All things are possible to him who believes; still more to him who hopes; still more to him who loves; and most of all to him who practices all three. All  of us who believe as we should and are baptized have taken the first step toward perfection. We will attain perfection if we practice the following principles of Christian conduct.

First of all, we need to be considerate of God in everything we do and say. Our goal should be to become perfect in our adoration of Him throughout this earthly life in preparation for all eternity. We must make a firm resolution to overcome, with God's grace, all the difficulties encountered in a spiritual life.

From the outset of our Christian walk, we should remember who we are and that we are unworthy of the name of Christian, except for what Christ has done for us. In cleansing us from all our impurities, God desires to humble us and often allows us to go through a number of trials or difficulties to that end.

We must believe with certainty that it is both pleasing to God and good for us to sacrifice ourselves for Him. Without this complete submission of our hearts and minds to His will, He cannot work in us to make us perfect.

The more we aspire to be perfect, the more dependent we are on the grace of God. We begin to need His help with every little thing and at every moment, becasue without it we can do nothing. The world, the flesh, and the devil wage a fierce and continuous war on our souls. If we weren't capable of humbly depending on God for assistance, our souls would be dragged down. Although this total dependence may sometimes go against our human nature, God takes great pleasure in it. Learning to do so will bring us rest.

- from The Practice Of The Presence Of God, by Brother Lawrence (c. 1614-1691 AD)

The track continues repeat: a successful male public figure is publicly accused of sexual misconduct by a woman whom he encountered in years past, he is fired, he is publicly shamed by various media outlets, and his entertainment or political career is immediately declared dead. (Comedian Aziz Ansari is this week’s iteration of all this.) Then that’s it. And we move on to wait for the next spin of the same cycle.

But has anybody noticed the gaping hole in that narrative? Why is no one talking about the truth?

As a society, we should all be screaming for the truth in all these cases. Which party is telling it? And what IS the truth in each of these instances of accusation?

Instead, humanists and many believers cry in chorus: “Witch! Burn her!” (Or, in these cases, him.) This is, of course, not the first time this sort of thing has happened in our nation's history (note just the first line of this article). Which—far from being an excuse for the current behavior—makes the current matters far more shameful because we have not learned our own fatal pattern. Thankfully, these men haven’t suffered the violence done in a literal witch hunt, but the story continues with almost no mention by anyone of the need to investigate or validate what’s been purported.

I’m not saying any of this to defend either side of the story. My suspicion is that investigations and genuine pursuit of the truth would show the women’s accusations were well founded in the vast majority of these cases. But the reality is that no one party should be able to wield the power of accusation, judgment, and sentencing without thorough attempts to ascertain evidence and a reasonable verdict.

The Lord’s kingdom rule includes a demand for investigation of THE TRUTH in any criminal prosecution. The Law of Moses commanded, "Only on the evidence of two witnesses or of three witnesses shall a charge be established" (Deut. 19:15—pay special notice to the whole context). And the wise man says, “If one gives an answer before he hears, it is his folly and shame" (Proverbs 18:13). We should all—especially Christians—be calmly and yet adamantly demanding that the truth be known, regardless of who it favors and who it convicts. We can’t be so fickle as to just parrot the mob’s demands.

And let me offer a humble yet serious word of warning to my fellow ministers who may read this: don’t choose a side to validate or invalidate unless you are certain you know the truth. Until then, continue to preach everything the Bible says. Firmly remind everyone of the biblical truth that men must respect women. AND preach the biblical injunctions against bearing false witness. AND preach the biblical wisdom of getting the full story in any conflict situation. AND preach the Biblical realities of repentance, mercy, forgiveness, and renewal.

This song wasn’t a pleasant one in the first place; let’s be sure we really know what we’re doing before we let the track repeat again.

- Dan Lankford, minister

The God of the Bible is the God who sends. He sent Abraham across the East with the imperative, “You will be a blessing.” (Gen. 12:2) He sent Elijah, Jeremiah, Haggai and many more prophets to carry “the word of the LORD” to many nations. And he sent the apostles across the known world of the time with the commission that “you will be my witnesses… to the end of the earth.” (Acts 1:8)

There are two important lessons to learn from this.

