My wife Cindy recently made a gift to “Samaritan’s Purse”. This is an organization that arose from Billy Graham’s ministry. It is one of the best charities in the country. They sent help to the Carolinas and to Los Angeles by the truckload. I strongly encourage you to support SP’s mission in helping the downtrodden. There is contact information at the end of this blog.

We received a very nice thank you letter from Franklin Graham. We also sent a check to the IRS……….and we never heard a word from them.

So……what’s the big difference? What distinguishes the check to the IRS from the check to Samaritan’s Purse?

It’s pretty obvious. The check to the IRS was mandatory. The check to SP was voluntary……..a gift. SP reacted with happiness, and gratitude because we gave freely…..out of love. The IRS didn’t respond because they were entitled. We were required to pay them. Love had nothing to do with it.

What does this parable have to do with God?

It goes to the very heart of our relationship with God. This post is a follow up to a recent post. “Adam, Eve, and the Serpent”. If you haven’t read it, you might want to.

Before the fall, Adam and Eve did not have the power of choice. They did as they were told. God was in absolute control. In a way, God was entitled to their obedience. After the fall, Adam and Eve had knowledge. They understood right and wrong. Even more importantly, they had the power to choose between right and wrong. At its highest level, they had the power to choose or reject God.

After the fall, loving God was no longer mandatory, required. Loving God became a gift, freely given from us to God. As such, our gift of love today becomes immensely more valuable than Adam and Eve’s mandatory gift of obedience before the fall. Like the check to SP, our gift of love is far more valuable, satisfying, both to God and to us, than our check to the IRS.

God didn’t have to put the tree of the knowledge of good and evil in the Garden of Eden. He had to know the risk. He probably saw “the fall” coming. He may even have set the whole thing up.

The irony here is this:

God allows us to spit in his face. Because it feels so good…….both to him and to us……..when we don’t.

God allows us to spit in his face. Because it feels so good…….both to him and to us……..when we don’t.

And that is the key lesson of “the fall”

How you respond to this freedom……to spit in God’s face…….or to love him…….is the most important decision you will ever make.

Now the serpent was more crafty than any other beast of the field that the Lord God had made. He said to the woman, “Did God actually say, ‘You shall not eat of any tree in the garden’?” And the woman said to the serpent, “We may eat of the fruit of the trees in the garden, but God said, ‘You shall not eat of the fruit of the tree that is in the midst of the garden, neither shall you touch it, lest you die.’” But the serpent said to the woman, “You will not surely die. For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.”

Genesis 3: 1-24, ESV

Samaritan’s Purse
P.O. Box 3000, Boone, NC 28607

We all know the story. There was a tree in Eden loaded with forbidden fruit. The fruit was knowledge……of good and evil. Along with that knowledge came choice and along with choice came power…….and responsibility. Satan manipulated Adam and Eve to steal the fruit, eat it, and enter the world of knowledge, choice, power, and responsibility. The fall.

Did you ever picture Eden before the fall? Adam and Eve lived a simple life. They named and cared for God’s creation. They ate the produce of the garden. They met with God, talked to him, walked with him, and enjoyed the good life……..in an intimate relationship with their creator. But, if you think about it, they had no choice. In a word, they were automatons. Your laptop runs programs. You enter an input and it spews out a response that is exactly what you programmed it to do. It does what you ask. It never surprises you. It never gives you anything that you didn’t put into it. Adam and Eve were like that. They performed exactly as God had programmed them to……no surprises.

I’m going out on a limb here. I wonder if God found Adam and Eve to be a little dull……even boring. They certainly were predictable. After all, they were running God’s program.

Then, one day, they took off on their own. They started making decisions…….choices. Some of the choices were good……others, not so much. And that is the world that we live in. We do good……we do bad……and God watches and intervenes from time to time.

Before the fall, things were calm. I suspect that God watched his well oiled machine purring along. He probably didn’t have much to get worked up about, good or bad. I wonder if he found his creation……well……a little stiff and unsatisfying. But then, all hell broke loose……literally.

