“Do not be deceived, my beloved brothers. Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change.” (James 1:16-17)

There is a pretty widespread belief out there that Christians can’t and don’t have any fun. The typical picture of Christians is a group of people who live lives of do nots and go through each and every day like they are sucking on lemons.

But that perception is wrong and if there are Christians who live that way, they would be hard pressed to find Biblical evidence that justifies their lack of enjoyment. There is nothing in the Bible that suggests that God does not want us to enjoy our lives. If we read the Bible objectively, thoroughly, consistently, that is not the picture we will get. Jesus did not say “follow me and I will make you miserable, you will hate getting up in the morning, you will never laugh or have fun, and your entire existence will be being unhappy and I want you to make sure that those who know you are unhappy as well.”  I am pretty sure that is not what the Bible says and it is frustrating to see it interpreted that way. To put all the verses together in one verse, God actually tells that He will “give us life and give it to us more abundantly.”  That sounds like fun to me.

Look at our verse for today in James, it doesn’t say that God

is trying to keep us from good things. He is actually the source of all good things. According to the dictionary, fun is “a source of enjoyment, amusement, or pleasure.”  There is a misnomer out there about what fun is.

There is the idea that fun is a static thing that remains the same throughout our life.  But our view of what is enjoyable changes as we change regardless whether we are Christians or not. Take the partying college student who sees fun as getting blasted, throwing water balloons off the dorm roof, while mooning passers-by. He may not think that is as fun when he is thirty years old with his own business and is raising two children.  Does that mean he doesn’t have fun anymore?  It means that the definition of fun for him has changed.

People try to paint a singular picture of fun that often includes activities that they think Christians wouldn’t be involved in, so thus, Christians don’t have fun. The opposite is actually true.  God created friendship and smiling and laughter.  Why would he not want us to enjoy them? People like people who seem to enjoy themselves, so does God want us to be people that no one wants to be around? Holiday Inn, when looking for 500 people to fill positions for a new facility, interviewed 5,000 candidates. The interviewers automatically excluded all candidates who smiled fewer than four times during the interview. If Holiday Inn wants to see smiling people, why wouldn’t God want that!

When we become Christians we change and our viewpoint of enjoyment, amusement, and pleasure will change. We no longer have to accept the world’s definition of fun.  For the first time, we can have real enjoyment in our lives, the way it was created to be experienced. Recently a big time celebrity excused his very public affair by saying God wanted him to be happy. This man purports to be a Christian so has brought God in as a co-conspirator in the affair. Our fun does not need to be outside God’s perimeters.  There is plenty of fun to be had within God’s framework.  God never wants to steal our fun, He wants us to experience the real thing, not the vaporous fun the world often supplies.  When we become Christians, we won’t stay the same. Like the middle-aged man who is living his life to the fullest and looks back on his escapades of the past and just shakes his head, we will often do that when we start truly living the Christian life.

David tells us, “You make known to me the path of life; in your presence there is fullness of joy; at your right hand are pleasures forever more.” (Psalm 16:11)  That sounds like fun to me.  Pleasures forever more doesn’t sound like a life full of lemon-sucking and blah, blah, blah every day.

I have never been accused by anyone of never having fun, but I have been accused of not having their kind of fun. That is a different thing. When we let others define what our happiness, enjoyment, and satisfaction should look like, we are letting them define us as people. Six weeks before he died, a reporter asked Elvis Presley, “Elvis, when you first started playing music, you said you wanted to be rich, famous and happy. Are you happy?”

He replied with a line from one of his songs, “I’m so lonely I could die.”   He had lived the good life, according to the world.  He should have been happy, yet he was not. People look for happiness, when they should be looking for contentment. They look for fun in sin rather than fun in holiness. I know a lot of Christians and a lot of them have a lot of fun. They do cool activities, they goof around, they tell great jokes, and they enjoy life. Are there activities that would be hard to justify as Christians? Are there endeavors that we probably can’t tweak to fit the Christian life?  Sure, but if our idea of fun is snorting cocaine or running around with the neighbors wife, our definition of fun needs to be reexamined.

