Follow your heart?

      How much can the human heart be trusted to steer us correctly in life?  If you're like me, you have heard a lot of people use phrases like, "Follow your heart," or "Listen to your feelings."  On the other hand, I have also heard many wise Christians use the opposite advice, reminding us that, The heart is deceitful...and desperately wicked... (Jeremiah 17:9).   The Apostle Paul himself reminds us that, For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing: for to will is present with me; but how to perform that which is good I find not. (Romans 7:18).  In our sinful nature, we are unable to do rightly, decide rightly, or please God.  Does this mean that we are to squelch every inclination we have and just force ourselves to do things we have no heart for?  Some would say yes.  One dear friend of mine used to really struggle with this, and felt that making decisions was basically surrendering to do the exact opposite of her heart's desires, and that must be God's will, since it made her miserable.  She was very sincere, but, I will venture, very mistaken (and she knows this now, having grown in her own walk with the Lord).  

     We need to examine a few things.  In this post, I'll be looking at 1) How God leads and directs our lives, 2) the difference between heat-of-the-moment feelings and a true heart's desire, and 3) the way Christians in the Spirit are different from those in the flesh, or unbelievers.  

How God Leads and Directs Our Lives

     I remember once, I was offered a ministry position in a different city than I was serving in at that time.  The idea of leaving where I was at, and going to this other city really didn't appeal to me just then.  The way I sensed God leading me just didn't fit with this opportunity, so I turned it down.  When I did, though, I made the mistake of using the phrase, "I don't feel led to that right now."  The person making the offer quickly seized on this and said, "You can't go by your feelings, honey."  Was she right, or was I?  Did God mean for me to take up this offer, simply because to do so was to deny my feelings, and feelings were allegedly bad?  How does God lead us? 

     If you've followed me for any length of time, you know that I hold that the Bible is the inerrant, inspired word of God, and is our final authority.  Anything you think you are led to do must align with what God has said in His Word.  If I feel led to shoplift, I can know right off the bat that it isn't God's will, because God has said in His Word, Thou shalt not steal. (Exodus 20:15).  

     Not only does the truth in God's word direct us on what is and isn't right, but the Author of the Bible lives in all believers, and He illuminates scriptures for us.  Have you ever had a time when you were reading the Bible, and a verse you'd read a hundred times suddenly jumped out at you in a new way, giving you a sense of knowledge of what you were supposed to do in a situation you were facing?  I have!  That is how the Holy Spirit uses the Bible in our lives, and that also brings me to the next point on this--the Holy Spirit indwells believers, giving us guidance in our hearts.  Isaiah 30:21 says, Your ears shall hear a word behind you, saying, “This is the way, walk in it,” Whenever you turn to the right hand Or whenever you turn to the left.  Jesus told the disciples that the Holy Spirit would guide believers into all truth (John 16:13).  The Holy Spirit and the Word of God will guide you into what you are to do.  God wants to enable you to know and do His will!  The Holy Spirit also guides you in your prayer life.  As you pray and see answers, that can also be a source of guidance.  

     God also uses fellow believers and circumstances happening in your life to guide your steps.  When all of these things line up--what God is saying to you in the Bible, the inner testimony of the Holy Spirit, the way He is guiding and answering your prayers, what other Christians in your life are telling you, and the way things seem to be orchestrated--you can often very easily tell what God's will is.  Bottom line, though, if you are saved, the Lord knows how to reach you and communicate with you.  You will hear Him if you truly want to.  

     Funny story.  I read a book many years ago about hearing God's voice.  The author of this book tried to list every way God could speak to a Christian.  They really got into the nitty-gritty.  One of the ways they had listed was billboards!  They said that sometimes, billboards have verses on them, and someone the author knew was driving along, and a billboard had a verse that spoke right to their need and gave them the answer they were praying for.  To this, I say, praise the Lord!  But I think trying to list every conceivable way God could speak to you is going to be endless if you're going to get that specific.   You'd also have to list T-shirts, because you can meet someone wearing a T-shirt with a verse on it, or bumper stickers on cars in front of you on the road, because bumper stickers can have verses on them.   99.99% of the time, a billboard isn't going to tell you God's plan for your life--but as with the case of Balaam's donkey, God can use anything!  

Heat of the Moment Feelings vs. True Heart's Desire

     Feelings are very real.  It was important to God that we have them--evidenced by the fact that He gave them to us!  They are part of reality, but they are not the lens by which we are supposed to judge reality.  In short, feelings are not bad!  God made all things well, and He made our emotions.  Even unpleasant emotions are not bad.  Like most things, it's what you do with them.  There have been moments where I felt so enraged toward someone.  That wasn't sinful.  Ephesians 4:26 says, Be angry and do not sin...   This leads us to conclude that anger itself is not a sin.  But we are not to indulge our anger, or other emotions.  Jesus called us to deny ourselves, take up our crosses, and follow Him (Matthew 16:24).  Our emotions might change from moment to moment.  A lot can factor into what we're feeling, including what you ate, your health, if you are tired, or any other number of possibilities.  It is never wise to follow our emotions or let them control us.  But these feelings are real, and the best way to manage them is by acknowledging them, and giving them to God, and letting Him bring healing where needed.  You can even use your emotions to produce something beautiful, instead of letting them use you to produce something ugly.  I do my best writing when I feel something very strongly.  But I also do my worst behavior toward others if I'm not careful!  

     God cares about how you feel.  Psalm 56:8 comforts us with these words: You have kept count of my tossings; put my tears in your bottle. Are they not in your book?  God ministers to us in our sorrows and hurts, and He communes with us in our happiness and triumphs.  My mother used to tell me that, every time you cried, God sent an angel to give you a hug.  I don't know whether this is true or not, but it is a lovely thought, and it does reflect the compassion of God described in scripture.  

