The Last Lecture: Life or Lie?

Soon after being diagnosed with pancreatic cancer and being given months to live, 47-year-old Randy Pausch, a computer science professor at Carnegie Mellon, gave a stirring speech to his students in what soon became famously coined as, "The Last Lecture." The lecture went viral. Dr. Pausch appeared on Oprah to deliver a condensed version of his lecture before millions of viewers. And during his remaining months, he co-authored a best-selling book based on his life-lessons, which involved a discussion of the importance of childhood dreams and how to go about achieving them as one grows older.

You likely remember Dr. Pausch from a few years ago. And perhaps you think of him as a brave, inspiring, and likable man, who helped many people live life to the fullest and appreciate more deeply the time they have with their loved ones. He was certainly successful in encouraging us all to stop sweating the small stuff, and for that there is something to be said.

But, tragically, the truth is this: Dr. Pausch missed the point. In fact, he didn't even come close to it.

As the New York Times lightheartedly put it,

Dr. Pausch gave practical advice in his lecture, avoiding spiritual and religious matters. He did, however, mention that he experienced a near-deathbed conversion: he switched and bought a Macintosh computer.

While many may have been inspired by the head-on, practical, and good-humored way in which Dr. Pausch faced his imminent death, listening to his lecture sent chills down my spine. It wasn't that I didn't like him. I liked him a lot. And that made it even worse. For all I could think as I listened to him talk was, where is God? Yet, surprisingly many Christians joined in the widespread acclamation of Dr. Pausch, embracing his positive outlook, sharing his video online, and buying his book.

Recently, as I awaited the results of a biopsy myself—results that might very well have meant I could be facing something similar to Dr. Pausch—I thought of The Last Lecture. And I thought of what type of lecture I might give if I were in the same boat. What would I want the world to know? What wisdom would I want to impart to my children?

The immediate answer was black-and-white, pure and simple. It was uncompromisingly, unwaveringly this: I would want them to receive in their hearts and know in their minds the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

In the face of death, nothing else ultimately matters. No fleeting family moments. No fun memories of times gone by. No earthly fulfillment of childhood dreams. As harsh as it may sound, no worldly experiences or relationships, however valuable to us, will truly matter when it comes to that final moment we will all face at the point of death. Nothing other than our experience of, and relationship with, God, that is. For only He can save us from eternal death. And that's the bottom line.

Dr. Pausch's Last Lecture was full of nice ideas and self-help tips. It was a lesson in memory-making and dream-chasing. It paid homage to family values. And it gave a good-natured nod to the wholesome things in life. But what Dr. Pausch's lecture lacked was any message of salvation. In other words, it lacked Jesus. And if we, as Christians, believe that Jesus is the only way, the truth, and the life, why would we ever settle for anything less?

Satan cannot destroy the gospel, but he'll do his darnedest to distract us from it. Remember that the enemy comes disguised as an angel of light (2 Cor 11:14). And it's often through life's pleasantries which he operates most insidiously. He can tempt us to turn feel-good moments and family relationships into our religion, for example. These are not bad things. In fact, they can be very good things! But if they become ultimate things, they become idols that we worship in place of God. Idols that cannot save us.

This is not to say that we shouldn't experience joy in our lives, invest purposefully in our relationships, pursue God-ordained goals, and cherish time with our loved ones. But the deadly lie of The Last Lecture is that life is all about living in the fleeting moment and fulfilling earthly dreams. And therein lies the fatal mistake.

You might also remember the more recent story of Brittany Maynard, a 29-year-old newlywed who was diagnosed with terminal brain cancer and subsequently elected to be euthanized last year under the state of Oregon's Death With Dignity law. Before her death, Brittany told People magazine, "There is not a cell in my body that is suicidal or that wants to die. I want to live. I wish there was a cure for my disease, but there's not." Despite being implored by many Christians to reconsider, the worldly affirmation she received evidently won out. She was widely lauded as a courageous pioneer in the fight for the right to die with "dignity." And now other state legislators are introducing bills to let the terminally ill end their lives. (Let's pray that our country doesn't go in the same direction as several of those in Europe, like Belgium where a man was recently euthanized after a botched sex-change operation, for example).

The real tragedy is, Brittany Maynard chose death, when she could have had everlasting life.

We cannot know the heart condition of Randy Pausch or Brittany Maynard when they breathed their last breath. And it is absolutely not our place to judge their salvation. What we do know, however, is this: In facing death, they both publicly held to, and promoted, a tragic lie. While Randy Pausch thought he was teaching about life, in actuality, he was preaching death—just like Brittany Maynard was. In essence, The Last Lecture was really The Last Lie—a lie that led Randy Pausch, and many others who listened to him, away from the hope that is in Christ.

One thing is certain for every single person on this planet: we will all die. It could be today, it could be tomorrow. It could be many years from now. But physical death comes to us all. In the face of certain death, then, what will your Last Lecture be about? Hopefully, yours will proclaim everlasting life.

The "New Normal" and the Future of Sound Judgment

There is currently war being waged against the practice of sound moral judgment in our society. Secular author and radio host, Tammy Bruce, in her book, The Death of Right and Wrong, puts it this way:

How best to change Americans’ fundamental values? How best to indoctrinate you into a culture that grows sicker and more corrupt by the minute?...The Left has had to restrict individual freedom of thought and deed in order to destroy the concept of judgment and undermine notions of right and wrong that have been held nearly universally for millennia.

She is right. Over recent years, cultural attacks on sound moral judgment and biblical thinking, have been lodged with alarming success and surprising rapidity. It's as if our society has undergone a Blitzkrieg of political correctness and moral relativism that has left the Judeo-Christian foundations of our country in shambles and turned absolute truth upside down...Bruce Jenner has been celebrated as a "hero" for adorning his body with breast implants and dressing like a woman. Female celebrities have been lauded as "brave" for donning t-shirts announcing in bold-print the abortion of their unborn children. Coldblooded cop-killer and death-row inmate Mumia Abu-Jamal has been glorified by masses of young supporters for over a decade for his black activism and politically driven writing. And more young criminals have since been venerated, while cops have been unjustly vilified.