Many do not know what constitutes happiness but are killing themselves to reach it.  If our goal is happiness, we will never reach it.  But if our goal is to “strive first for the kingdom of God, then all things (happiness and fun included) will be added… unto us.”  A minnow flopping on a flat rock cannot be happy because it is outside where it should be.  We cannot be happy flopping around on the flat rock of this world when we should be in the deep waters of God’s love.  Fun is being free to be who we can be, not in the eyes of the world, but in the eyes of God. Believe me, if we think our cup is full but it is of the world’s happiness, satan will surely jog our elbow.  If our cup is full of God’s contentment, He will steady us and we won’t spill a drop.

“And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are called according to his purpose.”  Romans 8:28

There are many questions that Christians face, but I suppose one of the hardest questions to answer is: “Why do we have to deal with so much adversity?” Ironically, the other morning when I was walking  Cody and listening to Mere Christianity by C.S. Lewis he related a dog walking analogy that gave a pretty good answer. Lewis likened God’s use of adversity to walking a dog. If the dog gets its leash wrapped around a pole and tries to continue running forward, he will only tighten the leash more. Both the dog and the owner are after the same end: going forward. But the owner must resist the dog by pulling him opposite of the direction that he wants to go. The master, sharing the same intention, but understanding better than the dog where he really wants to go, takes an action precisely opposite to that of the dog’s will. It is in this way that God uses adversity!

We really don’t like being pulled and corrected by the Lord — but when we understand there’s a greater purpose involved, then we can pass through adversity with hope, expectation, and steadfastness, knowing these events are for a greater good! Unlike the dog, who often has no understanding of this pulling and tugging, we can learn from our trials and tribulations and not fight God so much as he tries to direct us for our own good. “Enduring trials faithfully will

produce perseverance, character, and hope. And hope will not disappoint us for the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Spirit.”  Romans 5:4-5 We truly can trust in the God who loves us with an everlasting love because He knows the direction we need to go, AND He knows exactly how to get us there.

If we are struggling with our difficulties it is good for us to remember that these same difficulties can strengthen us . We are in a battle against the enemy and God prepares us for bigger and bigger battles through His protection and His training. The Lord’s weapons are spiritual; they include a knowledge of the scriptures, the power of the Holy Spirit which increases with a devoted prayer life, the courage which comes only with deep trust, and His wisdom which reveals His strategy for our present situation. We will never grow short of these weapons unless we fail to avail ourselves to them.

In the 1940’s, the world fought against the greatest evil it had ever seen, Adolf Hitler and his terrible regime. In the midst of this war, Winston Churchill said, “We shall not flag or fail. We shall go on to the end. We shall fight in France, we shall fight on the seas and oceans, we shall fight with growing confidence and growing strength in the air, we shall defend our island, whatever the cost may be, we shall fight in the fields and in the streets, we shall fight in the hills; we shall never surrender.” U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt said, “The only thing we have to fear — is fear itself!”

Even though those are well-known quotes, probably the most famous quote of the war was just one word, “Nuts.” Gen. Anthony Clement McAuliffe and the American troops had been holding the Belgian town of Bastogne “at all costs,” and on Dec. 22, Gen. McAuliffe received the encouraging news that the 4th Armored Division was beginning its drive north to relieve the 101st. They just needed to hang on a few more days. Later that morning, they saw four Germans coming up the road carrying a white flag. Everyone hoped they were offering surrender, but instead they presented two pages demanding the Americans’ surrender: “To the USA Commander of the encircled town of Bastogne…There is only one possibility…the honorable surrender of the encircled town.”