     Unlike passing emotions, there are heart's desires that I believe are God-given.  They can affect one's emotions.  They can go hand-in-hand with what someone is feeling, but they're so much deeper.  They become a part of who that person is--an extension of himself.  I believe Hannah expressed those heart's desires in First Samuel 1:10-12.  It's something deep in your heart that won't let go.  It isn't just wanting something.  I want a 2022 Lincoln Corsair!  But that isn't a deep heart's desire for me.  I haven't longed, hungered, thirsted, and wept for a 2022 Lincoln Corsair.  I haven't taken it to the Lord, from a broken heart and wounded spirit.  I believe we do that with true heart's desires. 

     Sometimes, those heart's desires are tested, and we experience the death of a dream.  Joseph experienced that in Genesis.  In Chapter 37, we read of Joseph sharing some dreams given to him.  Dreams of leadership and greatness.  Then, the next years of his life are anything but the dreams in his heart.  He was sold as a slave, sexually harassed, lied about, disbelieved, imprisoned, and forgotten. He must have thought he was mistaken about his dreams, but he never got hard toward God,  Finally, in chapter 41 (and after about 13 years of suffering), Joseph's dreams came true.  But the result wasn't just for his gratification.  It was so he could be used to save the world from a famine, and to save his family--thereby preserving the nation of Israel!  His dreams were real, but they had to come about in God's timing.  The same is true for us.  We have to surrender to the Lordship of Christ in all areas, and let Him work.  Sometimes, He changes our heart's desires, proving that they weren't real desires of Him in the first place.  If God has given you a heart's desire, that you really, truly believe in your heart is of Him, hold onto that, but hold onto Him tighter, and let Him work it out.  He will show you what to do, and when to do it.  Your job is to obey and wait.  Ask God to clarify His will when you get discouraged.  It is okay to ask Him for a glimpse into what He is doing.  Along the journey, God has plans for you that you can't even imagine.  

     I remember when I was twenty years old.  I had just started out as a full-time missionary (stateside).  I was excited, but very broken.  I was what you would call poor in spirit.  Several of my hopes and dreams had been disappointed.  My heart had been broken.  I had been hurt and manipulated, and those who hurt me were being hailed as paragons of virtue by our ministry at the time (worth noting, the President of this ministry later apologized to me on behalf of the ministry for what had happened).  Those were low, dark days for me.  Sometimes, getting out of bed in the morning was hard.  There were moments I didn't know if I could even take the next breath, that's how badly I hurt all the time.  If I wasn't directly with other people, I was crying.  Hard.  Weeping, until my whole body shook.  I daily asked God to take me home during that time.  I was more afraid of life than I was of death.  If you are familiar with the Christian poem Footprints, you'll understand what I mean when I say that those were one-footprint days.  And yet during that dark, difficult time, some of the best fruit of my life was reaped.  Barely managing every day, I invited a teenager girl to our summer missionary training camp, believing her to already be a Christian (she thought she was too), but she ended up getting saved as she led a group of five children to the Lord!  From there, I got to disciple this young woman, and she is now a full-time missionary herself!  That time in my life was not my heart's desire, but it was so vital for eternity!  Every moment is!  Even at our darkest times, God is working and using us, sometimes when we have no idea!  We might not have "arrived" yet, but God is making someone else's dream (and His purposes) come true through you!  A song that was popular during that time was Shout to the North, and some of the lyrics really speak to that time: ...You are strong when you feel weak.  In your brokenness complete...  I was broken, but I was complete, and God used me.  He gently guided me every day, and led me to a better place.  

     Some verses that have encouraged me on my journey are as follows:

...we went through fire and through water; But you brought us out to rich fulfillment.  Psalm 66:12

I would have lost heart, unless I had believed that I would see the goodness of the LORD In the land of the living.  Psalm 27:13

For as the heavens are higher than the earth, So are My ways higher than your ways, And My thoughts than your thoughts.  Isaiah 55:9

Do you not know? Have you not heard?  The Everlasting God, the Lord, the Creator of the ends of the earth does not become weary or tired.  His understanding is inscrutable.  He gives strength to the weary, And to him who lacks might He increases power.  Though youths grow weary and tired, And vigorous young men stumble badly, Yet those who wait for the Lord will gain new strength; They will mount up with wings like eagles, They will run and not get tired, They will walk and not become weary.  Isaiah 40:28-31

Truly, truly, I say to you, 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

And my life verse, Romans 8:28, And we know that in all things, God works for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to His purposes.  

     These and other verse remind us that there is eternal meaning behind everything that happens to us, and that God hasn't forgotten us.  He is working out His perfect will, and our heart's desires matter to Him.  But ultimately, true surrender means:

These all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off were assured of them, embraced them and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth.  Hebrews 11:13.  

     We must be surrendered to Him, above even our own hopes and desires.  We will receive our heart's desires in eternity--we can take that to the bank!  God will fulfill us in Heaven so far beyond anything we can even imagine on earth.  This above verse of Hebrews 11:13 is talking about Old Testament saints, who faithfully waited for the Messiah.  He did not come in their lifetime, but they believed in Him anyway, and that was their salvation!  The application for us is two-fold.  First, Christ is our salvation, and we must look to Him in faith.  Second, we might not see things happen the exact way we hope, but we must trust Him, and know our purposes will be served, both now and in eternity.  