Our children are growing up in a new era in which Christianity is more counter-cultural than ever before in America. Sexual immorality is unabashedly exalted in our culture. Homosexuality is lionized on Emmy-awarded TV shows like Modern Family, for example, which received mass acclaim for airing an "historic" gay marriage proposal (how many "ground-breaking" or "historic" gay moments can there really be?). Promiscuity is promoted everywhere we look. Sexual sin is becoming so deeply embedded into the fabric of our society that it's hard to distinguish it anymore as we become increasingly desensitized to it. The shock-factor we felt back in the 80s when celebrities like Madonna first flaunted their sexuality so controversially has less impact now that an anything-goes mentality is so prevalent. We might have talked about the antics of Miley Cyrus for 5 minutes, but now we're getting used to the new Hannah Montana. She's just one of the many skin-baring, hip-gyrating young stars stooping to new moral lows in the name of "expressing themselves." These young women are selling their bodies, and people are buying in droves.

These few examples alone indicate that the normalization of wrong has become commonplace in our society. Are we still talked about the body parts of murdered babies being sold for profit by Planned Parenthood? Or is that already yesterday's news...?

In the midst of all this, the Great Accuser is ready and waiting to condemn all those who practice sound judgment. And our culture is proving an accommodating climate for him to do so. We are increasingly being dubbed as closed-minded—even as bigoted haters.

A widespread sickness has gripped our nation. And it often attacks where we least expect it. While more striking cases of moral corruption such as those above might be easier to detect, some attacks against sound judgment are far less overt and arguably all the more insidious as a result. For example, the practice of mindfulness—a meditation practice that finds its origin in Buddhism—is steeply on the rise in our society. Widely deemed a harmless stress-reliever, mindfulness is in fact a dangerous form of false teaching that unapologetically undermines the use of our God-given conscience, our ability to practice sound judgment, and discern right from wrong. Psychology Today describes mindfulness as, "a state of active, open attention on the present. When you're mindful, you observe your thoughts and feelings from a distance, without judging them good or bad. Instead of letting your life pass you by, mindfulness means living in the moment and awakening to experience." (Emphasis added).

As a form of therapy, mindlfulness is now a growing trend in psychology and psychotherapy, which has been strongly promoted through mainstream media outlets as an effective stress-relieving remedy. Mindfulness is now being implemented in the American workplace (in companies such as Google, Safeway, Target, General Mills, and Aetna), in the public school system, in the federal government, and even in the armed services. And Christians need to take heed.

Why? Because mindfulness, especially when practiced routinely over a prolonged period of time, places the mind in a mild hypnotic state and leaves one vulnerable to the power of suggestion. Think about the long-term implications of our public school students growing up with the practice of mindfulness. They might have better attendance records and test scores (as has already been reported by a number of schools). They might feel temporarily more relaxed. But they won't be at peace (just because it feels good for a moment, doesn't mean it is good). And if this practice continues to grow in popularity in our schools, it'll be like we're fostering a generation of zombies who are trained to be indifferent to sin and who are preconditioned to resist their consciences for fear of experiencing stress. Think this is an overstatement? Google the number of schools that have adopted the practice, some as a routine part of the school day, like Patterson High School in Baltimore, for example. It's a growing trend, and it's coming to a school near you.

The implications of this are quite frankly mind-boggling. For the less we exercise sound judgment as a culture, the more our nation will embrace sin and reject God.

Our post-modern culture already encourages us to live in the here-and-now and place subjective feelings and personal experience over universal and absolute truths. Moral relativism (what is true/good for me might be different from what is true/good for you) is barely talked about anymore; it has become so ingrained in our collective consciousness that it's difficult to stand back and observe it. But, like a cancer, it's working its way to the backbone of our society. And it's eating us away at the core.

The evidence of this is undeniable; you've probably noticed that exercising judgment of sin is widely frowned upon nowadays! It's often confused in people's minds with judgmentalism and is hurriedly passed off as a negative behavior—something to avoid. Yet, Scripture repeatedly teaches that sound judgment is essential for spiritual health. In Proverbs, we are urged to preserve "sound judgment and discretion." (Prov 3:21). Jesus consistently encourages us to exercise righteous judgment, to hold one another accountable and to watch out for false prophets in our midst, for example. And Paul tells us to "test everything" (1 Thess 5:21); We are to judge every teaching, holding it up against God's Word, like the "noble" Berean Jews were commended for in the Book of Acts. For Scripture warns us that, "the time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching, but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions, and will turn away from listening to the truth and wander off into myths." (2 Timothy 4:3-4). It is crucial, then, that we cling to sound judgment in a world of deceit in which Satan masquerades as an angle of light (2 Cor 11:13-15).

Don't believe the lie that sound judgment is judgmental! Throughout Scripture, there is a clear distinction drawn between two contrasting natures of judgment; judgmentalism (being excessively critical) is decried, while sound judgment (exercising wise discernment) is strongly prescribed. While humility is at the essence of sound judgment, judgmentalism is motivated by pride. Sound judgment is permeated with an acute awareness that it is by God's grace that we are saved, so that we cannot boast in our own strength. We can exercise sound, righteous judgment purely because our righteousness is in Christ. Judgmentalism, however, is self-righteous—and is not, therefore, of God.

Secular culture, however, is rejecting the use of moral judgment altogether—just as it is rejecting God—to embrace a "new normal" and the pursuit of "self truth." Just because immorality is being normalized in our culture, however, does not mean Christians need to accept it and refrain from discerning right from wrong for fear of being condemned by the world as bigots. For it is indeed very possible that within the next decade or two, it will be illegal to practice certain aspects of biblical Christianity, especially within our public school system. Signs of this have already begun. Gender-neutralization, for one thing, is on the horizon. How are we going to respond? With courage and righteousness, or with fear and capitulation?

As believers, we must live with our eyes wide open, while not giving into fear (it's not about being fearful, it's about being awake). As Christians, we are called to go against the tide of our culture when it comes to morality, not to live in denial or to unwittingly go with the cultural flow. For now is the time to be vigilant and to watch (Mark 13:37). Now is the time to pray for, practice, and preach sound judgment with courage. We must pray for our children. Pray for our country. And pray for the lost. Before it's too late.

Loving Our Neighbor, Neglecting Our God: Pleasing [Postmodern] People

Part I: When loving neighbor becomes pleasing [postmodern] people.