McAuliffe glanced at the message and said, “Aw, nuts!” When trying to decide how to respond, the consensus of the officers was to send back McAuliffe’s first response. Everyone laughed as a sergeant typed up the succinct response: “To the German Commander: ‘Nuts!’ The American Commander.”  Between this stoic reply, Patton’s troops from the south, and a change in the weather that allowed air reinforcements, the 101st was able to hold Bastogne for the needed time. These actions helped assure the final defeat of the Germans.

McAuliffe’s response became a lasting symbol of American courage and determination under fire. His response was basically a one word answer that meant “We will not surrender at any cost and you can go hang yourself.” We are constantly getting surrender demands from the enemy. Satan and the world try to goad us into giving up. They promise that survival will be the result and if we don’t surrender we face annihilation. But surrendering is not an option. We have reinforcements poised and in position. We have a commander who sees our situation. If we just remain strong, He will relieve us. When we feel wrapped around a pole or trapped within our soul, God has not abandoned us. We can stand firm and send the message back to the enemy, “Nuts.” Let’s recognize that in truth victory is already ours because ”Greater is He that is in us, than he that is in the world!” We will be stronger than we were before because we will have tapped into the power of God and used it to defeat the enemy. Keep battling- We win- I have read the Book. 

I remember watching an interesting show a few years back and it stuck with me. Bear Grylls is a well-known outdoors adventurer and had his own show. Bear would take out a celebrity guest each week and they would spend two days in some remote area, facing the elements, experiencing some wild challenges, and living off the land.  They actually faced some pretty dangerous situations, as well.

I was amazed at the similarity between each of the guests from one week to the next.  All of them  had very good careers and the money and fame that so many seem to wish for.  But each one talked about how unfulfilling that life was by itself.  I don’t know what it is about the outdoors, especially when there are stressful situations involved, but people seem to open up a little more about their lives.  I remember especially the episode with Deion Sanders, the speedy, flashy, brash all-pro super-bowl winning football player of the Dallas Cowboys. He talked about sitting in the motel room after winning the Super Bowl and wondering why there was still an emptiness. He went on to say that he had to turn his life over to The Lord because there was nothing that the world could offer that would fill that void within him.

The apostle Paul told Timothy that life need cannot be met by anything the world has to offer. That has been proven out time and time again by thousands upon thousands of people who seemingly have it all, but still need something more. The verse below is a talking about money, but by extension, it could be talking about fame and power. They all come from the same shaker.

“But those who want to get rich (famous, powerful) fall into temptation and a snare and many foolish and harmful desires which plunge men into ruin and destruction. For the love of money (fame, power) is a root of all sorts of evil, and some by longing for it have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs.”  1 Timothy 6:9-10

All people search for fulfillment in their lives.  Unfortunately, even some who know Christ still look for the things of the world for that fulfillment. Christ can give our lives meaning like nothing else can.  That relationship is the only thing that can fill that void that we are born with. Jobs, relationships, hobbies, family are all important, but they are not shaped like the hole that lies within all of us and are never meant to fill it.

When we consider the incredible efforts we make to find fulfillment, there seems to be a common thread of error that frustrates the search.  Our desires hinge on self.  We want fulfillment in ourselves and for ourselves. But according to God’s Word true fulfillment can only take place if we desire to seek God’s will in our lives. Matthew tells us, “But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you. (Matthew 6:33) When we attempt to serve self rather than God an irreconcilable conflict sets in because God has a purpose for all of us and we will never find fulfillment when we choose desires that are outside of His purpose. No matter how much we have; no matter how much we do; no matter how much we know; if we live for self satisfaction, we will never be satisfied.  If we live for God then we are not battling against Him, but are empowered by Him.

Every few months I pull out a favorite poem of mine just as a reminder of God’s grace. It is by an unknown confederate soldier.  It epitomizes a life that has the fulfillment we all seek.  The life that is not all smooth, but has meaning.  The life we all want even though we may not know that is what we want.

I asked God for strength, that I might achieve. I was made weak, that I might learn humbly to obey.

I asked for health, that I might do greater things. I was given infirmity, that I might do better things.