Suddenly, God is faced with a creation that is doing as it pleases. I’ll skip over the minor details and jump to the one big question. What does all of this mean…..in the context of our relationship with God. After all……that is the reason for all of creation. That is the reason for our very existence.

At the fall, mankind faced a fork in the road. Seek out a relationship with God…….love him, or reject a relationship with God……ignore him…..deny him.

Suddenly, after the fall, God is dealing with two populations of mankind that didn’t exist before the fall. One of them loves him and intentionally seeks him. These people are actively pursuing a two way relationship with God…….a good working definition of love. This must please God. This population must be more satisfying for God than the automatons he dealt with before the fall. It is not hard to say that this population is much better in relating to God than Adam and Eve. The other population ignores God at best. Some of them actively hate him. This must be extremely disappointing for God……much worse than the automatons.

And so……each of us faces a decision.

Deny God
Ignore God
Love God

So far so good.

But there’s a problem.

This is not a one-off decision that you make at your baptism, your confirmation, or sitting on a mountaintop somewhere at sunrise. It is a decision that you must make thousands of times every day. This is hard work. It is disruptive, even dangerous. Most Christians ignore God half of the time. The very best ignore him 10% or 20% of the time. Some people choose to hate God……because of something that has happened in their lives. You will choose one of these three paths in your relationship with God.

It’s your call…….compliments of Adam, Eve,………and the serpent:

Deny God
Ignore God
Love God

Well?

He has told you, O man, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?

Micah, 6:8 ESV

You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might.

Deuteronomy, 6:5, ESV

The darkness can be scary. The world closes in around us. There are things going on out there, in the dark, that we cannot see…… that we cannot understand. We tend to see darkness as bad and light as good. The darkness can be physical or it can be metaphorical.

But, darkness is not always a bad thing. In the past, I have talked about lights in the darkness. This morning, I am sitting on my patio looking out into the dark. It is hours before sunrise. I can see across a valley to the dim outline of the Santa Rita mountains. They are majestic…….the handiwork of the creator…….my creator. There is a mining company over there, tearing away the side of one of the mountains. They are building a dump where they will dispose of the debris from the open pit mine that they will soon dig. They are destroying the mountain. They are hard at work……24/7. During the day, it is very hard to see what they are up to…….primarily due to the distance, about 15 miles. But, this morning…….actually every morning…….I can clearly see the lights of the machines that are killing the mountain. Paradoxically, I can see the damage that they are doing more clearly in the dark than I can during the day.

In the bright daylight of the good times, there isn’t much contrast between the goodness of God and the “good life.” This is the world that we live in as Americans. The reality is that even on our bad days, we have it better than 80% of the people on the planet. When you look at the world as a whole, Americans don’t see much darkness. We are fat…….and happy. And, often, we are blind to the work that God is doing. We push him off into a corner……and party on. In many ways, the people suffering in the “third world” can see God more clearly than we do.

And yet, even in America, we all pass through dark times……dark places. It could be illness, death, financial setback, or any one of a number of problems. It is often during these times of darkness that we see God best. The contrast between God’s work……God’s love……and the darkness of a bad situation is much greater…….if we only look for it.

I know a man who is in a dark place today. He sees himself surrounded by threats……demons. Neither he nor I can tell if the demons are real. They certainly look real to him.

There are a couple of possibilities:

The demons are real and are a manifestation of Satan.

The demons are real and are the work of man…..evil men.

The demons are not real.

But……there is a light in his darkness…..if he and I will only look for it. And that light is God. In many ways, God’s love shines brighter in his dark place than in my bright open airy place. I cannot rescue him. But, I can pray for him.

My prayer is this:

If this is from Satan…….drive him away.

If this is from evil men…….disarm or destroy them.

If this is not real…….heal him…….with the light of your love.

We are called on to fix the things that we can fix.
We are called on to pray about the things that we cannot fix……to give them to God.

We must focus on the pinpoint of light that stands out against the darkness. Our hope lies in the tiny spot of light…….not in the vast expanse of the darkness. Our only chance to grow is the light……God’s love. There is nothing in the darkness that will help us to grow.

