  It would be a shame for your Christmas to be ruined.  You have heard of the Grinch, you know the Grinch that stole Christmas.  Well there isn’t just one.  There is a whole tribe of Grinches.  I want to tell you about a few of them and how to keep them from stealing your Christmas peace and joy.  There are different Grinches like the secular Grinch, the time pressure Grinch, and the financial Grinch.”

If we are going to experience peace and joy, we must understand our source of it.  Joy comes from experiencing peace.  The world has defined peace as the absence of conflicts but this is not how Jesus defined it.  Jesus said, “Do not think that I came to bring peace on earth. I did not come to bring peace but a sword.” (Matt. 10:34)  God is our source of real peace.  Not the absence of conflicts, but knowing the “Prince of Peace.” (Isa.9:6)  If peace is not the absence of conflicts, then what is it?  It is the fact that the war between man and God is over.  God was not at war with man, but mankind, in an effort to be self-governed, was at war with God.  God’s wrath on behalf of sin has been satisfied in Christ. 

The outward acts of sin are merely the fruit of the inward nature. This inward nature of sin is changed by receiving Jesus as our deliverer.God is a covenant keeping God.  He is not fickle, or moody.  He does not wake up on the wrong side of the bed.  He is our solid, stable, unfailing and unchanging Father.  He is not angry or mad with mankind. The problem of sin has been handled on our behalf because Jesus cut a covenant of peace for us. (Isa.54:9-10)

The thought of someone being mad or angry creates stress.  Many live in constant fear that God is angry or mad with them.  I remember feeling this way towards our sergeant at the Army Navy Marine School of Music in Norfolk VA.  I watched him chew out many men during inspections for not measuring up to his standards.  Each soldier was supposed to remove the lacquer from their brass in basic training many months earlier.  The lacquer made the brass shine as long as it didn’t get scratched or turn yellow.  During an inspection he snapped in front of me in military style coming face to face.  Almost instantly he bellowed, “Hamilton is that lacquer on your brass?”  Should I lie saying “No sergeant”?  Images of him chewing out other soldiers rushed through my head.  There wasn’t any getting around it.  I was clearly guilty and caught.   I had to do what was right and take my medicine.  So, I responded “Yes sergeant!”  Prepared to receive a verbal tongue lashing of profanity, I braced myself for the worst!  To my utter astonishment, I was not at all prepared for what followed.  He snapped to the next man saying calmly, “Have it off by the next formation.”  I am certain he already knew the answer to his question and wanted to know how I would respond.  My refusal to lie and willingness to take the heat “saved my bacon” so to speak!  I gladly obeyed his command to remove the lacquer.  Not because he was angry but because he showed mercy.

Jesus, the Prince of Peace, took the heat for our sin upon Himself.  God is not mad, angry or disappointed with us, but why?  It is because Jesus our Prince of Peace cut a covenant of peace with God for us.

Romans 5: “¹Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.”

Luke 2: ¹⁰Then the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which will be to all people. ¹¹For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. ¹²And this will be the sign to you: You will find a Babe wrapped in swaddling cloths, lying in a manger.”¹³And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying: ¹⁴“Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, goodwill toward men!”

The day I asked Jesus into my heart at the age of 9, I remember gripping the back of the pew in resistance to the Spirit’s urging. It was uncomfortable but I knew there was a tug on my heart to yield my life to Him. Many who have come to Christ can testify of similar experiences. Yet, in our churches today there seems to be a trend to make people so comfortable that I wonder if we aren’t missing the voice of the Lord. Someone once said,”God loves us just the way we are but He loves us too much to leave us that way.” We shouldn’t purpose to make folks intentionally uncomfortable but the exaggerated emphasis on comfort can quickly become an idol if we aren’t careful.

How many times have people said to a pastor, “I have a guest coming to church, please preach a good one today or let’s don’t do anything to make them uncomfortable”? Where does trusting God come in? Who but God knows what is working in that person’s heart? Wouldn’t it be better to be left uncomfortable than to be untouched and unchanged? Trouble occurs when we want to do the Holy Spirit’s job for Him, rather than simply be used by Him. In the light of this, I have never understood why there is so much controversy over the doctrine of the Holy Spirit.

At the conference center, Campamento Rio Haranjo, I taught three more times on the Holy Spirit and the Gifts. After the sessions, there was sweet worship and Q&A time. I was surprised at their well thought out questions and the comfort level at which they seemed to express themselves. After lunch and between breaks, they came over and continued to ask many wonderful questions through Eunice who interpreted. Their hunger to know more about God was refreshing. Then, I asked Pastor Rodriguez what he would like me to share in my last lesson. He said, “Your testimony is very similar to mine, coming from a denominational church, could you share it and how it affected your ministry?” I laughed and agreed to the task “but you must know it ruined my plans for ministry. It became a total walk of faith that took me away from the denomination I so dearly loved.” After sharing with the pastors, there seemed to be a river of compassion flowing from the Holy Spirit to us.

