The Christian Atheist #8: Closest Christian vs. Jesus Freak

When Jesus was asked what the greatest commandment is, He replied, “You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength” (Mark 12:30 NASB).

This past month, quite possibly the greatest evangelist who ever lived, Billy Graham, passed away. In spite of Billy’s passing, his incredible legacy lives on. He was a man who perfectly embodied what Jesus said above. He loved God with all of his heart, soul, mind, and strength. One Scottish minister made the following observation about Graham: "My first impression of the man at close quarters was not of his good looks but of his goodness; not of his extraordinary range of commitments, but of his own 'committedness' to his Lord and Master. To be with him even for a short time is to get a sense of a single-minded man; it shames one and shakes one as no amount of ability and cleverness can do.”

Therefore, Billy’s life has brought me to a period of self-reflection. Am I wholeheartedly committed to Christ? While I may not have the giftedness that Billy Graham had, am I using my God given talents and abilities for the sake of Christ and His kingdom? What legacy am I leaving behind? How will God respond to me, when it is my turn to see Him face to face? Are the things that I am living for here and now make sense in light of eternity?

If a person is wholeheartedly living for the Lord, the answer to all of these questions will be positive. However, there are a lot of us who claim to be Christians, yet could it really be said of us that we love God who all our heart, soul, mind, and strength? To love God in such a manner as Jesus commands, and as Billy Graham embodied requires a deep focus and commitment. It is the picture of a person who is regularly denies themselves of anything that could hinder following the Lord. Yes, this would include things that are sinful, and it would include things that are not necessarily sinful, yet they distract us from following the Lord wholeheartedly. To follow the Lord with that sort of intensity will make a person look like a fanatic, or a Jesus freak. And that is exactly the sort of life that God is calling us to (Luke 9:23-26). 

God is calling us to be radical for Him, for He was radical for us. He sent His Son to earth to live as a poor man when He was and is the King of the Universe. He lived completely sold out for God and His purpose. He was rejected by many of those whom He came to save. And He died a death that He did not deserve to die. Now that is radical. All of this, Jesus did so that He could make a way for us to live with Him for eternity. And that way includes loving Him wholeheartedly, with all of our mind, soul and strength. Billy lived this sort of life and I pray that you do to.  So may we recognize who Jesus is, sell out for Him, and live for Him until it is our time to see Him face to face., and hear those words which I’m sure Billy has, “Well done, good and faithful servant...enter into the joy of your Master” (Matt. 25:21).

In His service,

      Matt 

The Christian Atheist #7: The Pursuit of Happiness vs. The Pursuit of God

One of my favorite movies is “The Pursuit of Happiness,” telling the real life story of Chris Gardner. Chris, played by actor Will Smith had a rough upbringing, and seemingly one trial after another. His significant other left him, forcing him to take care of their son by himself. His trials were many as he desperately struggled to make ends meet. Then he learned of a possibility to become a stock broker working for Dean Witter. However, in order to get the job he would have to compete with 19 others in a 6 month unpaid internship. The movie ends with Chris getting the job. Then the captions go on to say that Chris ended up becoming a multi-millionaire and as a result of his hard work, his dreams had become a reality. Most people tend to like stories like that. They are inspiring to us, yet few have the courage to pursue their dreams.

Yet, is this the answer to life, our reason for living - to pursue happiness in wealth, or other earthly pleasures? When one considers the words of a very wise man, arguably the wisest man to live, Solomon, we are left wondering if there is any value in life at all. “I looked at everything done on earth and saw that it is all useless, like chasing the wind” (Ecc. 1:14 NCV). 

Many of us, along with our neighbors, have entered this race, this pursuit of happiness. What have you pursued – Work? Wisdom? Pleasure?  Solomon tried each of these venues, and was financially able to pursue anything he wanted, however, after having achieved all that one could dream of, he came to the conclusion stated earlier: every man made pursuit is meaningless. 

Let’s consider another’s take on the pursuit of happiness.  Believe it or not, Jesus preached an entire sermon about happiness.  You can find it in the book of Matthew, chapters 5-7.  The first portion of Jesus’s sermon is known as the Beatitudes, “Blessed are the poor in spirit...Blessed are those who mourn...Blessed are the pure in heart,” etc. The word blessed in the Greek is the same as the Greek word for happy. Biblical “happiness does not depend on outward circumstances but on the state of the heart” (J.C. Ryle).