Unfortunately, there is also very little that will help you grow in the broad light of the good times that we enjoy in this country. But, even in the good times, the light is there. You just have to look harder.

It does not matter how small the sins are, provided that their cumulative effect is to edge the man away from the Light and out into the Nothing. Murder is no better than cards if cards will do the trick.

Indeed, the safest road to hell is the gradual one — the gentle slope, soft underfoot, without sudden turnings, without milestones, without signposts.

A demon explaining sin and darkness, “The Screwtape Letters” by C.S . Lewis.

My grandmother was a survivalist.

She lived on a small farm in western Kentucky. She and my grandfather raised pigs, butchered them, smoked the meat and lived off of it. She kept a garden that fed her family. Much of what was in her house…..she made. She got her water from a hand pumped well on her porch. She sharpened her knives on a rock in her yard. I have no doubt that she and my grandfather could have gotten by if the rest of the world vanished. She was an amazing woman. I’ve not met as capable of a human being since. In a small way, I too have some of her survivalist tendencies. I am trying to learn how to keep a garden. I store water and food so that my family can get by if the local groceries close down. I am negotiating with my wife over a few solar panels. But, at best, this is short term physical survivalism. The most committed “survivalist” can only survive physically for a year or so after the “doomsday scenario”. You have to ask yourself, “what’s the point?”

But there is more to it than that. It turns out that you can be a survivalist too.

I’m not talking about physical survival. None of us will survive physically. Physical survival is impossible. As Jim Morrison said, “no one gets out alive”. I am talking about spiritual survivalism. The Bible teaches that you have a physical body and you have a soul. There is no arguing about your physical body…….it will not survive. Your body is going to die. Your spirit…….your soul…..will live on. No matter how good or evil you are. Like it or not. Your soul will survive……forever. Sounds pretty good…….so far. But, to hijack a well-used metaphor, “The devil is in the details”. What will your experience look like after your physical death?

What sort of ecosystem will your soul live forever in? The Bible teaches that the home for our souls will be customized. I can’t address the details. But, I can say that the destination for your soul will fall into one of two categories…….really nice and really not nice.

Which brings me to the point.

Regarding the long term job placement for your soul, you have four options to choose from…..four belief systems:

I want the nice place and I will do what it takes to get there. I am a survivalist.

I can handle the not nice place…..heck, I might even enjoy it. I’ll live as I please…..for now. I’ll worry about the not nice place later. Maybe I can be a precinct chairperson in the not nice place. I too am a survivalist.

It’s all a big myth. When I die physically, the lights will go out and it will be over. I am not a survivalist.

I’ll just ignore the whole problem. I am not a survivalist

So…..how do you live your life? I doubt very seriously that you are planning to go to the place that is not nice. Even if it is only half as bad as the Bible says……it doesn’t sound like any fun. If you are a survivalist, then you plan ahead, you study the ground rules and you prepare yourself……spiritually. If you are not a survivalist, you live as you please. Be good if that is what turns your crank. Be evil if that gets you ahead. Either way, it doesn’t matter. When you die physically……it’s over.

So……..are you a survivalist……..a spiritual survivalist?

“Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

Jesus, telling us how to live. Matthew 6:19-21,ESV

In my Father’s house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also.

Jesus, describing paradise. John 14:2-3, ESV

and in Hades, being in torment, he lifted up his eyes and saw Abraham far off and Lazarus at his side. And he called out, ‘Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus to dip the end of his finger in water and cool my tongue, for I am in anguish in this flame.’