Some days later, we were in Pastor Juan’s home. (Pastor Juan sponsored us being there and introduced us to Pastor Rodriguez, the president of the Association of Bible Churches.) When you walk into Pastor Juan’s front door you can see straight through to the back door. The doors are left open to allow a breeze to flow through. In the kitchen is a wood burning stove where they cook meals and make coffee. One of his members may walk in the back door just to say hello. It is not unusual for him and his family to sit, talk and laugh together.

The interpreters, David and Eunice, were laughing and talking to Pastor Juan as we drank coffee. I heard him say something like “El Pastor Felipe.” I didn’t have to know the language to understand that he had said something about me. So, I asked, “what did he say?” They said he was just laughing about your hearing Pastor Adolfo worshiping God in English and said you will be speaking Spanish next. As they continued talking they said, “Wait a minute, pastor he’s serious! Pastor Juan said when you had finished preaching he heard your praying by yourself. You were speaking Spanish but it wasn’t formal Spanish, but in our dialect. It was like country or Costa Rican Spanish.” “What was I saying?”, I asked. He responded, “You were just magnifying the Lord and thanking Him that He allowed you to be here with these people.”

What is the lesson I am learning? It is to be less consumed with wondering why Christians fight over such clear  truths and simply enjoy what He is doing in me! My mind often struggles with why believers would dare compromise such a beautiful supernatural experience of love given by the Father. Instead of asking why should I pray like that shouldn’t it be why not? Most people who have asked me what good is praying in the Spirit have never trusted God enough to go to His Word to find out. It is not a badge of maturity or spirituality. It is simply a language of love given by our heavenly Father to be enjoyed and to help us when we pray.

So what does this have to do with Costa Rica? On October 10th-18th, we went on a special mission’s trip to Costa Rica to teach pastors, among many other things. Our assignment included teaching on the Holy Spirit and the Gifts. Pastor Luis Rodriguez, the President of the Association of Bible Churches, had requested this topic. As a non-Charismatic/Pentecostal denomination, he wanted them to be given the opportunity to learn more about the infilling of the Holy Spirit with Gifts. This is one of my favorite subjects so I was given the task of teaching it.

The conference began on Monday morning, but we were invited to bring the Sunday morning service too. Many of the pastors arrived early and Pastor Adolfo was in charge of the morning meeting. This was held at their conference center- Campamento Rio Naranjo. It is a beautiful center with rolling mountains and green fields all around. There are no air conditioners but lots of open windows and ceiling spaces to let the air flow through. I taught on “Let the River Flow” from Ezekiel. It is about the river that flowed from the throne of God hitting the earth on the day of Pentecost. They were filled with the Holy Spirit and spoke with other tongues as the Spirit gave them utterance.

At the end of the message, we prayed for the needs of the people. Dexter, our associate pastor, prayed while Maria translated for him. (Maria is a great organizer and these trips would not be possible without her and Dexter’s hard work!) Eunice, a worship leader from “Oasis de Bendicion” in Augusta, GA., interpreted for me as we prayed. Eunice can sing the horns off a Billy goat. Worship is not an option for her! She enjoys moving in the Spirit and praying for people’s needs. She became so involved in praying for others that I was left alone. So, I just worshipped the Lord prayerfully to the side. Pastor Adolfo stood up to bring the meeting to a close so we could go to lunch. Since Hispanic people are very expressive and vocal in their worship, it is difficult to know exactly what is going on when you don’t speak the language.

Pastor Adolfo was singing to himself before the Lord with his hands slightly lifted and since I didn’t know the language, I could not tell if he were praying in Spanish or praying in tongues. I was about 12 feet in front of him as he stood on the stage. With my head bowed to the floor I heard these words in a singing fashion, “I will never leave you.” I thought, that sounds like English, but Dexter was nowhere around. Again Pastor Adolfo simply sang, “I will never leave you.” By now, I was looking right at him. A third time I heard him sing in clear English with my eyes firmly fixed, “I will never leave you.” My first thought was – does he speak English? He took us to lunch so I seized the opportunity to have Maria ask Pastor Adolfo, “Are you filled with the Holy Spirit and do you pray in tongues?” There was some hesitancy on our part because these pastors didn’t all practice this belief. Pastor Adolfo responded, “Si!” We continued, “Do you know how to speak any English?” No, was his response. “But Pastor Adolfo”, Maria explained, “the American pastor just heard you worshiping God in English!” Maria told him what he had said, “I will never leave you.”

I am not a sensationalist and neither is Pastor Adolfo. I have no interest in fabricating signs and wonders. God does very well without my help, thank you very much! While, I have heard of this phenomenon among many respected friends and ministers, it had never happened to me. Doubters will always explain it away in their minds. God is best understood from the Word and a recreated heart and not from fallen human logic. It was a sweet word from the Lord reminding me of a simple truth He has been working in me for sometime, “He will never leave us.”

