Finding Profound Joy in an Amazing Place

When I was a boy, I attended church most Sundays with my family, but it wasn’t what we’d call a “Bible-teaching church.” The minister would solemnly read a passage from the Bible, but then he would basically preach whatever was on his mind. Sometimes it related to the passage; sometimes it didn’t. I don’t recall ever hearing him say the Bible is practical and relevant for everyday life. I had no idea that it was “living and active, sharper than a double-edged sword,” as it says in Hebrews 4:12.

 

Even into my early adult years, if you had asked me, I would have told you I thought the Bible was a manual for preachers, maybe someone with a seminary degree; certainly not for ordinary people. It didn’t help that the only edition of the Scriptures I knew of at the time was the King James Version, with lots of outdated language that made it difficult for me to understand.

 

When I was about 30, I took a job in suburban Houston, Texas and my family and I started attending a church where the Bible was taught and revered. Every Sunday the pastor would demonstrate the “unity of the Scriptures,” showing how different parts of the Bible could be used to “exposit” or explain what other passages meant.

 

There I was introduced to a modern translation of the Bible for the first time. Gone were the “thee’s” and “thou’s” and “begats.” The Lord, I discovered, spoke modern language. I was thrilled and overjoyed! This was the beginning of my life-changing relationship with Jesus Christ, as I not only read and studied the Scriptures but also began committing verses to memory. As King David wrote in Psalm 119:11, "Your word I have hidden in my heart that I might not sin against You." That’s what I wanted to do as well.

 

An Old Testament passage tells a story, brief but beautiful, about someone else who also had a sincere encounter with the Word of God for the first time. For many years the kings of Judah had acted and governed as if there was no God, doing “detestable things.” The Scriptures, as they were in those days, had been stashed away and forgotten for a long time.

 

Then came Josiah, the antithesis of his father Amon and grandfather Manasseh who had ruled wickedly, worshipping false gods and adopting the pagan practices of other peoples. Josiah was different. We’re told, “He did what was right in the eyes of the Lord and walked in the ways of his father [King] David, not turning aside to the right or to the left” (2 Kings 22:2).

 

We don’t exactly know why Josiah didn’t adopt the evil practices of his father and grandfather except that Amon was only 24 when he was assassinated and Josiah, just eight years old, was named to succeed him. Maybe boy King J hadn’t been around his father long enough to learn and mimic his sinful behavior.

 

When Josiah was 26, in the 18^th year of his reign, a special moment occurred. A high priest named Hilkiah found “the Book of the Law in the temple of the Lord,” the sacred Scriptures (2 Kings 22:8). He gave them to the king’s secretary, Shaphan, who read them aloud to Josiah. 

 

His response was one of joy and grief at the same time: “When the king heard the words of the Book of the Law, he tore his robes.” He told his aides, “'Go and inquire of the Lord for me and for the people and for all Judah…. Great is the Lord’s anger that burns against us because our fathers have not obeyed the words of this book…'” (2 Kings 22:11-13).

 

Josiah’s enthusiasm wasn’t temporary. He didn’t just listen to the Scriptures, then shrug his shoulders and say, “That’s nice. Now let’s get on with business.” Instead, with a humble heart he led a revival among the people of Judah, reaffirming the covenant God had made with them many years before.

 

He destroyed all the articles of worship to false gods, got rid of the pagan priests, and restored the sacred festivals and requirements God had established in the Book of the Law. We’re told, “Neither before nor after Josiah was there a king like him who turned to the Lord as he did – with all his heart and with all his soul and with all his strength…” (2 Kings 23:25).

 

Years ago, a good friend was discipling a young couple who had just come to faith in Christ. They’d never read the Bible before – didn’t even own a copy. So, my friend gave them a Bible and had them read 2 Timothy 3:16, which says, “All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness.”

 

When the wife read those words, she exclaimed with joy and amazing insight, “Wow! God wrote a book!” 

