True masculinity is shockingly distorted by our culture. Strength is seen as the power to dominate others. In our culture "real men" are portrayed as hitting hard and tough, insensitive, not showing emotion, surrounding themselves with other strong and powerful people, and trampling upon the weak. This is a far cry from what real manhood is.
"Be watchful, stand firm in the faith, act like men, be strong. Let all you do be done in love." (1 Corinthians 16:13)
Acting like men means showing love. The greatest picture of Biblical masculinity is Jesus Christ. He was tender and loving, meek and controlled, and yet furiously strong. What kind of strength enables a man to take a beating by a whip within an inch of death and then be crucified on a cross? All of this, and He could have blinked and had a legion of terrifying angels at His side and slaughtered all who opposed Him.
But He did not.
Why?
To redeem all that would call on His name. A sacrifice had to be made. The ransom had to be paid. And sin and death were about to be forever destroyed! That is a man. Doing what is right even when it hurts. Sacrificial love is the epitome of what it is to be a man.
Why else would Paul command husbands to,
"...love your wives, as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her, that he might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word, so that he might present the church to himself in splendor, without spot or wrinkle or any such thing, that she might be holy and without blemish." (Ephesians 5:25-27)
It really is true that "greater love has no man than this: to lay his life down for his friends" (John 15:13). C.S. Lewis described this sacrifice allegorically in a beautiful way when Aslan sacrifices himself on the Stone Table to the White Witch to save Edmund's life.
This is strength. The power to sacrifice.
Husbands are called to sacrificial love. Men are called to lay themselves down in strength to help the weak and vulnerable.
Men of God, who is weak in your life? Who is being bullied? Who is being trampled? Will be you be a man and stand with them? Will you stand for them?
In Exodus 22, God commanded that Israel should “not mistreat or oppress a foreigner, for you were foreigners in Egypt. Do not take advantage of the widow or the fatherless. If you do and they cry out to me, I will certainly hear their cry" (Exodus 22:20-26). The measure of a society is how it treats the most weak and vulnerable. Likewise, the measure of a man is how he treats those who are weaker than himself. Are the weak and vulnerable afraid of your shadow? This is not being a man.
A man defends the weak. Helps the hurting. Fights for the vulnerable. This is strength.
"Defend the weak and the fatherless; uphold the cause of the poor and the oppressed." (Psalm 82:3)
Where are the men who will stand up and fight? Who will sacrifice their reputation or social status to stop bullying? Who will show honor to women? Who will stop the locker-room talk? Will you?
God is looking for warriors who are ready to fight. Men who will speak the truth in love and lay down their lives to defend the weak and vulnerable. As everyone's favorite superhero says,
A warrior does not let an enemy sleep in his tent. A warrior does not go into battle without his armor. The enemy of our souls is waging war on us as men, seeking to kill, steal, and destroy us. One of the primary battlefields of our time is the area of lust and pornography. The digital frontier has brought this spiritual warfare into our homes and lives in an insidious way incomparable to any past generation. How are we fighting this battle when...
71% of teens have done something to hide what they do online from their parents
(this includes clearing browser history, minimizing a browser when in view, deleting
inappropriate videos, lying about behavior, using a phone instead of a computer, blocking parents with social media privacy settings, using private browsing,
disabling parental controls, or having e-mail or social media accounts unknown to
parents).
32% of teens admit to intentionally accessing nude or pornographic content online.
Of these, 43% do so on a weekly basis. Only 12% of parents knew their teens were
accessing pornography.
35% of boys (Ages 13-14) said they had viewed pornographic videos “too many times to count.”
93% of boys and 62% of girls were exposed to pornography before age 18.
64% of parents do not use online parental controls or filtering software.
30% of 17-year-olds have received a sext.
38% of 13-18-year-olds said they had created a sext.
See the full 37-page report put out by Covenant Eyes here.
We are kidding ourselves if we think that pornography and digital explicit media is not infiltrating the lives of our teens, even our Christian teens. This indeed is every young man's battle and many of our young women struggle with this as well. With the advent of mobile smartphones and tablets the problem has become all the more epidemic. One report from 2006 (ten years ago!) found that 1 in 5 searches on Google from mobile devices were for pornography (Read the full report here).