Sometimes, it's tempting to tell people what they want to hear. To make them feel better about themselves. To avoid potential conflict and to smooth things over. But seeking to please people isn't always to serve them—often, it is to serve ourselves. For its underlying motivation is to win their acceptance, affirmation, affection, or allegiance for our own self-gain. People-pleasing can attract an audience. Fill pews. Sell conference tickets. People-pleasing can keep the peace (albeit temporarily). It can result in popularity. It can lead to worldly status. But Jesus said, "If you belonged to the world, it would love you as its own. As it is, you do not belong to the world, but I have chosen you out of the world. That is why the world hates you." (John 15:19). If a Christian finds widespread popularity and acceptance in a secular world that hates Christ, this begs the question, is he really fulfilling the first and greatest commandment?

Clearly, pleasing people in place of God violates the greatest commandment, as expedient or advantageous as it may be. People-pleasing is something the Apostle Paul vehemently rejected, as is reflected in his letter to the Thessalonians when he explained to them, "We are not trying to please people, but God, who tests our hearts." (1 Thess 2:4). Paul was acutely aware that people-pleasing perpetuates the human desire to remain in the flesh, gives rise to false teaching, and rejects the authority of God. Yet tragically, there is a people-pleasing epidemic spreading within the Christian community, which is producing more and more unbiblical behavior in our churches—behavior that's often misrepresented as "loving neighbor."

Nowadays, too many of our church communities are consumer-driven rather than servant-minded, catering to the needs, interests, and preferences of people rather than seeking to grow them as disciples of Jesus. In our commitment-phobic, consumeristic society, the problem of "convenience-store Christianity" in which our churches have become distributors of faith-based goods and services rather than manifestations of God's Kingdom, is on the rise. In this context, the focus is on what the church can do for us (good kids' programs, an accommodating facility, inspiring sermons, fun events, a social network), not what we can do for the church. When this happens, we're not thinking so much about serving and glorifying God as we are about Him meeting our own needs and desires. And when a particular church doesn't meet our expectations, we soon lose interest and go elsewhere.

A concerning example of this can be seen among Christians who often self-identify as post-evangelical or Emergent believers—a growing, broad, and typically quite vocal, group who have taken on the indomitable task of rescuing Christianity from the stagnated tenets of traditional evangelicalism into a more "loving," culturally relevant, and "accessible" church environment. Pioneers of this movement (although many of them dislike the term, "movement") long for what Sam Storms has called "'a kinder, gentler' version of evangelicalism that is devoid of the doctrinal dogmatism, moral certainty, and absolutist mindset that they are convinced is out of touch with so-called postmodern developments in our culture."[1] In other words, the primary concern is to cater to, and retain, a post-modern audience.

Indeed, Emergents place great emphasis on the evolution of Western culture from modern to post-modern in order to show how fundamental aspects of traditional evangelicalism have been outmoded. The traditional traits in question are not limited to stained-glass windows, pews, and a "stuffy" church atmosphere alone, but include other fundamentals such as absolute truth and sound doctrine, along with the importance of apologetics and biblical teaching. This bold move away from Christian "dogma" in the name of "loving neighbor" is in essence an unapologetic departure from the what the Bible teaches with a view to becoming accessible and relatable to a post-modern world.

Many of these churches publish vague or ambiguous statements of faith—if, indeed, they publish one at all. Instead, Emergents endeavor to meet the needs of the postmodern world, which demands touchy-feely faith: narrative rather than propositions (“tell me your story, don’t explain principles”); affections and feelings over and above rational, linear thought; experience over truth; inclusion rather than exclusion; the corporate over the individualistic, etc. In this context, "tolerance is the principal virtue, as nothing is more indicative of the mentality of modernism than telling someone they are wrong (either intellectually, doctrinally, or morally)," as Storms so aptly puts it.[2]

Emergents—keeping in step with a culture that touts "self-esteem" as the answer to the gamut of societal woes—focus on building up the self, through their trendy self-help teaching and an insipid form of quick-fix spirituality that demands no heart-change on part of their audience, and blatantly contradicts our biblical exhortation to die to self (Mark 8:35; Luke 9:23; Gal 2:20). The focus, then, remains squarely on the self, not on God. While the self-helpism of the Emergent Church may generate popular appeal for a time, it is hardly sustainable for the long haul, however, for a shinier, newer trend of thought will soon come along to take the limelight.

Undoubtedly, though, Emergents are responding to very real problems in the Church, which should not be ignored; the evangelical Church in the West has seen worrying decline over recent decades. And the rift between the Christian and secular communities is certainly widening. Many evangelicals have chosen to huddle together, remaining safely within their own conservative Christian comfort zone, cutting themselves off from an increasingly secularized and hostile society. This is the antithesis of going out into the world and making disciples (Matt 28:19), which could certainly be a major contributing factor to the diminishing numbers of evangelical Church-attendance in America. (In contrast, the Mormon Church—in which a two-year stint of missionary service is mandatory for all males—is growing with notable rapidity. Indeed, Mormonism has been dubbed the fastest growing religion in America[3]). This highlights an important deficiency within the Christian Church. And so, the Emergent effort to attract people to the Church by reaching out in love is understandable, while sorely misapplied.

The outreach-mindedness of the Emergent church certainly strikes a biblical cord; it is true that we're called to be salt and light in the world, not to shut ourselves off from it. Making disciples can't be achieved inside a Christian bubble. But the fact is, Christians, by all worldly accounts, are called to believe a foolish message and live a foolish lifestyle. We need to get to grips with the fact that being salt and light in the world won't always mean we will be liked by the world. In fact, it usually means the opposite. Jesus was clear about this when He warned us that we would be rejected by the world because of Him (John 15:19). Yet we can take courage because God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise (1 Cor 1:27).

But, Emergent concepts of cultural sensitivity and loving neighbor conform to worldly patterns rather than the counter-cultural Word of God. Emergent churches strive to be relevant in a rapidly evolving culture, but in doing so they attempt to surf the cultural tide, failing to go against it, as following a counter-cultural Christ necessitates. And so, rather than mirroring Christ, they end up mirroring worldly culture in an effort to draw people in and build bridges between secular and Christian communities. Essentially, these churches look to the world first (not the Bible first) for the answers on how to reach unbelievers in their attempt to tailor the church-experience to a post-modern audience. As a result, inconvenient truths are often brushed under the rug and the seriousness of sin is downplayed so as not to alienate anyone.

