by Wade Crews | May 7, 2015
If I have learned nothing else working with senior adults, I have learned this. God is true to His Word. Unless Christ returns, you will die. I have sat with people at their death bed. I have performed and attended numerous funerals. I have been with families in times of sadness.
But God also gave us some great news. Paul said this in his letter to the Philippians “For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain” (Phil. 1:21). Wow! It is a win-win. He followed up this verse by explaining if we do live, then we must live for Christ and be fruitful.
At my age, I watch all the channels which advertise products and services for older adults. Many of the commercials that come on are warnings about impending heart attacks or losing your memory or cancer issues. They talk about how they can help you “save your life,” to which I scream at the top of my lungs “NO!” This is a multi-BILLION dollar industry, yet it cannot save your life. You might live longer and linger in this world, but Satan’s old lie of “Surely you will not die…” is something that people still pursue today. Jesus told us in Matt. 16:26-27 (NASB, emphasis mine) “For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul? For the Son of Man is going to come in the glory of His Father with His angels, and WILL THEN REPAY EVERY MAN ACCORDING TO HIS DEEDS.”
Tim McGraw‘s song (some say his best) is “Live Like You Were Dying” is really good advice and should serve as a wakeup call, because you are. In the book of Hebrews we are told “And inasmuch as it is appointed for men to die once and after this comes judgment” (Heb. 9:27, NASB). The question becomes “Are you ready to die?” How can you live fully if death is something you can’t face? You spend all your energy trying to avoid something that you can’t stop. It is like driving west to stay in the sunshine and avoid the darkness. Guess what? Eventually you will either run out of gas or drive into the ocean. Wouldn’t it be wiser to be prepared for the darkness and have an alternative light source?
God told us in Genesis and Paul repeated the concept in Romans that “For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Rom. 6:23, NASB). Even Jesus told us that “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” We are forgiven, but the consequences are still upon us. We will die an earthly death, but we can live eternal.
One of my favorite quotes is C.S. Lewis from The Weight of Glory: “You have never talked to a mere mortal. Nations, cultures, arts, civilizations – these are mortal, and their life is to ours as the life of a gnat. But it is immortals whom we joke with, work with, marry, snub, and exploit – immortal horrors or everlasting splendors.” In other words, everyone will spend eternity somewhere. You will either be in heaven with God or in the hell He created for those who rebel against Him by serving themselves.
As Joshua said “Choose this day whom you will serve, as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.” How then shall we live? The baby Jesus was born to die on our behalf. We should live on His.
by Wade Crews | Apr 23, 2015
Gender Neutral, Gender Equity, Pay Equality, Sex Discrimination, Marriage, Bruce Jenner – what do these things have in common? They have all been manipulated, confused, diluted and abused to curry political favor and distract from what God has put in place as the wholesome normative for His creation.
As you read, you will see more scripture from God’s Word than a typical blog, because if you believe that He is and that God is Who He says He is, then His Word should be the final say on gender roles in this world.
Let me first make an observation. Men and women are different – VERY different! We are not the same. We don’t even work the same. Gen 1:27-28 – “God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them. God blessed them; and God said to them, ‘Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth, and subdue it; and rule over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the sky and over every living thing that moves on the earth.’”
We have a responsibility. As humans we have a responsibility just from these two verses. To be male and female. To be mother and father. To be husband and wife. To procreate and be fruitful and multiply. Just from these two verses, there is no “equity/equality” between a man and a woman. What should be between a man and a woman is the worship of their Creator.
I am always confused about a world that wants to promote diversity while demanding some warped sense of sameness between the sexes. We are different for a reason, a very godly reason, for His purpose. My wife completes me because she is different. I can’t do what she does and vice versa. We have two sons because we are different and blessed to be able to fulfill God’s desire for why He made us.
There is nothing I have seen in God’s Word which would limit a woman in her ability or potential. The Proverbs 31 woman is a successful business woman who is in real estate and designs and sells clothing accessories and ensures her family is admired in the community. My own wife is one of my most important accountability partners. I love her so much I am usually prevented from doing things I might normally do out of impulse for fear of disappointing or upsetting her.