Firstly, that missionary work matters a great deal to God. Church planting, overseas missionary trips, long-term missionary work in foreign cultures, helping brothers & sisters whose basic life needs go unmet… All of these are activities which matter to the God who sends. It was God’s own voice that breathed out request after request for prayer on Paul’s behalf as he stepped into the mission field day after day. He sent visions to his saints in the first century to say “Come over and help us” (Acts 16:9). God has a plan for missional work, and his faithful ones must always be aware of it.

Secondly, all of this demonstrates the great depth of God’s love for the lost. He does not close his eyes to the condemned state of many thousands as though they were unimportant to him. For thousands of years, he has made the initial effort to reach us and save us. And he continues to do the same today. That is why we must teach the lost here in Louisville: we are the ones he has sent to “teach the Gospel to every creature.” And that is why we support those who preach in places where Christianity is sparse or altogether unknown. This is not just our idea of a good deed; it is from the mind of God. So we are grateful for the opportunity to “enter into partnership with [faithful missionaries] in giving and receiving” (Phil. 4:15).

Churches of all types experience a spike in attendance around the beginning of the year. It seems that many people who have even a generic awareness of the need to make some life improvement naturally associate attendance at religious assemblies with that. And far from being something to ridicule, this is something that all believers should be glad about.

The lasting good of faithfully assembling is demonstrated throughout all of the Bible. God's people were given several times when they would attend the house of God for worship as family units and as a whole congregation. During the time between the testaments, the Jews began weekly assemblies in synagogues—something which Jesus himself made a habit of attending. And after the gift of the Holy Spirit was bestowed on the believers in Acts 2, we frequently see them regularly assembling in the book of Acts and in the letters of those brethren.

All of that points us to the fact that church attendance is always a good idea. I feel that there is an inherent risk that a preacher will sound self-serving when he brings up the necessity of faithful church attendance, but it’s a risk I’ll take for the sake of presenting the truth. Because the truth is that while it is not the sum total of faithfulness to God, worshiping him with a group of his people is one of the defining elements of faithful living.

So I encourage you to constantly make a renewed determination that you will be present and engaged whenever the people of God are gathered. As our website tells to all our potential guests, the services "may not always make you feel better (though they will often do that), but it will always challenge you to be better!"

In a sermon two Sundays back, we made note of the example of Jesus as he spoke to the woman at the well (John 4), and we made a point that in doing evangelism, we will often have to talk about real life. We will have to talk to people about all the facets of their lives where the gospel will have an impact, and that gets personal. But perhaps a warning is in order against one of the potential pitfalls in doing that.

In balancing the idea of helping people surrender the most intimate parts of their lives to Jesus, the Bible warns us not to be nosy. Our commission to talk about real life should not be seen as a license to be gossips and busybodies. The apostle Paul writes a few warnings about these things:

"But refuse to enroll younger widows, for when their passions draw them away from Christ...Besides that, they learn to be idlers, going about from house to house, and not only idlers, but also gossips and busybodies, saying what they should not." (1 Tim. 5:11-13)
"...we hear that some among you walk in idleness, not busy at work, but busybodies. Now such persons we command and encourage in the Lord Jesus Christ to do their work quietly and to earn their own living." (2 Thess. 3:11-12)
"I fear that perhaps when I come I may find you not as I wish, and that you may find me not as you wish—that perhaps there may be quarreling, jealousy, anger, hostility, slander, gossip, conceit, and disorder." (2 Cor. 12:20)

Often, this is an area of life of which we are unaware of our own behavior. Make some time to think carefully about your life, to pray that God will show you where you are weak and where you can grow better in this area. These warnings must be taken seriously. They will help us keep a proper perspective on evangelism and guiding folks thru the turmoils of real life without indulging in mindless gossip.

