life – Resounding Shophar Ministries

The Narrow Road

I’m reminded of a story a friend once related to me a long time ago regarding an off-road expedition someone he knew went on. If I remember correctly, the person had a brand new full-size Dodge 4×4, all decked out for off-roading, and he decided to go on a road leading to a place called Devil’s Canyon. He had never been on this road and therefore was unfamiliar with it. As he progressed down the road he found it becoming more and more narrow, and it became apparent to him that backing back up the hill was not an option. Eventually the road became so narrow that it began to scrap the sides of his new truck. Unable to turn around or back up the hill, hoping the road would begin to widen out he continued down the road. That is until his truck became so wedged in that it couldn’t move anymore in any direction. He found a way to exit the truck and began the long walk back to the main highway, leaving the truck in its new resting place indefinitely. The road continued down the hill, but he was unable to continue down it because the vehicle he chose to take was not compatible for the road he was on.

It is recorded twice that Jesus speaks of the narrow road. The most popular passage of Jesus teaching about the narrow road is found in Matthew 7:13-14, where He identifies both the narrow road and the broad road. It is in this passage that we learn that there is a narrow road that leads to life, and a broad road that leads to destruction. Jesus makes it clear that while it is easy to travel the broad road leading to destruction, it is a difficult and narrow road that one must travel to receive life and only few find it. In Luke 13:22-30 Jesus spends some extra time talking about the narrow gate and how many will seek to enter it but will not be able to. He points out that while many will say they ate and drank in His presence, and that He taught in their streets, He will tell them to “depart from Me, all you workers of iniquity.” How can someone who initially started out on the narrow road end up on the broad road that leads to destruction, and subsequently denied entrance into heaven?

There are a number of reasons one might find themselves on the broad road. Perhaps the biggest reason for this is because the narrow road was more difficult than they wanted to go through, and in trying to avoid some of the difficulty they have chosen to switch from the narrow road to the broad road. Living for Christ was more demanding than what they expected or committed to, and for them it wasn’t worth it. They chose the easy way of life instead of the difficult path of following Jesus.

Some people have embraced the idea that God’s grace insures their entrance into heaven no matter how they live, taking the mindset that all their sins, past, present, and future, are forgiven and nothing is expected or required of them. Because they asked God for forgiveness when they accepted Him as their savior, they tend to think that they no longer need to ask forgiveness for any future sin, and that they can continue without turning from sin. While it is true that God’s grace is extremely wonderful to experience, to think that God expects nothing in return, or that He doesn’t expect us to turn from sin, can find you on the easy and broad road to destruction.

For some, they have tossed out any trace of a moral compass on how to live. For them, there is no such thing as right or wrong, or even good and evil, in the life of a Christian. Some will go so far as discount even the need to acknowledge or listen to their conscience, citing that as Christians under a new covenant there is no longer a need for it. These people do not see the need to repent of sin, especially since in their opinion there is no such thing as right or wrong, good or evil. They believe all humanity after Christ is inherently good and redeemed, just on different journeys to eternity. This is the quick route to the easy and broad road leading to the broad gate and destruction.

The guy in the first paragraph used the wrong vehicle on a narrow road that brought complete destruction to the truck. In much the same way, a person with the wrong mindsets and ideologies may find that the beliefs they embraced and lived by were incompatible for the difficult and narrow road leading to eternal life, and as a result find themselves going through the broad and easy gate to destruction when it’s all said and done.

The Christian walk is very simple, just living our lives in a way that pleases and honors God. We often times make it more complicated when we try to designate what parts of our life Jesus has access and control over, and what parts He doesn’t. Every part of our life, and everything that we have, is Gods, and we need to remember to live accordingly with that understanding. While the Christian life is simple, it is not an easy one. We read in Luke 9:23-26 what it means to be a follower of Jesus, and it’s not an easy life to live when our flesh is constantly warring within us to live as we please and in ways that we consider right in our own eyes. In Proverbs 14:12 and Proverbs 16:25 we are told that “there is a way that seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death”.