But as an old pastor of mine used to say, "we are in sales not management." In other words, it is the role of the Holy Spirit to convict hearts, not ours to finesse the gospel to make it more culturally appealing. We are to proclaim the gospel message, and let the gospel stand for itself. For seeking to ingratiate ourselves to, and merge ourselves with, a world that has rejected Christ is like trying to mix oil and water. Moreover, the truth of the gospel is often lost in the mix, with "tolerance" taking precedence over the Word of God.

In the following article, some concerning examples of this pattern of behavior among a growing number of leading evangelicals are discussed.

< Part II: Tolerance over Truth

------------------------------
1.  http://www.samstorms.com/all-articles/post/d--a--carson-critiques-the-emerging-church---part-i
2.  http://www.samstorms.com/all-articles/post/d--a--carson-critiques-the-emerging-church---part-i
3.  http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/05/02/mormonism-fastest-growing-religion_n_1469566.html

Quotes to Change the World

Today, Oprah's Lifeclass published the following quotes that will "change the world"...

Anne Lamott—novelist

1. People help you, or you help them and when we offer or receive help, we take in each other. And then we are SAVED—Anne Lamott

In other words: We save each other—so we don't need God.

2. Why YOU? Because there's no one better. Why NOW? Because tomorrow isn't soon enough—Donna Brazille

In other words: it's all about you, it's all about now—so forget about God.

3. Don't ever forget that you're a citizen of this world, and there are things you can do to lift the human spirit—Aaron Sorkin

In other words: This world is our home. Let's make each other cozy in it—because we don't need God.

4. When we give what we can and give it with joy, we don't just renew the American tradition, we renew ourselves—Bill Clinton

In other words: Giving, not God, renews us—so we don't need God.

5. Whenever you see someone being cared for, and not forgotten, their human spirit comes alive—Sir Elton John

In other words: Humanitarianism gives life not only to the body, but also the spirit—so we don't need God.

6. Compassion is the ultimate expression of your highest self—Russell Simmons

In other words: Self-actualization, not faith, is all that matters—so we don't need God.

7. Look for a way to lift some one up, and if that's all you do, then that's enough—Elizabeth Lesser

In other words: be satisfied with where you are in life, as long as your kind to some one once-in-while—because we don't need God (lesser isn't more in this case!)

8....What I can do is offer myself, wholehearted and present, to walk with the people I love through the fear and the mess. That's all any of us can do. That's what we're here for—Shauna Niequist

In other words: we're doomed to a life of fear and mess. There is no hope. So, the best thing we can do is cling to our loved ones—because there is no God.

9. At the end of the day, it's not about what you have or even what you've accomplished...It's about who you've lifted up, who you've made better. It's about what you've given back—Denzel Washington

In other words: it's all about our works, not about God's grace—because at the end of the day, there is no God.

Oprah's Lifeclass is right. Ideas like these change the world. These quotes are merely reflections of our culture's prevailing ideology. And they will be added to the world's tragically long list of fatally Bad Ideas.

This is a Spiritual Health Warning: Faith-Myopia is on the Rise

There is a deadly epidemic that is currently sweeping the Church. The condition primarily affects the heart, mind, and soul of its victim, and can lead to serious, even fatal, spiritual health problems if left untreated. Today, millions of Christians in America are at risk of developing faith-myopia. The implications of this have the potential to be catastrophic. Faith-myopia will continue to spread if not contained. Please read and distribute the following spiritual health warning below.

Definition

Faith-Myopia is the spiritual manifestation of nearsightedness. Unlike spiritual blindness, which only affects unbelievers, faith-myopia has been detected in a significant and growing number of Christians. The term, myopia (from the Ancient Greek, μυωπία or muōpia), refers to a condition of the eye in which light does not directly focus on the retina, but in front of it, causing distant objects to be out of focus while close objects are in focus. When faith becomes myopic, it causes spiritual nearsightedness meaning victims focus almost exclusively on their immediate surroundings without seeing the bigger picture. As a result, victims tend to view God's truth through the lens of their own circumstances as opposed to viewing their circumstances through the lens of God's truth. Those suffering from the condition might fail to develop a biblical worldview, might lack spiritual discernment, and might be more easily misled by false teaching or worldly temptations. They can often become self-centered as opposed to Christ-centered.

Cases of faith-myopia range from mild to severe, limiting a believer's spiritual sight to varying degrees. Any Christian—even a pastor, layperson, theologian, missionary, or long-term believer—is vulnerable to developing the condition. And most Christians will show symptoms of faith-myopia during at least one period in their lives—indeed, many may be struggling with one or more of its symptoms right now.

Symptoms

(1) Limited perspective; victims focus largely on what's happening to them in the here-and-now, being unable to clearly see the bigger picture of God's sovereign will, His unchanging goodness, and His unfailing love for them. In other words, victims struggle to see the woods for the trees, so-to-speak. They also fail to see the larger context of God's redemptive plan for humanity, tending instead to focus more narrowly on the pettier issues of day-to-day life, which are thus blown out of proportion causing undue stress and anxiety. This weakens their faith because their trust in God becomes contingent on what is happening to them personally at any given moment, causing them to lose sight of God's faithfulness and His unfailing promises. Victims are less likely to pay mind to the suffering of persecuted brothers and sisters in other parts of the world, because their field of vision isn't wide enough to encompass such issues. Therefore, their limited perspective often leads to the subsequent symptom of self-centeredness.

(2) Self-centeredness; victims might become self-centered rather than Christ-centered and are often blinded by myopic pride. In their churches, they might behave more like consumers of faith-based goods and services than disciples of Christ and investors in God's Kingdom. Therefore, they can treat church more as a social club than a spiritual family. They can lack a vision for self-sacrificial service and for discipling others, remaining preoccupied with their own needs and concerns. And so, they aren't often outreach-minded or missional, and are prone to forming church cliques.

(3) Wordliness; victims might become worldly because they lack the spiritual foresight to see beyond their earthly circumstances to view their lives in light of Eternity. This leads to selfishness and often to hedonism because they have difficulty distinguishing that which is of spiritual and everlasting value from that which is temporal and earthly. In severe cases, therefore, victims hoard material riches and indulge increasingly in fleeting worldly pleasures, having lost sight of the heavenly riches that await them. As a result, those showing this symptom become less like foreigners and exiles in an alien world (1 Peter 2:11). In fact, they begin to look and behave more like the world and less like Christ whom the world has rejected.