     All of that to say, God does place desires in our hearts, and, letting Him guide us, we can see Him work!  Hold out for what God is leading you to wait for.  If an opportunity comes that just doesn't line up with how God is leading you, or that heart's desire, it is okay to say no!  It doesn't mean you're going by emotions.  

The Spirit, the Flesh, and Unbelievers

     Early in this post I mentioned some verses that illustrate why people shouldn't follow their hearts.  It should be pointed out, though, that these verses about our hearts being evil are referring to our natural state--the way we were before salvation.  A heart without Jesus Christ, and the indwelling change the Holy Spirit makes.  As Christians, we have the mind of Christ! (First Corinthians 2:16).  We have been raised with Christ (Colossians 3:1).  We are sealed with the Holy Spirit (Ephesians 1:13).  A very great promise about our new life is found in Galatians 2:20:  I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.  Jesus' death is given to our sinful self, so that it doesn't have power over us anymore, and His victory is given to us now!  He empowers us to live, choose and do righteously, according to the will of God.  In this state of walking in the Spirit, we can follow the inclinations God puts into our hearts.  

     We still have that sinful nature, also known as the flesh.  As we saw earlier, Paul wrote in Romans 7:18 that in his flesh there "dwelleth no good thing."  While we are being made more and more like Jesus, our sinful nature doesn't improve.  The good news is, we have victory over it, and never have to sin!  Because of this, we need to seek to be in the spirit, and not the flesh.  All we have to do is ask the Lord to help us, and He will!  He will enable you to live in victory over your flesh!  There are Christians who are letting the flesh rule them (sometimes I'm one of them).  But it doesn't have to be that way, and it doesn't give us the happiness it gives a non-believer, because we have the Spirit of God living in us, convicting us of sin, and helping us to do right.  When we sin, we grieve the Spirit.  We are at war within.  Galatians 5:17 explains it this way:  For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other: so that ye cannot do the things that ye would.  The Spirit wants to give you victory.  You already have the mind of Christ, and His victory has been given to you!  It's up to you to choose it daily!  When a Christian is operating in the flesh, following their heart is very disastrous!  

     Non-believers are also in the flesh, and have no other alternative.  These people are dead in their trespasses and sins (Ephesians 2:1).  They are blinded by Satan (Second Corinthians 4:4).  They have a depraved mind (Romans 1:28).  They are in a very bad way if they follow their hearts.  For them, their heart really is deceitful and wicked.  They probably are operating out of emotions, more than a God-given heart's desire.  They are not seeking the Lord for His guidance.  God can still guide these people, and His goal is to guide them to His Son!  For them, these assertions about the heart being wicked is the truth.  Telling an unsaved person to follow their heart is a recipe for disaster.  

In Conclusion 

     

     If you are a born again Christian, being guided by the Bible and led by the Spirit, you can prayerfully pursue the direction you believe God is leading you.  Be careful, because you still have the flesh, and we are all capable of operating in it.  But I will close with this sweet verse: Delight yourself also in the Lord, and He shall give you the desires of your heart.  (Psalm 37:4)

Rightly Divided

     Just to get you thinking...

     How should church worship be conducted?  

     Do you believe in predestination or free will in regards to salvation?  

Do you believe that Christians are secure in their salvation, or can a believer fall from grace?  

Are all spiritual gifts mentioned in the Bible still in operation today, or have some ceased?  

Should women be ordained as pastors?  

Is alcohol consumption wrong?  

Is it more spiritual for a church to be non-denominational, or part of a historically-respected association?  

What constitutes modest clothing, and does modesty really matter anyway, or is it just legalism?  

     Now that I've asked all these questions to get you thinking, I ask another question:  How do you arrive at your personal convictions on these and other issues?  You probably have an opinion about some of these things (possibly all).  I'll say up front that, while I may mention some of these things in this post (and actually have covered a few in other posts in the past), I will not attempt to answer most of them here.  My goal today is to focus on how Christians should arrive at their convictions--not on what convictions they should have.  That's up to you to do that work, under the guidance of the Holy Spirit.  

     Before I jump into any of this, I want to state that there are godly, spiritually-mature believers on both sides of all the theological quandaries I mentioned (read Romans 14 for a breakdown of how this works when believers have opposing convictions).  The very first step of forming any biblical belief is to recognize that there are wonderful Christians who may have drawn different conclusions than yours.  There are essential doctrines of what it means to be a Christian.  These are truths we must all agree upon to be a Christian (by the biblical definition).  These essentials include the inerrancy of scripture, the deity of Christ, salvation through Christ alone, salvation being received by grace through faith, the death and bodily resurrection of Jesus, monotheism (the belief that there is only one God), and the Holy Trinity.  Those who share these beliefs are Christian brothers and sisters to one another.  There is room for disagreement on lesser things, as long as we agree on these essentials.  John Wesley is often crediting for the now-commonly used statement: "In the essentials, unity; in the non-essentials, liberty; in all things, charity."  Regardless of who originated the quote, it is very true.  We can't form our beliefs correctly if we villainize our brothers and sisters in Christ.  In fact, be very wary of leaders who speak against fellow Christians who differ on these non-essentials.  Every single question I started this post with would fit into the category of non-essentials, by the way.  No one who differs from you on any of those things is your enemy.  If we have that straight, we can move on.  

     Having said that, are our beliefs on non-essentials simply unimportant? Not at all.  They matter greatly.  What you believe about these and other theological positions will often determine what church you're led to attend, or what ministry opportunities to take advantage of, and other choices you make.  They matter.  Just not to the extent that we devalue Christians who take a different position.  