Are you on the narrow road? Or, are you on the broad and easy road that leads to destruction? When was the last time you took a good hard look at your life to make sure that you’re on the difficult and narrow road? If you have been on the easy and broad road, it’s not too late to make a change and get on the right road. In Philippians 2:12 we are told to work out our own salvation with fear and trembling. Many of the people I described above are taking their walk with Christ, or for some God, rather nonchalantly thinking that their eternal destination is set and can’t really be changed. What Paul is telling us is that we need to take our walk with Christ very seriously, having a reverence towards a righteous judge knowing that while His love for us is without measure, He is also very just and will not allow sin to enter into Heaven. Grace, God’s grace, is not a ticket to sin, but instead an opportunity through Christ and the Holy Spirit to live the life that God intended for us to live from the beginning.

In Matthew 7:21-27, talking about those who claim to be followers of Jesus, Jesus makes some sobering statements for all of us to consider. Jesus mentions that there will be many who call Him Lord that will not enter into Heaven. Oh, they had quite the resume, doing marvelous things that could only be done in Jesus’ name and in the power of the Holy Spirit, but Jesus tells them to depart from Him. Why did he tell them to depart from Him? He tells us in verse 23 that they were workers of iniquity, or lawlessness as one version translates the text. Basically, they were doing the supernatural in the name of Jesus, thinking that they were His followers and representatives to the world, but apparently they were living in disobedience to Him living life as they thought best and right in their own eyes. They were not living according to the will of the Father. In 1 John 2:3-6 and 1 John 5:3 the Apostle John makes it very clear what the indicator is of one who truly knows and loves Jesus, and that is whether or not they keep and do His commandments. If one doesn’t keep His commandments, or even acknowledges that we need to keep His commandments, then scripture is clear that the love of God has not been perfected within them, or that they are even of Him. They are living life as it seems right to them, but as we read in Proverbs 14:12 and Proverbs 16:25, living life like that leads to death.

If you’re not living on the difficult and narrow road that leads to eternal life, then this is the time to get on it, and on it to stay. It’s all about the road that you are on, difficult and narrow or easy and broad. Which will it be for you????

John Johansson (Pastor John)

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Living Life

Within the past few days I had a conversation with someone who was sharing about someone who had just passed away. When asked if the person died knowing Christ, the person I was talking to didn’t know but had sufficient reason to be concerned for this person’s salvation. He further went on to share what this person was like and how much the lifestyle of socializing and partying was in their life. For the rest of the day I found myself thinking about this person and the life they lived, and how so many find themselves living the same type of lifestyle this person did.

In Matthew 24:36-44, and also in Luke 17:26-36, in describing what the days of His return would look like, Jesus likened them to the days of Noah and Lot. In both passages He indicates that people will basically be caught up with life itself and its many different pleasures, a description we can easily make for the times we are now living in. As I pondered these things I found myself asking a simple question, what does it mean to live life, and to live life more abundantly? In John 10:10, Jesus tells us that He came so that we can have life, and life more abundantly, but what does that mean?

I’ve talked to many a person over the years who have shared with me what living life looks like to them. Some of the people were Christians, and some were not, but I would have to say the majority of those who were Christians seemed to say the same thing that non-Christians would say. They would talk of their embracing and enthusiastically pursuing some of the pleasures this world has to offer them, and in some cases would note how they enjoyed themselves so much that they couldn’t remember what they did. While there is nothing necessarily wrong with enjoying some of the pleasures this life affords us, I can’t help but wonder if this is what Christ was talking about. Did Jesus come so that we could enjoy and find pleasure in the things the world offers us, and all the more abundantly? Or are we missing what it was He was talking about?

If what Jesus was referring to was our ability to participate in and enjoy the different pleasures of this life, then why did He come and die for us? After all, we can clearly see that the world has more than mastered that, enjoying the various pleasures of this life in passion, fervor, and enthusiasm. Everywhere we look we see people enjoying and loving “life” with everything within themselves, even to the point of living their life for the pleasures awaiting them. Some of these people live it in various forms of recreation, whether it is a weekend on the lake, a game of soccer with the guys, a day of shopping with the girls, various social activities and parties, or the tinkering on of an old car or scrapbooking, many are living for the recreation and enjoying it immensely. Some people live it in entertaining others, or by being entertained by music, TV, sports, videos or movies. And others live life in the pursuit of riches, fame, material possessions and power. And still others find it in the passionate pursuit of what we sometimes call “vices”. You know what I mean, for some it is the pursuit of the pleasures they receive from alcohol, drugs, and various sexual conquests and experiences. No matter the form, everywhere we look we see people living life, and living it with gusto, but is that what Jesus came to give us?