I asked for riches, that I might be happy. I was given poverty, that I might be wise.

I asked for power that I might have the praise of men.  I was given weakness, that I might feel the need of God.

I asked for all things, that I might enjoy life.  I was given life, that I might enjoy all things.

I got nothing that I asked for but got everything I had I hoped for.

Almost despite myself, my unspoken prayers were answered.

I am, among all people, most richly blessed.

A life with Christ should not be sullied by trying to make it meaningful with meaningless endeavors.  Our lives can be meaningful beyond measure if we let God have His way in our lives. 

Then and only then, will we see why we are here, what we can do, and how wonderful life can be.  …and that’s the truth.

“May you be strengthened with all power, according to his glorious might, for all endurance and patience with joy, giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in light.”  Colossians 1:11-12

When I played football for the Pacific University Boxers back in the old days there was a campus tradition called the Boxer Rebellion.  There was a small metal replica of a dog that would appear someplace on campus and everyone would fight to try and get it to their fraternity, dorm, club, or team.  It was like a giant melee and there was no telling when it would happen.  The group that had it would figure out some ingenious way of making it appear and a battle would immediately ensue.  Once, the boxer appeared while I was crossing campus, and I actually got to run a few steps with it before I was crushed under a host of other students. My football coach, who was watching the proceedings, started yelling and pulled everyone off.  (He had told the team that we could never be in a boxer rebellion). He took the dog from me andtossed it to someone else who was immediately chased down and disappeared in a pile of arms and legs.   This was the last time a boxer rebellion took place at Pacific University.  It was the volatile 60’s-70’s era and the boxer that was taken that day in 1969 was never seen again until two years ago when the culprits returned it to its home on campus.

Our boxer rebellion was an aggressive but fun event on a college campus. But there was an historic boxer rebellion in 1900 China that was very violent and very cruel.  In that year insurgents captured a mission station, blocked all the gates but one, and in front of that one gate placed a cross flat on the ground. Then the word was passed to those inside that any who trampled the cross underfoot would be permitted their freedom and life, but that any refusing would be shot. Terribly frightened, the first seven students trampled the cross under their feet and were allowed to go free. But the eighth student, a young girl, refused to commit what she saw as an act of denying Christ.  Kneeling beside the cross in prayer for strength, she arose and moved carefully around the cross, and went out to face the firing squad. Strengthened by her example, every one of the remaining ninety-two students followed her to the firing squad.

We will probably never be asked to face a firing squad, but every day we must face series of decisions regarding our relationship with the Lord.  Everyday there seems to be a story in the news about how believers are expected to go against their convictions about homosexuality, abortion, prayer, even Christ Himself.  As we get closer to Christ’s return, our challenges will grow more and more difficult.  In our country we are almost isolated from the rest of the world in the area of persecution, but it could come some day.  Voices of Martyrs tracks the world-wide attack on Christianity and we are in a bubble here in the US compared to the rest of the world. It makes a person wonder how the softened Christians in America today would react in the face of true persecution.  In Romans Paul tells us to “Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer.” (Romans 12:12)  The people in the countries around us are probably stronger than we are because tribulation strengthens us and prepares us for greater trials, and we don’t go to the spiritual gym as much as the rest of the world.

A while back I came across an poem by an unknown author.  I think it catches some of the truth about our tribulations.

“Lord, I’ve never moved a mountain and I guess I never will. All the faith that I can muster wouldn’t move the smallest hill.

Yet, I’ll tell you, Lord, I’m grateful for the joy of knowing Thee, and for all the mountain moving through the years You’ve done for me.

When I needed help you lifted me from the depths of great despair. And when burdens, pain and sorrow have been more than I can bear,

You have always been my courage to restore life’s troubled sea, and to move these little mountains that have looked so big to me.

