by Jeremy McKeen

Life is made up of more little decisions than seemingly big and important ones. In fact, it’s the little things that can make a huge difference. Solomon taught that, “A bribe can corrupt the heart” (Ecclesiastes 7:7). And notice, he doesn’t say that a corrupt heart will take a bribe (although that’s typically true), he says that a bribe can corrupt the heart. One small compromise can eat away at a persons integrity until before they know it they are doing things they never thought they’d do. 

Like a Virus 

Think of dishonesty and compromise like a virus in a computer. One small virus can begin to eat away at the opperating system and can corrupt many files. And how does a virus come in … it doesn’t say, “Hello, I’m a virus!” No, it comes in as game or as a reward … “you just one 10,000 dollars!” It comes in just like a Trojan Horse. A bribe or an opportunity to lie is a virus disguised as a gift, a virus of the heart that can eat away at a person’s integrity. 

A Whole Person 
Integrity comes from the latin root word integer, which in mathematics is a whole number. It’s not divided. It’s not a fraction. A person of integrity is a whole person. They’re the same with one group of people or in one situation as they are in another. They don’t have a self here and another self over there. They are honest with their weaknesses and failures. They’re not living a lie. In fact, one of the things that makes them a person of integrity is that they’re transparent about the places in their life where they struggle. 

Remember that any form of dishonesty or taking any form of a bribe – cheating on a test to get a better grade, embellishing a story to be liked, exaggerating on a resume to get a job, hiding the truth from those who are close to you; it’s just not worth it. It’s a virus that unless dealt with eventually corrupts. It’s better to tell the truth than live a lie. Let the world keep their bribes, let us keep our integrity. 

by Jeremy McKeen

In the beginning of 1 John chapter 2 we learn that there is great encouragement for our souls when we sin. Now please don’t misunderstand me. What I’m about to say isn’t an encouragement to sin but an encouragement for when we do. This is why John writes “my little children I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin.” Now we all sin everyday to some degree in our thoughts words and deeds, but John is talking about particular sins that trip us up that we are very conscious of when we commit them. And when we do, what’s broken is our fellowship with God. That’s what John is ultimately concerned about – our fellowship with God, because that’s what our souls need to experience life and joy and peace throughout our day.

So then he says, “…if anyone does sin we have …” Listen to this – “an advocate with the Father Jesus Christ …”. We have a defense attorney with the Father. And now the idea isn’t that Jesus is always pleading with an unwilling Father and trying to convince him to let us go and not punish us every time we sin, as if the Father is against us but the Son is not. After all the Son and the Father are one … The point is that like an attorney, Jesus stands in our place. He represents us. So the possibility of restored fellowship with God isn’t based on our performance but it’s based upon the performance of our advocate.

That’s why John says … Jesus Christ, the righteous and that Jesus is the propitiation for our sins (A big word that simply means the absorber of our guilt and penalty for our sins). What John is teaching us is that Jesus’ perfect life in our place and sufficient death in our place is what enables us to constantly come before God and find restored fellowship even when we sin. Every good defense attorney uses the law on behalf of his client, and so John is teaching us that now in Jesus this is how the law works for every believer; it works for him, to give him continued standing and fellowship with God. Someone put it this way, “The Devil says look at your sin; God says look at my Son!” 

So remember this week that we have great encouragement for when we sin and that encouragement isn’t our ability to hide our sin from God (we never can) or our own resolutions before God to never do it again (we all know those don’t last as well as we’d like) or to do something that will make up for it (that doesn’t work either). Our great encouragement is the living person and liberating work of Jesus Christ. He’s our advocate and he’s never lost a case. He daily says to us … “Come! Come to the Father and find restored fellowship through me!”

by Jeremy McKeen

Like many others, I am heartbroken over the recent news about Tullian Tchividjian and the events surrounding his resignation from Coral Ridge Presbyterian Church. I know that God is sovereign and I’m grateful that where our sin abounds, his grace abounds all the more (see Romans 5:20), but we need to call it like it is - It’s a big deal. It’s extremely saddening. Whenever any Christian leader morally fails, whether in adultery or other scandalous sin, it does great damage to the local church that they lead, the church at large, and most importantly to the name of Jesus Christ in the eyes of a watching world. Whether it’s right or wrong, people leave the local church over such things. People distrust their current leadership even more over such things. Again, it is a big deal. Granted, no Christian leader is ever perfect (we all know that), but every Christian leader should be able to say with Paul, “Be imitators of me, as I am of Christ” (1 Corinthians 11:1). People should feel confident to follow their leaders. Their way of life is meant to be an example to imitate (See Hebrews 13:7). 