The other thing that comes to my mind stems from the fact that we are spiritually dead apart from Christ and the sacrifice He made for us. How can we identify what life is and what it means to live it based on people who are spiritually dead? That doesn’t make sense, yet so many times that is exactly what we do. That’s like a doctor walking up to a dead corpse and saying life is where one doesn’t breathe because that is what the corpse is doing. There is something definitely wrong with this picture. Jesus said He came to give us life, why, because we were dead. We can read the New Testament, especially the writings of Paul, and we will see that we were dead because of sin, but that through Christ we were made alive. Paul even breaks down the differences in our behavior between when we were dead and now that we have become alive in and through Christ. What was characteristic in our life before Christ in how we lived and what our priorities were should not be the same now that we’ve given our lives to Him and subsequently made alive.

I think often times we determine what it means to live life, and more abundantly, based on what we see in the lives of people living without Christ. Some may argue that they are looking at how other Christians are doing so, but even then it often times mirrors what the world is already doing. We tend to think that because we see other Christians doing the same things then it must be the way it should be, but is that deception at its best? I heard that a minister once said that one of the greatest weapons the enemy of our souls has leveled against is if found in one word, entertainment. We live in a society that is addicted to entertainment and recreation, and if they don’t have it they go into withdrawals becoming depressed and grumpy if they don’t have it to partake in. Many times people even become quite demanding in order to fulfill these desires, and that isn’t pretty. In the passages mentioned in the second paragraph, it is evident that people are caught up in living life, and Jesus doesn’t refer to this as a good thing. In fact, Jesus views it as a bad thing in that these people will not be aware of His return and be caught off guard and left behind.

So, the question remains, what does it mean for Christ to bring us life, and life more abundantly? Obviously, to answer that question based on how the world lives life will give us the wrong answer, and it would imply that Jesus didn’t really know what He was talking about if it was nothing different than what the world was already living. Some would argue that it is the ability to live in the moment without fear of eternal consequences because Christ died so that we could have the forgiveness of sins, but that is really no different from how the world lives. People in the world live for the moment with no regard for any consequences, much less eternal. So, that can’t be what Jesus is talking about either.

When Adam and Eve sinned in the garden, they lost relationship with God and spiritually died. It could be argued this was because they were being self-centered thinking to please themselves more than God, but it could also be argued that they were thinking of others more than God as well. Yes, Eve was deceived into thinking that God was holding out on them, which is where we can find the self-centeredness, but Adam knew what he was doing and it could be argued that he was thinking of Eve more than being obedient to God. I think either argument could be summed up with one thing, that they lost relationship with God and died spiritually because they didn’t seek to please and honor God first and foremost in their lives, no matter how it played out.

So, when Jesus talks of giving us life, He’s talking about bringing us from spiritual death unto spiritual life and restored relationship with God, and when He’s saying life more abundantly I believe He’s talking of a life with God over and above anything Adam could ever dream of having. But what does that mean, and what does that look like? Again, many think it is the ability to live in the moment enjoying the pleasures this world has to offer, but that isn’t what we see in scripture. After all, does that mean those mentioned in the later part of Hebrews 11 were not experiencing the life Jesus came to give each of us? Or, what about the Apostle Paul who was routinely beaten, stoned and left for dead, shipwrecked and imprisoned for the Gospel, and subsequently beheaded for Christ? Does this mean he was not experiencing the life Jesus came to give us, and more abundantly? What about Peter and the other apostles who were later martyred for the Gospel? And the saints in the early church who suffered and endured various persecutions for the faith, often times leading to brutal deaths of various sorts? If the life Jesus came to give us and more abundantly is mirrored in how the world lives life, then those I just mentioned fell tragically short of it. The people I just mentioned were not concerned about living for the moment and the pleasures the world has to offer them, but instead they were more concerned about living for Christ no matter the cost, knowing that they now had a relationship with God that would give them life eternal in heaven with Him. This was the blessed hope they each lived for and clinged to in the midst of certain death. They understood that life apart from Christ and living for Him is not really life, and they understood that life with Christ and living to please Him in all they do, fulfilling God’s will for them, in that there was the most fulfilling life one could ever seek to have. When we allow God to breathe into us the breath of life, we become energized in our being for Him. We begin to realize that the value and purpose of our life goes beyond ourselves or the person next door, and that our value is now based on our relationship with Him and our purpose is locked up with being His ambassadors to a lost and dying world. To be His ambassador may look different from one person to another, but the idea is that our life is now centered on His will for us and what pleases Him. It’s not based on what we do or where we go, or even who we’re with, but it’s based on Jesus and His will for us. This doesn’t mean that we can’t enjoy some of the pleasures this world has to offer, but if we are basing what it is to have life and to live it abundantly on how the world lives life, then we are greatly missing what it is that Jesus came to give us.