This past week, USA Today published a report titled, Why Having Kids Isn't Necessarily the Best Idea, According to Science. It said, “Being a parent is supposed to be one of life’s great adventures…. But… According to a slew of new research studies, it turns out there are plenty of reasons not to have kids.” According to the report, children are bad for the environment, they affect a mom’s work life in negative ways, they cause strain on adults’ friendships and marriages, and parents are generally less healthy than adults with no children (research shows that parents get less sleep, less exercise, and less quiet time. That much isn’t shocking, is it?).

The last line of the report says, “But for all the reasons not to have kids, there are always a few reasons that make it all worthwhile,” but it does not say what any of those reasons are. And the implication of the whole thing is that “science” tells us that having and raising children is a bad thing.

First of all, should a society which ridicules the Christian sense of what people ought to do really be telling us whether or not we ought to have and raise children? Does this not entirely violate the stated rules of science—to observe the natural world; not to make moral judgments about that world?

Secondly, Christians cannot buy into this as though it had any merit of truth. Our worldview prevents us from seeing this as a valid conclusion. The Psalmist was not just speaking feel-good niceties when he said, “children are a heritage from the LORD, the fruit of the womb a reward” (Psa. 127:3). He was speaking the truth from God. Children are a blessing to God’s people, and we would do especially well to remember that in the midst of a culture that sets itself against the well-being of children with perverse practices from the murder of the unborn to poisoning children’s minds with concepts like “gender confusion” to sexualized expectations for youthful girls.

All of it reminds Christians that we have a responsibility toward those who are vulnerable—in this case, children. We have a responsibility to welcome the children whom God has given us in our homes, to defend the unborn, to protect children from the devil’s attacks against their bodies and their minds, and to make sacrifices for their well-being.

In this case (and unfortunately many others), the world’s “science” is completely bogus; the conclusions being drawn carelessly. It is a good thing for parents to have and raise children. In fact, it is very good, as it has been from beginning. “God said to them, ‘Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth and subdue it...’ And God saw everything that he had made, and behold, it was very good.” (Gen. 1:28, 31)

- Dan Lankford, minister

This time of year inherently comes with potential pitfalls. Particularly in a season where so many gifts are given, we would do well to heed a couple gentle warnings about spending and debt. Certainly, the Bible never makes black-and-white, do-or-don’t statements about borrowing money, but it does give us some wisdom in regard to credit, creditors, and self-control.

Here are a few things the Bible does and does not say on the subject:

• It does not say it is a sin to borrow money, even at a high interest rate. Sometimes, this is just necessary (medical expenses, job layoffs, etc.).
• It also does not say that this is wise, even if it’s for the sake of giving to others.
• It does not say that God will providentially bail you out if your debt gets too great.
• The Bible does say that it’s wrong to leave our debts unpaid. “The wicked borrow and do not repay” (Psa. 37:21). There may be exceptions, but the rule is that we have a moral obligation to repay to the best of our ability.
• The Bible also warns us against presuming upon the future. James said,   “…you do not know what will happen tomorrow” (Jas. 4:13). That being true, we should be careful in presuming upon tomorrow’s ability to provide enough to pay off today’s debts.
• The Bible also warns us against being controlled by anything, even something that is good in its own right. Paul said, “‘All things are lawful for me,’ but not all things are helpful. ‘All things are lawful for me,’ but I will not be dominated by anything” (1 Cor. 6:12). Think: who is in control when the debt piles up? Are you in control of the money or is the money in control of you?

Again, none of this creates black-and-white rules, but it is wisdom that deserves careful thoughtfulness, especially during the next few weeks.

- adapted for our bulletin from Focus On The Family blog; see original here.

Jesus said, “Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me. I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing. If anyone does not abide in me he is thrown away like a branch and withers; and the branches are gathered, thrown into the fire, and burned. If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. By this my Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit and so prove to be my disciples.” (John 15:4-8)

Jesus’ recurring notion, “abide in me,” can carry an array of meanings. It can convey the importance of memorizing scripture & biblical wisdom—are we allowing our hearts to abide in the teachings of Jesus? It can reflect on the moral quality of our lives—are we making choices that show we are living in Jesus’ example? Jesus himself will go on the context to remind us of the importance of our relationships—are we godly toward another person because that’s what Jesus would do and we live in him?