The Bible, the Lord’s love letter to His children, should be a continuing source of joy for us as well as we seek to plumb its depth and experience its power. We’re not expected to “tear our robes” when we read it, but we should appreciate what an amazing and timeless gift from God it is. 

Choosing Between Straight and Narrow, Wide and Winding

Years ago, I returned to my boyhood hometown to attend a high school reunion. Deciding to take a trip down memory lane, I drove past the house where I grew up and visited the “grammar school” I had attended. Going into the school surprised me in several ways. 

For one thing, the demographics had changed. Many of the kids there had last names like Gonzales, Lopez, Torres and Martinez. The closest to my name was probably Tamayo. But what surprised me most was the size of the school. It was much smaller than I remembered.

 

I can still recall my first day of school, walking down what seemed like a long, cavernous hallway to my kindergarten classroom. When I revisited the school, however, the hallway wasn’t long at all. It was so narrow I could touch both walls with my arms extended. It was barely wide enough for two people to pass.

 

Over the years since my grade-school days I’ve learned lots of things in life are narrow. Have you ever seen one of those videos on social media of a car or bus perilously traveling a single-lane road around a mountain in some Third World country? Turning around is unthinkable. The driver of the vehicle must be praying no one’s approaching from the opposite direction.

 

We’ve all encountered a narrow bridge where only one vehicle can cross at a time. If you arrive and several cars are coming from the other direction, you have no choice but to wait until they’ve gone by. Sometimes the same is true for tunnels carved through mountains. They’re either one-way, or you have to wait your turn when another vehicle is coming through going the other way. 

 

Traveling in Europe, I saw many narrow stairways in old parts of towns. In the walled city of Sopran, Hungary the entrance is a narrow tunnel that centuries ago was intentionally designed to repel the advance of enemy soldiers. Even Rock City on Lookout Mountain has its “Fat Man’s Squeeze” through which only slender people can pass – one at a time. Narrow can be so annoying.

 

We frequently hear complaints that Christianity is “too narrow,” that its teachings are too restrictive, too exclusionary. Jesus Christ offered no apologies for the ‘narrowness’ of following Him. Speaking to a large crowd during what is commonly known as His “sermon on the mount,” Jesus admonished, “Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow is the road that leads to life, and only a few find it” (Matthew 7:13-14).

 

On another occasion, while Jesus was teaching in some towns and villages someone asked, “Lord, are only a few people going to be saved?” He responded, “Make every effort to enter through the narrow door, because many, I tell you, will try to enter and will not be able…” (Luke 13:23-24).

 

Some might argue, ‘But isn’t this narrow-minded? Aren’t there many ways to God? As long as you’re sincere?’ Jesus’ answer to this is simple, yet sobering. Speaking to His disciples just before the Passover Feast, He said, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me” (John 14:6). Yes, this sounds narrow, even dogmatic. But Jesus was declaring, “There’s no other way.”

 

While other religions and belief systems urge their adherents to seek God’s acceptance through good works or by keeping various rituals, Christianity is unique in asserting there’s no way we can merit His approval or assurance of eternal life. Ephesians 2:8-9 states categorically, “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith – and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God – not by works, so that no one can boast.”

 

The “faith” it talks about is Jesus’ substitutionary death on the cross, shedding His blood to make the once and for all payment for our sins: “But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far away have been brought near through the blood of Christ” (Ephesians 2:13).

 

If that seems too narrow for some, it’s because we don’t – and can’t – fully comprehend the holiness and righteousness of God. It’s not a matter of good outweighing bad, or of “cleaning ourselves up” to become acceptable. In the Lord’s eyes, “good enough” can never be good enough: “…all our righteous acts are like filthy rags…” (Isaiah 64:6). Hence Jesus being the one and only way to God.

 

It’s not just the New Testament that teaches just one path to God. In the Old Testament the prophet wrote, “And there will be a highway called the Way of Holiness. The unclean will not travel it – only those who walk in the Way – and fools will not stray onto it” (Isaiah 35:8). Similarly Psalm 1:6 warns, “For the Lord guards the path of the righteous, but the way of the wicked will perish.” 

