by Aaron Hanzel | Jul 5, 2017
Everyone listened Wednesday morning as Ben spoke to the men’s breakfast group about an observation he made regarding a two-phase process of the rise and fall of kingdoms:
“In the 13th century,” he began, “tribes united to mass a Mongol empire that would conquer most of Asia-Eurasia. Genghis Khan consumed nations and any resistance in his path. But when wartime was over, and ruling was required, things changed. When you think about the size and influence of empires, you have to wonder, ‘How did it end?’”
Ben went on to explain how the Persian Empire conquered, expanded and ruled for generations. Eventually it fell after ruling for so long.
Fear and death were part of the conquering-war phase. The ruling, responsibility and “keeping the peace” phase are when these great empires deteriorated into time. A state of mind and embracing the values associated with the two. Those two phases: war-time and peace translate to an individual as well.
These two phases are reflected in my life as well. Over the past year, God has been doing some amazing things in my life. Good things, during good times. The handful of difficult years prior to that, issued a set of different forms of trials and tribulations. The attack of sin and self-indulgences were noticeably visible and relatively easy to identify. Presenting themselves as points to pray for and grow stronger against. I was in a war with deliberate and calculated obstacles, ones that had a name and guided my pursuit of victory. Much like conquering warlords, my enemy was on my mind all the time. I was focused on being satisfied, happy.
When war had ended and peacetime reigned, I worshiped. The Spirit convicted me of my sin and stirred in my heart a longing for the presence of God. Ushering in a new phase of vulnerability and heartache, as well as of fellowship and forgiveness that I pursued. I asked that the Lord purified me from the past of self-righteousness, for when I was in the time of war. For several months I had peace. I was given those joys, because it was that for which I was suffering. I was convinced that victory meant being happy.
This peacetime was similar to the second phase these nations had undergone. It was a time of ruling and “keep the peace”. Likewise, it was a time in my life that the sovereignty of God, in my mind, was contentment. Being satisfied in the value and design of His joys, lessons and His words made new. Biblical stories becoming fresh with the character of God; Joy multiplied. I truly thank God for that.
Comparatively, the second phase that led nations to tragic dismantlement occurred in my life as well. I was content in the joys and promises alone, satisfied in the good things described in scripture. I embraced theological depth in order to grow. I grew. The joys and promises satisfied me. I was content. The wartime victory was being satisfied in the joys of God, which is absolutely self-centeredness, if that’s my only drive. Therefore, “victory” became no different from “wartime.” I had embraced the things God has made as good, as the only value I needed. Focusing on myself.
There is nothing more damaging to a Christian’s walk with Christ than being content. The idea that I may be satisfied in the good things that God has designed should never be “it.” It is destructive. It is poisonous. It is the dismantlement of a foundation built on the idea that “because of the Lord, I know what is good, and that’s all I need”. Don’t misunderstand me. Being satisfied in Christ is totally different from being satisfied because of Christ.
Allow me to expand a little: If I pursue to embrace the majesty and apex of God’s character every day, it has to be because of who God is. This pursuit is fueled because I desire everything through Him, funneling that joy outward to appreciate and apply Christ in all His creation. You will want to see just how magnificent God is by observing His creation. Pray that the Lord reveals Himself in people, and it will change your life. That’s another blog for another time.
I was in one of the classes for my chaplaincy training when the instructor gave an interesting statistic. The majority of suicides that occur in the U.S. are males at the age of 65 and up. Men, more than women, associate their identity with their occupation. When it’s time to retire, to be content, that loss of identity is devastating.
There’s a lot of conclusions that we may draw from the psyche of men because of this (ladies, try not to get too carried away). One important aspect of this fact that men closely identify with is ceasing to do something. The same is what happens in a spiritual “peace time.” We get wrapped up in a single aspect of what makes God so amazing and make ourselves vulnerable to devastating loss when we lose sight of the rest of His character.
During peace time, if joy is your only pursuit and doubt swallows up that joy, your spirit is crushed. If embracing the promises of God is the only thing that battles corruption, faith is made weak. If the gifts of the Spirit are the only thing that affirms salvation, you will be rocked to your core. These are the dangerous examples of a hollow substance when we place our mind in the “peace time” of our lives.
My sister, Hannah, coined a phrase that I’ve found very insightful: “Don’t wish war. Wage war”. As humans, inherently sinful, we seek to be satisfied, to be content. When we realize that the immeasurable riches of Christ surpass our scale of happiness, then we are able to wage war on sin – not just talk about it when things are going well.