     Rather than just examining how we are to draw the right conclusions about things, let us look at how people often do so--incorrectly--followed by the right response!  I am going to give four examples, and as I do, I'll be delving deeper into some of these theological issues--but even as I do this, I am not telling you which side to believe in these doctrines.  

Incorrect Process 1: Reaction to another belief

     During the Protestant Reformation, the Catholic church tried to assert their trustworthiness as a true church by claiming to have experienced miracles.  Reformer John Calvin responded that the purpose of miracles was to authenticate divine revelation and the church's doctrines.  He argued that, since the Reformation was getting people back to the beliefs of the apostles (which had already been authenticated in the book of Acts), no miracles were necessary, and therefore (he concluded) the alleged miracles claimed by the Catholic church could not be real.  This argument launched the doctrine of cessationism (the belief that miraculous signs, such as prophesy, speaking in tongues, healing, and other such things were no longer needed for today, because we have the complete word of God, and it has already been authenticated).  By the way, the opposing belief to this is continuationism, which teaches that God has not changed from how He has worked in the Bible, and all gifts are available today, and, if done biblically, should be accepted.  Some continuationists take this belief further than that, and go into unbiblical experiences in the name of spirituality.  

     In the centuries to follow, other theologians would agree with Calvin's cessationism, and even add to his assertions on this subject.  In the 1700's, the Wesleyan-Methodists (a protestant group founded by John and Charles Wesley) started emphasizing the work of the Spirit in believer's lives to give them assurance of their faith.  As a result of this spiritual (and subjective) experience the Methodists were claiming to have, those who followed cessationism claimed this violated the truth.  All experiences that were not read directly out of the Bible were suspect.  This concern grew even more so at the rise of the Pentecostal Movement in the early 20th century.  It has been pointed out by cessationists that the founders of false religions (from Islam to Mormonism) have claimed to have these spiritual experiences, and, according to some cessationists, this is evidence enough that spiritual experiences of any kind are not to be trusted at all.  

     Today, many Christians follow cessationism as a belief.  One of the biggest proponents of this belief right now is John MacArthur.  Many people today who follow cessationism express discomfort when other Christians claim to experience things like divine guidance, hearing God's voice, or any personal relationship with God.  Some have even gotten concerned when someone claims to have had God speak to their personal situation during their Bible reading.  In other words, from what could be gathered, these particular cessationists believed that the Bible was an infallible guidebook, and we needed to obey it, but that it didn't address us personally, or speak into our lives directly.  The Holy Spirit was de-emphasized by those in these interactions.  Man's relationships with God seemed more formulaic and robotic than personal.  

    I am not going to make a declarative stance right now about cessationism or continuationism here.  There are, however, a few facts worth noting.  This belief was started by John Calvin as a reaction to claims made by the Catholic Church.  Calvin drew his conclusions as a reaction, as have other cessationists through the years.  It is never wise to make your beliefs based on an "equal and opposite reaction" to something you disagree with.  That's still letting that other belief control you.  I believe the right thing for Calvin (or anyone) to have done would be to completely disregard the alleged miracles being claimed (speaking neither for nor against them), and instead to just look at the Word of God for truth.  I believe John Calvin was faithful in many, many ways, and was a true hero of the faith.  But he wasn't perfect, just as we are not, and I think he made an error by forming a doctrinal belief about miracles and signs.  

     On the other hand, at the opposite extreme of cessationism, we have people (like the Catholic church in the scenario with John Calvin) claiming their experiences authenticated truth, rather than the other way around.  There are churches today that believe God gives people new revelations equal to scripture, and that God is continuing to reveal new truths to people.  One church, which I visited with friends many years ago, has this belief listed on their website: We believe that God in His sovereignty, is progressively giving fresh and deeper revelation of the truth contained in His Word. This leaves the door open for leadership to claim they understand the Bible differently than it was intended, and creating their own doctrines. When I visited this church, the pastor claimed to be an Apostle, just like Paul and Peter. He put himself above accountability. People in the church gave each other "prophecies" for one another, which were just manipulative statements that the person wasn't allowed to disagree with, because it was allegedly from God. One woman there told me that God has given her a secret about me. Nothing I saw there was of God, even though it was made to look very spiritual. There were no boundaries. None of the orderliness the Bible calls for (First Corinthians 14:40).

So how would you form the right belief between very guarded cessationism and utter chaos? As I said, I'm not going to tell you what to believe. I am telling you not to choose your belief (whatever it is) as a reaction to wrong things. I shouldn't say, "I don't like how strongly cessationism seems to limit what we can expect from God, so I'll go to this extreme church that believes in everything, and allows me to interpret my experiences however I want." Nor should I say, "I don't like these ungrounded, emotional churches with no order. I'll become a cessationist, so I can believe that's all fake." If you choose either side (or somewhere in the middle) I hope it is after a lot of study in God's word, under the guidance of the Spirit. First Thessalonians 5:21 says, Test all things; hold fast what is good.  Examine what the Bible says on a given subject.  Look in the Old and New Testaments.  Read commentaries (but also realize the writers of commentaries have their own biases).  Interpret any experience you have in light of the Bible, not the other way around.  I'm still not advising you to believe a certain way, but I will say this: Unlike a strict cessationist, I do believe our experiences have some value in teaching us about life, and our relationship with God, but (unlike those on the opposite end of the spectrum from cessationism) I do not believe these experiences are our source of truth.  The Bible is our guide, and as we interpret what happens around us in light of it, we come to know God better (you can read a lot more about that in the very biblical book, Experiencing God, by Henry Blackaby).  You may look at it or order it here.  

Incorrect Process 2: Choosing your beliefs based on your own liking or disliking.  