In John 15, Jesus finishes the whole section about “abiding” in him with this: “These things I have spoken to you that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full.” (John 15:11)  For the Christian, there should be no greater joy than that found in Jesus. Can you imagine a scenario in which a king would invite you to live in his house and be part of his family? People dream of things like that—can you imagine the elation you would feel if it actually happened? The offer is already there for you to abide in with the King of kings; the one who eternally sits on David’s throne. You can abide in him and be partaker of all the joys of knowing him and being known by him.

Do you want that kind of joy? The question is: do you live in Jesus?

- Dan Lankford, minister

Over the past ten days, the news has revealed allegations of sexual misconduct against TV stars, stand-up comedians, Hollywood producers, and politicians. One of my friends recently suggested redesignating Twitter to "Where To Find Out Who Is Being Accused Of Sexual Misconduct Today" because it's all that people are talking about on there. It's a mess. So here are a couple of randomly-ordered reminders about how the Christian worldview makes sense of all of it:

First, we should be reminded not to be too hasty in believing either the initial accusations or the initial denials in these situations. Solomon said, "The one who states his case first seems right, until the other comes and examines him" (Prov. 18:17). We should exercise patience and wisdom to wait until the truth is known. Hasty judgments on matters which simply cannot be accurately known does not reveal godly wisdom.

Secondly, if a believer is accused of gross immorality while he is innocent, he should say that he is innocent. There is a difference between Jesus' being accused of blasphemy because of the controversial words which he spoke and a man being accused of gross sexually immoral behavior. Sometimes, the world will see behavior that is characteristically Christian and demand that it is wrong—in that case, we will choose to be silent as a lamb led to slaughter. "...if when you do good and suffer for it you endure, this is a gracious thing in the sight of God" (1 Pet. 2:20). But if the world accuses a Christian of genuine sin which he has not committed, no Christian should resign himself to the world thinking that he is a flagrant hypocrite. If a believer is accused of a crime of this nature, and if he is truly innocent, he should take Job's behavior toward his friends as an example and maintain that innocence (cf. Job 31:1-40).

Third, remember that your choices MATTER. All of them. All the time. Whether or not you can fathom a way that a moment of impurity might come back to haunt you, make the right choice. Deuteronomy 30 is from the old covenant, but that does not, in any way, diminish the bearing of truth stated there: "I call heaven and earth to witness against you today, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and curse. Therefore choose life, that you and your offspring may live, loving the LORD your God, obeying his voice and holding fast to him, for he is your life and length of days..." (Deuteronomy 30:19-20)  Maintain your integrity. Refuse to compromise the principles of holiness which ought to govern our hearts and our actions. And while you may yet suffer for doing good, you can be assured that you will not garner unnecessary suffering down the road as a consequence of your own immorality.

- Dan Lankford, minister

The temptation of Jesus is a multifaceted event. On some levels, it encourages us, and yet on other levels, it puzzles us. For example, why would the devil’s first temptation be, “If you are the Son of God, command this stone to become bread”? (Lk. 4:3) Why is this a temptation to sin? What sin would Jesus have actually committed if he had given in? 

The core of the devil’s temptation for Jesus is this: demand something of God’s creation that only he himself can provide. No wonder he responds with fulfillment that only God can give (Lk. 4:4). The devil is actually tempting Jesus to selfishly take advantage of God’s creative good in a corrupt way. And in those terms, it sounds like a temptation that we all face.

The devil tempts some to, “Command this affair to provide the fulfillment that only a healthy marriage can give.”

He tempts others to, “Command your children to provide you the happiness that can only be found in a deep relationship with God.” 

He tempts some to, “Command that theft provide the joy that only godly generosity to others can provide.”

He also tempts others to, “Command that laziness provide the same peace that only well-earned rest from diligent labor can bring.”

He tempts others to, “Command this career advancement to provide the peace of mind that only a full relationship with God can offer.”

At the end of the day, many of our temptations are the same as Jesus faced. While we lack the power to turn stones to bread, the temptation toward arrogant, selfish fulfillment rather than humble, joyful gratitude is still one of Satan’s best tools.

- Dan Lankford, minister