“Many times when I’ve had problems and when bills I’ve had to pay, and the worries and the heartaches just kept mounting every day,

Lord, I don’t know how you did it. Can’t explain the wheres or whys, but I know I’ve seen these mountains turn to blessings in disguise.

“No, I’ve never moved a mountain, for my faith is far too small. Yet, I thank you, Lord of Heaven, you have always heard my call.

And as long as there are mountains in my life, I’ll have no fear, for the mountain-moving Jesus is my strength and always near.”

The Bible is full of mountain-moving promises from God.  We just need to rely on Him and realize that after every storm, the sun will return.  How we act during difficulties shows what is inside of us. If we fill a sponge with water and press down on it the water comes out.  If we are filled with Christ and are put under pressure, He should appear.

“We put no obstacle in anyone’s way, so that no fault may be found with our ministry, but as servants of God we commend ourselves in every way: by great endurance, in afflictions hardships, calamities, beatings, imprisonments, riots, labors, sleepless nights, hunger; by purity, knowledge, patience, kindness, the Holy Spirit, genuine love; by truthful speech, and the power of God; with the weapons of righteousness for the right hand and for the left; through honor and dishonor, through slander and praise. We are treated as impostors, and yet are true; as unknown, and yet well known; as dying, and behold, we live; as punished, and yet not killed; as sorrowful, yet always rejoicing; as poor, yet making many rich; as having nothing, yet possessing everything.” 2 Corinthians 6:3-10

As we face our daily difficulties, we need to lean upon Jesus.  Shortly after missionary Joe Scriven’s fiancé died in a terrible accident, he penned these words: “What a friend we have in Jesus, all our sins and griefs to bear! What a privilege to carry everything to God in prayer! Have we trials and temptations? Is there trouble anywhere? We should never be discouraged. Take it to the Lord in prayer.”  Joe was on his way to healing.  We can be, as well.  We tend to be a stiff-necked people.  Just as the blacksmith heats the shoe to make it more malleable, sometimes we need to be heated so that God can shape us.  Let’s let Him do His work.

“For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears.”  II Timothy 4:3

“Did not your hearts burn within us while he talked with us by the way and while he opened to us the scriptures?”  Luke 24:32

These two verses stand juxtapose to each other in describing where we are today
compared to where we should be.   Many sit in pulpits wishing to be entertained by popular preachers whose sermons are a mile wide and an inch deep.  Many endure false doctrine because they do not know true doctrine.  Even the few that might recognize sound doctrine struggle with its application and flit from church to church, preacher to preacher, and denomination to denomination.  We substitute entertainment for edification and showmanship for sower-manship.  We accept anything and  ignore many things.  Rather than discerning evangelicals we have become undiscriminating evan-gullibles.  It is a day of itching ears.

When the two strangers are walking along the road to Emmaus and they are joined by the resurrected Jesus who they did not recognize, He spoke to their hearts.  Though their eyes were not opened until the end of their conversation, His words were strong and powerful and meaningful.  After they recognized Him and He took leave from their presence, they spoke of the way His words affected them.   They did not want Him to leave.  They ran to others to share the good news.  Their hearts burned within them.  They did not listen with itching ears to be told shallow truths, but desired to know the true depth of Christ.  Once we have concluded to hear the truths of God Word, we will not settle for fluff.  Our hearts will burn for more truth, for more scripture, for more knowledge.  We need an outbreak of holy heartburn, that moves us from hearers to doers.  We need hearts that wish to be touched rather than ears that wish to be scratched.  God needs to move us from itching-ear lemmings to burning-heart leaders!”

Over 1900 years ago Paul warned Timothy that, “the time will come when men will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear” (2 Tim. 4:3). We have things being preached in well-known churches, by well-known figures that skewer well-known verses.  They are able to lead us astray because we don’t question what they say.  In Israel the people cried out to the prophets, “See no more visions! Give us no more visions of what is right! Tell us pleasant things, prophesy illusions. Leave this way, get off this path, and stop confronting us with the Holy One of Israel!” (Isa. 30:10-11)  The people did not want to know the truth.  As was said in a famous movie, they “could not handle the truth.”  So instead of hearing it, accepting it, and using it, they ask the prophets to quit saying it.  Tickle our ears they cried, just like many do today.

