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W

hat does an ancient battle fought over1100 years ago have in common withcurrent events in the United States?

Keep reading and youll see.The Battle of Qa rqar (pronounced and

even sometimes spelled Karkar) was foughtin 853 B.C. when the army of Assyria, led byKing Shalmaneser III, encountered an alliedarmy of twelve kings at Qarqar led by KingAhab of Israel and Hadadezer (Ben Hadad) ofDamascus.1 In those days, the Assyrians brutallyruled the entire Fertile Crescent including pres-ent-day Iran, Iraq, Turkey, Saudi Arabia, Syria,Israel, and Egypt.

The ancient town of Qarqar, where the battle

took place, has generally been identified with themodern archaeological site of Tell Qarqur. It isabout 240 miles north of the Sea of Galilee.

This battle is notable for having the largestnumber of combatants than any previous AncientNear Eastern battle. In other words, it was thebiggest battle up to that point in world history.It is also the first instance when some peoplegroups enter recorded history, such as the Arabs.

The information about the battle is recordedon The Kurkh Monolith. This monolith is alarge flat piece of stone which stands over six feettall. Upon it Assyrian King Shalmaneser III hadvarious historic events and interpretations carved.The history it covers includes roughly years onethrough six of his reign (859-824 B.C.).

The Battle

Shalmanesers inscription on The KurkhMonolith describes the forces of his opponentsin considerable detail.2 Those allied armies fromtwelve countries included 4000 chariots, 2000horsemen, 10,000 camel riders and 62,000 infan-try. The Assyrian army had similar or even greaternumbers, meaning the battlefield at Qarqar held

over 125,000 total infantry, 8000 chariots (with

four horses on each chariot), 20,000 camel rid-ers and 8000 cavalry horsemen in a life-or-deathstruggle. Try imagining the scene and youll see

that those are staggering numbers.According to the inscription, Shalmaneser

started his annual campaign when he leftNineveh on the 14th day of the Assyrian monthAiaru (April May). He crossed both the Tigrisand Euphrates Rivers without incident, receivingthe submission and tribute of several cities alongthe way, including that of Aleppo. After hav-ing sacked Qarqar, he encountered those twelveallied armies near the Orontes River.

Shalmaneser boasted that his troops inflicted14,000 casualties upon the allied army, capturing

countless chariots and horses. He described the dam-age he imposed upon his opponents in savage detail:I rained destruction upon them.I scattered their corpses far and widethe plain was too small to let their bodies fall...with their bodies I spanned the Orontes as witha bridge.3

The Significance for Today

Now you may ask, OK, youve shown thatQarqar was some kind of battle. It sure sounds likeit was a bad one. But so what? What does all thisancient history have to do with us today? Goodquestion.

It is striking that the single most significantbattle ever fought in history up to that point, where10,000 Israelite soldiers and 2000 Israelite chariotsparticipated,4 is not even mentioned in the Bible!There is total silence from God about the Battleof Qarqar! This makes me wonder why?

Then what I find so compelling is realizingwhat instead God chose to mention in the Bible.Gods inspired record contains an event fromthat time period and from this, we learn some-thing about Gods perspective on current events

(even those current events of today).

Qarqar AndCurrent Events

Les LofquistExEcutivE DirEctor

Tis battle is

notable or

having the

largest number

o combatants

than any pre-

vious AncientNear Eastern

battle.

Les LofquistExEcutivE DirEctor


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First Kings 21 is the chapter in theBible that most closely corresponds to thedate of the Battle of Qarqar. In that chap-ter nothing is mentioned about eventsfar away in Qarqar. But we do see theaccount of a faithful Israelite land-ownernamed Naboth who gets robbed of hisland through manipulation, lies and mur-der at the hands of the land-greedy KingAhab and Queen Jezebel. Compared tothe ancient worlds most significant bat-tle, the single evil deed which Ahab andJezebel perpetrated upon Naboth is theactivity God chose to record.

Thats simply amazing.

God sees everything,

and the seemingly hidden

activities in places ar removed

rom world events are activities

not at all hidden rom Him.

Biblical history shows that Ahab wasquite a military leader and politician. Hestrengthened positions in his kingdomand doubled urban centers. His attentionto the army gave him distinction amonghis peers. His army was one of the lead-ing two armies allied against Assyria at

Qarqar. But this is not what God wantedIsrael and its kings to be known for. InFirst Kings 21, Ahabs wicked characterwas exposed for all of us in history toread while everyone else in his world wasfocused on that huge battle.