So how does one achieve lasting happiness then? It is a matter of the heart. Eventually the wisest person who ever lived, Solomon, came to this conclusion as well. “To the person who pleases Him, God gives wisdom, knowledge and happiness, but to the sinner He gives the task of gathering and storing up wealth to hand it over to the one who pleases God. This too is meaningless, a chasing after the wind” (Ecc. 2:26). Thus, Solomon concluded that one experiences true happiness (blessedness) through pleasing God. 

How does one please God? It starts through having a living and active relationship with Him (Ecc. 12:1). And it continues as we obey Him (Pro. 3:1-4; Ecc. 12:13). All 8 of the Beatitudes that Jesus gave in Matthew chapters 5-7, likewise point to the idea of having lasting happiness as a result of having a living and relationship with Him and obeying God’s commands. Thus, do you want to have God’s blessings upon your life? Do you want to experience lasting happiness regardless of the circumstances that you are experiencing? If you do, then pursue God with all you are and you will find Him, and you will find the life that you were always meant to live from beginning to end. 

In His service,

            Matt 

The Christian Atheist #6: In Money We Trust

“But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well” (Matt. 6:33).

The beginning of a New Year tends to be the time when a lot of us reflect over the past year and make resolutions for the New Year. One of the most common resolutions people tend to make pertains to money: whether getting out of debt, making better financial decisions, or just seeking to make more money. Did you know that the Bible has a lot to say about financial matters? In fact, the Bible talks more about money and possessions than heaven and hell combined. Now, by this point in time, some of you are probably thinking, “Yup, all the church wants is your money.” However, this is not the case at all!  The Bible emphasizes it so much simply because the Lord knows that nothing will lead us away from Him more than what we do with our money, “For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also” (Matt. 6:21).

Therefore, where is your heart? Do you sincerely trust God? Or do you trust the money God has entrusted you with (Ps. 24:1)? God promises to take care of our needs when we trust in Him, seeking His kingdom and righteousness before we concern ourselves with our needs. When a person receives Christ as their personal Lord and Savior they are trusting Him with their eternal destiny. Yet herein lies the oxymoron: for many who claim to be Christians do not trust God with what is temporary - the money that God has entrusted them with. Thus, there are a lot of people who claim to trust in God but, in reality, they trust their money instead.

So how does one know if this is the case in their own life or not? Chris Galanos shares 5 clues that a person is trusting in money instead of God. First, you consistently argue with your spouse about money. Second, you consistently neglect your family to get more money. Third, you have trouble giving it away. So when you see a need, and feel God prompting you to give—you struggle to do it. Why? Because it means less for you. Fourth, you consistently spend more than you make. The Bible commands us to owe nothing to anyone except your obligation to love one another (Rom. 13:8). And fifth, when you lose it, you panic. The Lord commands us not to worry about our financial needs, for He promises to take care of you (Matt. 6:31-34; Phil. 4:19).

John Ortberg said, “A wallet looks like a piece of leather but it’s really the temple of the 21st century...We give this little piece of leather the power to make us feel secure, successful, and valuable. It is very hard for us to surrender control of this little piece of leather. The real issue: who’s in charge? Are you holding it or is it holding you?” (When the Game is Over, It All Goes Back in the Box, p. 197).

Therefore, if you have committed your life to Christ, trusting in God, put your money where your mouth is. Trust that God will take care of you. Spend less than you make, be generous, and rest in His promises of provision to those who seek first His kingdom and righteousness.

In God we trust,

      Matt 

The Christian Atheist #5: He Loves Me; He Loves Me Not

“Jesus loves me this I know for the Bible tells me so; Little ones to Him belong; They are weak, but He is strong. Yes, Jesus loves me! Yes, Jesus loves me! Yes, Jesus loves me! The Bible tells me so.”