To be a man who is a follower of Jesus means arming oneself against and armoring oneself for the coming attacks in this battle.
Are you ready to fight?
Paul wrote, almost prophetically to our present day, regarding God's will in this area of personal holiness in his letter to the church in Thessalonica,
For this is the will of God, your sanctification: that you abstain from sexual immorality;that each one of you know how to control his own body in holiness and honor,not in the passion of lust like the Gentiles who do not know God;that no one transgress and wrong his brother in this matter, because the Lord is an avenger in all these things, as we told you beforehand and solemnly warned you.For God has not called us for impurity, but in holiness. (1 Thessalonians 4:3-7)
Every man needs to know how to control his own body, his own mind, and his own eyes. Have you developed a personal battle plan against lust, impurity, and pornography? Where are the places, who are the people that cause you to stumble? Are there contacts you need to delete? Devices you need to destroy or get rid of? Jesus teaches the principle of Radical Amputation in fighting with lust (Matthew 5:29-30). "If you eye causes you to stumble, cut it out!" Don't halfheartedly go to war with this struggle, it will kill you, destroy your perspective of women, give false expectations of a future wife, and consume your life. What do you need to get rid of to win this fight for your heart and mind?
Stop offending God with this secret sin and bring it into the open. Have you confessed this sin or struggle to a brother (James 5:16)? You cannot fight this fight alone! God has called you to holiness. But what He has called you to do, He will enable you to do (1 Thessalonians 5:24)! Don't lose heart, bring this sin into the light and let God deal with it. You are not alone, no temptation has overtaken you that is new or not common to man (1 Corinthians 10:13). If you are struggling with lust, impurity and pornography find someone who loves you, who you can trust, and tell them. Develop a plan to cut off and limit access. Invite regular and consistent accountability. Most importantly, cultivate a stronger desire for God. Behavior modification will only take you so far, you have to replace your desire for sin with a stronger desire for God. As C.S. Lewis writes,
“It would seem that Our Lord finds our desires not too strong, but too weak. We are half-hearted creatures, fooling about with drink and sex and ambition when infinite joy is offered us, like an ignorant child who wants to go on making mud pies in a slum because he cannot imagine what is meant by the offer of a holiday at the sea. We are far too easily pleased.” (C.S. Lewis in Weight of Glory)
You were made to find ultimate meaning and satisfaction in God (Psalm 16:11). Have you run to the one for whom you were made? Have you confessed your sin to the Father, received the forgiveness that comes through the Son, Jesus, and then committed to dependence on the Spirit to fill you with His fruit of self-control (Galatians 5:22-23)?
Begin the journey of a fighter today.
Join the war, be a warrior.
Young man, this is your calling, these are your orders.
FIGHT!
Steps to Freedom
Confession (personal and in community with others)
Fostering a greater desire for God through spiritual disciplines
Radical Amputation & Appropriate Boundaries Helpful Resources At the Altar of Sexual Idolatry bySteve Gallagher
Every Young Man's Battle by Fred Stoeker and Steve Arterburn
Sex is Not the Problem, Lustis by Joshua Harris
The Discipline of Grace by Jerry Bridges
Parents, cutting off access to explicit content for your teens is hugely important. We have created a resource for you help you explore different Filtering Software options. You can access this HERE.
SURGE Student Ministries has a reputation for its mission trips. Over the last ten years Berean Baptist Church in Mansfield, Ohio has sent hundreds of students and leaders to Haiti, Cleveland, Cincinnati, New York City, Chicago, Pennsylvania, and more as well as local missions projects varying from a one-day activity to an entire week! Just last year SURGE sent out over 100 students and leaders on short-term mission trips to Haiti, NYC, Mansfield, and Cleveland. We have done and will continue to do mission trips for several reasons.
1. Strengthened Relationships
Shared memories, exciting stories, long flights and bus rides, close sleeping quarters, all of these are the building blocks of great relationships. When our pastors, small group leaders, and students are around each other 24/7 for a week or more, wonderful and lasting relationships commonly result. I would go so far as saying that mission trips have the potential to be the most effective relationship builder in student ministry. Students who go on mission trips are more likely to serve again, show-up for normal events, and feel connected to our student ministry and its leaders.