Someone once said that the God we follow should be simple, and that is very true. Our life as a Christian should be very simple, yet so many times we make it complicated. I’m not saying we make it more complicated, I’m saying we make it complicated, period. How do we complicate it? We complicate it when we begin to compartmentalize our lives and what parts Christ has any access or say over. We complicate it when we choose to push Him aside and what He’s called us to for a period of time that we want to set apart for our own desires and will. We complicate it when we try to live for Him with anything less than 100% of ourselves, our time, our resources, our energies, or anything else you can think of. Jesus wants us to live totally and completely for Him, 100%, and that means placing each and every area of our lives under His leadership 100% of the time, and that is very, very simple though difficult to do at times when our flesh struggles for control in this area or another. It could be said that the life we live, and the abundance of it, is directly proportional to how much of our life we allow the Spirit of God to breathe into, which requires daily denying ourselves, taking up ones cross and following Him.

How much of the life Jesus came to give each of us are you living and experiencing for yourself? Or, are you struggling to live for Him and living according to the desires of your flesh at the same time, trying to have “the best of both worlds”? Some people argue that there has to be a balance between the two, but in this area the only balance is one where we are 100% serving and living for Him. Jesus, Himself, said we can’t serve two masters, yet many times we do just that when we try to live for Him but hang onto the desires of the flesh. Many are afraid if they sell out to Christ 100% they will have a boring life, but then again we have to ask ourselves, much like we did regarding what it means to have life and live it abundantly, if we are basing what is boring on what the world considers to be boring. Jesus said that for those who seek to save their life they will lose it, but for those who choose to lose their life for His sake will assuredly find life. What do you want more, life as portrayed by those in the world, or life as Jesus will give those who live for Him? These are just some things to think about.

John Johansson

Sure Foundation, Indeed

A few months ago on Facebook there started to be some talk of a reunion for a group of us known as the “Sure Foundation Youth Choir”, a group I was a part of 20 to 30 years ago. The last time we got together was about 15 years ago for a reunion of sorts to celebrate the birthday of one of our fearless leaders, Pastor Ken Severe who has since gone on to be with the Lord several years ago. As I think about “Sure Foundation” I see the rich heritage we had in being a part of it, a heritage that often times is overlooked or forgotten by some, and yet it is probably one of the richest heritages one can find anywhere for a youth choir or youth group.

The Sure Foundation Youth Choir wasn’t your typical youth choir for a number of reasons. At one time we had about 175 youth involved with it, and if that wasn’t unique enough, the guys outnumbered the girls causing our Music Director to modify the music to some extent. About half of the guys were in the bass section, of which I was one, and were known as “The Get-Down Boys”. We also had a ‘kickin’ band that often times would break into a jam session after a service only to trigger another period of time praising and worshiping God. Another attribute of the Sure Foundation Youth Choir was that it was at times hard to differentiate between it and the youth group as a whole as so much of the youth group was involved in it. Our youth group was comprised of junior high, high school, and those who were college and career age.

As I reflect on my years with Sure Foundation a lot of memories come to mind, in fact too many to share in this blog. I remember our weekly practices often times turning into a time of worship and ministry well beyond just practicing songs, usually triggered by some choice words from our Youth Pastor, Ken Severe. I remember the spaghetti dinners we would host, one of many fundraisers we would do to raise money for our different tours. In regards to the tours we would have both weekend long tours and extended tours of about two weeks in length. We wouldn’t go very far on the weekends, but on the extended tours we traveled to Texas/Oklahoma, Hawaii, and Canada during the summer breaks. With the exception of the tour to Hawaii, we would travel by way of buses the church owned and used for its bus ministry, on average using three or more buses on each tour. Riding the bus on our Texas and Oklahoma tour ended up being “interesting” as the drivers tried to shake the boredom of long hours driving through the barren hot deserts of Arizona and New Mexico. I remember taking showers in our bathing suits under a flow of cold water from a garden hose in the front of churches, as well as the snoring that could be heard from clear across the other end of the church. And I can’t forget how we were challenged to learn the Evangelism Explosion questionnaire to give us another tool to reach out to a lost and hurting people we would encounter on tour.