     As a young woman, I was exposed to the Calvinism/Arminian argument.  If you are not familiar, you can read a lot about it online, but basically, Calvinism (named after John Calvin) is the belief that God pre-ordains our salvation by His own Sovereign choice.  Proponents of Calvinism also assert that a Christian cannot lose his or her salvation (this doctrine is known as Perseverance of the Saints).  The opposing side, Arminianism, also takes its name from its founder, Jacobus Arminius.  Arminianism emphasizes man's free will in choosing to receive Christ in salvation (this theological position does believe in election, but they would say that election is based on God's foreknowledge of who would respond favorably to the Gospel, whereas Calvinism teaches God arbitrarily chose who would be saved, not based on foreknowledge of anything people would do, but just His own Sovereignty).  When taken to its logical conclusion, Arminianism concludes that a Christian can lose his or her salvation.  It should be noted that, while a lot of Christians debate this, it is still a non-essential issue, and most Christians fall somewhere in the middle, believing some of the points of Calvinism, and believing the Arminian arguments on other points.       

     As I said, I was exposed to this debate as a college student.  My own background was more on the Calvinist side, but my Bible college was Arminian in their theology.  Our profs were very, very fair to all Christians of varying positions on this, and explained it very respectfully, humbly sharing where they stood on the issue, and encouraging everyone there to read the Bible, and form their beliefs on that.  When our professor explained some of the very fine points of both sides, I said, "Wow, I don't like that," about certain things.  I was ready to pick my side based on whether or not I liked it.  My very wise professor said, "Well, you shouldn't choose your theology on whether or not you like it.  You choose to believe what is true, whether you like it or not."   He was so right.  

     We may not like everything God has said, but it is no less true.  When Walter and I were engaged, I didn't like that God's word required us to remain celibate until marriage, but it does (First Corinthians 6:18, Hebrews 13:4), and we needed to obey.  I don't always like the political leaders over me, and I don't like that the Bible says I need to pray for them anyway, but it does (First Timothy 2:2), and I must do it.  Do you see what I'm getting at?  My liking or disliking something doesn't make it true or false.  I needed to choose my belief about Calvinism/Arminianism by reading the Bible and studying what both positions teach in light of that--not because I like or dislike them.  We need to do away with our own personal biases, and go straight to what the Bible is really teaching.  Before we get into deep study, we need to pray the prayer found in Psalm 139, Search me, O God, and know my heart; try me, and know my thoughts: And see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.  We want God's truth, not our own prejudices.  There are people out there today completely denying God's word, because they dislike what God has said.  We can't be like that.  We are to hold fast to the hope we profess... (Hebrews 10:23).  Don't choose your beliefs based on your likes and dislikes.  

False Process 3: Choosing beliefs of your favorite Bible teachers.  

     Another way you should be careful choosing beliefs is to not fall in the trap of choosing your beliefs based on your favorite Bible teachers.  They may be wonderful, and theologically sound, but this does not mean they are perfect.  They are human, just like us.  They have their own biases.  If you decide you agree with them, make sure it is because you, too, have searched it out scripturally, and drawn the conclusion for yourself, not just blindly followed your favorite teacher.  First Corinthians 3:4 warns that the same problem was going on in the first century.  Believers were aligning themselves with Paul and Apollos, and then arguing over who was better.  The point is, neither!  They were being carnal.  We are to be like the Bereans.  Acts 17:11 says, 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.  We are to examine scripture, not blindly believe any leader.  

     A good leader will urge you to go to the Bible and check him out.  3 John verse 4 says, I have no greater joy than to hear that my children are walking in the truth.  The Apostle John deeply loved these people, and it gave him joy that they were walking in the truth.  That's what a godly leader wants.  Pastor Jon McCartney, of First Baptist Church of Tooele, UT said, "One of the things I tell our congregation almost every Sunday is, you have sermon notes.  Virtually every verse I quote from scripture is on there, because you need to go home and check me out.  You need to see what the Bible has to say.  Not what Jon says.  Not what Joseph says.  Not what anybody says but God.  What does God say about these issues?  You need to check these things out.  It is your soul--your eternal soul--that is on the line.  And, there is no reset button at the judgment.  There is no finger-pointing, 'but he misled me.'  You have an obligation for the sake of your soul, as well as to be able to share the truth with your family--the people you love--to check out what God's word has to say on these issues, and not what somebody else had to say.  And the answers are only found within the Word of God, which is the Bible."    

False Process 4: Choosing beliefs based on how proponents of those beliefs treat you

     One final thing I am going to point out is that we should not choose our beliefs based on how proponents of that belief have treated us.  There are kind people with false beliefs, and cruel people with true beliefs.  They can make a certain belief attractive or unattractive, but that should not be why you choose to believe it.  If the nicest person you ever met believed humans could breathe underwater, would you try it, since the person was so kind?  Of course not!  When I was in high school, I was invited to a very charismatic church by some friends.  In fact, this is the church that I mentioned earlier that claims to believe in continuing revelation.   Back then, there was no internet to look this church up and see how odd their beliefs were, so my parents let me go with these friends.  While I was with them, I had some very negative experiences.  Their pastor (claiming to be an apostle) made some very offensive statements.  Their father yelled at me and told me I had no faith, while at the same time, manipulating me into buying their gasoline on the way home.  A woman in the group said God had told her a secret about me, and it wasn't good.  These experiences hurt my feelings.  But would it be right to conclude that their extreme charismatic beliefs were wrong just because they offended me?  No.  I needed to look at the Bible.  Hopefully, I would have found that their belief about continuing revelation is false (...If any man shall add unto these things, God shall add unto him the plagues that are written in this book.  -Revelation 22:18), and that if their so-called prophecies were true, they would have lined up with the Bible, not furthered the agenda of the speaker.  That kind of critical thinking and searching of scripture is the right way to solve these concerns, not just choosing to think it's wrong because of how bad the experiences is.   