2. Intensive Instruction
On all of our trips we have daily team meetings where we do praise and worship, testimonies from the day, and a book discussion (student's have required reading leading up to and during the trip). This paired with pre-trip meetings, mandatory daily time alone with the Lord, impromptu discussions, and the Holy Spirit's working allows our mission trips to be highly instructional.
As followers of Jesus we are transformed by the renewing of our mind (Romans 12:2). Our trips are not successful if students have not learned something. They learn from these intentional and structured times but very often their learning is, even more powerfully, experiential. They learn how to share the good news of Jesus by leading a Bible lesson to children or sharing their testimony in a church. They learn about poverty and cultural differences by witnessing it first-hand. They learn about trusting in Jesus for strength when they are weak, tired and frustrated. All of this in the context of community and relationships makes our mission trips one of the most instructional aspects of our student ministry.
3. Sacrificial Living Required
We do not want our mission trips to be easy. We call our Short-Term Mission Trips "Dare2Serve Trips" (D2S Trips) for a reason. "Dare" implies it will require courage; there is a risk; it will not be easy. "Serve" declares that the nature of the trip is that it is not about the student. The goal of the trip is that students put others before themselves. Trips are not comfortable. We rarely stay in hotels. We do not feed students expensive meals and portions are often limited. We do not sleep a lot. Showers are sometimes cold. Roommates sometimes snore. And we always work hard.
Why? In the short amount of time that we have on a D2S Trip we want students to realize that following Jesus is not always easy. Serving others is not always fun. A Christian's life is to reflect a dying to oneself (Matthew 16:24). A call to die. To lose your life for the sake of Jesus (Matthew 16:25). If students can find joy and strength in serving Jesus in difficult circumstances they will be ready to embrace the everyday following of Jesus that their lives will require. Students ought to come back more inclined to serve sacrificially in their home, school, community and church.
4. The Church is bigger than Berean D2S trips expose students to people who follow Jesus who look, live, and worship differently than they do. By the time they graduate we want our students to have a global perspective of Christ's Church. We prioritize partnering with local churches wherever we go. We are not doing humanitarian aid or social work unless it is directly tied to a church that is making much of Jesus in that local community. Students get a picture of heaven where God's desire is to gather worshipers from "every tribe, tongue, and nation" (Revelation 7:9). Our prayer is that some students take this call of global gospel expansion personally and make the task of their life to take the gospel to those who have not heard (Matthew 28:18-20; Acts 1:8).
5. Catalyst for Lifestyle Change
Mission Trips are often described as "spiritual highs." This is both a positive and negative of short-term mission work. The trip in and of itself is not the goal or purpose for our D2S trips. Our desire is that God uses these short intensive times of service to be a catalyst for life change. Mission Trips need to include life-action points and follow-up. What will you do differently next week when you are back home? How will your priorities or lifestyle change? One of the most effective things we do to enable effective follow-up is including our small group leaders and parents on our D2S Trips. This provides accountability for authenticity both on the trip and after the trip. Like everything we do as SURGE Student Ministries our hope and prayer is that God uses the programs we utilize to bring about lasting change in the lives and hearts of the students he has called us to shepherd.
2017 Dare2Serve Trips are now open for applications. Are you ready? Interested in being part of one of our 2017 D2S Trips? See trip information and apply online here!
Few things capture the imagination like a castle. Castles amaze us for their immensity, their beauty, and their history. Many great movies or stories have massive castles to protect or strongholds to conquer. They leave us in awe, whether it be from a Disney movie like Tangled or Beauty and the Beast (or just the title sequence for that matter) to the Lord of the Rings!
They are a memorial to a bygone era. Interestingly, they were necessary because of the lack of security or order in society. Castles represented the reign of terror of some cruel dictators on the one side, or the power, security, and dominion of a benevolent sovereign on the other. Interestingly, the Word of God reveals as our LORD as a fortress, strong tower, refuge and rock!
