Jeffress Vs. Jesus

Dr. Robert Jeffress is the pastor of First Baptist Church Dallas, TX, and a strong supporter of Donald Trump. Evidently, the admiration is reciprocal, because President Trump had Jeffress preach a special sermon for him the night before his inauguration.

A few weeks before the election, Pastor Jeffress was interviewed on National Public Radio about his unabashed support for Trump. Toward the end of the conversation, Jeffress was asked how he felt about one of Max Lucado’s election-themed blog posts, in which he called Christians to restore each other's humanity and stop being mean.

This was Jeffress’ reply:

Well, first of all, I see a lot of common ground with Max Lucado. I love Max Lucado. And, you know, I've disagreed with his point of view. When I'm looking for a leader who's going to fight ISIS and keep this nation secure, I don't want some meek and mild leader or somebody who's going to turn the other cheek. I've said I want the meanest, toughest SOB I can find to protect this nation. And so that's why Trump's tone doesn't bother me. But having said that, I do agree with Max Lucado. There needs to be unity, especially in the body of Christ.

When I first read those words, several questions came to my mind such as: What should the body of Christ be looking for in a leader? Shouldn’t the head of the body of Christ, Jesus, be the leader of the Church? What should be the unifying principle that binds the body of Christ together? Shouldn’t we be unified around the cross?

I don't want to insinuate that he is not a Christian, but what seems to be going on with Pastor Jeffress is an example of 1 Corinthians 1:18, 27-28 playing itself out in our culture.

For the word of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. …  God has chosen the foolish things of the world to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to shame the things which are strong, and the base things of the world and the despised God has chosen, the things that are not, so that He may nullify the things that are.

On the cross, Jesus died for His enemies in order to reconcile them to God. On the cross, Jesus looked foolish. On the cross, Jesus looked weak. On the cross, it looked like Jesus had lost and evil had won. Yet, on the cross, Jesus displayed the great power of God.

Perhaps one of the greatest examples of 1 Corinthians 1:18 playing itself out in the New Testament happens in Matthew 16.

In the latter days of His ministry, Jesus asks the disciples who they and the crowds say that He is. It’s a good question we need to ask ourselves from time to time. Is Jesus just a good teacher? Is He just a kind fellow who shows us a nice and fanciful ideal? Or, is He God? Is He the Lord of our lives? Is He the leader whose example we must follow?

After Peter confesses that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, Jesus proceeds to tell the disciples that He must go to Jerusalem and suffer many things from the elders and chief priests and scribes. He says that He must be killed and raised back up on the third day. 

Peter can’t fathom the Messiah losing like that so he says, “God forbid it, Lord! This shall never happen to You.” But Jesus immediately looked back at Peter and said, “Get behind Me, Satan! You are a stumbling block to Me; for you are not setting your mind on God’s interests, but man’s.” 

In Matthew 16, Peter views the cross as foolishness and weakness. Peter views the cross as losing because he was being deceived by the devil.

However, Jesus came to destroy the works of the devil, so He begins to reveal to Peter and the other disciples the way to overcome Satan, the way to live in victory and achieve spiritual prosperity. “If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself, and take up his cross and follow Me. For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it; but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it."

Jesus elucidated to the disciples and to us the manner in which the great power of God is unleashed. Cyprian, bishop of Carthage and eventual martyr for Christ, echoed his Lord’s words in one of his many works during the third century.

The kingdom of God is not in the wisdom of the world, nor in eloquence, but in the faith of the cross. … In the first Epistle of Paul to the Corinthians: “Christ sent me to preach, not in wisdom of discourse, lest the cross of Christ should become of no effect. For the word of the cross is foolishness to those who perish; but to those who are saved it is the power of God. – Cypran 250CE, Volume 5, p. 980-981

I believe that Pastor Jeffress is attracted to Trump’s tone and approach toward evil because it appears to be powerful. However, from a kingdom of God perspective, it is weak and foolish because it is completely antithetical to the cross. Is it possible that Pastor Jeffress does not have in mind the thoughts of God, but rather is unintentionally promoting the agenda of the god of this world?