Eph 5: 22-31 –”Wives, be subject to your own husbands, as to the Lord. For the husband is the head of the wife, as Christ also is the head of the church, He Himself being the Savior of the body. But as the church is subject to Christ, so also the wives ought to be to their husbands in everything. Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself up for her, so that He might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word, that He might present to Himself the church fnin all her glory, having no spot or wrinkle or any such thing; but that she would be holy and blameless. So husbands ought also to love their own wives as their own bodies. He who loves his own wife loves himself; for no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, just as Christ also does the church, because we are members of His body. FOR THIS REASON A MAN SHALL LEAVE HIS FATHER AND MOTHER AND SHALL BE JOINED TO HIS WIFE, AND THE TWO SHALL BECOME ONE FLESH.”
I am a boy, so I fully admit I have some difficulty in understanding exactly what these verses are saying to girls. However, I have no doubt what it is saying to me. My wife is to be a girl. My wife is to be a Christian who loves The Lord. I should love her so much I am willing to die for her. I am supposed to die to self for her joy and to point her to Christ, as well as literally be willing to die for her. I do not demand my wife submit to my authority. How she approaches that gender-appropriate role is between her and Christ.
These verses also clearly identify my father and mother as being a man and a woman. They also clearly describe a man and a woman being one together. The way a man and a woman become one flesh is through birth of a child. That child is literally the “one flesh” from the two of them.
This is not a blog to debate barren wombs or blended families or any of those issues. My motivation in this era of removing gender signs from restrooms is to encourage us to celebrate the fact that God created us male and female. We are different for a reason, a specific and beautiful reason.
Nobody I know believes that a man or a woman should earn less than the other for the same job. Today, men can be nurses and women can be doctors. That is wonderful! We should also realize there are things only men can do and things only women can do, because that is how we are fearfully and wonderfully made.
Romans 1 speaks to how God will give people over to their unnatural desires. When people chase the confused desires of their heart instead of the Creator of their heart, they usually end up someplace they were never meant to be. Equality comes from the love of God for His creation and those who pursue Him and the fact we are all members in the Body of Christ.
by Wade Crews | Apr 20, 2015
More than 20 years ago now, Garth Brooks co-wrote and had a number-one hit with “Unanswered Prayers.” It speaks to many people about the way God weaves people in and out of our lives and the way we think we want something so badly it hurts, and then realize God had something else planned all along.
As Christians, we know (or should know) God does not leave prayers unanswered. He is active in our lives. There is an old saying in youth ministry about how God deals with our prayers. Typically, the answers is “Yes,” “No” or “Maybe later.” Reminds me of my parents when I asked to go to the zoo or something similar when I was in grade school. That is a good thing. We want and need our Heavenly Father to answer our petitions in a parental way.
Often we want things so badly for our families, our communities, our social lives, and yes even for our own happiness, that we pray and shed tears and search and seek with all our hearts. What do we do when God says “No!”? When God closes that door, sometimes the slam is painful. We can feel the thud in our hearts. We should leap for joy! Why? Because God has something much better in mind for you.
Recently, God gave me a saying that I have been able to use in ministry, helping other people through tough times which can be difficult to understand. It goes something like this:
“All too often, we trip over watermelons God has laid at our feet as we look for low hanging fruit.”
You see, we tend to search for that gorgeous cluster of grapes, or luscious juicy peach which is in easy reach and then praise God for His provision. Don’t get me wrong. We should praise God for His provision and even ask Him to provide it (see The Lord’s Prayer). My suggestion is that it may not be wise to demand the type of provision He should provide. What God has in store for us is not always “easy pickens.” But it may be so much more than we ever expected if we will just do as Psalm 46:10 tells us and “Be still and know I am God.”
Here is a personal example of a “watermelon” in our family that we almost tripped over. Our oldest son was applying to several “big schools” for college. We had “high hopes”, reaching for that “juicy peach” we thought was God’s will for him.