Today many who attend church say, “We’ve heard enough of this judgment message,” (but the judgment is now at the door). They cry out, “We’re tired of hearing so much preaching on repentance,” (but too many have not truly repented).  They shake their heads and say,  “We’ve had it with all this talk about holiness,” (but the holy God is the only one who can change an unholy world).  So pastors listen to their cries for pabulum.  Those in leadership soften their words to fill the seats.  They preach. a compromising gospel instead of the promising one.  They don’t talk about the “one way” to God, but the multitudinal pathways that all lead to the same place. They ignore truth because it is too narrow and spread lies because they are less offensive- and offensive doesn’t fill the pews.

We might think that this cannot happen.  People are too wizened to these things.  They cannot be fooled by pulpit puppeteers.  But remember, it was the people of Israel — not Babylon, not Assyria, not Canaan, not Egypt — but God’s own chosen nation that “made the Nazirites drink wine and commanded the prophets not to prophesy” (Amos 2:12). They told those who were set apart as holy to the Lord to lower their standards, to quit being extremists, and to to soften their tone.  We don’t want to take all of this too far.  We don’t want to be seen as extremists accepting the Bible for what is says about sin and repentance and salvation.

There is a great little illustration of today’s church in 1 Kings 22. King  Ahab of Israel was trying to convince King Jehoshaphat of Judah to join him in battle against  Ramoth  Gilead in Syria. All of   Ahab’s “prophets” were yes-men who said what he wanted to hear rather than tell the truth. They told him to go and make war against Ramoth Gilead, “for the Lord will give it into the king’s hand” (1 Kings 22:6).  King Jehoshaphat was cautious, however, and asked if all the prophets had been consulted.  Ahab said,  “There is still one man through whom we can inquire of the Lord, but I hate him because he never prophesies anything good about me, but always bad. He is Micaiah son of Imlah’” (1 Kin. 22:6-7).  The king’s messenger went to Micaiah and told him to agree with the other prophets because the king would like it.  Instead, Micaiah told the truth and was thrown into prison.   Ahab went into battle (the battle he was not supposed to enter) and his army was routed and he was killed.  We can tell preachers to say what we want them to say, but changing God’s Word does not change the consequences of disobeying it.

A newsboy was standing on the corner with a stack of papers, yelling: “See it here first. Fifty people swindled! Fifty people swindled!” Curious, a man walked over, bought a paper, and checked the front page. Finding nothing, the man said: “There’s nothing in here about 50 people being swindled.”  The newsboy ignored him and went on, calling out: “See it here first. Fifty-one people swindled!”  A funny story, but unfortunately we can be fooled, as well.  We need to be cautious or we will easily become swindled by fake messages from false churches.

How do we keep from being deceived?  By knowing God’s word and not being fooled by charlatans in the churches.  Right now, if someone slips heaven in to the title of a book or makes a movie that talks about God in it, we flock to the bookstores or movie theaters and accept things that are theological train wrecks. We must not be deceived about that which we have received.  Pastors should  not be cooks trying to cook food that just tastes good, but food that really is good.  The Word needs to be nourishing.  Man does not live by chocolate alone (see, a twisting of scripture to fit my point!)

If we are man-pleasers we will surely be God-insulters.  We need to listen to those who bring challenging, convicting, life-changing messages on the word of God rather than wimpy mouthpieces for the devils deceptions.  Check out what is said in the pulpit with what is said in the Word.   Joel Osteen, a popular “preacher,” has a big grin that hides a deceptive message.  Just because someone is popular does not make him right.  Be aware.  Be careful.  The way to heaven is narrow.  If the way that is painted is too broad, it is probably not headed for heaven.