(4) Lack of discernment; victims might cherry-pick Bible verses to suit their immediate needs rather than reading the Bible in order to sincerely grow in their knowledge of God. Because their view of God's truth is blurry and out of focus, they have a hard time discerning the difference between biblical and false teaching. They are, therefore, vulnerable to being led astray by false teachers, like those preaching the "prosperity gospel," for example.

(5) Spiritual superficiality; victims might gravitate towards quick-fix spirituality rather than substantive biblical teaching. This is because they have lost an appreciation for that which is spiritually profound and theologically sound. They often shy away from thinking about or discussing matters of spiritual substance, preferring to stick to safer, more lightweight topics that leave their hearts and minds unchallenged and unchanged. They tend to feel uncomfortable when they are around people who act "too Christian" and they prefer to avoid addressing polarizing issues of right and wrong in our culture.

(6) Fruitless faith; victims night suffer from feelings of emptiness, guilt, worry, and insecurity because their faith doesn't bear the Fruit of the Spirit (Gal 5:22-26). Because they are not walking in the light (1 John 1:7), they do not possess the peace that passes understanding (Phil 4:7), which requires their spiritual eyes to be enlightened to see the hope to which Christ has called them, and the riches of His glorious inheritance (Eph 1:18). They often lose sight of how much God loves them individually, which causes them to desperately seek the approval of others and measure their own value by the world's standards. This can lead them to have an identity crisis. In severe cases, it can lead to a fruitless faith.

Causes

The following are common risk factors for faith-myopia:

1) Failing to stay in the Word. Reading and reflecting on Scripture daily enables the believer to view life through a biblical lens and to see things in light of Eternity. Without a biblical perspective, a believer is more susceptible to developing faith-myopia.

2) Failing to stay in prayer. Prayer is a powerful change-agent in the life of a believer. Surrendering everything to God in prayer, rather than trying to stay in control, protects a believer from the delusion of self-dependency, which leads to pride, self-absorption and, ultimately, to faith-myopia.

3) Failing to stay in fellowship. As members of the Body of Christ, it is important to live in close relationship with wise, mature believers who will point us back to Christ when we lose perspective. Trying to live out one's faith in a vacuum can too easily lead to faith-myopia. Similarly, if believers surround themselves with spiritually superficial friends, they are at risk of exposing themselves to, and contracting, faith-myopia.

4) Failing to die to self. Continuing to walk in darkness, rather than in God's light, causes spiritual stagnation, a precursor to faith-myopia. John said, "Unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit." (John 12:24). Dying to self allows a believer to see with spiritual, not just fleshly, eyes.

Treatment
There is only one known cure for faith-myopia: it is to live in the Spirit. In order to do so, believers should put on the full armor of God daily (Eph 6:13-18) to protect themselves against faith-myopia. This involves:

1) Wearing the belt of truth buckled around the waist (v 14a). Being armed with the knowledge of God's truth protects believers from being deceived by wolves in sheep's clothing.

2) Wearing the breastplate of righteousness (v 14b). Turning from sin, and embracing righteousness in Christ fortifies the heart and will protect the believer from being susceptible to worldliness.

3) Having feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace (v 15). The believer will be protected from stumbling around blindly when his or her feet are guided by the gospel of peace. The believer will be equipped with the peace that passes understanding amid life's trials—a peace that comes from a clear view of the gospel.

4) Taking up the shield of faith (v 16). Walking by faith, not by physical sight, protects the believer from faith-myopia by maintaining his or her spiritual eyesight and ability to view life in light of Eternity.

5) Putting on the helmet of salvation (v 17a). Remembering that salvation is in Christ alone, that it is a gracious gift from God, and is not from ourselves, protects the believer from being blinded by myopic pride.

6) Taking up the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God (v 17b). Staying grounded in God's Word, which is living and active, enlightens the believer's spiritual eyes to discern truth from falsehood.

7) Praying at all times in the Spirit (v 18). The importance of prayer in the life of the believer cannot be over-emphasized. Praying in the Spirit without ceasing allows the believer's stream of consciousness to reflect a continual dialogue with God. By maintaining an interactive relationship with God in this way, the believer's faith grows and is protected from becoming myopic.

Prognosis
Chances of a full recovery are guaranteed for every believer afflicted with faith-myopia as long as the above treatments are administered according to the Great Physician's instructions.

Are You Ahead of the Cultural Curve?

A few days ago, I received a voice mail from a ministry representative inviting me to attend a well-known [rather expensive] Christian conference in the DC-area. In her message, she exuded a kind of cultivated charisma, brimming with back-slapping enthusiasm as she used my first name unabashedly at opportune moments throughout her spiel. I listened as she confidently rattled off the reasons why it was important—no, imperative—that I should benefit from all that the conference had to offer. Two reactions surfaced as I listened to the message. My first was along the lines of: wow, this ministry is employing some gifted young Christians who know how to sell a ticket. This reaction was then quickly followed by a distinct feeling of unease.

I quickly forgot about the voice mail, until couple of days later, when I received a follow-up email about the conference. And the uncomfortable feeling crept back. The message read:

Do You feel like the church is constantly one step behind our culture? Our environment is constantly advancing, constantly shifting, constantly adapting, and if we want to stay ahead we have to know what's coming before it gets here.

You are ready to break this cycle. You are a Change Maker - A forward thinking, innovative leader who wants to be ahead of the curve in addressing the issues and questions our culture is grappling with. We've designed this gathering to help us answer those very questions.

Questioning whether my sense of unease was misplaced or perhaps unfounded altogether, I pondered for a moment what it really was that had disturbed me about the message. Was it because I didn't like being bossed about by a presumptuous 20-something telling me I needed to learn something? Well, maybe a little. But that's my own heart-issue. Was it because I didn't like being pressured into buying a conference ticket in order to "get head"? Yes, probably. But I quickly realized that these things weren't the crux of it. It was actually the perspective reflected in the message that had really unsettled me. And my heart sank a little further.

The thing is, it's no fun to be a party-pooper. Who wants to be the old curmudgeon in the corner shaking his bony finger at an upbeat crowd of young believers setting out to change the world for Jesus? Why attempt to pour cold water on their enthusiasm? After all, their message is a positive one. And anyone who takes issue with it comes across as negative, mean-spirited, and unloving.