Some of his options were out of state. God clearly said “NO!” to our top three. While we couldn’t quite reach our “peach,” God provided the watermelon as our son received a full scholarship at the closest four-year university to our home. He is literally just a few miles down the road and gets to fully participate in all of our family activities. It is a school he was very familiar with because he had participated in several camps and academic and extracurricular competitions there.
While we are very grateful and thank God every day, He also taught us many lessons. I would like to share some life application with you. Not only does Jer. 29:11 (For I know the plans that I have for you, declares the LORD, plans for welfare and not for calamity to give you a future and a hope (NASB)) speak to God knowing more than we do, Prov 3:5-6 (Trust in the LORD with all your heart and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight. (NASB)), these verses help us understand God has plans for us, and God gives us the shortest distance to joy.
Concerning watermelons:
– We need to realize they are much bigger than grapes and peaches we thought we wanted.
– You have to be more active in their gathering, actually bend over and pick them up.
– You can’t have your head in the clouds if you want to see them; they are on the ground.
– You can’t just bite into them. They require planning and preparation.
– They have many seeds which can be sown.
– The heart is the sweetest and juiciest part.
– They are thick-skinned.
– They can feed many.
What watermelon are you tripping over today?
by Wade Crews | Apr 2, 2015
In a former life and career, I was an EEO counselor in the Federal sector (of the Justice Department in fact). I helped a lot of people with many issues. I am literally sworn to secrecy about the details of those cases. I can tell you this: everything that doesn’t go your way is not necessarily rooted in discrimination. The creature from the “discrimination lagoon” does not always crawl out of the muck and mire to keep you from being happy. Life is not fair, and the ball does not always bounce your way.
What I do know is this: the laws concerning discrimination and the EEOC come from Title VII (as amended), of the Civil Rights Act which was passed in 1964, more than 50 years ago! I am not an attorney and will not get into the weeds of the laws, but what I would like to point out is that discrimination is not necessarily always illegal. It is just not legal for certain things that are available to everyone. Being denied, in and of itself, is not necessarily “discrimination,” but there are those and there are communities who would want you to believe that is not the case.
Here are a few hypothetical examples to test what I am saying:
I apply for a job and am an OU grad, and someone else is hired because they went to OSU. That, in a way, is a form of “discrimination.” Even if I am more qualified. It is not necessarily against the law to discriminate based on where I am from, where I went to school or even how I look.
A family owns a catering business which specializes in Bar-B-Q, smoked chicken, and American western food such as brisket and baked beans, potato salad, etc. An Asian family walks in and asks them to cater their function with egg rolls, sushi, white and fried rice, chow mein, etc. The business politely denies their request. It is not what they do. It is not on the menu. This is not only legal, it is not even discrimination. They don’t provide that preferred product to the desire of the customer.
What if a cult member walks into Mardel’s or LifeWay bookstore and wants to know where the dagger with the goat head handles are kept? Would they be able to sue because they don’t provide for all religious groups? What people seem to not understand in the realm of discrimination is the difference between denial based on the person versus being based on the service or the item.
Matt 7: 12-14 Jesus said “In everything, therefore, treat people the same way you want them to treat you, for this is the Law and the Prophets. Enter through the narrow gate; for the gate is wide and the way is broad that leads to destruction, and there are many who enter through it. For the gate is small and the way is narrow that leads to life, and there are few who find it.” We shouldn’t be surprised Christians are the minority today in the path we take. Jesus declared most people are going to take the wrong road. (“Many” vs “few”) Like mom used to say, “If everyone jumped off a bridge, would you?”
In other words, if I have a store open to the public, with items on display, by law, anyone may come in and purchase anything I have for sale, and I may not deny them because I don’t like something about them. That is reasonable and fair. We all agree. The law also requires me to provide accommodation and access to folks with mobility challenges as well. It is an additional burden, but I can understand that also.