Fear and Trembling

I hesitated writing something about all this. For one thing, I didn’t want to come off as judgmental or a “know it all” when I don’t know all the facts of what has happened, except for what I’ve heard from many of the members there and what I’ve read on social media. I also didn’t want to use this incident as a shameless way to bring attention to myself. And with a post like this, there’s never enough space to write all the things that you could say, or that you’d want to say. So, know that I write this with fear and trembling, not with spite or judgmentalism. Alright, so why am I taking the time to write this?

Well, first, Coral Ridge is a PCA church (Presbyterian Church in America), a sister church of the one I lead along with several other elders and deacons in West Palm Beach, FL (Truth Point Church), and we're only a 50 minute drive north of Coral Ridge. I’ve already received questions from members of our congregation asking me why the system of accountability in the PCA didn’t work to squash the false teaching on sanctification that was happening there and some of the questionable decisions and actions along the way. I’ve also been asked what the members of our church can do to help prevent this same type of thing happening to me or the other leaders at Truth Point. Lastly, many people have been texting me asking for my thoughts on the issue. At this time, I feel that the best way for me to respond is to write something that I can initially point people to.

Structures Only Get Us So Far

I can't speak for the South Florida Presbytery on how this was handled and will be handled going forward. What I can say is that no system of government (church or civil) can stop every problem or prevent every issue (moral or otherwise). Additionally, the structure is only as good as the people within it. I’m not sure what steps were or were not taken by the men in that presbytery prior to this news, but I give them the benefit of the doubt that they were actively addressing these things. The accountability structure within the PCA is not perfect, but it’s very effective. In fact, at my first Gulf Stream Presbytery meeting, a minister was removed due to questionable activities that he was engaged in. There was enough evidence to remove his credentials to further minister in the PCA. He was removed and the people were protected. Every pastor in the PCA can be removed from his office based on serious moral failure or the breaking of our ordination vows and departing from our standards of faith (Westminster Confession and Catechisms).

Christian Fellowship and Leadership

Douglas Wilson once made a helpful distinction that has always stuck with me. There’s a difference between the qualifications for fellowship in the Christian community and leadership in the Christian community. Genuine repentance and faith is all that is needed to be welcomed as part of the body of Christ and partake of the Lord’s Supper as a Christian in good standing. However, there are higher qualifications for entering into and maintaining a position of Christian leadership in that community, as outlined in 1 Timothy 3 and Titus 1. We must not confuse God’s grace that pardons all of our sin in Jesus with a lack of standards for leaders and consequences for sin. Many point to Peter’s denial and his subsequent position of leadership in the church. Yet, I would argue that denying that you know Jesus under duress is not the same thing as sexual moral failure while you hold the office of a pastor. Peter’s denial was Jesus’ way of breaking Peter of his pride so that he could use him in the future, not to give church leaders the impression that they can bring reproach on the name of Christ with moral failure and not reap the consequences.

Real Prayer for Real People

With that said, Tullian, Coy, Driscoll, and other prominent leaders who have resigned of late over serious sin issues are real people who need our real prayers. What I mean is that for many, these are just prominent names on the covers of books or well-known faces on stages, but they are much more than that. They are sons of God with feelings, dreams, and real pain. You and I may disagree with their particular ministry methods or some points of teaching, but we must pray for them personally. Like …we actually need to stop and lift them up by name in concentrated prayer to God. They need real prayer, not just shout outs on social media that “we are praying,” but actually never getting around to it. I highly doubt Tullian will ever read this blog post, but Tullian, if you do, may you know that I love you as a brother in Christ, and I pray that the Lord will bring deep and lasting healing to your heart and in your marriage.

Our Commitment and Yours

So, what is our commitment to ensure that this doesn’t happen in our church, and what can you do to help? What I do: You should know that I regularly speak with another man in our church each week, and we confess any wrong thoughts or struggles with sin so that we can put sin to death at its smallest level. We ask each other the hard questions and take sin seriously. We’re also part of an underground “fight club” that we started with other guys in the church that challenge and encourage one another in the area of sexual purity. Also, as elders we have a time in the beginning of each session meeting where we share any sins or struggles and pray for one another. What you can do: Please pray for the people of Coral Ridge during this time and also for our church leadership, that God would protect us from moral failure and false teaching of any kind. Please do not be afraid to lovingly and respectfully challenge / question us if you get the impression of pride, false teaching or anything else that is not befitting a minister of the gospel. We are not celebrities that can’t be reached, but servants that are held accountable by all. Our staff and session has been and will continue to pray for Tullian and the entire Coral Ridge Church family. We must all stay humble and take heed. May the damage done by sin be repaired by the God of all grace and healing.

by Jeremy McKeen

This past Sunday, I gave a sermon on spiritual maturity being the goal of Christian discipleship. You can listen to it in its entirety here. In the message I broke down maturity into three key areas of Christian living: doctrine, devotion and duty, and then shared twenty five descriptions about what spiritual maturity is and what it isn’t. They aren’t comprehensive, but below are the descriptions that were shared if you're interested. 