“This charge I entrust to you, Timothy, my child, in accordance with the prophecies previously made about you, that by them you may wage the good warfare, holding faith and a good conscience. By rejecting this, some have made shipwreck of their faith” (1 Tim. 1:18).
“…wage the good warfare.” Strike hard with every blow against sin, by pursing the full character of God in prayer, scripture, and community. Narrowing the view of the blessing of God will only lead your faith to a “shipwreck.”
by Caleb Gordon | Jun 22, 2017
Lysa Terkeurst, popular women’s Bible study teacher and author filed for divorce from her husband of almost 25 years. So many emotions went through my mind. My heart hurts for her. My heart hurts for her family. And my heart hurts for her husband who made a really bad decision to follow after his sinful desires.
You see, 13 years ago I went through something very similar. I got a divorce. My first wife left me. She made a decision to pursue someone else. It really hurt. But I can tell you, after 13 years, God is faithful and has restored so much to me. More actually than I can even begin to tell you.
The thing I want to address is the subject of the church and divorce. This is something that I firmly believe the church needs to address, and not in some Sunday School room on a Tuesday night with five or six people in attendance. We all need to understand this. I firmly believe that divorce, in general, is a sin and should be avoided at all costs, but it’s not a sin that cannot be forgiven and redeemed, just like any other sin.
Here are some great resources from John Piper on the topic of divorce/remarriage. From what I have read, Lysa did all she could do to help her husband and attempted to avoid this at all costs, but in the long run, he chose his sin over his marriage. Like I said, my heart hurts! The major thing that I want to address is how we, as the church, should respond to someone who has been divorced or is going through a divorce.
Walk in love! We often take a hard stand on this topic. We should take a hard stand against sin, but we should do all of this in love! It can be hard for some to understand a couple who are going through a horrible spot in their lives. They might say they understand, but in all reality, they don’t. Divorce is so horrific and destructive to all parties involved. When I remarried, I remember one person telling my wife, “We don’t do second marriages.” That was their reason for not coming to our wedding. I’ll be honest, that hurt too. Being empathetic and compassionate is a good first step to helping them find redemption.
Pray for them! When I say pray for them, I mean to actually sit down and pray for them and with them. Send them messages through the day that you are praying for them. Let them know you are lifting them up before our great God and King. I can’t tell you how encouraging and amazing it felt when I would get a call from someone saying that they were praying for me, even if I did not let them know it was appreciated, it really was. Having people pray for me is honestly one of the biggest things that got me through some of the darkest moments in my life.
Invite/welcome divorced people in! Over the past 10 years, I’ve been able to minister to thousands of men on this very topic. I have been to multiple men’s events and shared my story with so many who are going through similar hurts. Just being present with people who have gone through divorce is so life changing. We’ve had dozens of men in our home at our dinner table and just talked, cried, prayed and laughed. It’s such an opportunity for healing when we invest in people. When we are willing to be present with someone during their hardest moments in life, it can truly be life transforming. I’m challenging the churches in our communities to welcome these broken people in and invest in them.
I want you to join me in praying for Lysa, her husband and all of the rest her family. These are the moments when she needs our love and prayer far more than she needs us to be an advice column.
by Ryan Smith | Jun 13, 2017
During my sophomore year of college, many moons ago, I spent two months fasting. It was not a fast for my stomach, but for my ears – and ultimately my soul.
As a good Christian young man, I had cast aside all worldly possessions and adopted the sights, sounds and smells of what many have deemed “The Christian Bubble.”
You know the bubble. It is the orb Christians live in when they don’t want to get their hands dirtied by the world. It is a safe house where the music is only from a Christian label, the books are only from Christian bookstores, and we drink Spirit Cola™ instead of Sprite Cola.
I’m not saying these things are bad; they are simply what circumferences the bubble. It feels good. It feels clean. It is where we let our little light shine, but try to keep it low so we won’t attract flies.
It was on that certain day in college I sat listening to my exclusively Christian CDs and was struck by a thought: I enjoy music. I enjoy music that feeds me. I enjoy music that affirms my beliefs. I enjoy music for me.
These are good things. But what was it doing to help me accomplish the mission of God for the glory of God? If I sat around and listened to people sing about being the hands and feet of God, washing it down with some Spirit Cola™, and then never went out to actually be the hands and feet of God to a world that was perishing, what good was it?