But the truth is, the Bible calls believers to test everything (1 Thess 5:21), especially when it comes to teaching. And especially when it comes to a highly influential Christian conference such as the one in question. We should all be like the Bereans in Acts who examined Scripture carefully to see if Paul's teaching was true (Acts 17:11). John wrote, "Dear friends, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world." (1 John 4:1). In the same vein, Paul wrote to the Romans, "Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God." (Rom 12:2). If we are to test everything, then, it follows that at some point we'll have to play the role of whistle-blower as well. (For recovering people-pleasers like me, this is never an enjoyable task). And so, after some "testing," and a deeper look into the conference sessions and some of the speakers (there's a fairly wide spectrum of theological positions represented), the root of my unease was exposed...

The idea that Christians should "get ahead" of our culture implies a need to go with the cultural flow in an effort to anticipate, and respond more effectively to, the issues and trends of the times. This has become an influential way of thinking among many church leaders today. The effort to be "relevant," "culturally sensitive," or "seeker-friendly," etc., is part of a widespread movement over the last decade or two to make Christianity more relatable to younger generations (who have been leaving the church in droves) by speaking more directly to their lives. But more often than not, trying to be relevant to young people has led churches to mirror secular culture as opposed to presenting a counter-cultural [ie biblical] worldview. This is because it seeks to please people first, not God first.

Furthermore, the assertion that we are to race ahead of, or somehow outfox, worldly culture, is found nowhere in Scripture. In contrast, Christians are simply urged not to conform to the pattern of this world (Rom 12:2). Instead of competing with secular culture, then, we are to reject it altogether. In other words, the Bible teaches us that rather than attempting to surf the cultural tide, we are to go against it.

And the truth is, you can't surf the waves forever—for eventually, you're going to be engulfed by them. Worldly culture is already seeping insidiously into our churches as it is—so any attempt to ride its treacherous waves seems like opening the flood-gates. While it is true, as the conference emails states, that "our environment is constantly advancing, constantly shifting, constantly adapting," attempting to "stay head" of these rapidly evolving developments seems like an exhausting, futile—even deadly—undertaking! For getting ahead of the curve is near impossible when the waves of our worldly culture are in constant, often tumultuous, motion.

And even if we do succeed in riding one of the waves for a moment, it will soon come crashing down even so. In other words, the world will ultimately bring us down even if we rise up for a time. How many celebrities have we see rise and fall in popularity? How many stars who were once idolized have we seen plummet from fame? They may seem fashion-forward, edgy, or culturally relevant for a moment, but they are soon outmoded by the inevitable next-best-thing who rises up to steal the stage.

After so many "ground-breaking" artists, TV programs, and movies, the foundations of our culture have been shaken to the core. How much ground left is there to be broken before everything falls apart? In light of this, we mustn't forget that our broken, crumbling world is ruthless and fickle—leading many who pursue its approval only to death. Those intent on earning it's favor, therefore, will soon become last month's flavor, and yesterday's news. Why, then, should the Church even attempt to win worldly popularity and acceptance in the name of outreach or "loving neighbor"?

But wait! You might say. Shouldn't the church be outreach-minded and provide a welcoming, unintimidating environment for seekers to find Jesus? Yes and Yes. But it is not our job to finesse or tweak the Christian message to make it more culturally appealing. It's the job of the Holy Spirit to draw people to His Church and to convict hearts. Christians are called to be witnesses, not sales representatives.

But surely the Church needs to stay up-to-date on current issues facing young people today! You might also say. Surely the Church should speak directly to those issues in order to remain relevant to peoples' lives! This is a valid point. There are contemporary issues that the Church must grapple with. But while the Church should take a biblical stand on these issues, strategizing about how to repackage Christianity to make it appear more culturally relevant is missing the mark. This can—and has—led our churches down a dangerous path.

Within Emergent churches, for example, Christians strive to incorporate culturally sensitive approaches to reaching the postmodern, un-churched population with the Christian message. In doing so, however, these churches often promote a feelings- and experience-based relationship with God, while downplaying the need for sound doctrine and a cognizant understanding of His word. Polarizing and inconvenient biblical truths, along with the gravity of sin in the eyes of a just and holy God, are often glossed over in an effort not to alienate anyone and to make everyone feel more comfortable. But once you downplay sin, you detract from the amazing grace of the gospel. It isn't so much about making people feel guilty as it is about highlighting the vast extent of God's love and mercy for them. It is this that makes the gospel of grace so amazing.

The truth is, the gospel isn't compatible with what our culture demands. While our culture will encourage us to be proud of ourselves, to promote and "actualize" ourselves, and to seek worldly status, pride is actually our biggest hurdle to salvation by grace. The Bible counters that we need to let go of our pride (Prov 16:5; 16:18; Ja 4:6). To brush sin under the rug is prideful because it tries to elevate the self to a holier status that it deserves. And enabling sin is not acting in line with the truth of the gospel (Gal 2:14).

Our focus, then, shouldn't be on cultural relevance and sensitivity, but on the transcendental truth of the gospel. The gospel is always applicable to people's lives, regardless of their cultural or demographic context. Furthermore, if we go with the cultural flow, instead of remaining anchored in Christ, we may find ourselves following an abstract Jesus—a false Christ—of our own making.

The distinction between numbers-driven popularity and furthering the authentic Kingdom of God is becoming increasingly blurred in the minds of many Christian leaders today. But, if we base the way we "do church" on worldly opinions, we will find ourselves being blown about by every wind of teaching. Outreach strategies and church models that do this, often end up being inconsistent with Scripture. It's when we turn to God's Word, however, that we can drop our anchor and withstand the swirling chaos. Unlike worldly popularity and cultural trends, the love and truth of God endures forever. In light of this, we should seek to please God first, not people first, in how we lead our churches—even if doing so might not win us mass appeal, make us more culturally relatable, or seem cutting-edge and innovative in the here-and-now.

The mass email I received told the generic "me" that I am a change-maker. But it's not I who can change the world. It's the transformational gospel of Jesus Christ. While I am merely a messenger, empowered by the Holy Spirit to be His witness in the world (Acts 1:8), it is Jesus who actually changes lives.

I guess the conference representative's sales pitch reminded me of Paul's words to the Romans, "For such persons do not serve our Lord Christ, but their own appetites, and by smooth talk and flattery they deceive the hearts of the naive." (Rom 16:18). This may sound harsh, but I think the gravest mistake the Church is making today is to look to the world first, not God first on how to further His Kingdom. When this happens we begin to devolve—we begin to look and sound more like the world, and less like the One whom it has rejected.