From Gods perspective, the activityof individuals is never unobserved whilehistoric events are unfolding. God seeseverything, and the seemingly hiddenactivities in places far removed fromworld event s are activit ies not at al lhidden from Him. We learn this fromProverbs 15:3, The eyes of the LORDare in every place, keeping watch on theevil and the good.

As our world watches such historicevents as 9/11 and Hurricane Katrinaand the War in Iraq and the Wall StreetMeltdown and the election of Americasfirst African American President, Godis watching the out-of-the-way events aswell. In the midst of monumental currentevents, the small, seemingly inconse-quential actions in our lives are also

Les Lofquists itinerary

March 2009

8 New Lfe Baps chh, Addsn, Mi

13-15 reees (LA) Bble chh Leadeshp cnfeene

16 Glf cas regnal, reees, LA

23 Mi regnal, Nens Lake, Mi

Apl 2009

14-15 Bblal Mnses Wldwde Bad Meengs, Alana, GA17 Azna regnal

18 AM: valley Bble chh 50h Annesay, Phen, AZ

PM: calay Bble chh, Flagsaff, AZ

25-26 Behany chapel, thee res, Mi

May 2009

8 calay Bble cllege Bad Meengs, Kansas cy, Mo

9 cBc Gadan Speake, Kansas cy, Mo

11 Pe-cnenn 2009 Meeng, Kalamaz, Mi

observed by the Lord God Almighty.Twenty-four hour cycle of newscasts

feature the really important events and allthese huge media events make us feel insig-nificant. Its easy to think that our singlelives in this big world dont amount to muchand what we do doesnt really matter.

But Qarqar, Naboth and Ahabdemonstrate something different. Theevents way back then prove the reality ofProverbs 15:3, The eyes of the LORDare in every place, keeping watch on theevil and the good.

What about you? Are you continuingin faithful obedience while everyone elsewatches cable news and reads the reportsabout the the really important events?Are you doing everyt hing possible tobring maximum glory for our Lord?

Even though many around you think

your quiet efforts of sacrifice and servicefor Christ are unimportant compared tothe rich, the famous, the larger than lifeevents swirling about you, God watches.And He knows. And He will reward obe-dience and punish disobedience. Thatswhat Qarqar and Naboth teach us.

Now, go and live faithfully. Even inquiet obscurity.

NotES

1 Willi am W. Hallo, From Qarqar toCarchemish: Assyria and Israel in the Lightof New Discoveries, The Biblical ArchaeologistReader, Volume 2 edited by David NoelFreedman and Edward F. Campbell, Jr.(Missoula, MT: Scholars Press, 1977), pp.152-190.

2 James B. Pritchard, The Ancient Near East,

Volume 1, An Anthology of Texts and Pictures(Princeton: Princeton Univ. Press, 1958),pp. 188-191. Also see a slightly differenttranslation of the same monolith in D. D.Luckenbill, Ancie nt Records of Assy ria andBaylonia (University of Chicago Press, 1927,reprinted in 1968), Volume 1, paragraph 611.

3 Ibid.

4 Ibid.


3/25

OvercomingDiscouragement

Steve conell

Steve Cornell is Senior

Pastor of Millersville

(PA) Bible Church

and a member ofIFCA International.

You may access more

of his articles at

thinkpoint.wordpress.com

How many of you have ever experienceddiscouragement? (Every hand shouldgo up). Discouragement is one of those

universal human experiences. But what is discour-agement and what are some of the cures for it?

Discouragement is a frame of mind and an

emotional experience characterized by a lossof courage, hope, or confidence. Disheartenedis a similar expression. Obviously there aredegrees of discouragement ranging from mild toextreme. But because life is difficult, and life isdifficult, we all experience discouragement fromtime to time. Therefore, this means we all needto be encouraged from time to time.

The Church: Community of Encouragement

Scripture calls every member of the Churchto be an encourager. Let us not give up meeting

together, as some are in the habit of doing, butlet us encourage one anotherand all the moreas you see the Day approaching (Hebrews 10:25;with Hebrews 3:13; Colossians 3:21). Thereforeencourage one another and build each other up(1 Thessalonians 5:11).