As Paul, the writer of 1 Corinthians proves in his testimony, it is the cross, not a mean SOB, that truly has the power to transform evil into good in the world. It is the cross that turns hate-filled terrorists into love-driven missionaries. And I realize that may sound like nonsense to some, but it is the wisdom and power of God. 

Grace Pt. 7: Grace DOES

I despised writing when I was younger. Not only did I dislike the process of writing papers for school, I felt incompetent when doing so. You can understand, then, what a surprise it was to me in 10^th grade when the Assistant Principal walked into my English class to tell me that I had received the highest grade in the school on the writing portion of the TAAS test that year.

Though I received a significant amount of encouragement from my teacher to stop messing around, take her class seriously and tap into my potential as a writer, I scoffed at her pleas and considered the high score an anomaly.

My English from my first two semesters of college were so bad I needed to retake the classes, but I held off on doing so because I was so intimidated by the coursework. However, after receiving tutoring and scholastic mentoring from my sister for a year, I decided to give English another shot my first year at Houston Baptist University. My grades were so high that my composition professor told me that I needed to consider changing one of my majors to English.

Around the time I was getting ready to graduate, I began working full-time as a youth minister at a Baptist church in Houston. While there, I was asked to write a devotional for the weekly newsletter. I remember a few occasions when people encouraged me that one day I might want to consider writing a book. I’d thank them for their kind words, but then go back to whatever I was doing, thinking nothing of it.

And yet, here I am, the author of a new book, and a blogger who posts around 1,000 words a couple of times each week. I’ve learned a lot through this experience. For one, God knows me so much better than I do. Two, God’s plans are far more satisfying than my plans. And three, as a reminder, even though God has worked certain talents and skills in us, the more we work at developing those skills and talents, the more they can be used for God’s kingdom.

Have you ever heard someone say that when people get saved, they are given all the grace they can ever receive from God? You know, something similar to the message of many grace songs we hear on Christian radio saying there is no worth in a Christian’s works because Jesus’ grace has already done it all. That's an interesting and new way to interpret the Scriptures.

One of the best ways to interpret the writings of teachings of Jesus is through His actions in the Gospels. Similarly, one of the best ways to interpret Paul’s letters is through his story as told in the book of Acts.

Look at Paul conversion in Acts 9:1-22. Luke, the writer of Acts says in VS 22 that after being regenerated through the Holy Spirit, Paul was growing stronger and confounding the Jews, proving that Jesus is the Christ. The root word for growing stronger is endunamoo. It means to be empowered.

How did Paul grow spiritually and become empowered? By repeatedly sharing his faith.

The same root word for being empowered by God is used by Paul in 2 Timothy 2:1 when he tells Timothy to be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus.

What are the strategies Paul gives Timothy to be empowered by the grace of Christ Jesus?

Vs 2 says that Timothy is to disciple others in the faith.

Vs 3 says that Timothy must suffer hardship for Christ.

Vs 4 says that Timothy must live to please God, not others.

If Timothy will DO these things, Paul says he will be empowered by grace.

But did any other Apostle write this way? In the last few lines of the last chapter of Peter’s second letter, he writes this: Be on your guard so that you are not carried away by the error of unprincipled men and fall from your own steadfastness, but grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ (2 Peter 3:17-18).

OK, so Paul and Peter talk about growing in grace, but did the early Christians take that teaching seriously and simply? Actually, yes. Yes they did.

All our power is of God; I say, of God. From Him we have life, from Him we have strength. … But if you keep the way of innocence, the way of righteousness, if you walk with a firm and steady step, if, depending on God with your whole strength and with your whole heart, you only be what you have begun to be, liberty and power to do is given you in proportion to the increase of your spiritual grace. … Let our heart only be thirsty, and be ready to receive: in the degree in which we bring to it a capacious faith, in that measure we draw from it an overflowing grace. – Cyprian 250CE, Volume 5, p. 490-491 [CD-ROM]

Though Cyprian is not quoting or even referencing 2 Peter, he is drawing upon themes that jump off the pages of Peter’s letter. In addition to the verses we’ve already cited, consider this exhortation from 2 Peter 1:1-8.

Peter writes to people who, by grace, have received the same faith as Him. He says that God’s divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness, and that through acting upon God’s magnificent promises we can partake in God’s divine nature.