What is not reasonable or fair is for me to be forced to produce something I don’t do in the ordinary course of my business. I definitely should not have to do something against my conscience or faith (unless it causes a public safety concern, which is a blog topic for another day).
So thinking of another hypothetical: I am a Christian who owns a bakery. I get some requests to make a cake—one has bad language, another glorifies the drug culture, and another celebrates a same-sex wedding. If I personally object to these special orders, should that negate my right to operate a business? I think not. It defines my stance on morality. It is not what I do. It is not on my menu of items. I cannot accommodate those requests based on my belief system as well as my lack of understanding of those lifestyles and cultures. You are welcome to buy this plain-tiered cake in the window and go decorate it however you desire, but I should not be forced to support those desires. Nor should I be forced to make you a special cake and be forced to participate in your ceremony by delivering it. And that, I contend, is not illegal discrimination; that is my legal discretion.
So you see, some discrimination is not inherently bad or illegal. I “discriminate” when I choose salad over a cheeseburger. Should the beef industry take me to court?
by Wade Crews | Feb 9, 2015
The President of the United States is very charming and has a great smile. Like most politicians, he will often say things he does not mean or cannot really do. I am praying that is the case this week. Last Thursday at the National Prayer Breakfast, the President tried to make a moral connection between incidents in history and the atrocities of the day.
This is not a political blog. I will not critique elected officials on this site for their decisions. This is a small and calculated response to a comment which at its base seems to imply we have no right to call out evil based on our not being perfect either.
The exact quote is: “Humanity,” Obama said, “has been grappling with these questions throughout human history. And lest we get on our high horse and think this is unique to some other place, remember that during the Crusades and the Inquisition, people committed terrible deeds in the name of Christ. In our home country, slavery and Jim Crow all too often was justified in the name of Christ.”
At the very least, this is a misunderstanding of history and a choice to ignore many facts along the way. At the most it is a direct attack on the Christian faith of many in this country the day after Mr. Obama had a closed meeting with the Islamic community in the White House.
Dr. Russell Moore (President Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission) has chimed in as well as many other scholars and commentators. In the blogs on this site, we do not attack other beliefs, we promote Christ and His Truth and desire for our lives.
In The New Testament, Paul warned us in a letter to Timothy, to be prepared for this kind of rhetoric. It should not surprise us.
2 Timothy 4:1-5 (NASB) I solemnly charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who is to judge the living and the dead, and by His appearing and His kingdom: preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort, with great patience and instruction. For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but wanting to have their ears tickled, they will accumulate for themselves teachers in accordance to their own desires, and will turn away their ears from the truth and will turn aside to myths. But you, be sober in all things, endure hardship, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry.
There are other venues to vent and opine about what the President said. I would like to “rebuke and reprove” what was said with some grace. My tongue is bleeding as I bite it right now. I know there are millions in our country who agree with his every word, however there seem to be several misrepresentations in the speech. (These are my original thoughts and if they are similar to others expressed elsewhere, I did not use them as a source of inspiration.)I have much I would like to say – but here are my top three responses.
- He is the President of the United States of America. The Crusades and Inquisition are not part of this country’s history. Should Christians still hold Italy accountable for Nero burning us on stakes to light the streets in Rome?
- Many Christians died in this country to abolish slavery – namely The President of the United States, not to mention the hundreds of thousands buried at Gettysburg and elsewhere. Slavery was not a invented by this country, nor was it promoted in the name of Christ, but it was abolished by this country in the name of Christ.
- The Christian – Dr. Martin Luther King Jr led many other Christians in an effort to obtain equal access and rights for all.
If you want your ears tickled, believe whatever and whoever you want. I recommend you read the Gospel of John if you want to know the Truth. To minimize and deflect the horrors being undertaken today, by making a moral equivalence to things in history no Christian I know would support or agree with is a sophomoric debate tactic.
Perhaps our challenge is not that we are on our “High Horse”, but that we have not mounted our noble steed at all. We should be more prepared than ever to speak truth in love and grace and understand when The Tickler is up to his old tricks. I for one am not laughing.