1) Spiritual maturity isn't the basis of your Christian life; it's the goal of your Christian life (Col.1:28, Heb. 6:1).

2) Spiritual maturity is more than head knowledge, but it's never less than head knowledge. It's knowing more than the basic doctrines of the faith and how they relate to the basics of everyday life. It’s knowing what you believe and why you believe it (Heb. 5:12-14, 2 Pet. 3:16-18).

3) Spiritual maturity is experiencing that God is good no matter what you happen to be experiencing (Ps. 145:9, Ps. 86:5, 1 Chron. 16:34).

4) Spiritual maturity is living with a childlike faith, not a childish faith (Matt. 18:3-4, 1 Cor. 14:20).

5) Spiritual maturity is knowing the difference between the law and the gospel, between justification and sanctification (Rom. 3:28; 1 Tim.1:8, Rom.5:1; 6:1-4).

6) Spiritual maturity isn't never falling; it's knowing how to get back up & keep going when you do (Heb.12:12-13, 1 John 1:9). It's walking in the assurance that nothing can separate you from the love of God in Christ Jesus (Rom. 8:39), knowing that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion (Phil. 1:6).

7) Spiritual maturity isn't how fast you can recite a verse but how fast you repent of sin (Ps. 32:5, Prov. 28:13).

8) Spiritual maturity isn't exercising spiritual gifts but bearing spiritual fruit (1 Cor.13:1-13, Gal. 5:22-23).

9) Spiritual maturity is not just loving your friends, it's loving your enemies (Matt. 5:43-45, Rom.12:14-21).

10) Spiritual maturity isn't about how high you raise your hands but how often you bend your knees (1 Thess.5:17, Col.4:2).

11) Spiritual maturity isn't how well you can sing in the sun; it's how well you stand in the storm (Eph.6:10-14, 1 Pet. 1:6-9).

12) Spiritual maturity isn't just knowing about God; it's loving, treasuring, adoring and enjoying God (Ps. 18:1, Ps.8:1, 1 Tim.6:15, Ps.32:11).

13) Spiritual maturity isn't tied to your physical age and amount of grey hairs you happen to have but to your spiritual advancement and godliness in life (Ps.119:99-100, 1 Tim.3:12).

14) Spiritual maturity is moving from always needing to be fed Gods word to knowing how to feed yourself (Ps. 1:1-3, Heb.5:12-14).

15) Spiritual maturity is forgiving those who've hurt you the most and praying for those who persecute you (Col. 3:13, Matt. 18:21-22, Matt. 5:44).

16) Spiritual maturity is the courage to stand for the truth even when everyone else is falling for a lie (1 Cor.16:13, Eph. 5:11).

17) Spiritual maturity is praying God make me more like you instead of just God give me more things (Rom.8:29, Phil.2:10-14).

18) Spiritual maturity is not depending upon Christ less but depending upon Christ more (Ps. 18:2, John 15:5).

19) Spiritual maturity is loving the least of these and generously giving to meet others needs (Matt. 25:40, 2 Cor. 8:2-3).

20) Spiritual maturity is walking by faith and not by sight (2 Cor. 5:7), doing the right thing when it’s hard (Ps. 15:4), loving those who are difficult (Gal.6:2) and having a concern for the lost and the poor (2 Tim. 2:10, Gal.2:10).

21) Spiritual maturity is knowing who you are (Jn. 1:12), why you're here (1 Cor.10:31) and where you're going (Phil.1:21).

22) Spiritual maturity is the ability to discern truth from error, right from wrong, and good from evil (1 Jn. 4:6, Heb. 5:14).

23) Spiritual maturity is knowing that you wrestle not against flesh and blood but against spiritual forces in this present evil age (Eph. 6:12, 1 Pet.5:7-9).

24) Spiritual maturity is knowing that you never graduate from the gospel (Rom.1:16-17, 1 Cor.15:1-4).  

25) Spiritual maturity is being able to spiritually reproduce yourself in the lives of others (Heb.5:12, 2 Tim.2:2).

by Jeremy McKeen

One of the key figures in the book of Acts and in all of church history is Cornelius. Yet, it’s my guess that the majority of Christians know little or next to nothing about the man. So, who was he, and what should we know about him? 

The Spiritual State of Cornelius - People disagree about whether or not Cornelius was saved before Peter came and spoke to him. The reason for questioning his spiritual state before Peter’s arrival is largely due to Peter’s recap of the whole event in Chapter 11 in which the angel told Cornelius that, “…He will declare to you a message by which you will be saved, you and all your household” (11:14b). And the consensus in Jerusalem after hearing this was, “Then to the Gentiles also God has granted repentance that leads to life’ (11:18b). So, by just reading Chapter 11, you would naturally conclude that Cornelius wasn’t saved before he met Peter. Yet, when the context of the whole account of Cornelius is taken into consideration and Scripture is compared with Scripture, it can be seen that Cornelius was indeed saved before Peter’s arrival.