Clearly from these examples, the church is meantto be a community of encouragement. One of ourpurposes in gathering is to encourage one another.Sometimes we come to church more focused onreceiving encouragement than giving it. It is wise toremember that we gain encouragement by giving itbecause in giving we are obeying our Lord.

Encouragement: The Primary N.T. Word

The Greek word translated encourage isparakaleo : to call a longside. In a military context,the word was used to call for reinforcements.(Encouragement functions as reinforcement forlife). It implies contact with others for the pur-pose of strengthening them, giving courage andhope and confidence. It is usually in the form ofverbal affirmation, comfort, and exhortation.

Feelings of encouragement and discour-agement can come over us like waves - even

unexpectedly. Walking through our church foyer

a few weeks ago, I felt a wave of encouragement.As I ref lected on how my wife and I moved toMillersville, Pennsylvania for the sole reason ofstarting a church, I felt a surge of encouragementto see how full our foyer was between services. Itwas hard to get through all the people!

But sometimes I have felt unexpected waves ofdiscouragement. Why do I feel this way? Ive askedmyself. The answer isnt always self-evident.

Some common causes to discouragement include:

Winter months: absence of sun and warmth

Holidays: Thanksgiving, Christmas (all sortsof family issues)

Milestones: birthdays, anniversaries

It helps to know that these are common expe-riences for all of us.Some people experience prolonged and more

debilitating discouragement, which we calldepression or a state of despondency. Sometimesthis has a physical / medical source. Depressionis always an emotional reality; sometimes it is amedical one. Those who battle prolonged depres-sion that negatively affects their daily functionsshould seek counsel.

A Biblical Example

To help us better understand discourage-ment, I invite you to consider a servant of Godwho reached a deep state of despondency. Hisname? Elijah.

Like most prophets, Elijah, was called tominister during dark times. The king of Israelat this time was Ahab. He did more evil andmore to provoke the Lord to anger than anyking before him. Ahab also married an ungodlywoman whose name has been synonymous withevil ever since she lived: Jezebel. She was the realpower behind Ahab and she used her influencefor evil purposes.

Elijah was Gods servant to confront this evil.


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Elijah was a great man of faith who bold-ly went where few would dare to go. Heconfronted King Ahab and declared adivine judgment in the form of a prolongeddrought. The drought lasted for more thanthree years, and during that time Elijahwitnessed Gods miraculous provisions.

Ravens at the brook Kerith brought1.Elijah food.

Supply of food through the poverty2.stricken widow of Zarephath.

The resurrection of the widows son.3.

And then, Elijahs ministry reachedits zenith in the confrontation with thefalse prophets on Mount Carmel. In anamazing display of divine power and

intervention, Elijah defeated hundreds offalse prophets as the fire of God fell fromheaven, demonstrating the reality andsuperiority of God. After this great con-quest and victory, perhaps Elijah had greatexpectations for spiritual change: all thepeople responded declaring, The Lord,He is God. The Lord He is God

Tis much is certain:

the discouraged man we meet

in 1 Kings 19 is not the man ogreat aith we observed up to

this point. What happened?

Perhaps Elijah expected this greatconquest to lead to national repen-tance. God was moving powerfully. Itall seemed so obvious! But, if this wasElijahs frame of mind, he underesti-mated the determination of evil peopleto remain committed to their evil. Oftendiscouraged frames of mind are attachedto a cycle of expectation and disappoint-ment. It is never wise to condition ourexpectations on the responses of others.

This much is cer tain: the discour-aged man we meet in 1 Kings 19 is notthe man of great faith we observed up tothis point. What happened?

Th ink about it. The conquest ofMount Carmel was a very public defeatof evil. And after times like these, it isnot uncommon for one to experience a

kind of battle fatigue - a profound level of

spiritual, physical, and emotional deple-tion. And, in this condition, loss of faithand courage can make us vulnerable inways that we would not expect. A deaththreat from Jezebel and the great prophet,Elijah, runs for his life! After all he hadwitnessed of God s power, th is seemsunimaginable. However, the extremes oflife often come with ironic twists.

As the story unfolds, we learn thatElijah had reached a dangerous level ofdespondency. He was really discouraged!How could God help him with this greatenemy of the soul - discouragement?Aga in, if anyone had witnessed God spower, provision, protection, and inter-vention, Elijah did. But he got his eyes offthe God who had led him and providen-tially, even miraculously, cared for him.He shifted his focus toward himself and

his discouraged frame of mind. Noticehow he demonstrated his discouragement.