     I have examined some common but incorrect ways people (myself included at times) have picked their beliefs.  As stated, they may react to a wrong belief by going to the opposite extreme.  They may choose beliefs because they like them.  They may simply adopt the beliefs of their favorite teachers or role models.  Finally, they may choose their beliefs based on how proponents of this belief have treated them.  What we should do is examine the Bible for itself, under the direction of the Holy Spirit.  We are told that the word of God is living and active, and sharper than any two-edged sword, even penetrating as far as the division of soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow, and able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart. (Hebrews 4:12), and to Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth. (Second Timothy 2:15).  Let's get at it!  

The Good Old Days

    "Ah, the good old days," People say fondly of times past.  For some people, the "good old days" refers to their youth, when life seemed full of endless possibilities.  For others, it is a time in history they remember, such a time of financial prosperity and lower costs than the present.  One thing all "good old days" have in common is that they are in the past, not the current time.  But what if it was God's plan that we could have our "good old days" right now?

     When I think of "good old days" from my life, I imagine the late 80's, when I was in grade school.  My friends and I used to play board games, and the loser had to buy the winner an ice cream cone from Thirfty's (a drug store with an ice cream counter.  The Thrifty chain eventually merged with Payless Drugs, and was later bought out by Rite Aid, though some Rite Aids still have Thrifty Ice Cream counters).  In 1988, a scoop of Thrifty ice cream cost 32 cents.  If you beat your friend at the game, they had to give you that amount--and if you raised the stakes a little, they might owe you 64 cents for a double scoop!  Those were fun, carefree days of board games and inexpensive ice cream with good friends (last time I was in California, I paid $1.99 for a scoop of Thrifty's ice cream!).  But those aren't the only good old days.  I think of that same era, when our church group used to go Christmas caroling every year.  I think of junior high, when my brother and I were on a bowling league.  I think of taking long-distance bike-rides with my dad as a high schooler.  I think of my first years as a teen summer missionary.  I think of my college graduation.  I think of the time I went camping with a good friend I was discipling.  I think of the time when my husband and I were engaged and embarking on new adventures.  I think of our wedding day.  I think of some of the fun trips my husband and I have taken.  I think of teaching 5th grade at a Christian school in Albuquerque.  These are all good old days--some obviously older than others.  What are your good old days?  

Some of my good old days--this was from our family's 1991 Christmas card--I'm the pre-teen at left.

A more recent "good old day" for us--Christmas 2021

     As I implied above, I grew up in the latter 20th century.  We went to a church that strongly revered the 19th century (most of the newest songs we sang were written then--the older ones were from the 1700s and earlier).  It was a wonderful church, and to this day, I often prefer more traditional services because of that, but their fixation on the 1800's sort of set me up for failure, as you'll see.  One teacher told our youth group that everyone was a Christian in the 1800's (Even the devil, one of the youth group kids joked, and was given a sharp look from said teacher).  Nothing good had ever come of the twentieth century, it was implied.  We lived in degenerate times with no future.  God owed Sodom and Gomorrah an apology if He didn't strike us all soon (I literally hate that analogy--God owes no one an apology, and there are more than ten righteous on earth right now!).  I struggled with guilt over being born when I was, and I longed for the previous century.  Instead of being excited about God's plans for my life, I feared the evil future.  I imagined past years to be wholesome and good, something out of Little House on the Prairie.  As a committed Christian teenager, I felt I would have fit in so much better then.  But is that the truth?  Does the past deserve the esteem many pay it?  

     I will use history, logic, and the Bible to determine how we should view the past, our own best memories, and the present time.

     As Americans, we often view only American history, and claim, "Look how far we've fallen.  It used to be good, but now it's bad."  However, to be truly honest, we must look at world history.  We need to go back much further than 1776.  For the moment in this narrative, Bible and history go hand-in-hand.  Adam and Eve ate the fruit, and brought sin into the world (Genesis 3).  The next generation had fratricide (Genesis 4:8).  Doesn't sound like the good old days, does it?  From there, people just continued to sin.  By Genesis 6,  we see that people's hearts continually thought up wickedness, so much so, that God regretted creating them (Genesis 6:6)!  So, God wiped out most of the human race, and kept just one godly family alive (by the way, off the point, but I will add that it wasn't "mean" of God to do this--it is God's prerogative to do whatever He wants.  It is of His mercies that we are not consumed--Lamentations 3:22).  But human nature was still sinful.  There was always a godly remnant, but there was also a lot of evil.  In Israel's biblical history, most of the kings were evil (after the kingdom divided, the northern kingdom had no good kings, and in the southern kingdom of Judah, twelve of their twenty kings were wicked.  Many of these kings required families to sacrifice their children.  Great wickedness happened during these long-ago years.  This doesn't even count the atrocities of all the other empires on earth at that time, such as the Assyrians, the Babylonians, the Egyptians, etc.  

     The Greek Empire was the greatest world power from around 776 BC to 323 BC.  This was a humanistic society intent on world domination, but was ended at the death of Alexander the Great.  The Romans followed as the world power, and this is the world into which Jesus was born.  The Romans were a cruel empire, demanding allegiance to their emperors.  Their form of execution--crucifixion--was the most inhumane death sentence in history.  Some of their emperors, such as Caligula and Nero, were insanely wicked, and did unfathomable evil (Nero set a fire that burned 70% of Rome, and watched, allegedly playing his fiddle--and then blamed the Christians for the fire).  These leaders loved wealth and power.  Not the good old days most people imagine.  

