It seems to me that much of the news these days is about gender and race issues - Blacks, Muslims, Indigenous, homosexuals, males self-identifying as females, or males and females proclaiming they have no gender at all, and so on. Laws are being passed to accommodate the whining from all these self-conscious identifications for acceptance and privilege from the rest of the community. As usual we are seeking to meet symptoms but are not healing causes. Personally I do not think causes can be addressed in this rebellious and self-focused, God hating society we have today. We are beyond that now except for the few individuals that God will call out of this despair. Society today will have nothing to do with causes which point to sin and the need for repentance and submission to the Lord Jesus Christ. And so our society and its leaders go on serving evil and the Evil One as faithful servants of destruction.
Regarding the focus on gender and race mentioned above, I think the issue is about a search for identity, value and meaning. We all need to know who we are, that we are valued, and that we have a purpose in life. For the Christian all of these needs are clearly addressed if we will listen to the Bible and know our place in Christ. Jesus himself knew who he was, that he was loved by the Father and why he came to earth. "This is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased" and "I must be about my Father's business." and "I came to seek and to save what was lost".
The quest today for identity, value and meaning is focused on self and not focused on God. No one can find themselves until they find their Creator and Father in Jesus Christ. Our full identity is more than gender, race, temperament, gifting, abilities, family, culture, social status and work. These take on their proper place when we know ourselves in Christ. To search for our identity in these things or anything else apart from God leads to frustration and confusion at best and to moral abandonment, radicalism, and perversion at its worst. God has already pronounced that any search for identity that is not based on seeking Him leads to an abandonment to ourselves with devastating results. (Romans 1).
Believer, my plea is that you will deepen in your understanding of who you are in Christ, of your Father's unconditional love for you, and in your purpose as a believer in Christ. May you analyze this world through Biblical glasses and live in accordance with this enlightened vision. Believer, as I wrote last week, live as the alien you are in Christ and do not try to assimilate with this perishing world. Persecution, marginalization, and mocking are guaranteed along with the promise of eternal life.
I enjoy listening to the songs of the '70s. I especially relate to those songs that speak of a yearning for love, lost love and the pain of emptiness when that love is missing. They resonate with my own heart these days as I deeply yearn for my heavenly home and the fullness of God's love and my complete redemption from sin and this sinful world. But that fullness must await God's time.
In a conversation last week the word alien came up and I have been thinking of it since that day. Peter says, "Beloved, I urge you as sojourners and exiles to abstain from the passions of the flesh, which wage war against your soul." (1 Peter 2.11) And Paul writes, "So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God...". (Ephesians 2.19) I am a citizen of heaven and with each passing day this world becomes more alien to me and I feel more like an alien in it. As I look at this world's vain ideas and aimless goals, its degenerating morality and mindless entertainments, its seeking to fix man and ecology with more money and education to the point of bankruptcy with no success possible, its whining of victimism and entitlement, its narcissism and self-focused consumption, I know I am an alien to this world and it makes my heart deeply long for home.
Lord Jesus, help me to take the grace you provide to live another day through this empty and broken alien world knowing that my citizenship is in heaven, until that day when I am called to enter into your presence forever more.
Our Father longs in his heart to bring more people into his kingdom and so for that purpose and to encourage those who belong to the Father I remain until God calls me home and my heart is fully satisfied in the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. See Philippians 1.21-26
I pray that being an alien in this world may be more to you than a fact you know and say you believe, but a transforming heart reality in your life.
Thank you for your encouragement, support and prayers for my trip to the Philippines. This trip was both a growing experience for me and for the 48 Pastors/Evangelists we had in our classes. One word that often comes to mind during these trips and comes to mind again this morning is the Greek word koinonia which is often translated as fellowship in the New Testament. Koinonia does not only mean fellowship in the sense of sharing together but embodies the concept of partnership together in a common enterprise. 2 Corinthians 8.4 is one example, "begging us earnestly for the favor of taking part in (koinonia) the relief of the saints..."ESV. I thank God for your fellowship, your taking part in, the Gospel in the Philippines through this trip and through your ongoing prayers for this spiritually needy country.
My recovery from jet-lag and a 12 hour time change seems to have happened quickly this time. All my airplane connections went well. Flights arrived and departed on time or early. The team enjoyed physical and mental health and unity during our week together and safety was not an issue in spite of the conflict in Manawi between the military and Muslim rebels.
Here is a picture of our team. Weymann seated far left is our team leader, I am beside him, and then Pat. The fourth team member was Larry in the red shirt and on each side of Larry is Pastor Levi our host and his son his assistant pastor and our worship leader for the week.
These students have three more courses to complete over the next year for graduation, John, Galatians and 2 Timothy. Lord willing I would like to go back next year and teach 2 Timothy and then attend the graduation. We will see.
Many of our students came from far away for this week of study. Here is the "Jeepnee" that dropped a number of the students off as they made their way home.
Merlene, a lady in my class traveled in the back of pastor Levi's pick up in the heat of the day for 1 1/2 hours when he drove us to the airport and then had a 5 hour bus ride home to her village ready to preach in the morning. May God raise up more men to follow in Merlene's footsteps.
Thank you again for giving me this great privilege to represent you in the Philippines in the name of Jesus Christ our Lord.