But where would I find this world? In the bubble? There are no professing non-Christians in the bubble. That’s why we have the bubble.
So there must be something outside the bubble, I thought. It was the world I professed to have a call to reach. It was the world I knew nothing about. The world inside my headphones was clean. It was comfortable. I could filter out all the cries for help from a drowning world as long as my headphones were on.
It was on that day many years ago I decided to take my headphones off.
I prayed to God – devoting my ears and heart to Him. I decided to fast for a few months from the lyrical nourishment that truly fed me and take a walk outside the bubble to see what the world sounded like.
In God’s providence, the very first song I heard on “secular” radio was by a band called XTC. The song was called “Dear God.” These are the closing lyrics:
“Dear God, don’t know if you notice but your name is on a lot of quotes in this book and us crazy humans wrote it, you should take a look. And all the people that you made in your image still believing that junk is true. Well I know it ain’t, and so do you. Dear God, I can’t believe in, I don’t believe. I won’t believe in heaven or hell, no saints, no sinners, no devil as well, no pearly gates, no thorny crown, you’re always letting us humans down. The wars you bring, the babes you drown, those lost at sea and never found, and it’s the same the whole world ‘round. The hurt I see helps to compound that Father, Son and Holy Ghost is just somebody’s unholy hoax and if you’re up there, you’ll perceive that my heart’s here upon my sleeve. If there’s one thing I don’t believe in it’s you,
Dear God.”
I had never heard that in the bubble. The bubble spends conscious time trying to keep songs and artists like this out.
It brought me to tears. In large part, this was because on my wall hung a quote that said, “Let my heart be broken with the things that break the heart of God.”
There was an entire world I was called to go to and share Jesus. I had missed this world because I was too busy listening to songs about why I should go to it and share Jesus.
It is a world that breaks the heart of God.
It is a world whose voices shake the streets, yet often fall mute in the church.
This brings me to the question: How now shall we listen?
First, I should say I am here discussing the how of our ears, not the what. The what is a worthy discussion requiring much biblical wisdom, accountability and a much longer blog than this one. We should never use our freedom or mission as a license to sin.
My assertion here is that it is perhaps much more beneficial to listen to whatever music we listen to through a lens of theology rather than a label on an album or call letters on a radio station.
When asked what kind of music he likes, U2’s Bono once said, “Only two kinds of music interest me: music from people running to God, and from people running from God.” I think he makes an interesting observation. The Bible is filled with examples of both. Art is filled with examples of both. I can converse and have gospel-conversations with one stream of those people. What about the other?
That is what I learned from my two-month fast. Since then, I have been challenged and spurred to share and be more aware of the depravity around me through songs that would never be heard on Christian radio. They are neither positive nor encouraging. Instead of surrounding myself only with voices that sooth and agree, I’ve been trying to listen to the voices in songs, books, twitter, etc. that display the world around me – not just my world. I’ve been trying to listen theologically.
Listening theologically to music (or reading, watching, etc.) does not mean you have to open yourself up to things you know will be harmful to you. That would be unwise and unbiblical. But it does mean you aren’t afraid to hear from people who disagree with you or don’t know the truth of the Gospel.
Listening theologically holds each lyric (chapter, tweet, scene, etc.) up to Scripture to discern whether it is truthful or not. It also uses these devices to identify avenues for the Gospel or allow our hearts to be broken with the things that break God’s heart. It spurs us to see the world, including our own lives, not through the lens of labels but the Bible. It even keeps us sharp in testing professing prophets with catchy hooks who sing about God but miss His character and mission entirely.
I would not urge everyone to take a fast from “Christian” music or even to completely burst the Christian bubble. What I would encourage, however, is for us to consider not just what enters our ears but ultimately the filter through which we hear it.
Don’t approach your media with only the question, “What would Jesus listen to,” but also with the question, “How would Jesus listen to it?”
I think we will be surprised by what we learn from voices on all sides by listening intentionally and theologically to the world around us.
by Caleb Gordon | May 25, 2017
I have been thinking over the past two years, and sometimes that is a dangerous thing to do. I’m trying to flesh this thing out. It’s been something that I’ve seen in my own life, and I’m struggling with it. So hang with me as I talk this out.
I know so many men and women who are a part of multiple Bible studies. They go to studies on Sunday mornings, Wednesday nights, and some even go to another midweek study. Women’s Bible studies, men’s Bible studies, couples Bible studies – the list goes on and on. There honestly is no shortage of Bible studies we can attend.