In John 14:17-18, Jesus promised to give us the Holy Spirit whom the world could not receive! In verse 18, Jesus promises that He will not leave us as orphans! In Hebrews 16:5, He promises to never leave or forsake us. In Psalm 46:1, God revealed Himself as Jehovah-Shammah or “Jehovah is present.”

If the Lord had asked me, do you believe I will never leave you? I would have responded, of course I do Lord! I know it doctrinally in my head but what about emotionally? Sometime ago the Lord began to deal with me about knowing this in my heart. I wanted to argue, but Lord I know this! Gradually, lovingly and kindly, He opened this area of my life up as I prayed in the Spirit. “I want you to know Me as the One who will never leave you!” One of the benefits of praying in the Spirit is we do not know how to pray as we ought. But, the Holy Spirit knows how to pray through us. I wish I could report to you that the lesson has been learned well, but I have a feeling it is ongoing.

The Christian life is a journey and the Holy Spirit sweetly teaches and woos us if we are open to Him. It may not be learned in one setting but He continues to encourage us to write it upon our heart! Trust Me! Trust Me- for, “I will never leave you! I will never leave you! I will never leave you!”

At her grave side, we couldn’t help but laugh under our breaths, as the pastor told the story of how Grandmother would simply bake a pie for someone who offended her. No doubt, a story she told many times to him while he was visiting her! I’m sure she did bake the pie. But, this usually came after a long string of verbal and emotional antics. Was the pie really a peace offering or was it gratuity for guilt? Only heaven knows!

In all her humanness she is the one who led me to trust Christ as my savior. I never doubted Grandmother’s love for me and for this I am grateful.

While visiting her in the hospital, it didn’t appear that she would be with us much longer. Her pastor, my brother, and I were walking down the hall talking about her going home to be with the Lord. We agreed to pray and the pastor said something like, “Let’s just agree whether she lives or whether she dies that the will of the Lord be done.” My first thought was if we are willing to accept whatever happens to her as the will of the Lord, why bother praying?

Many think that whatever happens to us can only happen because it is God’s will. This relieves them of any personal responsibility while blaming God for everything that happens. It is a kind of circumstance theology.

I read where a very popular minister said he knew it wasn’t God’s will to heal his wife of cancer because they prayed and she wasn’t healed. Therefore, it wasn’t God’s will to heal her! The outcome of her circumstances determined his beliefs. Wouldn’t it be better to simply admit that I don’t know why she is sick? To blame God, when He is not guilty, is to impinge upon His character. We live in a fallen world, in a fallen place that is imperfect. Things happen that aren’t the will of God. Someone once said, “Heaven is the only place where God’s will is always done. Hell is the only place God’s will is never done. And, on the earth sometimes His will is done and sometimes it is not.” Are we afraid of losing our faith because we don’t have all the answers?

In Luke 13:16, Jesus said Satan had bound this woman with sickness for eighteen years. In Acts 10:38, sickness is referred to as an oppression of the devil. In contrast, some have even said, “Satan is an unwilling puppet in the hand of God to do His evil bidding because God is too good to do it Himself. The enemy can’t do anything to us without it passing through the all-seeing eyes of God. While God may not do evil, He allows it.” This is not what Jesus said!

While we fight over semantics, the end result is the same. If George hires a hit man to kill me because he doesn’t want to do it himself- doesn’t that make George a murderer also? Jesus said the thief comes to steal, kill and destroy- not God.

1 Timothy 2:4 (CEV) says, “God wants everyone to be saved and to know the whole truth.”

In Job 38:2, God rebukes Job for daring to open his mouth without knowledge and speaking when he did not understand what was going on. In other words, he didn’t know what he was talking about. Yet, many want to quote this man’s ignorance when it comes to the Father.

No, God is a good God. Goodness and love are His nature. I would rather be accused of believing He is just too good than to be accused of having slandered His character and misrepresent Him in this way.

Many of us inwardly long for the simpler days of Mr. Rogers. It provided a few precious moments of relief for moms while the kids were entertained.

The church is challenged to discover what it means to be and invite others to be my neighbor.

Winston Churchill said, “We make a living by what we get, but we make a life by what we give.” A psychologist, on an ETV special, suggested that the quality of our lives would greatly improve if we would focus on a few important things. Rather, we dissipate much of our mental energy on multitasking. We should go for quality rather than quantity. Too often times believers, living in their own world, cry out desperately “please be a neighbor to me, I need a friend.” God teaches us that we become friends by giving of ourselves not by getting others to be a friend to us.