"My God is my rock, in whom I take refuge, my shield and the horn of my salvation. He is my stronghold, my refuge and my savior— from violent people you save me." (2 Samuel 22:3)
"The Lord is a refuge for the oppressed, a stronghold in times of trouble." (Psalm 9:9)
"Keep me safe, my God, for in you I take refuge." (Psalm 16:1)
"For you have been my refuge, a strong tower against the foe." (Psalm 61:3)
"Be my rock of refuge, to which I can always go; give the command to save me, for you are my rock and my fortress." (Psalm 71:3)
These are just a few of the many verses that declare the spiritual reality that God is the ONLY TRUE REFUGE. For this reason, this year for our SURGE High School Winter Retreat our theme was "A Mighty Fortress."
We looked at three elements of this fortress terminology in our teaching sessions. The first was that God is the only secure and true refuge. Nothing else provides true security. We compared this idea to Jesus' parable about the wise man who built his house on the rock (Matthew 7:24-27). This man was compared to someone who heard the words of Jesus and did them. To find your refuge in God is to know His words, trust His words, and obey his Words.
The second session explored the counter-fortresses that the enemy sets up against us seeking to put us in bondage. Students and leaders were exhorted to "demolish strongholds" in their life and flee the enemy of their soul who seeks to steal, kill, and destroy (2 Corinthians 10:3-6; John 10:10).
Lastly, students were challenged to not just hide in God's refuge but to act out our identity as soldiers of the One True King. We explored the nature of spiritual warfare in Ephesians 6 and we were challenged to stand strong by putting on the whole armor of God (Ephesians 6:10-18). We are not serfs or slaves behind the walls, we called to spiritual warfare behind the parapets!
Are you finding your refuge in The Mighty Fortress?
This year on our winter retreat we tried something new. Our students were broken up into four teams and had to choose a theme for making a movie trailer in just a few hours. The first video was voted the winner of our first annual SURGE Winter Retreat Film Festival. Every team did a great job!
The impact of social media cannot be understated in these modern times. With over two billion people on this planet connected via various social networks the global societal transformation of the last decade is nothing short of remarkable! With these new frontiers of communication and relationship come many challenges, especially for the discerning Christian.
With the arrival of so many new modes of communication we are now bombarded for a plethora of messages every day. What is true? What is reality? Sadly the Information Age, ironically, has in many ways clouded the truth. Scripture commands us to cast our thoughts on certain things,
“Finally, brethren, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good repute, if there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise, dwell on these things.” Philippians 4:8
Is social media helping us to this end or hurting us? What thoughts have you allowed social media to bombard you with this week? Many of these thoughts are outright lies. Here are five of these lies:
1. Life is Good
It is a rare occurrence to see a picture into the real difficulties of life on social media. It is mostly proms, date nights, vacations, filtered selfies, and perfect sunsets. How much of our mundane (read: normal) lives do these snapshots represent? Very little. A married couple will put up happy pictures as they celebrate an anniversary, but when you have seen a public divorce announcement? Baby pictures. Enough said. Miscarriage posts? Few and far between.
Social media has become a dishonest picture of most of our lives. Instead of representing a “true” picture of reality it distorts reality into alternative universe in which pain or failure are close to non-existent or are only shared if they include a victory or redemption aspect and beauty and happiness are our perpetual existence. Life is not always “good.”
2. Likes Make Right
Social media rewards anything that goes ‘viral.” Web-traffic and popularity online does not equate to a person doing the right thing. We need to ask ourselves if what we are posting is edifying, does it impart grace to those who read it or see it (Ephesians 4:29). The amount of likes does not make it right. Maybe it was gossip? Maybe it was inappropriate? Don’t let the desire to increase your “reach” or “followers” destroy the integrity of what you put on social media.
3. They look Perfect
Filters and Photoshop. What you see online is not reality. Just like what was already said about how life almost always appears to be good so do you rarely see a bad hair day on Snapchat or Instagram. I once watched a woman after walking off a plane at an airport stand in a terminal for over ten minutes in the same place trying to get the “perfect” selfie. None of her followers know it took ten minutes to get that “quick and candid selfie.” This behavior distorts our perspective of beauty and also can slowly destroy your perception of self.