 

Narrow might not be our preferred course for travel, but it’s the only way of avoiding the temptation to defy or ignore the precepts and principles God has provided through His Word. King Solomon, who suffered firsthand the consequences of choosing the wide road, offered a “Beware – Danger Ahead” caution among his many proverbs. In fact, Solomon felt it was so important he repeated it: “There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way of death” (Proverbs 14:12, 16:25). 

 

The question we each must ask ourselves today – and every day – is, “Which way am I going to take? The narrow one – or the wider one that seems so enticing?” In the annals of rock music, there’s a “Highway to Hell” but a “Stairway to Heaven.” Coincidence? Maybe. Maybe not.

Having Achieved Independence, Let’s Revisit Dependence

We’ve just concluded celebrations of Independence Day and the 250^th anniversary of our nation’s founding. Independence, in many ways, has been a marvelous thing, not only for us as a country but also as individuals. Freedom is truly a blessing. However, as we enter the 251^st year of the United States, with no certainty about what the future may hold, it might be wise to recognize in some respects dependence isn’t a bad thing.

 

I’m not suggesting that we restore a dependent relationship with Great Britain. (My fake British accent is terrible.) But even though a “pull yourself up by your own bootstraps” philosophy has provided great motivation for many of our nation’s great achievers – whether explorers, settlers, farmers, inventors or entrepreneurs – we’re still dependent on others for our success.

 

This isn’t a message we often hear in our society. Napoleon Hill, in his 1937 book, Think and Grow Rich, emphasized individuality and independence in a statement that has shown amazing endurance over the decades since: “Whatever your mind can conceive and believe, it can achieve.” That declaration epitomized the so-called “American Dream,” that if a person works hard, he or she can achieve their wildest dreams. But tell that to a six-foot-five man who weighs 250 pounds. His dream of being the winning jockey in the Kentucky Derby is as probable as seeing a hippopotamus fly.

 

A corollary to Hill’s slogan is, “If it’s to be, it’s up to me.” It sounds clever, it rhymes, and it resonates with our natural bent toward self-centeredness. But in truth it’s not that simple. Every achievement requires some level of dependency.

 

Even the Lone Ranger had Tonto. Abbott had Costello. The best race car driver can’t win without the pit crew. The best wide receiver in football can’t do anything without the quarterback throwing him the ball. The best chef in the world can’t create a world-class meal without the people that grow, raise and produce the necessary ingredients. And the old song reminded us, “It takes two to tango.”

 

Nowhere is dependency more essential than in growing spiritually. Yet this is exactly where some of us insist on trying to demonstrate our independence. I know, because I’ve tried it – and failed miserably. People say, “You just have to have faith,” and then proceed as if there’s no God at all, as if everything weighs on their own shoulders.

 

But Jesus Christ said just the opposite: “Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls” (Matthew 11:29). He was evoking the image of two oxen yoked together, pulling a wagon or a plow. They share a load neither could pull on its own. The same is true spiritually. When the Lord calls us to do something, we’re to do our part but He doesn’t ask or expect us to operate independently from Him.

 

Elsewhere Jesus said, “I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in Me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from Me you can do nothing” (John 15:5). The apostle Paul, in reviewing the various circumstances he had experienced in life – good and bad – affirmed that truth: “I can do everything through Him who gives me strength” (Philippians 4:13).

 

There have been times when I thought I knew exactly what God wanted me to do and set out to do it – without consulting Him or seeking His direction. Only after spinning my wheels or finding myself at a dead-end did I remember, “Oh, yeah. I can’t do this without the Lord!”

 

To live the so-called “Christian life” also requires that we learn to value and utilize the strength of other believers. One of the best passages about this is Ecclesiastes 4:9-12, which says:

“Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their work;

If one falls down, his friend can help him up.

But pity the man who falls and has no one to help him up.

Also, if two lie down together, they will keep warm, but how can one keep warm alone?

Though one may be overpowered; two can defend themselves.

A cord of three strands is not quickly broken.”