And as foreigners in the world (1 Peter 2:11), then, we should stand out from the crowd, not blend in. Sometimes, this might mean we are rejected by the world, just as Jesus warned us (John 15:19). And it might mean that we aren't getting ahead of the cultural curve. But we shouldn't be measuring ourselves against the bell-curve of this world, which rises and falls, and tapers away to nothing. Instead, we should set our feet steadily on the eternal, immovable, unchanging ROCK that stands high above the stormy seas.

Kingdom or Clique?

In His sermon on the mount, Jesus said: "seek first the Kingdom of God." Most Christians, being familiar with this well-known verse, would likely agree that investing in God's Kingdom is an important aspect of Christian living. Indeed, many Christians invest their time and money in their local church, tithing their income, attending church services and events, participating in small groups, and serving in church ministries. But it's useful to pause and ask, what did Jesus really mean when He told us to seek first His Kingdom? And if this means spending a whole lot of time at church, how much do our churches actually represent God's Kingdom, anyway?

The problem is, nowadays, too many of our church communities are consumer-driven rather than servant-minded. In our commitment-phobic, consumeristic society, the problem of "convenience-store Christianity" in which our churches have become distributors of faith-based goods and services rather than manifestations of God's Kingdom, is on the rise. In this context, the focus is on what the church can do for us (good kids' programs, an accommodating facility, inspiring sermons, fun events, a social network), not what we can do for the church. When this happens, we're not thinking so much about serving and glorifying God as we are about Him meeting our own needs and desires. And when a particular church doesn't meet our expectations, we soon lose interest and go elsewhere.

This is not to say there's anything wrong with finding a church that's a good fit for us. When my family searched for a church in our new town, we were blessed to find one with solid teaching, a strong sense of community, and a great kids' ministry. As stewards of our childrens' spiritual lives, we felt it was our responsibility to make these things a priority. But if our commitment-level to God's Kingdom was contingent on these things being provided, we would have the wrong perspective.

The reality is, American Christians have it pretty good; in most parts of the country we're spoiled for choice when it comes to churchgoing. Many of us get to cherry-pick from a list of great churches with bells & whistles to offer. As a result, we can take our blessings for granted: air-conditioned sanctuaries with comfortable seating; Bible studies with childcare; hightech audiovisual presentations, etc. We can suffer from feelings of entitlement and be under the misconception that we deserve these things from our church. We can overlook the fact that Christians in other parts of the world risk their lives, and make enormous sacrifices, just to worship together secretly in dingy basements without any of the creature comforts we've come to expect.

And when we focus on what the church can do for us, we forget that, in fact, we are the Church.

As a result, many of our churches are now more akin to social clubs than they are to spiritual families, being devoid of faithful commitment, self-sacrificial love, mutual accountability, and Christ-centeredness. These social clubs often constitute somewhat shallow relationships inasmuch as they're based on expediency, personal comfort-levels, and quick-fix community. They usually promote organized fun and self-helpism over authentic fellowship and spiritual growth. And an overemphasis on common interest- or convenience-based community gives rise to the ever-pressing problem of church cliques, resulting in more of a self-centered environment that's sorely lacking in open-heartedness and outreach-mindedness.

But stepping out of our comfort zones, social circles, and interest-areas to encourage the lonely and the afflicted with the gospel was clearly modeled by Jesus during His earthly ministry. Jesus invested in the Kingdom by pouring His love into the lost, the outcast, the ostracized—not those from whom He would gain something or those with whom He had something in common. He didn't work His way up the social ladder or seek out politically expedient relationships. He didn't restrict His social life to an exclusive clique of like-minded companions. Instead, He made Himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant (Phil 2:7) and reached out to leapers, tax-collectors, and prostitutes (not exactly members of the "in" crowd...).

This is not to say we shouldn't socialize with our Christian friends!  Jesus certainly fellowshipped with His disciples. More than just that, He lived life in close relationship with them. Scripture clearly demonstrates that "it is not good for man to be alone” (Genesis 2:18). Even though Adam walked in the garden with God, and had many animals around him, he still yearned for companionship. God created for Adam a companion of his kind—someone with whom he had a shared commonality. And so, it is natural and good for people to gravitate towards those with whom they share things in common. It is beneficial, indeed vital, to have strong friendships like these within the Body of Christ.

But when we're investing in these relationships alone, we might find ourselves slipping away from God's Kingdom and into a church clique in which God has become sidelined and is no longer central. Here's the bottom line: enjoying shared interests with other believers is a good thing, but if it becomes the ultimate thing, then that's a bad thing. In other words, Christ must be the focal point. And if we are to be Christlike there needs to be a balance between enjoying the company of those with whom we have a lot in common and reaching out to people outside of our usual social circles—i.e. the lonely, ostracized, and afflicted people in our churches and communities. In this vein, it's useful to consider our own motivations for getting involved in our church community. Here are some questions we might ask ourselves:

• Is my involvement in my church motivated by a desire to grow in my relationship with God and to encourage others to do so as well? Is it all about me, or all about God? 
• Am I practicing favoritism by investing in my brothers and sisters selectively based on my personal preferences? Or am I making self-sacrificial choices in serving others? 
• Am I finding a good balance between my fellowship time with those I love and my outreach to the lonely or unpopular people in my church? 
• Am I making time for genuine relationships in my life, or am I seeking quick-fix community that requires little of me? 
• Am I non-discriminatory in forming relationships within the Body of Christ, which transcends social, cultural, and racial boundaries?

Here are five ways to distinguish a church clique from God's Kingdom:

1. Church cliques tend to focus on earthly relationships using the church building as a meeting ground. Kingdom relationships, on the other hand, are focused on Christ. Stemming from Him, these relationships actually become His church.