The thing that blows my mind is that you’d think that with all of those Bible studies that we all are involved in, and all of those hours we’ve spent together pouring over and talking about the Scriptures, we’d truly begin to see some type of really big change in our communities. Right? Well, why then are we not seeing anything different? Let me explain further.
A majority of people who attend church are just as angry and bitter as lost folks. We have husbands and wives who are not loving each other like Christ loves the church. We have children who are so disrespectful to any type of authority that it’s just sickening. But all the while we have so many of these people ‘plugged into’ a Bible study of some type. So what is the problem?
The problem is not that there are not enough Gospel-centered Bible studies…it’s that we are actively replacing action with consumption. We think that if we just sit for 30 minutes to an hour, listening to the truths of Scripture then that should be enough. Check this verse out:
“So whoever knows the right thing to do and fails to do it, for him it is sin” (James 4:17).
If you know that you as a husband should be loving your wife as Christ loves the church and you’re not, you are actively living in sin. If you know that loving your enemy is a mandate that was handed down from Jesus Himself, and you do not then, guess what? You guessed it. You’re living in sin.
What is happening is that we are living in a replacement mentality. We are actually replacing DOING what God has called us to do for just reading and studying about it and thinking that is good enough. We spend tons of time sitting in group Bible studies talking about how we should live as Christ followers. What would happen if we started to have Bible DOINGS and actually living out the mandates of Christ?
Let me give you an example.
What would it look like if we, instead of doing another Bible study over not being ashamed to share the Gospel, actually went out to the local public square and actually share the Gospel? Engaged people and talked to them one on one.
What would it look like instead of having another couple’s Bible study that you planned a couples mission trip in your city, to go do something together as a couple? You see, if you’re both as a couple focused on a common mission you don’t have time to fight. If you’re both living out the Gospel together, you won’t argue; you’ll find ways to help and encourage one another.
Now, don’t get me wrong...I’m NOT saying to NOT read or study your Bible, because you should! But what I am saying is that if you’re studying the Bible and you’re not doing what you are studying, then there is a problem. I’m saying that if you do the study, it should not just get a head nod, an amen and that’s it. Studying the Bible should push us to action, not just agreement. If we agree with what we are studying then it should result in action.
Stop just agreeing and start doing! Move in a direction and get out of your comfort zone!
Stop just HAVING BIBLE STUDY and start BIBLE DOING!
by Aaron Hanzel | May 2, 2017
Recently, I attended the training for the Oklahoma Disaster Relief volunteer program in Bixby. The training is a continuation of my desire to be an endorsed chaplain through the North American Mission Board and the Baptist General Convention of Oklahoma. I felt the calling to become a chaplain about a year ago.
I was driving home from work one evening and noticed a really bad car accident. I had an overwhelming desire to just be there and support everyone involved. The medical personnel, police and fire and the victims. I’m not an expert in any of those fields of service, but I am a Christian with a heart for people; especially those affected by disaster.
In this particular instance, I knew there was no way that I would be allowed to approach the scene of the accident, for security reasons and my own safety. Disheartened, I drove home.
The Lord has done some amazing things in my life in the year since. To Him be the glory. I completed my training for the chaplaincy program. One of the requirements in order to be an endorsed chaplain is to attend Disaster Relief training. I knew the Oklahoma DR crew was a big deal. I’ve heard their name and accomplishments come up before. I did not expect to witness the amount of passion and dedication that pours out of each member.
The servitude and pride in being a DR volunteer is infectious. Throughout the day of training I heard stories of relief efforts and salvation and redemption. Of how it didn’t matter how small or large your assistance was, it mattered. It mattered to the victims of disasters. It mattered to the state. It mattered to the church. Most of all, it mattered to the glory of Almighty God.
There was a point in our orientation that Sam Porter, state director of Oklahoma Baptist Disaster Relief, spoke from his heart “I truly believe there is not a disaster in the world that the Oklahoma Baptist Disaster Relief organization cannot respond to.”
My hair stood on end. Everyone in the room gave their “amens” and nods and fists in the air with cheer. I experienced the bond, camaraderie and historical legacy. It was clear that The Spirit’s presence filled the room as if the Father was saying “This. This is me. These gifts, strengths, hearts filled with love to serve people. This is my active glory manifested. This is not fleeting. It’s not a fad. It’s not a hobby. It’s a lifestyle. I Am here.”