4. It is not an Argument, It is a Discussion
Sure, on the surface many comments and forum discussions take the form of a discussion that would resemble a verbal conversation. But picture that verbal conversation being broadcast for thousands or millions to see. You cannot say that that does not change the tone, intensity, or civility of the discussion or conversation. All of the sudden, you are performing for an audience. If you want to have a serious dialogue take it into private messages, a person will rarely admit they are wrong in front of an audience of all their friends. It also is a great way to avoid coming across as insensitive or proud.
5. It is just a picture/message
Something about the medium of communication via text message or various social media apps lessons the seriousness of communication. Wouldn't it be weird to write handwritten letters, dozens of them, to someone of the opposite sex if you were married? But somehow regular texting is appropriate. The medium has changed but why has the appropriateness followed. I cannot count how many affairs and immoralities I have heard about that began through social networks or messaging. For this reason we need to be on guard and realize that all communication digital and not has power and is affecting our relationships with people. Is it moving us closer to Jesus?
Are we discerning what thoughts and ideas are assailing us through social media as followers of Jesus? Have we spent enough time in the Word renewing our mind (Hebrews 4:12; Romans 12:1-2; 2 Corinthians 10:3-6) that we can see the lies that are put before us? Social media can and should be a tool for improving communication, capturing moments for others to see, and spreading the gospel of Jesus.
In this second part of our "Lies Kill" series, we are going to look at the idea of racism and its root in falsehoods and its being incompatible with a Christian worldview. The last several years have seen more outrage driven by a racial divide in America than the previous several decades combined. Protests and riots, discrimination and violence have been a seemingly every day occurrence as one watches the news cycle. The lie that "my people" are better than "your people" or that a person should not be judged by the color of his skin and not the content of his character is literally killing people. What is proper Christian response to this cultural division?
Love.
The gospel of Jesus Christ has always had at its core the tearing down of cultural or societal divides. "There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is no male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus" (Galatians 3:28). As the adage says, "The ground is level at the foot of the cross." Income inequality, ethnicity, gender, class, or family, all of them are peripheral in the context of the good news of Jesus. The gospel is that ALL come as sinners and any who receive Christ by faith are then reconciled to God through the work of Jesus Christ on the cross, adopted into a new family, a holy nation, a chosen people (Romans 10:13; 1 Peter 2:9). For this reason, racial discrimination or any prejudice based upon a person's background, culture, or appearance has NO place in the body of Christ, in the heart of a Christian.
Theologically, the idea of racial equality is common sense. Adam and Eve were both created in the image of God and from them came all the people of the earth (Romans 5:12). Though this has always been the teaching of Scripture, scientists, including Darwin, have not always agreed that all modern day humans come from a common human ancestor. Such wrong beliefs prompted political movements such as Nazi extermination and even the hunting of many tribal groups including Australian aboriginals. Such racial injustice and violence is not compatible with a Christian worldview. It is based upon a lie, the belief that your value is dependent upon your appearance, or your background, or your abilities or education and not from your being created in the image of God.
Christians should be agents of reconciliation when it comes to societal racial conflict. We should be peacemakers (Matthew 5:9), and spread love for all people, "red and yellow, black and white, they are precious in His sight." Jesus died for every person on the planet, every person in your city, and every person who has ever existed. Jesus' last words echo His heart for all people:
"Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” (Matthew 28:19-20)
The words "all nations" literally mean "all ethnicities." The gospel is meant to transcend culture, country, and race. Thank God it did for the average white American Christian as none of the original followers of Christ were Caucasian!
Jesus consistently tore down the barriers caused between the rich and the poor, the privileged and the under-privileged, the Jew and the Samaritan (the hated race in the Jewish world). We too as the global Church should be agents of multi-ethnic unity. We should be looking forward to the day when followers of Jesus from every ethnicity worship the Lord together as is described in Revelation:
After this I looked, and there before me was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language, standing before the throne and before the Lamb. They were wearing white robes and were holding palm branches in their hands. And they cried out in a loud voice:
“Salvation belongs to our God,
who sits on the throne,
and to the Lamb.”
(Revelation 7:9-10)
This is the TRUTH that flies in the face of any lie that prompts racism or discrimination. Let us love on another no matter the color.