The Apostle Paul wrote, "flesh and blood cannot inherit the Kingdom of God, nor does the perishable inherit the imperishable." (1 Cor 5:50). Church cliques tend to be worldly, insular, and self-serving. But it's important to remember that God's Kingdom is not of this world (John 18:36). And when Jesus told us to seek first His Kingdom, He did so in the context of teaching His followers not to worry about this temporal life and its physical needs, but instead to keep our eyes fixed on that which is eternal. Spreading the saving gospel of Christ, making disciples, and growing in our relationship with God and other believers, will be priorities for those living in light of eternity—these things hold everlasting value. Unlike mere earthly relationships, Kingdom relationships are bound up in the Body of Christ, which cannot be contained within the walls of any church building or social circle. The Body is made up of brothers and sisters across the world, from all walks of life, including those who are persecuted and in prison for their faith. It's easy to forget about them when we're caught up in a church clique because this can cause symptoms of "faith-myopia." But Paul urged us to remember those who are in prison, as though we are in prison with them, and those who are mistreated, since we are all in the Body (Heb 13:3)—however far away they may be.

2. Church cliques tend to be insular, while Kingdom relationships are missional. 

Church cliques can develop when the focus of a group is restricted to the interests of that group alone. If prayer requests and acts of service revolve around the inwardly focused needs the group, its members are in danger of becoming self-absorbed and exclusionary. Church cliques can close themselves off so that sin gets trapped inside an airtight bubble and gradually begins to choke its members. Closed-off cliques can also shut out the sanctifying light of Christ. God's Kingdom, on the other hand, is welcoming, open, and flooded with the light of Christ. Sin is still present in the fallen natures of its members, but there is room to breath, to grow, and be purified—for darkness flees from God's light, which then shines out into the world. Kingdom relationships are missional; they are motivated by Jesus' commission to "go and make disciples" (Matt 28:19). Making disciples can mean evangelizing, but it can also mean teaching or encouraging other believers, building up the Body of Christ. Participating in the work of the Kingdom is not optional, but is required of every believer. For as John explains: "Whoever says “I know Him” but does not keep His commandments is a liar, and the truth is not in him" (1 John 2:4). The truth is, if we are not making disciples as Jesus commanded, we are not seeking first His Kingdom.

3. Church cliques like believers to stay safely within their comfort zones, but Kingdom relationships require us to get out of our comfort-zones. 

Jesus called Peter to get out the boat and walk on water (Matt 14:29). Following Jesus clearly involves taking leaps of faith. It requires us to drop our nets and leave everything for Him (Matt 4:20), not cling to our former lives (Eph 4:22). A church clique, however, doesn't require anyone to drop their nets or get out of the boat...church cliques don't even want anyone to rock the boat! They like to keep things the "safe." They tend to stick to polite dinner conversation, not wanting to offend anyone, ruffle feathers, or get too deep. Why? Because potentially offending people by speaking truth in love can make things uncomfortable for everybody. And getting deep requires a level of commitment to one another that is costly to us. We're all way too busy. We have enough on our plates. And church cliques don't require anything too demanding of us; there's generally a tacit understanding that, sure—we'll send out a prayer request or two, but puh-lease spare us the grizzly details. This is because Church cliques aren't interested in authentic relationships, but in quick-fix community. They don't want to challenge anyone to grow in their faith. Instead, there's an unspoken desire to keep things superficial, to smooth things over, and make everyone feel better about themselves. Growing in our faith is often costly, however. It may require us to change in ways that aren't easy for us or to confront truths that are difficult to swallow. But Jesus said, "If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me." (Luke 9:23). Church cliques conveniently avoid cross-bearing, but Kingdom relationships gently urge one another to die to self, to stand in grace, and to embrace a new life in Christ.

4. Church cliques are based on expediency, while Kingdom relationships are self-sacrificial. 

Because they tend to over-emphasize shared interests or common ground, and de-emphasize Christ-likeness, church cliques are all about us—our needs, our preferences, our conveniences—rather than being all about God. Relationships within church cliques start out as being mutually beneficial, so they may involve loving behavior for a time, but because church cliques are contingent on shared interests, when inevitable differences do arise, they tend to cave in under their own weight. The needs of the group continue to grow, but the motivation to love and serve one another diminishes. Scripture is clear, however, that godly love never fails (1 Cor 13:8), despite changing winds of circumstance and emotion. And godly love is not self-seeking (1 Cor 13:5). When Jesus commanded us to love God, and our neighbor as ourselves (Luke 10:27), He used the word, agapaō, a form of agapeis or agape. The essence of agape-love is self-sacrifice. Christlike love, then, as modeled by Jesus, is selfless. Genuinely selfless love can only be achieved in the power of the Holy Spirit. It's easy enough to perform acts of kindness towards people we are fond of, or people who mean something to us, but Christ died for the ungodly. Scripture points out that "one will scarcely die for a righteous person—though perhaps for a good person one would dare even to die—but God shows His love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us." (Romans 5:6-8). For a perfectly just and holy God, to become flesh and die for sinners, is a purely self-sacrificial act of love. This should be our inspiration for loving others, even when it is not personally beneficial or easy for us to do so. To walk alongside a suffering brother or sister can be in be time-consuming, inconvenient, and sometimes messy or painful. But this is to truly love our neighbor as ourselves.

5. Church cliques are usually homogeneous, Kingdom relationships unify people from diverse walks of life. 

The Body of Christ transcends socioeconomic, cultural, racial, and national boundaries. In Christ, all are equal and people from every tribe and tongue are united. Because church cliques are based on expediency, tend to be insular, and prefer to keep things "safe," they don't often unite people from diverse backgrounds. They tend, therefore, to be demographically homogeneous. But the Kingdom of Heaven is made up of a wonderful array of people from all walks of life. For this reason, Kingdom relationships can develop between people who would otherwise never cross paths. People from different cultural and class-backgrounds who may have never thought they'd have something in common become close when they realize they speak the same spiritual language and have a bond that runs far deeper than a shared love of cooking, or running, or music could ever generate. But church cliques usually bring together people from the same walks of life and those with shared interests or backgrounds. Again, there's nothing wrong with this, as long as the group stays outreach-minded and fosters spiritual growth in its members. It is when a group becomes insular and self-serving that problems arise.

Jesus said to Nicodemus, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the Kingdom of God.” (John 3:3). And so, it's vital that our church communities should encourage believers to die to self and walk in the light of Christ. For it is Christ—not high-tech audiovisuals, pretty buildings, or feel-good sermons—that will ultimately draw people to His Kingdom. Let's encourage each other, then, with the powerful words of Jesus:

"When the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all the angels with Him, then He will sit on his glorious throne. Before Him will be gathered all the nations, and He will separate people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. And He will place the sheep on His right, but the goats on the left. Then the King will say to those on His right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world." (Matt 25:31-34)