As Christians we are called to do more than extensive training for a stronger spiritual relationship and life of servitude. We are called to be active. To acquire and utilize that warrior mentality. James 1:22-25:
“But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks intently at his natural face in a mirror. For he looks at himself and goes away and at once forgets what he was like. But the one who looks into the perfect law, the law of liberty, and perseveres, being no hearer who forgets but a doer who acts, he will be blessed in his doing.”
I see the volunteers of Oklahoma Baptist Disaster Relief and bear witness to not just prepared workers but also doers of The Word. That legacy, that proactive sense of purpose is God’s work. Mr. Porter used the term “boots on the ground” to describe the volunteers on a disaster site. I look forward to being part of the younger generation of warriors both in the DR community, as a chaplain and Christian for His glory. I pray you continue to hunger for Him.
by Caleb Moore | Apr 10, 2017
When I got home last Thursday night, I learned that the Untied States had fired 59 Tomahawk missiles into Syria. This was of course a response to Syria’s chemical weapon attack that was reported to have killed more than 100 people. Was it the right response? I have no idea.
Violence seems to lead to more violence. As a Christian, I believe that certain wars and military actions are justifiable. We are called to protect those who cannot protect themselves. However, acts of war are never the ideal solution, and whenever we talk of such things, we must make sure the world knows that a better solution is available.
You see, 2,000 years ago, a Roman governor named Pontius Pilate entered into Jerusalem during Passover. He wasn’t coming to celebrate the Jewish festival; he was coming to make sure they didn’t riot. Each year thousands upon thousands of Jewish people would migrate into Jerusalem to partake in a festival celebrating that they worshiped a God who had freed them from foreign oppressors.
At this time, Rome is that foreign oppressor, and Pilate does not look favorably on such celebrations that threaten the peace of Caesar’s kingdom. So he wants to make sure that the boot of Rome is firmly upon the throats of the people.
Each year at Passover time, Pilate would come down from his home in Caesarea and enter into Jerusalem in a way that was designed to strike fear into the people. He had a large number of highly-trained Roman soldiers carrying banners, swords and spears. Their sheer number made it sound like thunder was coming from miles away. Behind the solders and chariots, Pilate could be seen riding on his majestic white horse. It had to be an impressive yet terrifying display of worldly might.
At the same time, Scripture teaches us that Jesus arrived in Jerusalem from the Mount of Olives with his band of fisherman, riding on a donkey. People began to shout, “Blessed is the King who comes in the name of the Lord!” There was already tension in the air, the faithful had been waiting for the Messiah to come and overthrow Rome.
There is even a prophecy in Zechariah that says the King will come riding on a donkey, and a few verses later we are told that this King will destroy the chariots of the enemy. Jesus accepting the title of King, riding on a donkey – these are declarations of war, and the Pharisees knew it. They immediately tell Jesus to silence his followers, but they cannot be silenced.
What we see pictured in the story of Palm Sunday are the two great powers at war. Pilate, entering Jerusalem from the west with all the power and might of Rome; and Jesus, entering from the east, with his fisherman and a donkey. What happens next is at the very center of the Gospel. If Jesus would have grabbed a sword and armed His disciples, He would have been no different than any other rebellious uprising. No, His way is different.
Instead, He absorbs all the wrathfulness and hatred the world could ever muster. There is no greater way to silence your enemy than to take His life, so they publicly humiliate Jesus and then nail him to a cross. The power of Rome is showing everyone else, this is what happens when you stand against us.
Those who opposed Jesus have a short-lived victory. He rises from the dead, and their weapons become useless. What good is a sword against a man you cannot kill? Colossians tells us,“…having disarmed the rulers and authorities, He made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the cross” (Col. 2:15). Jesus shows them what real power looks like. He doesn’t return violence with violence; He simply shows them that their power is no power at all.
The world has always been caught in the cycle of war. Violence always will lead to more violence. I’m not anti-war; it was good of us to defeat Hitler and the evil that he enabled. But wives still lost husbands; children still lost their fathers. The cost of such a war ripples through generations, and evil still exists all over the globe.
Wars of this type do bring temporary solutions but never THE solution. The only lasting solution that brings the peace we all so greatly desire is the Gospel. The Gospel is the greatest power, held by the greatest King. Some day every knee shall bow and every tongue confess that Jesus is the real King and only then will we have peace.