Despite how many tours we would go on or how long they were, it’s rather surprising there wasn’t more drama and conflict than there was. As I mentioned earlier, there was a very close connection between the youth choir and the youth group in that those in the youth choir were more than likely a part of the youth group and the various activities and ministries it was involved in. I remember the youth group being very busy. We were very involved in bus ministry on a weekly basis two or three days a week, helping with Saturday Children’s Church because our buses brought in too many to bring them all in on Sundays, and mission trips to Mexico, just to name a few.

One of the main reasons for the heart and focus of the youth group and youth choir was our Youth Pastor. He was probably the driving force God used to make us feel important and a part of the group. He wasn’t one to let us slack off or hide in a corner, and often times he would rapidly poke a finger into our chest to get our attention and challenge us to straighten up. I can remember him telling us that if he could shake us real hard to make us live right and for the Lord then he would do it, but also telling us that it was not a decision he could make for us because only we could make that for ourselves. Even though many were committed to living for the Lord back then, there were also some who either tried to ‘walk the fence’ or lived double lives, living one way when around us and living a completely different way when we weren’t around. And that brings me full circle back to when talk of a possible reunion was started a few months ago.

When talk of a reunion started a few months ago, I noticed in some of the group chats that some were talking of their past in a way that seemed like they were feeling shame and embarrassment. What was so encouraging was the response by others to encourage them and let them know they are not alone, and that God is bigger than their past. That is both a testament and a reflection of the bonds that had been created among so many of us during those early years. As I read those posts and remembered years long past, I’m reminded of the name of our youth choir, “Sure Foundation”. Sure Foundation was both a proclamation of our decision to build our lives on Christ, and a message to others that Christ is the sure foundation they can also build upon. As I alluded to earlier, many in our group were building their lives on the solid rock of Jesus, and still others were building their lives on shifting sand. In looking forward to the present we can see this still to be true. While it is true that many “appear” to have avoided the ‘curve balls’ of life and haven’t experienced the pitfalls of others, there are still many more that have been dealt a raw deal in one way or another over the years. Those who have experienced some of the pitfalls of life, of which I am one, can feel pretty discouraged and shunned by some. Sometimes the pitfalls came as a result of poor judgment or bad decisions, and sometimes they come from no fault of our own and out of our control, but none the less they came. Christians have often times been accurately accused of “shooting” our wounded and kicking those who have fallen among us, and that should not be the case. Those who are hurt and wounded among us, either self-inflicted or otherwise, need to know that the family of God is a safe family to be a part of, one that helps, encourages and supports the wounded to heal and to rise above those pitfalls.

Going back to a “sure foundation”, all have weathered the storms of life, but not everyone experiences a storm at the magnitude of a Katrina. For those who build their life on shifting sand don’t always have to experience a major storm of life to fall or sink, but those who build their lives on the solid rock of Jesus can weather any storm that comes their way no matter how strong and violent it may be. As I read the chats talking of a reunion and the comments of some regarding their past, it was exciting to me to hear that despite the storms of life they went through they had dug in and drew closer to the risen Savior. They had been building their lives on the solid rock of Jesus, or if they hadn’t been they quickly changed that, and though they’ve experienced some strong storms along the way they are still standing. Granted, weathering some of the storms they had may have been great and hard to endure, but getting past the guilt, shame and embarrassment that some storms bring may be harder to endure and overcome for some, but in Christ there is life after the storm.

Years ago we proclaimed the sure foundation founded on Christ, not really realizing what that meant, but now we’ve come to understand what it really means to build on that foundation, and it’s good. It’s been a SURE FOUNDATION, INDEED. Maybe you realize that you haven’t been building your life on the solid rock of Jesus, and if so today is a good time to start. The only way to stay standing when the storms of life come is to build our lives on Jesus, and to build it on anything or anyone else will only lead to failure and collapse.

Jesus is, again, a SURE FOUNDATION, INDEED.