For SURGE Student Ministries our small group leaders are the most valuable resource or asset. Many Youth Ministries are driven by a celebrity/show complex. In these performance driven ministries, students show up to see the music, lights, fog, and "TED talk-like" speaker! Some aspects of this are not inherently wrong, but we believe that student ministry should be driven ultimately by mission and discipleship and our small group leaders are the primary catalysts for this to take place. We value our leaders for the following reasons.
Our Leaders Are People
Every one of our leaders has their own story. Their lives come with a wealth of different experiences, successes, and failures that they can and do share with the students in their small groups. NEWSFLASH: None of our leaders were born Christians! Their stories are of broken but changed lives that declare the grace and glory of God. When these lives and stories are put in close quarters with teenagers, powerful influence and impact can occur. Our leaders are all people, but what makes them amazing is God...
Our Leaders Have Faith
Every one of our leaders has a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. They are not just people, they are new people. "Old things have passed away, look, all things have become new" (2 Corinthians 5:17). The most significant thing about our leaders is that God is at work in and through them. "Apart from me you can do nothing," Jesus said (John 15:5). As followers of Jesus who have embraced Him as their Savior and Lord they are empowered by the Spirit and filled with a purpose, the expansion of God's kingdom. Our leader's believe that God is changing lives and they long to see this in the next generation of young people. This motivates each leader to pray for the students in their small group every day, something we find of the uttermost importance. However, the faith of our leaders would by no means be as attractive to students were it not for their love...
Our Leaders Show Love
Every one of our leaders is passionate about students. They are not serving in student ministry because of a sense of obligation. They serve and love students because this is the specific ministry for which their hearts are burdened! Some have teenagers themselves and understand the gravity of this season of life. Others recently graduated from this transitive time and long to help guide others through it. For whatever reason our leaders love teenagers. They express this love weekly through countless texts, calls, athletic events, smiles, and prayers. Students are more likely to come if they feel loved, if they know someone will miss them. In a ministry that engages a few hundred students annually, a few student ministry staff could never provide this kind of care.
Thank you Leaders!
We need to do better about acknowledging and appreciating these leaders. They are the most indispensable part of SURGE Student Ministries. So if you are one of the individuals who we are writing about, one of the soldiers in the trenches, know this...
We always thank God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, when we pray for you, since we heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and of the love that you have for all [your students], because of the hope laid up for you in heaven. Of this you have heard before in the word of the truth, the gospel, which has come to you, as indeed in the whole world it is bearing fruit and increasing—as it also does among you, since the day you heard it and understood the grace of God in truth (Colossians 1:3-6)
Thank you, leaders!
Are you interested in serving in SURGE as a Small Group Leader for students from 6-12th Grade? Apply Here.
At the very nature of the person of God is the quality of truth (James 1:17; John 14:6; Numbers 23:19). Perfect truth. To follow Jesus is to know the truth and to be set free (John 8:32). In opposition to this truth at work in our hearts through Jesus is both our flesh and Satan who seek to fill our hearts and minds with lies (John 8:44).
From the very beginning the serpent sought to draw humanity into sin through the use of lies.
Now the serpent was more crafty than any other beast of the field that the Lord God had made. He said to the woman, “Did God actually say, ‘You shall not eat of any tree in the garden’?”
And the woman said to the serpent, “We may eat of the fruit of the trees in the garden, but God said, ‘You shall not eat of the fruit of the tree that is in the midst of the garden, neither shall you touch it, lest you die.’”
But the serpent said to the woman, “You will not surely die. For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.”
So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was to be desired to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate, and she also gave some to her husband who was with her, and he ate. (Genesis 3:1-6)
It started with a question: "Did God actually say...?" Temptation begins with ideas and propositions that put God's Word and His truth in question. Where in your life are you being tempted to doubt God's voice? Questions and doubts can be instruments that lead us to truth but they can also be a slippery slope into sin. We ought not rest in the slough of doubt for too long.
From questioning the serpent then moves to deceit: "You will surely not die...when you eat of it your eyes will be opened and you will be like God." God said they would die, the serpent said they would not. God said sin would separate, the serpent said they would be like God. Every sin is based upon a lie.
Every sin starts with a question, finds life in a lie, and then destroys you when acted upon.