 

Everything is easier when the workload is shared, whether it’s cooking a meal, making a bed, handling finances, or navigating through the many challenges of life. And growing in our faith isn’t intended to be pursued in solitude. As Proverbs 27:17 observes, “As iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another.” A good friend used to say, “We should all be mentored mentors.”

 

There are those who think they can survive and thrive in their journey of faith without the aid of others, but from the beginning that wasn’t God’s intent. After creating the first man, Adam, the Lord concluded, “It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper suitable for him” (Genesis 2:18). That remains true today.

 

The writer of Hebrews recognized the importance of having support from others as we strive to know and serve God and His people: “Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for He who promised is faithful. And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds. Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another – and all the more as you see the Day approaching” (Hebrews 10:23-25).

“The Day” is the promised second coming of Christ. No one knows when that will be, but each day we’re closer to it. Independence has its benefits, but when Jesus returns we want to “be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your labor is not in vain in the Lord” (1 Corinthians 15:58). To accomplish that, we need to depend on one another – and especially on Him. 

Time to Clarify This ‘Separation’ Misconception

Congratulations to the United States on its 250^th anniversary! Many nations and governments have risen and fallen during that span of two-and-a-half centuries, and here’s hoping the “American way” continues to survive and thrive for many years to come. 

Is our nation perfect? Of course not. However, in the history of humankind there’s never been a perfect nation. But it’s fair to say the United States is unique and exceptional in numerous ways. As I noted in my last post, many foreign visitors to the U.S. for the World Cup can attest to that.

 

Determining what makes our nation distinctive is fodder for endless debate, but much credit goes to two documents that have spanned the 250 years and continue serving as guideposts for our society. These, of course, are the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution of the United States. It would do us all good to read both in entirety at least once in our lives. 

 

The second paragraph of the Declaration, after declaring the 13 colonies’ intent to separate from mother England, starts with these words: “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness….” There is considerable disagreement about what was meant by “Creator,” but it’s clear the Founding Fathers recognized a divine hand in creating “all men,” as well as in beginning and establishing the infant nation.

 

In fact, in the Constitution’s Bill of Rights, ratified on Dec. 15, 1791, the First Amendment declares, “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof….” Recognizing the importance of religious belief and practice, it was number one on the list of guaranteed rights.

 

Over the years this became known as the “Establishment Clause.” It’s the basis for what is commonly known as the “separation of church and state,” although I believe its meaning has been misconstrued with the passage of time. Many have come to understand it as prohibiting any intersection of faith and government – an “East is East, and West is West, and never the twain shall meet” divide.

 

Countless articles and books have been written about whether religious practice and governance are necessarily incompatible, but being an Independence Day baby myself, I offer some thoughts. 

 

Roger Williams, founder of Rhode Island, is credited with coining the concept in 1644, describing a "hedge or wall of separation" between the government and religion. However, his hope was to protect the church from state and governmental corruption, keeping “the wilderness of the world” separate from “the garden of the church.”

 

Then there was Thomas Jefferson, a Founding Father, primary author of the Declaration of Independence, and third President of the United States. His famous use of the phrase stems from an 1802 letter to the Danbury Baptist Association in which he referred to the First Amendment as building a "wall of separation between Church & State." He explained in the letter the amendment prevented the establishment of a national church, and that the Baptists need not fear government interference in their expressions of religious conscience.

 

What seems significant is the First Amendment’s wording prohibits government from establishing a national church or religion, as had been the case in England, but does not say one’s faith or religious convictions should be excluded from civic deliberations and responsibilities. Kind of like a One-Way sign on a street. It prohibits traffic going one way, but the other direction is completely permissible. There are many reasons for concluding our leaders through the years have believed that while government should not mandate religious practices, faith and religion can and should have an influential role in governance.

 

Some might argue the Constitution clearly separates the two. Not necessarily. As author Thomas Sowell, a noted economist, historian and social theorist has observed, “Some things are believed because they are demonstrably true – but many other things are believed simply because they have been asserted repeatedly and repetition has been accepted as a substitute for evidence.”