John Johansson

A Christians Take on Halloween – A Re-post from 2011

As we enter this day known as halloween, the question often asked over the years by Christians during this time is, “should Christians participate in holloween?” I’ve heard many an argument over the years, some arguing that there is nothing wrong with Christians participating in it, and yet others who argue that a Christian should not be a part of it. In the midst of these arguments for or against we have some who have found a place of compromise that allows them in some way to be a part of the festivities. So, what should be our stand on the issue of halloween, or is it something that shouldn’t be an issue one way or another? The choice is up to you on what stand, if any, you will make regarding halloween, but for me not to share my thoughts on the subject would be wrong.

One of the arguments I hear tries to throw into the mix of this argument past pagan traditions and activities, making the accepting or unaccepting of Santa Clause, christmas trees, Easter bunnies, and other things, equal to that of participating in halloween. They mention things about being extreme and legalistic, and if that is their take then that is up to them. I have no objections about Santa Clause, the use of a christmas tree as a holiday decoration, or even Easter bunnies, but I do have an issue of halloween. Let me explain.

I was talking with someone yesterday about this subject and a word-picture came to my mind that many of us can identify with. We in America have had the privilage of enjoying a freedom and peace that most countries in the world do not have, and we have been willing to sacrifice the lives of our soldiers to protect and defend those privilages we do not take for granted. Being a country that enjoy these privilages, there are countries and groups out there that are bent on destroying our nation and any trace of the freedom and peace we enjoy. They want nothing less than to wipe us off the face of the earth. One of these groups, among many out there, are Islamic extremists and terrorists. If you knew someone, or some group, was bent on your destruction and annialation, what would you do? Most Americans would keep them at an arms distance away, being both wary and protective in their dealings with them. However, and I’m not being political but instead showing a parallel, our current administration has in their decisions, choices and behavior, have pushed the envelope with us in some of their dealings with these groups. They have in some ways embraced and flirted with these groups trying to be their friend, all the while ignoring the fact that our demise is their only objective. This is how we treat halloween. Everything about halloween is diametrically opposed to everything God is and stands for. Unlike other holidays and special festivities, there is absolutely no redeeming attribute in halloween, and it flies in the face of our Christian faith, opposing anything that is good, right, true and loving. Yet, we find a way, like our current administration, to push the envelope and flirt with something that is ‘hell-bent’ on the demise of the Christian faith and those who follow it.

So, what should our stand as Christians be toward this day that the enemy of our souls has used to magnify himself and bring death and darkness to our world? Are we not told to have nothing to do with ‘darkness’? Yes, Jesus interacted with all people everywhere in His day here on earth, but would he give place to idolatry and participate in that which promoted or represented the different forms of idolatry and worship of other gods? I think not.

The decision is up to you, what you will do with this day known as halloween. Regardless, this is the day that the Lord has made, and we need to honor Him in it first and foremost, not the one who is completely at war with Him.

“Yes, But God Understands …”

“Yes, but God understands …” I can’t count how many times I’ve heard someone say that to me or to someone else. Every time I hear someone say that something inside me just cringes. Let me explain.

Have you ever talked with someone who admitted to sin in their life, though they may call it a “vice”, only to follow it up by saying “but God understands”? Some who I’ve talked with over the years, people who consider themselves to be good people, have acknowledged a sin or “one vice” in their lives with no plans on giving that up on the premise that God will understand. Understand what? They have the mindset that because they are for the most part good people that God will understand if they keep that one sin, “vice” or bad habit in their life. You know, I believe God will understand, but I don’t think it is as they think He will. Let’s take a look at a couple other instances where people may make comments about God understanding them before we see exactly what God understands.

Another instance that I’ve heard people comment on God understanding them is in regards to Church attendance, or the lack of it. I’ve heard people say that the reason they didn’t go was because they needed to run their boat to keep it in good working order, and that God would understand. Some have said something to that effect regarding a sporting or other special event, a hobby or form of recreation, or even because their too tired or worn out to go because of their schedule. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not saying it is necessarily a sin to not go to church, but the sin could be found in the reasons and motivations we have for not going. When someone mentions or explains why they are not going and follows it up with “but God understands”, for me that raises some red flags. How about you?