     History marches on.  There have always been evil rulers, godless cultures, and immoral laws.  In 1620, a band of Pilgrims crossed the Atlantic Ocean, in order to find a land where they could worship God as they saw fit.  They landed at Plymouth Rock, which would eventually become part of a new nation.  One-hundred-fifty-six years later, the United States of America declared Independence from Great Britain.  The US was founded on the ideal of religious freedom, and many of our forefathers were God-fearing men.  Many Americans today are God-fearing.  America has been the home of many Christian revivals of the last few centuries.  Men like Jonathan Edwards, Dwight Moody, and Billy Graham have shaped different generations of Christian movements.  But it was never perfect.  Wicked things happened all over the world.  Until 1808, the transatlantic slave trade flourished.  Slavery in the United States lasted in the South until 1865.  Those definitely were not the "good old days" for some people!  

     The occult became very popular in the 1800's, with many people following these alternative religious movements.  Transcendentalism, a philosophy that teaches man is divine, was very commonplace, promoted and followed by people like Ralph Waldo Emerson, Henry David Thoreau and (my favorite author of that era) Louisa May Alcott.  While Dwight Moody was leading people to Jesus, others were trying to replace these truths with their own man-made teachings.  In 1859, Charles Darwin published his book On the Origin of the Species.  Following its publication, Darwinism flourished, replacing belief in the biblical account of creation for many.  First Lady Mary Todd Lincoln was heavily involved in spiritism, seeking comfort in seances rather than God.  Were these really the good old days?  

     The 20th century opened with a lot of optimism, but it closed with battle scars of wars and rumors of wars.  A 2002 article in The Guardian stated that the twentieth century was the bloodiest in history thus far.  The US was involved in two World Wars, Korea, Viet Nam, and Operation Desert Storm--not to mention many smaller wars.  The Holocaust occurred during World War II.  The rise (and partial fall) of communism happened in the 20th century.  The twentieth century also saw God and prayer being removed from public schools in the US and Canada.  Two US Presidents were assassinated during that century (McKinley in 1901 and Kennedy in 1963).  School shootings happened in the 1990's.  And yet the twentieth century contains the "good old days" for many--myself included.  

     The 21st century started with a bang.  Just nine months into the new century (assuming the century started in 2001), the US was attacked on its own soil for the first time since the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor nearly 60 years earlier.  On September 11, 2001, which would forever after be known as 9/11, terrorists hijacked four planes.  Two of them were flown into the World Trade Towers.  One was flown into the Pentagon.  The other was taken back over by the passengers, and crashed in a field in Shanksville, Pennsylvania.  The ensuing war on terror changed the entire focus on the infant century.  I was a young adult in the workforce at the time, working as a Christian preschool teacher.  I will never forget the emotions of 9/11, although we personally were not in danger on the West Coast.  A recession in the late 2000's and early 2010's created much civil unrest.  The 20's have so far been a decade of deception and division.  As Christians serving the Lord, we are often left to feel as if we're walking on thin ice, and choosing our battles and strategies very carefully.  I am strongly struck with how history repeats itself, and human nature doesn't change.

     Now that we've examined history (just scratching the surface, really, but it gave an idea), let's look at this logically.  As sentimental as it feels to watch Little House on the Prairie, or read old-fashioned books, we know that the past wasn't any better than today.  People who lived in those times were just like us.  They got up every day to face a world that didn't know God, and never had since Genesis 3.  People worked, laughed, cried, loved, hated, got sick, got well, had good days, had hard days, and overall lived their lives the way we do today.  The past seems romantic by both its distance and its proximity to today.  It was long ago, and is no threat to us.  And yet there are things that we relate to in old stories, things which transcend time, and could be related to today.  I believe more people romanticize relatively recent past (such as 19th century America) than further distant past (the Assyrian Empire, BC).  How many more movies, TV shows, books and other art forms depict the 19th century than the era of the Assyrian Empire?  An American in 2022 can much more easily relate to an American in 1890 than he can to citizens of Assur (the capital of Assyria until 879 BC).  But really, all of it was the present when it was happening.  It wasn't romantic or long ago to them.  It was exactly the same to them that 2022 is for us right now.  Just normal life.  They didn't have that point of comparison to romanticize it.  One day, people might look back at 2022 and think of it as quaint, interesting, romantic and different.  Maybe historical fiction will be written about these times.  It seems weird now, but it would seem weird to people long ago that we would enjoy books and movies about their time now. 

  

     I grew up in the 1980's and 90's.  I remember so many people (especially older people) declaring how evil and corrupt everything was.  Now, in 2022, I hear people talk about how wholesome and good everything in the world used to be before the turn of the century.  They say this because of a point of comparison.  I remember going to secular college right after I graduated from high school (still the twentieth century, but barely), and I thought it was very secular and humanistic.  Compared to today, it wasn't nearly as overt, but it was still godless, and had false premises about human nature that have led to the seemingly worse errors being promoted today.  It wasn't the wholesome "good old days" people today would like to make it.  