In fact, Luke went out of his way to describe the spiritual state of Cornelius before hearing Peter’s message. Three times Cornelius is described as a man who feared God (Ch.10:2; 22; 35), and the bible is clear that unregenerate people do not fear God (Ps.55:19; 103:13, Rom.3:18). Furthermore, Cornelius is described as a righteous man whose generous giving and continual prayers were pleasing before God (10:2-4; 35), and the bible is clear that this is not possible in the case of the unsaved (Ps.14:1-3, Pr.15:8;29, Heb.11:6) This is why Peter himself perceived and acknowledged the true state of Cornelius even before he preached to him (10:34-35). So, how do we reconcile what’s said in Chapter 11 and what’s described of Cornelius in Chapter 10?

Cornelius lived in the inter-testament transitional period as a Gentile convert who now heard that the promised Christ that he had greeted from afar had finally come in the person of Jesus. So, what must he do to be saved? In the words of Mathew Henry, "He that believed the promise of the Messiah must now believe the performance of that promise." John Calvin concurs: “Cornelius must be put in the catalogue of the old fathers, who hoped for salvation of the Redeemer before he was revealed.” In other words, Cornelius believed in the coming Christ, but now he must demonstrate the genuineness of that faith by believing in this further revelation of who the Christ is in order to truly be counted among the saved. You could say that Cornelius' profession of faith before Peter's arrival would have been, "I believe that the Lord will send the Christ to take away my sins." Yet after hearing Peter it would have been, "I believe that Jesus is the Lord and Christ who has taken away my sins." So, Cornelius wasn't going from a state of damnation to salvation but rather from faith in the promise of salvation to faith in its fulfillment. 

The Spiritual Significance of Cornelius - So, if Cornelius was already a believer before Peter met him, then why would Luke record the case of Cornelius? Well, clearly the meaning of Peter’s vision of God instructing him to eat (personally take in) the unclean animals represented how God wanted him to personally take in Cornelius and his household (10:17; 28). Peter is told, “What God has made clean, do not call common” (10:15; 11:9). Notice the past tense. God had already made Cornelius clean through his faith in the coming Christ; it was now up to Peter to proclaim the good news that Christ had finally come and fully embrace Cornelius (aka - all future Gentile believers). In the case of Cornelius, God was showing the Jewish church once and for all that Gentile believers were not “second-class citizens” to be sort of tolerated but fellow citizens to be fully accepted. Full salvation and inclusion in the church was not just for Jews or those who “become Jews” through receiving circumcision and following the feasts, dietary laws, etc.. No, in Jesus Christ, God had created “one new man in place of the two” (Eph.2:15) and had given water baptism as the new sign of belonging for all believers and their household (Ch.10:47-48; 16:14-15, 1 Cor.7:14). Cornelius was a great man of faith and represents a great turning point of the gospel reaching every nation! 

by Jeremy McKeen

One of the ways to live a joyous life is to live a generous life. John Andrew Holmes, a modern American writer, once wrote, “There is no exercise better for the heart than reaching down and lifting people up.” In other words, are you feeling down and discouraged? Don’t just focus on fixing your own circumstances; focus on helping others. Jesus said, “It is more blessed to give than to receive” (Acts 20:35). When it comes to generosity, Solomon taught five key principles in the end of Ecclesiastes, and when it comes to actually living them out, Jesus supplies the power in the gospel.

Generosity is the best investment strategy - Solomon wrote, “Cast your bread upon the waters, for you will find it after many days” (Ecclesiastes 11:1). Solomon turned this ancient proverb for wasteful expenditure on its head, because, generosity is never wasted; it’s invested. Generosity is like a boomerang; either in this life or the next, it’s coming back to you. However, the point is not to give in order to get, but to give knowing that you can never lose. God wants his people to give with the confidence that they can never lose in helping others. Simply stated, what may appear today to be a waste of your money will one day prove to be one of the best investments that you’ve ever made. No act of generosity will ever be wasted.

Generosity is the natural result of a full life - “If the clouds are full of rain, they empty themselves on the earth” (Ecclesiastes 11:3a). Solomon stated the obvious to make the point that as the clouds naturally bless the earth out of their fullness, so Christians bless others out of the fullness of what they already have in Jesus. This was the case with Francis Ridley Havergal, who penned the popular hymn, “Take my life and let it be.” She was so overcome by God’s grace in sending his Son to die for her sins that she wanted to give her life to help others. In that hymn, she wrote, “Take my silver and my gold, not a mite would I withhold,” and she meant it. In a letter to a friend, she explained that she had heard about a great need in India, and decided to collect all her jewelry (thousands of dollars worth) and send it overseas. She wrote to her friend, “I don’t think I ever packed a box with such pleasure.” It wasn’t out of compulsion. No one was twisting her arm. This was the natural result of a life that was aware of God’s abundant grace.