 

An objective review of history shows from its founding, many American leaders have not only respected the Bible but also considered its teachings invaluable for building and preserving our nation. Benjamin Rush, a signer of the Declaration, stated, “The Bible contains more knowledge necessary to man in his present state than any other book in the world…. It is the only correct map of the human heart that ever has been published.”

 

John Jay, who served as President of the Continental Congress and was appointed the first Chief Justice of the U.S. Supreme Court by George Washington, said, “The Bible is the best of all books, for it is the Word of God and teaches us the way to be happy in this world and in the next.” 

 

Noah Webster, known as the “father of American scholarship and education” and publisher of the first distinctly American dictionary, expressed, “All of the miseries and evil when men suffer from vice, crime, ambition, injustice, oppression, slavery and war, proceed from them despising or neglecting the precepts contained in the Bible.”

 

President Andrew Jackson said, “It [the Bible] is the rock on which our Republic rests.” President Abraham Lincoln commented, “The Bible is the best gift God has given to men. All the good the Savior gave to the world was communicated through this book. But for it, we could not know right from wrong.”

 

William Douglas, who served as an associate justice of the U.S. Supreme Court from 1939 to 1975, asserted, “We are truthfully one nation under God and our institutions presupposed a divine being.” And President Theodore Roosevelt declared, “The teachings of the Bible are so interwoven and entwined with our whole civic and social life that it would be literally…impossible for us to figure to ourselves what that life would be if these teachings were removed….”

 

In 1864 Congress began legislation that ultimately led to “In God We Trust” being placed on all coins, and that became the official U.S. motto after World War II. The words “under God” were added to the Pledge of Allegiance in 1954 at the direction of former World War II general and President Dwight D. Eisenhower.

 

The list goes on and on. I highly recommend The Founders’ Bible, which contains not only the entirety of the Scriptures but hundreds of well-researched and documented articles, commentaries and notes about what American statesmen and leaders through the past two centuries-plus have thought about the Bible and its importance for every level of society.

 

Our nation has become increasingly diverse in its citizens’ faith and religious practices. However, many of the values and principles upon which our land was established were uniquely drawn from the Scriptures, including the Ten Commandments, the Golden Rule, the Sermon on the Mount, and its other timeless teachings. 

 

These, according to John Adams, the second President of the United States, are indispensable: “Our Constitution was made only for a moral and religious people. It is wholly inadequate to the government of any other.” And in a letter to his brother, William, in 1816, John Jay stated, “Providence has given to our people the choice of their rulers, and it is the duty, as well as the privilege and interest, of our Christian nation to select and prefer Christians for their leaders.”

 

Such statements are likely to evoke cries of protest and outrage today, but in the words of Psalm 33:11-12, “The counsel of the Lord stands forever, the plans of His heart from generation to generation. Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord, the people whom He has chosen for His own inheritance.” 

 

As we pause to celebrate 250 years as a sovereign nation, amid all the chaos, conflict and strife, it might be good to ponder the wisdom of our Founding Fathers – and the Word of God. Perhaps the answer to our greatly divided society is striving once again to become “one nation, under God, indivisible….”

World Cup Visitors Experiencing Culture Shock

Have you watched any of the videos of foreign visitors to the United States who’ve come here to cheer on their respective soccer (or if you prefer, futbol) teams in the World Cup? They’re hilarious. People from England, Italy, Scotland, Russia, Argentina, France, Australia, Germany, Japan and other countries speaking in amazement about everything from Buc-ee’s to Walmart, automated car washes to expansive highways, Dunkin Donuts to bars and beer, the grandeur of our geography to our passionate patriotism. 

Nearly every American they meet, they say, is so friendly and hospitable. I’m sure there are some whose experience hasn’t been so congratulatory, but for the most part it seems our legally visiting guests are dumbfounded over what they’re seeing, hearing and tasting in the good ole U.S.A.