Chances are if you have been around the church, you are quite familiar with the old song “Jesus Loves Me.” Most people learned it as kids in Sunday school. However, do we truly believe that Jesus loves us? If I were to ask, ‘how do you think God feels about you?’ Or ‘what do you think that God thinks about you?’ How would you respond? If I were to ask you this question after a rough day at work, how would you respond? Or if I were to ask you about God’s feelings/thoughts concerning you after you just had a fight with your spouse or kids, how would you respond? Or if I were to ask you about what you think God feels towards you after you have committed the same sin that you have continued to struggle with for years, what do you think God’s response would be?

Chances are, you may feel some guilt from your sins and mistakes and wonder how God could love you in moments such as these. Sometimes it seems as if we treat God’s love as a set of scales and that the things we have done right have got to outweigh the things that we have done wrong. Other times, as a result of our own insecurities, having been beat down by the world we question how anyone, including God, could love us. Still other times, when we look at all the suffering we have gone through, and what is going on in the world and begin to doubt God’s love. Thus, it can be easy to believe in God but doubt that He loves us. 

However, nothing could be further from the truth. God chose to display His love for us when we were at our worst. Romans 5:8 says it like this, “But God demonstrates His own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” Just two verses later, Scripture states that our relationship with God was restored when we were His enemies (Rom. 5:10).

And 1 John 4:9-10 NLT states, “God showed how much He loved us by sending His one and only Son into the world so that we might have eternal life through Him. This is real love—not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son as a sacrifice to take away our sins.” God’s love for us is similar to any good parents or grandparents: It is unconditional. There are no prerequisites. We chose to love them before they could ever love us in return. That is exactly how God’s love is for us, yet even greater.

All one needs to do is look in two places and they will see God’s love for them. The first is at a manager some 2,000 plus years ago. And the second is at the cross. Jesus, God in the flesh, came to live a life that we could never live, and died a death that we deserved to die so that we might experience His love for all of eternity. Thus, it is my prayer for you that you may know the love of God that surpasses knowledge that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God (Eph. 3:19).

In His service,

      Matt

The Christian Atheist #4: That’s NOT Fair!

As one who loves kids, for the first 12 years of my married life, my wife and I had only been met with miscarriages when we tried to get pregnant; and even since having our first child, we lost two more. Then I look around and see others who are having kids no problem, and some of them don’t even want them. This is easily seen by the number of kids that are in the foster system and the number of abortions that are performed. It’s like, why God are You allowing people to even have kids who really don’t want them when some people who do can’t have them? Life is not fair!

If you have ever travelled to a third world country or into the slums of a large city, you will find people who are living in object poverty. Yes, some have chosen that lifestyle, but many have not. And as hard as they can, they rarely seem to overcome their struggles for daily existence. Life is not fair! 

We could talk about several other examples of loved ones being ripped from our lives, to hardships that we encountered on account of something that was not our fault. But how do you deal with life when it seems to be so unfair, especially when God could have done something about it but didn’t? I know of many people who have walked away from the Lord on account of that question. I used to think that God was unfair even though I still believed in Him. Maybe you have thought that way too. Then as a result, it is hard to trust Him when we read of His promises to work things out for our good, and that He has a plan not to harm us but to give us hope and a future.

This mindset is not easy to overcome, but there are three things to remember that can help. First, no one deserves good things to happen to them. We are all guilty of sin and deserving of punishment (Rom. 3:23; 6:23). Thus, according to the Bible there is no such thing as “a good person.” And it is because of this reason that Jesus came to die for us, so that we would not have to experience the punishment that we deserve on account of our own sins.

Second, we need to remember that good things happen to bad people. If one looks hard enough, they can always find something to be thankful for. The greatest of these is knowing that one day the suffering and trials of this life will be over with. And just as Jesus was raised from the dead to a perfected state so shall we be when we see Him face to face (1 John 3:2).

Third, we need to remember that God is present in our pain. Jesus, the only One who was and is truly good (Luke 18:19), did not deserve to experience the suffering that He did, but He chose to for our sake. Thus, He sympathizes with us (Heb. 2:18). “Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you” (Heb. 13:5). “The LORD is good, a refuge in times of trouble. He cares for those who trust in Him” (Nah. 1:7). “But those who suffer He delivers in their suffering; He speaks to them in their affliction” (Job 36:15).

