Doubt

(by Lorie Codispoti)

Have you ever experienced doubt as a Christian? Contrary to what you may think, having questions about God, the bible, and other aspects of your Christian walk can be a very healthy thing.

Author Peter Enns writes: “Sometimes we think of our faith as a castle—safe, comfortable, familiar. But what if God doesn’t want us to be comfortable and safe? What if comfortable and safe keep God at a distance? Doubt tears down the castle walls to force us on a journey. It may feel like God is far away or absent when in fact doubt is a gift of God to move us to spiritual maturity. Doubt is not a sign of weakness but a sign of growth.”

As a young Christian, I questioned very little about my faith. I was comfortable, and felt perfectly safe within the confines of my castle wall. From atop the fortified keep (highest tower), I could look out over the King’s country and admire the lovely view, but it was not healthy.

The problem with castle living is that God never called us to a sequestered existence. When Jesus gathered His disciples in the upper room it was to commission them to go out. The safety of our Father’s “strong tower” (Prov.18:10) is there for us to run into during times when we are battle weary and need rest and reviving, but it was not designed for residential living.

TREMORS OF DOUBT

The story of Hien Pham is a great example of how doubt can feel like the tremors of an earthquake - the after effects of a crisis that tries our faith and shakes us to the core.

Hien was a Vietnamese Christian who was thrown into prison after the U.S. pulled out of Vietnam. His charges included translating and teaching the Bible. 

From the first day, his captors attempted to indoctrinate him against Christianity. He was bombarded with communist propaganda and the deluge caused him to have serious questions about his faith. He began to wonder if he had been lied to and deceived about the existence of God. He made a decision to stop praying and abandon his faith when he was assigned to clean the latrines. When emptying the bin of used toilet paper, he noticed a piece of paper with words he recognized. When he washed the page, he read these words from Romans 8, "And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him….for I am convinced that nothing shall be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord." He began to weep and his faith was restored.

The guards were dumbfounded when Hien requested to be assigned regular latrine duty. Apparently one of the officials was using Bible pages as toilet paper, and Hien decided to collect and clean the pages, knowing that God's word would enable him to survive his dire circumstances. God met Hien in his doubt, and used His word to strengthen his faith.

STRETCHED BEYOND UNDERSTANDING

In the New Testament, we read of three circumstances where believers are stretched beyond their ability to understand.

In Mark 9 we read about the guy who sought healing for his son. Jesus tells him that “all things are possible to him who believes.” (Vs.23b) The man replies with, “I believe; help my unbelief.” (Vs.24) Notice that belief and unbelief are present at the same time. This man is wrestling with doubt. What stands out to me is that Jesus doesn’t condemn the man for his lack of faith. Rather, He provides the evidence the man needs for his belief to win the battle.

In John 20 we read about the resurrected Christ appearing to His disciples. Thomas was missing from that event and refused to believe their eyewitness account, “unless I see and put my finger into the nail prints in His hands, and my hand in His side.” (Vs.25, paraphrased) Did Jesus rebuke “Doubting Thomas”? No! He met him in his doubt and provided the opportunity for Thomas to touch and believe. (Vs.27-28)

Using the example of John-The-Baptist, bible teacher, Allen Parr, gives us five recommendations for those times when our situation raises doubts that stretch our understanding and challenge our faith.

1. Never base your beliefs on your circumstances.

2. Turn toward God, rather than away from Him.

3. Pay attention to the evidence.

4. Don’t condemn yourself for doubting.

5. Accept the fact that not all your questions will be answered.

We know that John was imprisoned for making Herod mad for calling him out over sleeping with his sister-in-law. It’s in this place where John begins to think deeply about things and battle the doubts that attack. (Insert recommendation #1.) He sends two disciples to ask Jesus, “Are You the Coming One, or do we look for another?” (Mtt.11:3) (Insert recommendation #2.) Did Jesus respond with, “John, you know better. You heard my Father’s voice when you baptized Me; you know who I am.”? No! Instead he points John to the evidence. (Mtt.11:4-5) (Insert recommendation #3) And rather than condemning John for his doubts, Jesus says of him, “… of those born among women, there has not risen one greater than John-The-Baptist.” (Mtt.11:11a) (Insert recommendation #4)

Were all of John’s questions answered before he was killed? (Insert recommendation #5.) I’m guessing not, but that’s not the point. Our faith doesn’t rest on the removal of all doubt. It rests on whether or not we believe that Jesus is who He says He is, despite our doubts.