 

The most interesting thing is they’re discovering America and its citizens are very different from the impressions they had been receiving from their national news sources. They don’t seem to fit the portrayals of angry, nasty, hostile Americans. Can you imagine – media presenting an intentionally skewed perspective on the news? 

 

Why are the majority of soccer fans on their first trips to the U.S. reacting in such favorable ways, talking up our country in such glowing terms? The effects of capitalism and materialism are part of it. Although we tend to take it for granted, the foreign guests are encountering everything from food to clothing to technology to housing in ways they’ve never experienced. You name it, we’ve got it. In abundance. 

 

But I think the primary reason is something far more fundamental. It’s the American culture that has been developed and maintained – at least so far – over the past 250 years.

 

In the marketplace, companies talk about their “culture” – the values, beliefs and principles that guide and govern how they conduct business. You can usually identify a business that has built a strong, positive, assertive culture. It not only attracts customers but also ensures they want to keep coming back. I believe the same is the case with our nation, even though our prevailing culture is so familiar to most of us that we don’t even think about it – until some “outsider” reminds us of it.

 

Where did this culture come from? How did it develop? I believe it was built into the fabric of our society by design, sewn into it through documents like our Declaration of Independence, our Constitution, the Bill of Rights, and the actions and thinking of the nation’s founders. But it’s even deeper than that.

 

One of the underlying motivations for people fleeing England was their desire for freedom of religion, unfettered by the edicts of a national denomination. But they weren’t seeking freedom from religion, because faith was integral to these courageous folk who ventured across an entire ocean to a new land they had never seen and had only heard about.

 

As Mikale Olson recently wrote in an op-ed column for The Christian Post, “At the center of American life has always been a particular set of values: hospitality, personal responsibility, generosity, patriotism, individual liberty, and the belief that every human being possesses inherent dignity. These values were heavily shaped by our Christian heritage and became woven into the fabric of the nation itself.”

 

We find this implicit in the Declaration of Independence, dating back to July 4, 1776. Its opening includes these familiar words: “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights….”

 

Where did the notion that all men – meaning, in the terminology of the time, both men and women – are “created equal” come from? Looking through history and at all the societies of our world, such equality is rare. This doesn’t mean all are identical, or that all should experience equal outcomes. But it does mean that all deserve the same Rights of “Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.”

 

The concept of a Creator comes directly from the Old Testament book of Genesis: “In the beginning God created…” (Genesis 1:1). Belief in the sanctity of life and many of the freedoms we enjoy today also have their basis in the Scriptures. In fact, freedom is one of the Bible’s foundational precepts: “It is for freedom that Christ has set us free” (Galatians 5:1).

 

We could go down the line discussing characteristics of Americans our visiting soccer fans have happily discovered, but directly or indirectly many of them have derived from two central precepts Jesus Christ taught during His earthly ministry. One is what we commonly refer to as “the Golden Rule” – “So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets” (Matthew 7:12).

 

The other is the principle of generosity that continues to inspire many in what is probably the most giving nation in the world. Jesus declared, “…remembering the words the Lord Jesus Himself said: ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive’” (Acts 20:35).

 

Watching the news media and listening to many entertainers speaking from their exclusive enclaves, one might conclude the United States is one of the worst places in the history of the world. That apparently was what many of our foreign visitors anticipated. It’s gratifying that their expectations have not been realized; in fact, it’s been greatly to the contrary.

 

Conscious of it or not, it seems lots of our American citizens are in fact doing unto others as they would have them to do unto themselves. And they’re finding it really is more blessed to give than to receive. Perhaps the reactions of our foreign friends will serve as a wakeup call for us, recognizing that while the United States is far from perfect, it’s still “an amazing place,” as countless foreign friends have concluded.

To Identify Counterfeits, Study the Real Thing

Have you ever encountered counterfeit money? To my knowledge, I haven’t. But maybe that’s because I’m not a trained expert. I’m relatively familiar with U.S. currency, but I’m sure that if someone were to give me Canadian dollars or Euros, I’d be hard-pressed to know with certainty I wasn’t holding fake money. 