Pastor Craig Groschel said, “God is not fair, but He is good. And unlike fairness, there is no wrong side to the goodness equation when it comes to God. When you don’t deserve it, God is good. When you’ve messed up and need forgiveness, God is good. When you’re afraid and lonely, God is good. When you’re hurting and life makes no sense, God is still good. He is good all the time!” (The Christian Atheist, p. 34)

In His service,

      Matt 

The Christian Atheist #3: Lukewarm and Loving It

Jesus said, “Behold, I stand at the door and knock; if anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and will dine with him, and he with Me” (Rev. 3:20 NASB).

As I write this article, our nation is facing a time of political and economic uncertainty as North Korea just fired a missile over Japan. Will this develop into a full scale war? Only God knows. However, some things that have been certain are the blessings and freedoms that we have enjoyed in this country.  We live in the richest large country in the world (https://www.economist.com/blogs/freeexchange/2010/11/growth). More than one third of the world’s population lives on less than $2 a day.  So while the average American worries about retirement several years down the road, a large percentage of the world worries about having enough to provide for today.

Clearly, God has blessed our country economically. With great wealth comes great responsibility to care for the less fortunate. And unfortunately, great wealth has a way of blinding us to our need for God. In Revelation 3:14-22, Jesus talked to the church in Laodicea. The people of Laodicea enjoyed many of the same blessings that we do as Americans. And they had become complacent/lukewarm in their walk with the Lord

Pastor Craig Groeschel listed 7 attributes of lukewarm Christians. They crave acceptance from people more than acceptance from God. (2) They rarely share their faith in Christ. (3) They tend to rationalize their sins. (4) They think more about life on earth than eternity in heaven. (5) They only turn to God when they need something. (6) They give whenever it’s convenient. (7) They are not much different from the rest of the world (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j7UP8djULWA). Do any of these describe you?

The Bible teaches that you can know a person by their fruit (Matt. 7:16).  It does not take very much consideration of the state of Christianity in our country to realize that many who claim to follow Christ have become complacent/lukewarm in their relationship with Jesus Christ. The sad thing is that many of us recognize this to be true, but deep down inside, we just don’t care. Thus, if we are honest, many of us are lukewarm and loving it.

The phrase “lukewarm Christian” is never found in the Bible. And the description that Jesus gives to those who are lukewarm (Rev. 3:15-17) is associated elsewhere with non-believers.  By now, some of you are probably thinking, “Matt, I don’t like this article.” And my response is, I don’t either! :)  Yet these are some of Jesus’s words to the church in America. And thankfully, He doesn’t stop there.

In Revelation 3:19-22ff, Jesus gives us a beautiful picture of what could be for us, even those of us who are lukewarm, if we simply repent, and allow Jesus to come into our lives as Scripture teaches. It is a life that is sold out for Jesus. “For me to live is Christ, to die is gain” (Phil. 1:21). My friends, you and I have been greatly blessed, yet don’t allow these blessings to lead you away from the greatest blessings of all.

In His service,

      Matt

The Christian Atheist #2: Customized Christianity

 “Sin whispers to the wicked, deep within their hearts. They have no fear of God at all. In their blind conceit, they cannot see how wicked they really are” (Psalm 36:1-2 ^NLT).

“Have it your way.” Burger King’s slogan is really the motto of the American society. We like to have things our own way. We like to pick and choose pretty much everything, from what we have, to what we do, and to what we believe, etc. 

There are a lot of people who approach Christianity in this way. They believe in God, but they only want to accept certain elements of Christianity. It is like as one writer said, “God created us in His image and we take and return the favor.” We make God in the image we want Him to be in. “I’ll take the love of God; but, I don’t want His wrath. I want the mercy of God; but, I don’t want His righteous judgment. I want His blessings in my life; but, that whole take up your cross and follow Him daily is just not for me.”