Proverbs 18:24 says, “A man who has friends must himself be friendly…” Many times I have listened to someone say, “I just can’t seem to make friends with people.” I once told a dear saint who blamed the church for her lack of friends, “My sister, if you want friends you must put on a ‘yes’ face. Your body language appears to be angry.” With tears in her eyes, she said, “I have been told that before.” She found it easier to leave than to confront her own insecurities with the Word of God. Ralph Waldo Emerson had it right when he said,”The only way to have a friend is to be one.”

What do our friends say about us? Someone once said, “When you know who his friend is, you know who he is.”

1 Corinthians 15:33 “Do not be so deceived and misled! Evil companionships (communion, associations) corrupt and deprave good manners and morals and character.” (Amplified)

The opposite is true too. When we become a strong friend to those in the world, bringing them into the church, it will have positive affect upon them. We should be examples of what true friendship looks like. Many believers would rather stay in the security of their creative avoidance than to make outsiders feel the atmosphere of loving acceptance. Aren’t you glad Jesus didn’t give up on you after the rejection of His first attempt to win your heart?

Our main source of friends should be believers who positively encourage us to reach beyond our circle of friends to expand its borders with new friends. In this environment we find safety.

Romans 15:7 “Honor God by accepting each other, as Christ has accepted you.” (CEV)

Billy Graham said, “Imitating Christ is opening the door to friendship.”

Mr. Rogers said, “Won’t you please? Please won’t you be my neighbor?”

Ralph Waldo Emerson said, “The only way to have a friend is to be one.” Dale Carnegie put it like this, “You can make more friends in two months by becoming more interested in other people than you can in two years by trying to get people interested in you.”

Annie was a rather large unattractive girl. She regularly attended youth functions and Bible studies. The youth director introduced a situational learning game called, *”The Lifeboat.”

The high school kids were instructed to form their chairs to resemble the seating on a lifeboat. They were told “you twelve are the only survivors of a shipwreck.” Once on board the boat, you discover there is seating and provisions for only eleven people. Twelve will capsize the boat, leaving you all to drown. You must decide what to do.

After a moment they decided that one member must be sacrificed, but whom? Who would be left to drown? The strongest athletic boys would be needed to row the boat. Of course, the boys would not let any of the pretty girls become shark food! After going through each member they were all too smart, talented or too popular to sacrifice except Annie. Annie may not have been attractive but, she wasn’t dumb. So, she blurted out, “I’ll jump!”

The group protested “No, no Annie.” But, when pressed they could not give one good reason why she should not jump. So, they remained silent.

Time for the game ran out and when asked they could not give the youth director a conclusion. He went on and taught a lesson using the example of the lifeboat. But, Annie had already learned her lesson.

The next day, Annie jumped. Her “friends” in the youth group were baffled and deeply saddened by her suicide. Her youth group had affirmed her worst fears about herself. She was truly of no value. She had so much to live for. But, they just couldn’t think of what is was!

Who is included in your circle of friends?

It is only natural to include those we are comfortable with having compatible temperaments. The challenge of having a true BFF has become more difficult in today’s computerized, fast-paced world.

This presents a unique opportunity for the church. Jesus did not come to found a religion but that we might have a relationship with the heavenly Father. He told His disciples, I no longer call you servants, but friends (BFF)!

The very idea of a deep lasting relationship is becoming foreign to us. Divorce rates, even among believers, have soared up to 52 - 53%. My prediction is that the gap between impersonal encounters and truly lasting meaningful relationships will grow even larger. As we learn how much the Father loves us, it becomes safe to love others, even when they are not in our circle of friends. In fact, the church must make it their goal to expand their circle of friends to include people we may not naturally feel comfortable with. Jesus was a friend to sinners. This means they felt comfortable to sit and ask questions.

At Grace Fellowship, one of our goals is to produce an atmosphere of acceptance. A Biblical philosophy of “inclusion” is imperative in accomplishing this. Believers can’t afford the luxury of “exclusion” and expect to impact the world for Christ. Inclusion demands that one go beyond their comfort zone. It is accepting the challenge of seeing others as they are seen by the Father. In this fast-paced, self-seeking society, it is rare for one to look below the surface to see in a person what Christ sees! Too often we equate a person’s value with their looks, popularity, possessions or abilities. God sees each person as valuable and precious apart from their social status and performance.

Caring enough to become my brother’s keeper is risky. Remaining passive, in fear of rejection, while a brother or sister hurts is an unacceptable expression of Christ’s love. I may not be able to fix it, but I can care enough to ask questions and offer myself as a friend. Admittedly, caring enough to gravitate toward someone I may not be naturally attracted to is uncomfortable. It is not for the faint hearted and demands caring enough to be self-sacrificing and proactive.

For the disciple of Christ, the Annies of this world are valuable and precious too.

Is there room in your circle of friends to include Annie? Who can become your BFF?

*The story “The Lifeboat” was provided by Youth Specialties.