How do you become expert in spotting counterfeit cash? Here’s something you might not know: You don’t develop the necessary expertise by spending time examining bogus money. No, the skill for identifying counterfeits comes from knowing in detail what the real thing looks like.

 

That’s how Federal agents are trained. Their training spans a week or more, but for nearly the entire time they study only bona fide bucks. Literally, it’s money manufactured in “good faith,” without fraud of deceit. The agents study the most minute details – numbers, letters, fonts, paper quality, special markings, and everything else that makes each denomination distinctive. They become so familiar with it, it’s like staring at the backs of their hands. 

 

Only at the end of the training do the agents get to examine counterfeit money. By that time, because they’ve gained such intimate knowledge of what genuine currency looks like, when they see the counterfeits, they stand out as the proverbial sore thumb. It’s like those have been printed in a totally different color, with fonts and numerals having no resemblance to the real thing. Like Monopoly money.

 

It’s probably like that in learning to distinguish pricey products like Coach purses, Rolex watches, artwork and jewelry from cheap knockoffs and replicas. Experts know the genuine article so well, the counterfeits can be spotted immediately.

 

Have you ever considered that spiritual truth can be recognized the same way? We live in a time when we can be confronted by many religious counterfeits, all purporting to be the true path to God. With all the conflicting messages in our diverse society, how can we know which is right – and which are wrong?

 

The answer is simple: We need to invest the time and energy necessary to study and get to know the real thing as thoroughly as possible. Then the counterfeits will be easily identifiable.

 

Recently, I spent considerable time interacting with a friend about a “church” he was very enthused about, to the extent that he felt I needed to check it out myself. I’d never heard of this particular movement, but from the start I sensed something wasn’t right. 

 

I’ll not specify the identity of this “church,” but like many false religions it presents some claims that at first seem similar to what the Bible teaches. However, upon closer examination there are dramatic differences, clear contradictions to what God has revealed about Himself – and us – in the Scriptures.

 

During his missionary journeys, the apostle Paul encountered many spiritual counterfeits. In some settings he and those accompanying him were warmly welcomed, while they faced strong opposition in other places. On one trip, after a lengthy stay in Thessalonica, Paul and his band of brothers went to Berea. There they met a group of shrewd listeners who understood the process for distinguishing the genuine from the counterfeit.

 

We’re told, “Now the Berean Jews were of more noble character than those in Thessalonica, for they received the message with great eagerness and examined the Scriptures every day to see if what Paul said was true” (Acts 17:11). These were people well-acquainted with the Scriptures, and even though what Paul and the others taught sounded good, they were cautious to check the veracity of their claims. 

 

As a result of their diligence, “Many of the Jews believed, as did also a number of prominent Greek women and many Greek men” (Acts 17:12). They had determined that what Paul was teaching about Jesus Christ – how He had fulfilled the ancient predictions about the Messiah – aligned with the revered Torah and prophetic writings.

 

Speaking about the end times, Jesus Himself warned against “counterfeiters” who would seek to deceive both believers and non-believers. He said, “Many will come in My name and say, ‘I am He!’ and they will lead many astray…. And if anyone says to you at that time, ‘Look! Here is the Messiah!’ or ‘Look! There He is!’ – do not believe it. False messiahs and false prophets will appear and produce signs and omens, to lead astray, if possible, the elect” (Mark 13:5-6,21-22).

 

Many people who follow Jesus, including numerous Bible scholars, believe we are nearing the promised “end of the age” and the return of Christ. Of course, folks have believed this since His resurrection and ascension. But without question, we’re one day closer to it than we were yesterday. 

 

No one knows for sure when that will be, but as the apostle Paul admonished believers in Thessalonica, “the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night” (1 Thessalonians 5:2). Thieves don’t announce their arrival beforehand, and Jesus isn’t obligated to broadcast the exact day and time of His return.