Peter then beautifully describes how to grow in grace.

He says that since God’s grace has given us the ability to partake in God’s divine nature, we need to work as hard as we can to add moral excellence to our faith. Then, we should strive diligently to add knowledge of God and self-control. Next, we should labor diligently to add perseverance and godliness. Then, we must work as hard as we can to add brotherly kindness and love to the list.

Finally, Peter gives this exhortation: IF these qualities are ours and are steadily increasing, they will render us neither useless nor unfruitful in the true knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. Said another way, if we are working hard to steadily grow in grace, we will be tremendously useful and fruitful for Jesus and His kingdom! Simply put... grace DOES.

Don’t you want to grow in grace? I want that too! So may you grow in the grace and knowledge of Jesus Christ, and watch Him do exceedingly and abundantly more than you could ever ask or imagine! And as you grow in His grace, may you discover the amazing fulfillment of walking in His plan for your life.

Hearing from God Pt. 2 (Seeing the Word)

If God’s word came to you in a vision, would you be willing to listen?

When Abraham was 75 years old and childless, God came to him and made him some incredible promises. God promised He would bless him and make him a great nation, and that through him all the families of the earth would be blessed.

Many years later, a still childless Abraham was undoubtedly feeling discouraged and disheartened at so many lofty promises remaining unfulfilled. Then, one starry night, this happened:

The word of the Lord came to Abram in a vision, saying, “Do not fear, Abram, I am a shield to you; your reward shall be very great.” … Then behold, the word of the Lord came to him … And He took him outside and said, “Now look toward the heavens, and count the stars, if you are able to count them.” And He said to him, “So shall your descendants be.” – Genesis 15:1, 4-5 (NASB)

The word of the Lord came to Abraham in a vision and literally took him outside to show him the stars.

The word of the Lord. In a vision.

Maybe you’ve been taught that these days God only speaks through the scriptures. But don’t the New Testament scriptures reveal God using visions as a common method He uses to speak to people? (Some examples include Acts 9:10-16; Acts 10:1-20; Acts 16:9-10; Acts 18:9-11.)

In my church’s gatherings over the last couple of months, we have made it a point to build in about 20-25 minutes of intentional spontaneity. 20-25 minutes of intentionally giving God room to operate. Here’s what I mean.

After we take the Lord’s Supper, we get in groups of 2 or 3 and spend 1 minute asking God to speak to us and show us what He wants to teach us. Then, we spend another minute in those groups quietly listening and waiting on God to show us what is on His heart. For the rest of the time, people are free to share what God has shown them. Admittedly, this practice scares me for multiple reasons, but each week God comes through.

One week a woman saw something like a Polaroid picture of her diverse family sitting together united in Bible study. It seemed like God was calling all of us to be extra intentional in discipling our families. God was saying He doesn’t merely want unity in the family, for we can be unified around lies. He wants unity in His Spirit of truth. He wants us unified in Him. That vision spoke volumes to so many gathered that day.

Of course, we need to test any vision we receive and make sure it is in line with the scriptures. But as 3^rd Century Christian writer, Hippolytus, states, God-given visions have been bringing people into relationship with our Creator for thousands of years. “Because of visions, many have come to make their abode with Jesus.” (Hippolytus 205CE, Volume 5, p. 203)

Even today, numerous reports keep surfacing of Muslims coming to faith in various countries due to having visions and dreams of Jesus. An older Southern Baptist friend of mine, and rock-solid man of God, has a similar testimony that occurred right here the good old US of A. His vision of Jesus did not take Him from Islam to Christianity, but simply from a state of unbelief in Jesus to belief.

http://www.breitbart.com/national-security/2015/06/15/report-isis-jihadist-converts-to-christianity-after-seeing-jesus-in-his-dreams/

https://www.opendoorsusa.org/take-action/pray/tag-prayer-updates-post/after-dreams-of-jesus-imam-renounces-islam/

So, will you join me this week in praying for an outpouring from the Holy Spirit of visions from Jesus? Will you join me in seeking to hear from God like Abraham and so many followers of Yahweh have?

“And it shall be in the last days,” God says, “That I will pour forth of My Spirit on all mankind; and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams.” – Acts 2:17 (NASB)