The wholesome 90's!  I am the taller girl pictured, 1992

     Another point worth making is that, while some good things in the past are gone, some good things in the present didn't exist in the past.  When I was a teenager, and people at church would talk about how much better it would have been to be a Christian in the 1800's, my dad would point out, "But we have Christian radio today.  We can listen to Bible teachers all over the country just by flipping a switch.  People in the 1800's had to wait until the great preachers came to their town to preach a revival."  That is a very true point, and today, we can take it even further.  Today, with modern technology, I am part of a prayer line that Christians from all over the world call into.  I monitor that line every Monday morning, and I get the chance to pray with fellow-Christians from Africa, Australia, Haiti, Belize, Canada, and all over the US as well.  This would never have been possible in the twentieth century.  If I could go back to the 90's and tell my high school self that I would one day pray with believers all over the earth, and form friendships outside the US, I would have never believed that!  It is too wonderful to think of!  My point in this is that, while the past seems glamorous, the present can be wonderful too, if we choose to see it that way. 

     What does the Bible say about living and embracing the present?  The Apostle Paul wrote in Philippians 3:13-14 ...forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.  We are to always move forward in the Lord.  This doesn't mean we don't remember.  We are told to remember as well (Isaiah 46:9).  But we are not to live in the past.  

     Psalm 118:24 (which is also a well-known song) states, This is the day the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it.  This is the key to living in the present.  God made this day for you!  Rejoice in that!  Seize every opportunity He gives you, and make the most of it, especially in light of eternity.  Second Corinthians 6:2 says, ...now is the day of salvation.  Now.  This day.  Not 100 years ago.  Not 10 years ago.  Not six months ago.  Not yesterday.  When those times were the present, this verse applied to them, but right now, it only applies to today!  This is the opportunity to receive Christ, and to tell others about Him!  Don't let life pass you by because you were too busy complaining about the present and longing for the past!  

My friend Stacey sharing the Gospel in a Good News Club in Bryant, Arkansas.

     Going back to the way I felt as a high schooler, would I have been happier as a Christian young person in the 19th century, instead of the 20th century?  Again, we must realize I was concluding that based on comparison (and watching too much Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman).  If I had lived in the 19th century with no idea of what the 20th century would bring, I could never have made that comparison, and would never have said, "Oh, I'm so happy I live in such wholesome and good times, unlike how evil the future will become."  No one has ever said that, because no one sees the future.  Also, it must be noted that all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution. (Second Timothy 3:12).  This verse was written by the Apostle Paul under the inspiration of God during the first century, to his protege Timothy.  This verse is saying that we can't expect the world to be on our side if we're really living for the Lord.  As a Christian teen in the 1990's, I faced some difficulty and hurt for the stand I took for Christ.  But according to this verse, it still would have happened, no matter what century I had lived in.  Living for Jesus goes against the grain.  This did not start in 1900, or 1950, or 1990, or 2020.  It always has, and always will, until Christ returns.  The world was always what it is (since Genesis 3).  There has never been a time when Christians were loved by the world.  Jesus Himself warned that, if the world hates you, keep in mind that it hated me first.  (John 15:18).  The Apostle John wrote, ...the reason the world does not know us is that it did not know him. (First John 3:1).  Paul warned believers not to be conformed to this world (Romans 12:2).  In fact, Jesus even went so far as to say, Woe to you, when all people speak well of you, for so their fathers did to the false prophets.  This is not to say we should purposely seek to be odd and unpopular--but it might happen naturally if we just live out our Christian lives, and we are to expect that.  

     The hard part is, sometimes, we are even persecuted from within the church.  This happens when someone is sold-out to Jesus Christ amongst other Christians who are not living that life of surrender.  It sends conviction to these other believers' hearts, and rather than face it and repent, they throw out the one who reminds of them of what they should be.  Jesus warned about that too.  John 16:2 says, They will put you out of the synagogues. Indeed, the hour is coming when whoever kills you will think he is offering service to God.  In this instance, Jesus wasn't warning the disciples about the world.  He was warning about people who claim to know and speak for God, but who didn't really know Him.  These people often hate true Christians the most, for exposing what fakes they are.  Again, Jesus warned this in the first century, and it has remained true to this day and beyond (because all of Jesus' words remain true).  It is something we see played out again and again.  

     Finally, I would not have been better off in an earlier time in history, because Acts 17:26 says that God created us in the exact time and place He wanted us to be (having determined allotted periods and the boundaries of their dwelling place).  The reason is found in verse 27: that they should seek God, and perhaps feel their way toward him and find him.  God knew the very best time and pace in history for me to know Him was the late 20th and early 21st century (well, I might live to see the second half of this century--and if I do, then that is also part of His time for me on this earth).  The best time and place for me to respond to His salvation was February 7, 1987 in Riverside, California, USA.  According to this verse, no other time or place was as good for me to come to Him!  Isn't that exciting?  God has you where you are in time and space for reasons only He knows.  Ephesians 2:10 says, For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.  God has plans for you alone!  Plans that He didn't give to Jonathan Edwards, Dwight Moody or Billy Graham.  Plans someone in the future cannot fulfill.  Only you!  God loves you and has plans for you right now!

     So, can today be the "good old days?"  Absolutely!  Look around.  Look at every opportunity God is giving you today.  Look at life in light of eternity.  Run your race today!  Don't fret about yesterday or worry about tomorrow.  Enjoy the gifts God has placed in your life.  Make those memories that last a lifetime.  Cherish each moment that God gives you on this earth.  Instead of complaining that we can no longer buy 32 cent ice cream cones, go settle for paying a little more, and enjoy!  Write a list of all the blessings you have today that you didn't have ten years ago.  

  

     As I often have lately, I'm going to close with the lyrics to a song I love.  This is from Carolyn Arends' song Seize the Day:

Seize the day,

Seize whatever you can

'Cause life slips away just like hourglass sand

Seize the day-

Pray

For Grace from God's hand

And nothing will stand in your way

Seize the day!