 

All we know, as we study and trust the Scriptures, is He definitely will come back so we need to be prepared. As the apostle John wrote, “Dear children, this is the last hour; and as you have heard that the antichrist is coming, even now many antichrists have come…. Who is the liar? It is the man who denies that Jesus is the Christ. Such a man is the antichrist – he denies the Father and the Son” (1 John 2:18,22).

 

We’ve been warned: Many counterfeits are coming, and some are already among us. We need to be wise and discerning – and the best way to do that is by being like the Bereans, studying the Scriptures to see if what we see and hear is true.

God’s Imponderable Patience for His Prodigals

For Father’s Day, the message at our church was on an appropriate topic – the “Prodigal Son.” Along with the parable about the Good Samaritan, the story of the prodigal son is probably among Jesus Christ’s most-recognized teachings.  

By way of refresher, we find the account in Luke 15:11-32. It’s about an ungrateful, greedy son who demands to receive his half of his father’s estate early. Imagine a child saying, in essence, “I wish you were dead. I want my portion of the inheritance – and I want it now!” 

 

Despite the insult, the father agrees, executing early division of his property between the son and his older brother. True to his impetuous, foolish nature, the younger one goes off and squanders his wealth on “wild living” (Luke 15:13). Jesus doesn’t elaborate – He allows His audience to fill in the blanks. The son becomes a “prodigal,” which is defined as being recklessly extravagant or wasteful.

 

Before long the wayward son has spent everything, losing all of his “friends” in the process. Making matters worse, a severe famine strikes the entire region, and the young man has run out of options. In desperation, he hires himself out to slop pigs in the fields. For a Jew, this would have been the height of humiliation; having to feed unclean, non-kosher animals. And wallowing in the mud and filth to boot. The young man is starving; even the pods he serves up to the pigs start to seem appetizing.

 

Then the son has a bright idea, one borne out of humility. His father’s servants are much better off than he is. He’ll return home, grovel apologetically, and beg to become one of the household servants. Hopefully his father will accept those terms.

 

Here’s where the parable gets especially interesting. As the son nears home, rehearsing his speech of regret, the father sees him approaching and is filled with love and excitement. “…his father saw him and was filled with compassion for him; he ran to his son threw his arms around him and kissed him” (Luke 15:20). Not the reception the son had expected.

 

The son begins to offer his apology, but the father cuts him off. Rather than chastising the son, he decides it’s time for a party. “…the father said to his servants, ‘Quick! Bring the best robe and put it on him…. Bring the fattened calf and kill it. Let’s have a feast and celebrate. For this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found’” (Luke 15:22-24).

 

There is more to Jesus’ story, but at its essence it’s an analogy, a vivid depiction of the imponderable love, grace, and mercy that flows from the heart of God. How many times have we insulted God, either overtly by willful rebellion or indirectly by ignoring His teachings, His urgings, doing what we knew was contrary to His will?

 

I suspect all of us who are parents have suffered the sting of rejection from our children. A woman I used to work with would often say, “When your kids are young, they stomp on your feet. When they get older, they stomp on your heart.”

 

Thinking about how we’ve felt at times like that, imagine how we’ve made the Lord feel when we’ve turned our backs on Him or shown ingratitude for how lavishly He has blessed us. The father in the parable had every justification for turning his son away after displaying such insolence. But he didn’t. Instead, he quickly organized a spontaneous celebration.

 

This story serves as a micro example of the immeasurable grace – unmerited favor – and love our God extends to us despite our many sins, even as His born-again children. 

 

When Jesus told the parable of the prodigal, He also used a couple other parables – one of a shepherd going on a desperate search for a lost sheep and another about a woman who had lost a silver coin. In both cases after finding what had been lost, they reached out to friends and neighbors to share in their joy. As Jesus observed, “In the same way, I tell you, there is rejoicing in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents” (Luke 15:10).

 

Can you imagine the reveling in heaven when you or someone you know well repented of wayward behavior and obstinate ways? Or perhaps you could be the one being described in the tale of the prodigal. You might even be saying and doing some of the right things, but down deep you know all’s not right with the Lord. It’s time for repentance. There’s a huge celebration being prepared for your return!