EMBRACE THE JOURNEY

Deut.29:29 indicates that there are “secret things that belong to the Lord.” We are going to have unanswered questions - even doubts - that coexist with our faith. Don’t be alarmed by that. God is big enough to handle our questioning Him. In fact, He invites us to embark on a mission to seek and find, search and know, knock and open.

“I will be found by you, says the Lord, and I will bring you back from your captivity; I will gather you from all the places where I have driven you…” (Jer.29:14)

If the tremors of doubt have torn down your castle walls through catastrophic or other means, put on your armor and embrace the journey that God has assigned to strengthen your faith. I promise, you won't regret it.

GloryUsGate.blogspot.com

She Laughs

(by Lorie Codispoti)

We seem to be facing an endless barrage of frightening uncertainties, and everyone I know is concerned about something.

What thoughts come to mind when you ponder the future? Wanna know how the Proverbs 31 woman handles her thoughts about tomorrow?

She laughs!

Huh? She laughs? How can someone look ahead, especially in these times, and laugh? That response seems callous and feels inappropriate.

Obviously, there’s something much deeper going on here, so let’s ask some questions of the text and dig for the answers.

WHAT KIND OF WOMAN IS THIS?

By way of cultural context, the women of that day didn’t have much going for them. They were considered a curse, and the source of all evil due to Eve’s sin. They were subordinate to men and viewed as property, with their value linked solely to their ability to produce male children. Therefore, they were not educated and had no rights. Even the writings of their day were derogatory and degrading, subjugating women on every level.

This is P31’s world, but when we read through the text (Proverbs 31:10-31) we find a counter-cultural woman. And she’s not the only one going against the flow. Her husband verbally praises her to all the important people. And her son, King Lemuel, values her wisdom so much that he puts it in writing.

Among other things, we read that P31 is strong (physically, emotionally, and spiritually). She doesn’t shy away from hardship or run from her circumstances.

In many of our Bible translations, we read that she is “virtuous,” with the emphasis being on her moral character, but the Hebrew word communicates something much deeper. The word is actually “valor” - a term referencing her civic life, evidenced by the actions we read in the passage. One writer describes her valor as “brave, persistent, audacious, resourceful, and ready for anything.”

This word, “valor,” gives P31 a persona of a victorious warrior, which fits with her husband’s trust in her as she returns home with the spoils of her warfare (vs.2) - giving her a “worth far above rubies.” (Vs.1)

(Read that again.)

THIS is who the P31 woman is, people. She is a kick-butt warrior, “clothed in strength and honor.” (vs.25) She resides in the King’s palace, but she doesn’t hide there. Under His authority, she’s daring enough to venture out and risk countering her culture.

WHAT KIND OF LAUGHTER IS THIS?

When we understand who P31 is, we begin to see how she can “laugh” at the future.

“Strength and honor are her clothing; she shall rejoice in time to come.” (Prov.31:25)

The Hebrew word for “rejoice” in this verse is “laugh.” Make no mistake, however, this isn’t the same kind of laughter exhibited when your toddler says or does something cute. Quite the contrary, this is a mocking type of laughter - the kind that derides out of contempt. This laughter scorns its subject, making a mockery of him. It’s the same Hebrew word we read about in Psalm 37, where it talks about God laughing at the wicked who plot against the just, “for He sees that his day is coming.” (vs.13) We also see it in Psalm 2, where the nations and kings of the Earth foolishly plot against the Lord and his Anointed… “He who sits in the heavens shall laugh; the Lord shall hold them in derision.” (vs.4)

WHERE DO WE GO FROM HERE?

The P31 woman laughs because her fear of the Lord (Prov.31:30) is greater than any calamity. She laughs because, “She is not afraid of the snow for her household, for all her household are clothed with scarlet.” (Vs.21) The harsh realities of a cold, dark winter may visit us, but for those wrapped in the covering of the King’s shed blood, there is a day of rejoicing on the horizon, a day no winter can destroy.

Don’t allow the enemy to cripple you with debilitating fear during these uncertain times. We've read the book and know how the story ends. So P31 up, ladies! Fear (respect, honor, revere) the Lord, gird yourself with strength (Prov.31:17), and go out into the unknown, trusting the future to a known God.

Let’s join the cacophony that laughs at the King's enemy. For "his day (of destruction) is coming" and our forever with the King of glory is nearer than we think.