We tend to love the part of the Bible that tells us that God has a wonderful plan for our lives, but there are parts of the Bible that seem so outdated to us. Like for example, we think, “Who actually practices sexual purity anymore?” We tend to like the fact that God was generous with us, giving His One and only Son on the Cross. And we like that He promises to provide for our daily needs. However, we don’t like that God’s Word commands us to tithe and be generous to others, so “Let’s just skip those parts.” And we like the promises that He will work all things out for our good, day in a day out. But we think, “Weekends are mine, so I don’t care if God commands me to worship Him corporately and encourage other believers on Sundays, that’s my day to play and get things done.”

Sin has a way of whispering into our hearts. Then we rationalize our decisions, not even realizing what we are blinding ourselves to sin. This is a very dangerous place to be according to the Bible. Take for example the account of two men, Nadab and Abihu (Lev. 10:1-2). These two individuals sincerely desired to worship God but in their own way, rather than the way He had commanded. And as a result, God struck them dead. Now, I’m not saying that God is going to struck you dead (and I’m praying that He will not). :)

We could look at other examples from Scripture of people who practiced Customized Christianity, however, none of them ended with results they wanted. Therefore, I implore you to learn to reverently and lovingly fear (respect) the Lord. We need to follow Him as He directs throughout the Bible, not just the portions that we like. (Did we not learn this from our parents—we have to obey all of their rules, not just some of them? Of course we all did.)

The Bible says that the fear (a healthy fear, and respect) of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom (Pro. 9:10). “Fear of the LORD is a life-giving fountain; it offers escape from the snares of death” (Pro. 14:27). And Proverbs 22:4 says, “True humility and fear of the LORD lead to riches, honor, and long life.” Learning to fear the Lord, following Him as His Word commands is not a bad thing; rather, it leads to blessings. So may we fear the Lord, and follow Him completely.

In His service,

      Matt 

The Christian Atheist #1: Do You Personally Know The God of the Bible?

“They claim to know God, but by their actions they deny Him…” (Titus 1:16)

Do you believe in God? Chances are, you do. A recent study showed that 3 out of every 4 Americans claim to believe in God. And about 7 in 10 actually claim to believe in the Trinitarian God of the Bible. However, when we look at society and even in the church, it does not take long to see that there is a vast difference between the lifestyle and theology that the Bible teaches and that which the majority of those who claim to be Christians live out.

For example, more than half of those who claim to follow the God of the Bible reject Jesus’s eternal nature (Isa. 9:6; John 8:58; Col. 1:17; Heb. 1:11, 12; 13:8; Rev. 1:8). Those who know God understand what He is like. Another shocking statistic is that 70% of those who claim to be Christians agree that there’s only one true God. However, 64% also thought that this God accepts the worship of all religions, including those that believe in many gods (http://thefederalist.com/2016/10/10/survey-finds-american-christians-actually-heretics/). Therefore, even though the majority of Americans claim to be Christian, they do not actually know the Christian God. This is one sense in which there is virtually no difference between many of those who claim to be Christians and those who claim to be atheists. Craig Groeschel, the pastor of one of the largest churches in America has rightly labeled individuals like this as “Christian Atheists.”

The question that needs to come to our minds is this: do you actually know the God whom you claim to follow? The Bible says that the demons fearfully believe in God (James 2:19); however, they do not know God through a personal relationship with Him. Similarly, there are many who know God intellectually, the Pharisees were like this, but they did not know God personally (John 8:54-55). There are a lot of people who will miss heaven by 18 inches: they know God in their minds but not in their hearts. Those who truly know God long to spend time with Him. David said, “O God, You are my God, earnestly I seek You; my soul thirsts for You, my body longs for You, in a dry and weary land where there is no water” (Ps. 63:1). Does this match the relationship that you have with God? 

Lastly, those who truly know God obey what He commands. The Apostle John said, “We know that we have come to know Him if we obey His commands. The man who says, ‘I know Him,’ but does not do what He commands is a liar, and the truth is not in him” (1 John 2:3-4). Are you obedient to what God commands?

Those who genuinely know God understand what He is like, they long to spend time with Him, and they obey what He commands. Are these 3 things apparent in your life? Or are you like most who claim to believe in the God of the Bible, but in reality are a Christian Atheist?

I pray that you may know Him and His love that surpasses knowledge, for if you do, it will make all the difference in the world! God bless!

In His service,

            Matt