Jesus describing the experience of a man in hell, Luke 16: 23-24, ESV

She seeks wool and flax,
and works with willing hands.
She is like the ships of the merchant;
she brings her food from afar.
She rises while it is yet night
and provides food for her household
and portions for her maidens.
She considers a field and buys it;
with the fruit of her hands she plants a vineyard.
She dresses herself with strength
and makes her arms strong.
She perceives that her merchandise is profitable.
Her lamp does not go out at night.
She puts her hands to the distaff,
and her hands hold the spindle.
She opens her hand to the poor
and reaches out her hands to the needy.
She is not afraid of snow for her household,
for all her household are clothed in scarlet.
She makes bed coverings for herself;
her clothing is fine linen and purple.
Her husband is known in the gates
when he sits among the elders of the land.
She makes linen garments and sells them;
she delivers sashes to the merchant.
Strength and dignity are her clothing,
and she laughs at the time to come.
She opens her mouth with wisdom,
and the teaching of kindness is on her tongue.
She looks well to the ways of her household
and does not eat the bread of idleness.
Her children rise up and call her blessed;
her husband also, and he praises her:
“Many women have done excellently,
but you surpass them all.”
Charm is deceitful, and beauty is vain,
but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised.

King Lemeul describing my grandmother, Proverbs 31: 10-31 ESV

First let me clarify.

I am not saying that there are ONLY three ways to be a Christian. I am not saying that one of these paths is better than the others. It may be that each of us is suited to one of these paths more than the others. These 3 paths are the paths that I have seen other Christians follow. I have spent time on each of them………possibly only a minute or two…….but enough time to sense how they feel. I am beginning to wonder if there are other paths that I do not know……yet. But, that is a topic for another day. I suspect that we may learn from the path that we are on and then shift to another path. I also suspect that we may find that the path that we are on is not satisfying us…….and reject Christianity altogether. If you have rejected Christianity because the path that you were following was not satisfying, perhaps you were not on the path that you were created for. If your walk just feels stale and lifeless, perhaps you need to seek another more suitable path.

So……what do these paths look like?

The path of forms:

This is the Christianity of rites. We go to church on Sunday. We get baptized. We tithe. We sing the songs. We try to follow the rules. Then we walk out of church at noon and re-enter the world of secular humanism………which us pretty much where we live. This path isn’t too demanding. Fact is, it’s pretty easy to keep God at arms length……where he can’t interfere with us.

The path of the intellect:

We read the Bible over and over. We pore over every word. We go to Bible studies. We dig into the rules to learn how to live. We parse out the prophesies to see what is ahead. We tell others when they are failing to fulfill the teachings of God and of Jesus. We strive to approach God on an intellectual basis. We try to understand God and to prove him to non-believers…….with logic. We can hold our own in an argument with a secular humanist. We can lead others to Jesus. We can strengthen other Christians. We can minister to others. This is noble…….but it is heavy lifting. And it is easy to become self-righteous.

The path of love:

There are the Christians who have confused me for most of my life. These are the Christians who leave a great job…..a successful career. They get on a plane, fly halfway around the world, settle into a place with dirt floors, a place with little or no health care, where their baby’s diaper…..if they have one……is full of worms, where the government is openly hostile to their faith, and sometimes they give up their freedom or even their lives. These Christians amazed and confused me. For a period in my life I turned away from Christianity out of fear that this might be my calling…….the fear that God would say to me…..”Byron, drop what you are doing, sell your stuff, go to Africa, and wait for my instructions”. What, I asked myself, were these Christians thinking? Frankly, there have been times when this path of Christianity has terrified me. There have been times when spending eternity worshipping God……..just didn’t seem like any fun at all. Worst of all…….the people on this path often seemed just a little wierd.

So……I return to the question, “What are they thinking?”

And today, during my morning meditation, for about a minute, I found myself on their path. Don’t get the wrong idea, I fell off pretty quickly. But I was there long enough to sense the wonder of it. And I think that this is where I want to go…….possibly where I was meant to be. This third path is a path defined by love…..for the man……Jesus. Nail this down…..and all of the rules…….all of the prophesies……suddenly make sense. This third path stops being weird and instantly becomes……..comfortable. I’m not sure that I am up to it…….but I will try to spend more time on the path of love.

I’ll keep you posted.

“Whoever has my commandments and keeps them, he it is who loves me. And he who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I will love him and manifest myself to him.”

Jesus, John 14:21, ESV