GloryUsGate.blogspot.com

Feed The Right Wolf

(by Lorie Codispoti)

“There are two wolves at war within me.” said the grandfather to his young grandson.

He went on to explain that one wolf is good (reflecting truth and love), and the other is bad (reflecting lies and hate).

His grandson asked, “Which wolf wins the war, Grandfather?”

“The one that I feed.” replied the wise old man.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Christians, we’re at war!

The Apostle Paul explains that “The flesh desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the flesh. They are in conflict with each other, so that you do not do what you want.” (Gal 5:17)

Fighting the good fight involves many things, but two tactics we must employ include:

1) Resistance. It’s critical for each of us to realize that we have a propensity for developing a taste for war - a propensity we must resist. (The bad wolf craves the blood of its prey.)

2) Feed. At the same time, we need to cultivate and feed our guts for engagement. (The taste buds of the good wolf are being transformed, reordering our cravings.)

RESIST

Ancient Roman history records the story of one its greatest gladiators, a young Jewish Syrian, named Flamma. After being captured and enslaved, his fighting skills were noticed and he was trained as a gladiator. Although the lifespan of an average gladiator was four battles, Flamma won over 20. Four times he earned his freedom, yet he turned down each offer. Why? For one, he had developed such a taste for the sport and a love for the enormous cheering crowds his fame attracted, that he preferred slavery over freedom.

Like Flamma, if we fail to recognize that we can be drawn to the wrong table, we may fall into the same trap and exchange our freedom for bondage.

A modern day example of this is our online presence. I continue to see people who start out with the right motives in their posts and comments - standing up for what’s right and trying to be a voice of reason in a sea of lies and deceit - but then they become so intrenched in the discussion/debate that they forget who the real enemy is. Their posts and comments begin to take on a demeaning tone, as they target their opponent with word bullets wrapped in quick wit and sarcastic humor. Fueled by the attention, they begin picking and engaging in all kinds of fights. They go from someone with a legitimate concern and influential voice to someone consumed by a ravenous desire to draw blood.

What happened? They fed the wrong wolf.

FEED

In the world of wellness a healthy gut is critical for fighting disease.

Right now I’m trying really hard to like green tea. It’s part of the protocol for strengthening my gut. I like most things, but this stuff tastes like grass. Developing a taste for what’s good for you can be difficult, so one has to be proactive in order for the good wolf to thrive.

So, how does one starve the bad wolf into dormancy, while simultaneously cultivating and feeding the good one to action?

FIVE STRATEGIES

~ PICK your fights carefully. Know when to walk away and when to engage. If you find yourself tired, angry, or discouraged, walk away.

Sanballat attempted to lure Nehemiah away from his mission, but Nehemiah was on to his tricks and refused to take the bait (Neh.6). In a world of Sanballats, be a Nehemiah.

~ PETITION God for His wisdom. James 3:17 tells us that God’s wisdom is “first pure, then peaceable, gentle, willing to yield, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality and without hypocrisy.” Col.4:5-6 tells us to “Conduct yourselves with wisdom towards outsiders…” By implementing this strategy, we invoke the help of the Holy Spirit, who feeds us with the ability to starve out ravenous canines.

~ PREVENT your emotions from taking over. We are instructed to set a guard over our hearts (Prov.4:23), and to be slow, not quick ,to speak (Jms.1:19). The ability to control our impulses is a discipline that any soldier worth his salt will put into play, no matter how heated the battle becomes.

Sometimes we need the strength of the pack (other believers) to help us with this. I remember the day I was about to go off on an instructor who was belittling my son in front of the whole class. My friend literally grabbed my arm and stopped me from shredding him. She saved all of us.

~ PREPARE by doing your homework. If the issue is worth engaging then it’s worth your investment of time. You are not called to be a lone ranger, so understand that part of your preparation involves seeking and gleaning from those who can arm you with both the knowledge and the experience needed for your engagement.

~ PRAY for those who oppose you. They are not your real enemy, and your goal is not to draw blood. Your goal is to be a conduit for infusion. Paul Washer said, “If I cannot speak to men about God, I will speak to God about men.” The battle is not over simply because your opponent gets ugly and shuts the door in your face. All that does is change the battlefield as we contend for them on our knees.

Bad wolf. Good wolf. Which one are you feeding?

GloryUsGate.blogspot.com