Generosity is possible wherever God has placed you - “If a tree falls to the south or to the north, in the place where the tree falls, there it will lie” (Ecclesiastes 11:3b). Just as God determines where a tree will fall and lie, so God determines where a person will live and give. The Apostle Paul taught that, “God has determined allotted periods and the boundaries of our dwelling place” (Acts 17:26). Wherever God has placed you, that is the place where you are to give. As the old saying goes, “Bloom where you are planted.”

Generosity is not dependent upon your circumstances - “He who observes the wind will not sow, and he who regards the clouds will not reap” (Ecclesiastes 11:4). Solomon was addressing the person who is waiting for all the right circumstances to happen before he or she will give. You may think, “When I make more money, when I get on my feet, or when I get this promotion, then I’ll start being generous.” Yet, remember the widow’s mite? She was faithful with just the little that she had. John D. Rockefeller, the wealthy businessman, once said, “I never would have been able to tithe on the first million dollars I ever made if I had not tithed my first salary, which was $1.50 per week.” The way to be generous tomorrow is to start being generous today.

Generosity is a lifestyle of seizing every opportunity - Finally, Solomon taught, “In the morning sow your seed and at evening withhold not your hand” (Ecclesiastes 11:6). Generosity isn’t a one-time moment in your day; it’s a lifestyle of seizing every moment in your day to help others. Generosity isn’t about “doing your good deed for the day”; it’s about looking for every opportunity to bless people.

The Power of the Gospel - However, if people are honest, then they will recognize that they haven’t always lived the generous life that God requires. To one degree or another, everyone has succumbed to the lies of materialism and the pitfall of greed. But the good news of the gospel is that, “God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish, but have eternal life” (John 3:16). God is the one who was and is perfectly generous. God generously gave his best and Jesus generously gave his life. Jesus didn’t just cast his bread upon the waters; he cast his life upon a cross to deliver his people from the pit of greed. Jesus lived the generous for you and wants to live that same generous life through you. People can know all the principles of generosity hanging on the wall, but only knowing the person of Jesus hanging on the cross for their sins, is what will empower them to give their lives in generosity to others and live with joy.

by Jeremy McKeen

Over the past decade there has been a great resurgence of the gospel in church ministry. As one writer put it, “There has been an explosion of gospel-centeredness.” On the whole, this is a very encouraging development. And yet there’s a danger that the word “gospel” can simply turn into the latest buzzword or church-growth trend where the word is used so much that it loses its meaning and value. So, what does a healthy and effective gospel ministry look like in a church? How can church leaders and church members tell if their ministry really is gospel-centered? In the beginning of 1 Thessalonians, the Apostle Paul defended his gospel ministry in that church and, in turn, described the motives and manner of healthy gospel ministry for any church. 

The Motives of Gospel Ministry

1)Effective leaders do not show up to be seen; they show up to be heard.When Paul and his leadership team came into a city they didn’t come “empty handed,” just wanting to show their faces. They came with the costly message of the gospel. Imagine a team of fire fighters showing up to a burning building without any hoses, fire extinguishers or ladders, and saying, “Hey, aren’t you glad we’re here! Look at our big red truck and cool uniforms!” Paul didn’t do that. He came with the needed tool to fix the problem. He came with the good news of Jesus’ life, death, burial and resurrection for the forgiveness of sins. He came with the message of how anyone who comes to God by grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone can be reconciled to God forever and enter the kingdom of God. What’s the gospel ministry without the gospel being clearly proclaimed? It’s just a big red truck and uniforms, and that’s not going to save anybody.

2) Effective leaders do not seek to please men, but seek to please God. Paul didn’t come with a false and flattering message in order to please people but a true and often offensive message that pleased God. As John Stott put it, “They didn’t conceal the cost of discipleship or offer false comfort either.” Now, it’s not wrong to please people; it’s wrong to make pleasing people your aim, to let the approval of man be the driving motivation in ministry.

3) Effective leaders are not there to get something, but to give something. Paul’s leadership team wasn’t preaching out of greed in order to get people’s money. They were there to freely share the gospel and their very lives with people in order to benefit them spiritually.

4) Effective leaders do not aim to be popular; they aim to be faithful. Paul was not seeking glory from people, because being faithful, not being famous, is the mark of true ministry success. Gospel-centered leaders are not living to make a name for themselves, but to make a name for Jesus. This will mean a willingness to do the small mundane thankless tasks, and to resist rivalry and envy when others get noticed instead of you. Those are some of the motives that leaders should seek to avoid, and now let’s consider the manner of gospel ministry that leaders should seek to apply.