Racism is birthed from a lie about the superiority of races. Suicide begins with a lie that you are better off dead than alive, that God made a mistake making you. Abortion is justified based upon the lie that the unborn fetus is not a human person. Addiction starts with a lie that something will fulfill and satisfy you, if you only have a little more, and more, and more...
Do you know what this means?
That the battle for holiness, the conquering of sin, starts on the inside. It starts with addressing lies in our hearts and minds.
This makes perfect sense when we look at the many Scriptures that address the heart and mind.
“You shall love the Lord your God with
all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.” (Matthew 22:37)
For from within, out of the heart of man, come evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, coveting, wickedness, deceit, sensuality, envy, slander, pride, foolishness. All these evil things come from within. (Mark 7:21-22)
For the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh but have divine power to destroy strongholds. We destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God, and take every thought captive to obey Christ, being ready to punish every disobedience, when your obedience is complete. (2 Corinthians 4:6)
These are just to name a few. The strongholds that we are to wage war with as followers of Jesus are not physical, they are spiritual. We are in a battle of ideas, a battle for truth. Inception is a remarkable movie. In it, the protagonist named Cobb, played by Leonardo DiCaprio, seeks to place ideas in minds of certain people through "shared dreaming." This process is called "inception." Cobb says that the most resilient parasite is an idea,
"An idea. Resilient... highly contagious. Once an idea has taken hold of the brain it's almost impossible to eradicate. An idea that is fully formed - fully understood - that sticks; right in there somewhere."
Cobb says further, "An idea is like a virus...and even the smallest seed of an idea can grow. It can grow to define or destroy you."
Ideas are powerful, and the difference between an idea that is true and an idea that is false can be the difference between the Holocaust and the Fall of the Berlin Wall.
We think that our thoughts don't matter.
But they do.
We are commanded to meditate or think upon things that are true, noble, just, and pure (Philippians 4:8). We are to be transformed by the renewing of our mind (Romans 12:1-2). Jesus commanded that we clean the inside of our cup first, speaking of our hearts (Matthew 23:26). And His prayer for His followers was that they would be sanctified (made holy) in and by God's truth (John 17:17).
Lies kill. Truth gives life.
What lies are you believing? Lies, even the smallest untruths can destroy your life a little bit at a time.
Hirō Onoda, a Japanese soldier
who continued fighting for 29
years after the war was over.
Hirō Onoda was a Japanese soldier during World War II. He continued fighting on an island in the Philippines through guerrilla warfare for a full 29 years after the Japanese had surrendered!
He would not believe the pamphlets dropped from airplanes, the Japaneses newspapers left for him to find, or the Japanese dignitaries who marched through the jungle announcing on loudspeakers that the war was over. In his mind it was all a ruse. A tactic by the enemy seeking to persuade him to surrender.
He did not believe it until the Japanese government sent his previous commander who had been working in a bookstore for decades after the war and had him go into the jungle to tell him personally that the war was over.
What a waste of his life! Hirō, I am sure, spent every day of his life regretting the years he wasted because of a lie. He believed that Japan was still at war with the Allies. What lies are causing you to waste your life?
Do we play hours of video games a day or binge-watch Netflix thinking that it is worth the majority of our free time? Do we believe that some sin is not a big deal, that God was just kidding when he said that sin leads to death (James 1:15)? Do you believe that you are fearfully and wonderfully made (Psalm 139) or do you think that you are worthless? Do you think that you are good enough to please God? Or have you embraced the truth that every day you fall short of the glory of God and our in desperate need of Jesus (Romans 3:23; Romans 6:23).
Lies kill.
Fight them. Destroy the thoughts, ideas, and lies that set themselves up against the Word of God. Cling to the Way, the TRUTH, and the Life (John 14:6).
“If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples,and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” (John 8:32)
In Exodus 22, God commanded that Israel should “not mistreat or oppress a foreigner, for you were foreigners in Egypt. Do not take advantage of the widow or the fatherless. If you do and they cry out to me, I will certainly hear their cry" (Exodus 22:20-26). The measure of a society is how it treats the most weak and vulnerable. Likewise, the measure of a man is how he treats those who are weaker than himself. Are the weak and vulnerable afraid of your shadow? This is not being a man.