The last instance I will mention that I’ve heard this phrase used, and I’m sure you can think of many others, is in the area of tithing. I’ve heard many people explain that while they believe tithing is important, they will go even further and say God will understand if they don’t tithe. These are classic “yes, but God understands” moments. While they may say tithing is important, they will go so far as to say “but God will understand” if you need to put food on the table or pay some bills. It sounds right and noble, and while this may feel right does that mean it is right? Yes, I do believe God understands the predicaments we may find ourselves in from time to time, but I also believe He understands it in ways that we don’t give much thought to.

So, when someone states “yes, but God understands”, what does God understand? Does He understand as they think He does, or is He thinking something different? One underlying thread seems to be at the core of these statements, that being we value ourselves and our opinions more importantly than we do God and His word, and that there is an expectation God will understand and “bend” things to our way of thinking. That is a scary place to be in if I may say so. It’s a high-risk gamble of sorts.

When we’re talking of sin in our life, sin that we really have no plans on giving up, and explain that God understands we are saying something to God. Our assumption is that since God knows we are humans in sinful flesh living in a sinful world, He will understand if our lives are tainted by “one or two” sins or “vices”. After all, God can’t possibly think or expect us to live holy and perfect lives? He’ll understand. Oh, He understands. He understands that the sacrifice He made through His Son and the indwelling of His Holy Spirit in your life to help you be victorious over sin is of lesser value to you than the sin you’re hanging onto.

When we’re talking about our reasons for not being faithful to the House of God, only to say that “God will understand”, we’re assuming for whatever reason that corporate worship and sharing of the Word with fellow brothers and sisters of Christ is not that important to God. We also assume that Gods desire for us to have fun and “enjoy life” is of greater importance to Him than the 2 or more hours assembling together with the brethren on a Sunday. God understands. He understands that His instructions through the Apostle Paul to not neglect the times that the brethren assemble together, especially when we see the day of His appearing coming closer, are being ignored and not heeded. God wants us to have life and have it more abundantly, but if our pursuits of ‘enjoying life’ conflict with Him, His will and His rightful place in our lives, which includes heeding His instructions, then it’s possible He’s been replaced by another ‘god’ in our lives called ‘life’.

And finally, when we try to say that God will understand when we don’t pay the tithes, we’re assuming that He understands our situation and will cut us some slack. After all, surely He would want us to pay our bills and especially keep food on the table, right? Well, of course he wants us to pay our bills and to keep food on the table, but not with what is rightfully His. He makes it very clear that we rob Him when we don’t pay our tithes, and nowhere does he produce a list of allowed exceptions to that. There are some who argue that God no longer expects us to give Him tithes, but their arguments for that are weak and not scripturally sound. I’ve seen how some have twisted scripture for the purposes of trying to justify not paying tithes, and that just show where their heart is. For example, some argue against giving tithes based on the recorded account of Jesus in regards to the temple tax. Well, that doesn’t hold any weight when one realizes that the temple tax was entirely different than the tithe. People were required to pay a fixed amount each year towards the temple and the various activities and maintenance required of the temple. Tithes were not a fixed amount, but were a percentage of the first fruits each person was required to pay God. Have you ever noticed how tithes and offerings are referred to? When referring to tithes, we are to bring and to pay the tithe, but for offerings we give it as an offering. Did you see that? There is a difference in possession. When referring to tithes, we bring it to Him because it is His from the start, but when referring to offerings they are something we give in addition to the tithe because it is ours (the remaining 90%) to give. So, when we refuse to pay tithes, or we come up with a reason for not giving it, we are not only robbing God from what is actually His, but we are also saying we don’t trust Him to take care of us and have a prideful thinking that we can do it on our own. We wouldn’t have what we have if it wasn’t for Him. God understands that when we take and use what is rightfully His instead of giving it to Him in His storehouse (the local church we should be a part of) we have also in some respects made it an idol or used it for something that is an idol in our lives.

So, when someone says “yes, but God understands”, we need to try and understand it from Gods perspective and not our own, or theirs. What does God say in His word? Are we putting words in Gods mouth, or are we saying God didn’t really say or mean what He said? We need to be very careful with this. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not saying that God is not compassionate or understanding, because He is, but sometimes we use the fact that He is as an excuse to allow or justify decisions or mindsets that are clearly contradictory to Him and what His word says for us. If that’s been you, I encourage you to re-evaluate yourself and make whatever adjustments to your mindsets and way of thinking to come into alignment with God and His word. Time is short and He’ll be here for His bride very soon. Don’t delay.