The Manner of Gospel Ministry

1) Like a nursing mother: Paul said, “We were gentle among you, like a nursing mother taking care of her own children.” When it comes to God’s truth and wanting to help people to grasp it, leaders need to be gentle and patient. Moreover, there’s something about mothers, that when they hear a baby crying, even if that baby is not their own, they can’t take it, immediately they want to respond and help. That’s exactly the way that church leaders should be when they hear the cries for help from God’s people.

2) A hard worker:Paul was willing to do by-vocational ministry, working day and night if need be, to get churches started. Effective ministry is hard and tiring work. There are times when you don’t want to make that extra phone call or visit with that person, or help with that project, but that’s the moment that separates the imitators from the leaders, the talkers from the doers. Leaders are not called to do everything, to burn out, or to neglect their families, but effective ministry work is difficult and requires hard work.

3) A godly example: Paul said, “Our conduct was holy, righteous and blameless among you.” Now obviously that didn’t mean that they were perfect, but clearly there is a call upon leaders to live as examples of godliness that attract people to the grace and beauty of Christ.

4) A strong father: Lastly, Paul compared their ministry to a father who exhorts and encourages his children. Healthy ministry is not just motherly; it’s fatherly. Leaders are meant to bring exhortation and encouragement, conviction and comfort, warning and teaching. Simply put, they are to speak up and lead.

So according to Paul, those are the motives that leaders should seek to avoid and the manner that they need to take for effective gospel ministry. Will any church leader do this perfectly? Of course not. But when leaders passionately pursue this, then “gospel-centered” becomes more than simply a catch phrase plastered on a website, it becomes the beating heart of the entire ministry. 

by Jeremy McKeen

Does Christianity take the fun out of life? There are some people who tend to think so. They have this idea that following Jesus means the end of joy, rather than the beginning of joy. In their opinion, the God of Christianity is sort of a harsh cosmic killjoy, just trying to keep people from really enjoying life. This couldn’t be further from the truth.

God Wants You To Enjoy Life

Remember where God placed Adam and Eve? God didn’t put them in a barren desert and tell them to endure it; he put them in a garden of delights and told them to enjoy it. It was a thousand trees of ‘Yes!’ and only one tree of ‘No’. Yet, what happened? Satan somehow convinced them that God wasn’t enough and that God hadn’t given them enough. One of the lessons that this story teaches is that God was the one who invented pleasure; Satan invented the abuse of it. In other words, God gave us sex; Satan gave us adultery. God gave us wine; Satan gave us drunkenness. God gave us food; Satan gave us gluttony. God gave us sleep; Satan gave us laziness, and so on. The heart of God has always been for his people to take pleasure in the good gifts of life in their proper measure.

Remember the Promised Land in the Old Testament? It wasn’t flowing with carrot juice and asparagus; it was flowing with milk and honey. Remember when the wine ran out at the wedding in Cana? Jesus didn’t say, “Oh, good! You were all having too much fun anyway.” No! Jesus made more wine, an ancient symbol for joy; to show once and for all that what he offers the world is not a renouncement of pleasure, but a robust joyful relationship with the God who invented pleasure. Remember the father’s house when the prodigal son came home? It was full of music and dancing (see Luke 15:25)! Jesus taught that God causes the sun to shine on the evil and the good (see Matthew 5:45). In other words, the sun doesn’t just shine on believer’s farms, and food isn’t just placed on believer’s tables. “Every good and perfect gift is from above” (James 1:17). The Apostle Paul wrote that, “God richly provides us with everything to enjoy” (1 Timothy 6:17). Far from being a hindrance to joy, the God of the bible is the source of it.

Think of your approach to the simple pleasures of life like two children on Christmas morning. The first child thinks he deserves everything and sees only one present for himself under the tree. However, the second child recognizes that he deserves nothing, yet sees a present for himself under the tree! Each child had the same amount of presents, but only one of them is going to enjoy the morning. Like that second child, once you see that every good thing in life is an undeserved gift from God, then every day turns into a joyous occasion bringing forth gratitude and praise to God. As C.S. Lewis put it, “Gratitude exclaims, very properly, ‘How good of God to give me this.’ Adoration says, ‘What must be the quality of that Being whose far-off and momentary coruscations [sparkles of pleasure] are like this!’ One’s mind runs back up the sunbeam to the sun.” Lewis recognized that God is the source of every good thing and wants his children to enjoy life!

Go Ahead And Enjoy Your Life

I once came across a label on a bag of snacks that read, “Open and enjoy!” It wasn’t enough to have the food or even open the bag, I needed to dig in and enjoy it! In the same way, it’s not enough to know that life is a gift that God wants you to enjoy; you’ve got to actually go and enjoy it. Solomon wrote, “Go and eat your bread with joy and drink your wine with a merry heart for God has already approved what you do” (Ecclesiastes 9:7). Now, this isn’t Epicureanism, which says, “Let us eat and drink for tomorrow we die.” There’s no God or after-life, so just get in as much pleasure as you can! It’s also not Existentialism, which teaches that there’s no God, so you give your existence meaning and call the shots.

 Solomon brought God right into it, so that you might know that the enjoyment of life is in keeping with the moral standards of God. In other words, you don’t have to wonder if God is upset that you’re having a good time. God takes pleasure in seeing his children enjoy his gifts in their proper measure. God loves to hear his children laugh and see them smile. God approves! Joy doesn't have to wait until morning. Joy doesn't have to wait until heaven. Joy can be had right here, right now by following Lewis’ advice and running our minds up the sunbeam to the sun; seeing God for who he truly is: the source of every good gift in life. So what are you waiting for? Don’t wait for a day that may never come. Go ahead and enjoy your life! If not today, then when? If not you, then who? Make that someday, this day, and make that someone, you!  

by Jeremy McKeen

I love the promise of the Lord’s coming, and I look forward with joyful anticipation to that great day, but Jesus was crystal clear – “No one knows the day or the hour” (Matthew 24:36). Did you catch that? No one! I once shared this verse with a man who was really into end times and desperately trying to figure out when Jesus would return, but he said, “But Jesus didn’t say that we couldn’t know the month.” I reminded him that Jesus said to his disciples before he ascended, “It is not for you to know times or seasons that the Father has fixed by his own authority” (Acts 1:7). Forget the month, we’re not even going to know the season! Yet, this has not stopped numerous false teachers from preying off of people’s fears and lack of discernment in selling millions of books making predictions of the times and seasons of Christ’s return. And I hesitate to write this, because I never want to seem like I’m “policing” what people read or sounding like an angry theological drug sniffer who just snoops around looking for error, but I believe this problem goes deeper than predictions. This may sound like, ‘much ado about nothing’, but this has everything to do with how you view and approach the bible. 

The Bible is Not a Code to Crack.

A few years ago I was interviewed about Harold Camping’s prediction that Jesus was coming back on May 21, 2011. You remember that? Apparently, he cracked some secret code in the bible that enabled him to know the exact date. The sad thing is that he got so many people to buy into it. Yet, what happened? The day came and went. Christians need to realize that the bible is not a code to crack. God has not hidden secret “fortune cookie” messages in the bible for only the spiritually elite to discover.

Modern Gnosticism: This type of stuff is just a modern example of ancient Gnosticism – “Claiming that you have a special and secret knowledge that you must pass on to those who have faith enough to believe it.” The way this works is that you can’t disagree with the person’s secret knowledge, because if you do, then they will just tell you that you don’t have enough faith. Christians who are less discerning have been duped by this for years. The Apostle Paul dealt with this in his letter to the Colossians and explained that Christ is sufficient, and the word of God is all that we need.

Insights vs. Mysteries: Here’s where it may help to make a few distinctions. There’s a difference between an insight and a mystery. There’s a difference between seeing a helpful theological connection in the bible and receiving a secret message from God. There’s a difference between reading a commentary or other resource that helps you to understand and apply the bible versus books that claim to have secret messages that mean something for us that could never have been applied to the original audience. What I mean is that although there will be many insights discovered or applications made from the bible for our every-day lives, there are not going to be new mysteries or secret messages given to special people. A mystery was an authoritative divine revelation given to special leaders of the church (Apostles & Prophets) to be recorded for the people of God. Jude writes to “contend for the faith once for all delivered to the saints” (Jude 3). Therefore, there are no more special deliveries. Peter told us that we’ve been given “all things that pertain to life and godliness” (2 Peter 1:3). The overall principle is that the books of the Bible cannot mean something to us that they could never have meant to the original recipients. And so we should be guarded against people claiming to hear new divine messages or unlocking secret meanings for America or the church never before discovered. Unfortunately Harold Camping wasn’t the first and is clearly not the last to claim such things.

The Harbinger and Four Blood Moons

Two recent books, The Harbinger by Jonathan Chan and Four Blood Moons by John Hagee, fall into this category. Now, this is not meant to be offensive to people who have read these books and enjoyed them, but rather informative. Just consider The Harbinger’s subtitle: “The ancient mystery that holds the secret to America’s future.” Did you notice the three words: mystery, secret, and future? Books like this are misleading Christians in how to view and apply Scripture. Hagee’s subtitle is no different: “Something big is about to happen.” Did you pick up on what’s going on there? The subtle message in the subtitle is that unless you buy this book, then you won’t know what you should about your future. These writers prey off of people’s fear that they may be missing out on a secret code and message from God about the future that they can’t figure out by reading the bible on their own. Both The Harbinger and Four Blood Moons get several critical things wrong about different bible passages, more than can be described here. If you want to see what I mean, Tim Challies has written a very good review on The Harbinger here, and you can read more about the falsehood of Hagee’s blood moon approach here.

Just because someone claims to be a Christian, is on Christian television, or has a large following doesn’t mean that we should listen to every word that they say about the end times. You’ve got to test it according to the bible, and when we do, we can confidently disregard all these date setters and even these date teasers who claim to have “cracked the code” or received some secret message that you might miss if you don’t read their books. Please, don’t buy the books. Don’t see the movies. Don’t waste your money or your time. There are no secret codes that need to be broken for you to live the Christian life and face the future with confidence. There are no secret messages that you can’t afford to miss. The best approach is to study the Scriptures and trust your unknown future to a known God.

Many Christians from around the world celebrate Palm Sunday, otherwise known as Jesus’ triumphal entry. Yet, what was the significance of this day in Jesus’ life? Why were the people waving palm branches and shouting, “Hosanna”? Why did Jesus ride into Jerusalem on a donkey’s colt? What did it all mean, and how does it relate to your life today? In other words, how does Palm Sunday connect to your Monday?

The Significance Of Palm Sunday

From Robin Hood to The Man in the Iron Mask, from Lancelot to The Lord of the Rings, so many of the legends in literature are about the desire for a king to come and set everything right. This desire was also the great hope of the Jewish people. This is why the people were waving palm branches when Jesus rode into town. Palm branches were a Jewish symbol of freedom and victory. It would be like Americans waving their red, white and blue flags on the fourth of July. However, instead of celebrating something that has already happened, the Jews were crying out for something to happen. The word, “hosanna” means, “Lord, save us now!” This was a desperate cry for liberation. The people were expecting Jesus to give them political freedom through military victory over the Romans. Yet, Jesus came to deliver his people from a far greater power and enemy.

What’s significant is that Jesus didn’t say, “No! You’ve got me all wrong. I’m not a king.” He did something to show them, “I’m not that type of king.” Jesus chose to ride in on a small donkey. Jesus didn't come marching in on the stallion of pride; he came in on the colt of humility. The Apostle John taught that this was all foretold by the Prophet Zechariah who said, “Fear not, daughter of Zion; behold your King is coming sitting on a donkeys colt” (John 12:15). A colt is a very young offspring of a donkey. So, Jesus’ feet would have been hitting the ground as he rode in. Jesus came in as low as he could go. Where is the triumph in the triumphal entry? Jesus’ triumph was in his humility. J.R. Tolkien, author of The Lord of the Rings, was once asked why the Dark Lord Sauron missed Frodo walking right into Mordor to destroy the ring. Tolkien explained that Sauron could not conceive that someone with that much power would be willing to give it all away. Yet, it was through giving away his power that Frodo destroyed the greatest power of evil. In a similar way, Christ came to conquer the greater enemies of Satan, sin and death by humbling himself to the point of death, even death on a cross. Jesus’ march into Jerusalem was indeed a victory march, but it was victory veiled. The cross was his victory veiled, and his resurrection and ascension was his victory unveiled.

Moreover, an ox is used for plowing, but a donkey is made to carry burdens. This is why it's often called a beast of burden. So, why is Jesus on a beast of burden? Jesus is humbling identifying himself with all his people’s burdens, and preparing to take the whole load of them to the cross. Jesus is not like many earthly kings who are bothered by his subject’s burdens. Rather, Jesus says, “Come to me all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest” (Matthew 11:28). There’s no burden too great for Jesus to bear. Behold your King! The mighty King of the universe is the humble burden-bearing friend of sinners. So, how should all this relate to Christians today?

The Relevance For Your Monday

Palm Sunday means the end of fear. Speaking of that day, Zechariah said, “Fear not daughter of Zion.” Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem means the end of fear, because he has paid for every sin and proved that even in the darkest of times, God is working all things together for his people’s good. It also means the beginning of humility. How are Christians meant to arrive to work, or come into a room full of people? The same way Jesus arrived in Jerusalem - with an attitude of humility and a readiness to serve. He entered as low as he could, and his followers are to do the same. The call for Christians is to get low in their businesses, in their marriages, in their churches, etc.

Followers of Jesus should follow in the steps of Jesus, who came not to be served but to serve. This is a lesson that’s not easily learned. Some of Jesus’ disciples were once arguing about who was the greatest among them. Jesus told them, “Whoever desires to be great among you, must become a servant of all” (Mark 10:44). Jesus taught that getting low is what it means to truly get ahead. Martin Luther King Jr. pointed out that, “Jesus made greatness possible to anyone, because everyone can serve.” Jesus entered Jerusalem in humility, ready to serve, and this should be a Christian’s approach to life as well. God wants to lift his people up, but you cannot lift a person up unless he or she is already low. C.H. Spurgeon said, “Every Christian has a choice between being humble and being humbled.” The lessons of Palm Sunday are meant to be lived out on Monday. The way to get ahead is to get low and the way to overcome evil is through fearless sacrificial love, knowing that one-day when the King returns for good, his victory will be complete, and his glory will be completely revealed.