Elijahs Condition, Common of

Discouraged People

Now Ahab told Jezebel everythingElijah had done and how he had killed allthe prophets with the sword. So Jezebelsent a messenger to Elijah to say, May thegods deal with me, be it ever so severely, ifby this time tomorrow I do not make yourlife like that of one of them. Elijah was

afraid and ran for his life. When he cameto Beersheba in Judah, he left his servantthere, while he himself went a days jour-ney into the desert. He came to a broomtree, sat down under it and prayed that hemight die. I have had enough, LORD,he said. Take my life; I am no better thanmy ancestors. (1 Kings 19:1-4).

He wanted to be alone. Discouragedpeople often isolate themselves.

He prayed to die. Evidently hewas not afraid to die, but unwilling tocommit suicide. He recognized Godsauthority over life and death.

He felt he couldnt go on: I have hadenough. How much can one man take?

He felt like a failure, that he hadreached the end of his usefulness: I amnot better than my ancestors.

Does this sound like he was a lit-tle discouraged? I am through! Ivefailed! I cant go on!Gods Restoration

Then he lay down under the treeand fell asleep. All at once an angel

touched him and said, Get up and eat.

He looked around, and there by hishead was a cake of bread baked overhot coals, and a jar of water. He ate anddrank and then lay down again. Theangel of the LORD came back a sec-ond time and touched him and said,Get up and eat, for the journey is toomuch for you. So he got up and ate anddrank. Strengthened by that food, hetraveled forty days and forty nights untilhe reached Horeb, the mountain of God.There he went into a cave and spentthe night. And the word of the LORDcame to him: What are you doing here,Elijah? (1 Kings 19:5-9).

Sleep (v. 5) under the broom/juni-per tree (the finest shrub of the ArabianDesert). Elijah was exhausted in everysense. He was probably unaware of just howdepleted he had become. Dont quit! Rest!

Food (verses 5b-8) and physicalnourishment (Elijah had witnessed thisprovision before). Sometimes our initialneed is physical refreshment and renewal,sleep and food. We must respect the inter-connection between body, soul, and spirit.

Talk (verse 9). God invited Elijah topour out his heart, to verbally expresshis condition to Him (1 Peter 5:7, Psalm62:8). Given the opportunity to share hiscondition with God, Elijah reveals evenmore about the condition of his heart.

A martyrs complex? Perhaps.

A little angry? Maybe.

You get the sense that Elijah

is deep into sel-pity.

Elijahs Frame of Mind

Notice Elijahs loss of perspective:He replied, I have been very zealousfor the LORD God Almighty. TheIsraelites have rejected your covenant,broken down your altars, and put yourprophets to death with the sword. I amthe only one left, and now they are try-ing to kill me too (1 Kings 19:10).

A more humble frame of mind wouldhave expressed something like this: Iam really discouraged, Lord. Ive beenserving you and you have done greatthings. I guess I expected more to hap-pen and I lost perspective. Then Jezebelsent word that she would hunt me andkill me. I ran for my life. I was afraid.

I feel tired and down. Now I am here


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looking for your help.Instead, Elijah rehearses how faith-

ful he had been compared with everyoneelse. A martyrs complex? Perhaps. Alittle angry? Maybe. You get the sensethat Elijah is deep into self-pity. Iveworked so hard only to find myself inthese miserable circumstances. I expect-ed so much more. Elijah expressed adefinite feeling of being alone: I am theonly one left. This is the attitude thatsays, I am the only one living for God!He seems frustrated, pessimistic, angry,disappointed and discouraged.

But what about the confession of thecrowd on Mount Carmel? What aboutObadiah and the one hundred prophets?What about Elisha and the seven thousandfaithful? Despondency has a way of selectivelyfocusing on certain aspects of life and conve-

niently overlooking others. Despair is alwayscolorblind; it can only see the dark tints.

Elijah experienced several othermeans of restoration:

Spend time with God, in His pres-1.ence (v. 11)

Take on a new assignment (v. 15)2.

Accept help in the work you do3.(verses 16-17)

Remember that youre not alone (v. 18 )4.

More from the New Testament

The Greek word for encourage canalso be translated admonish. Sometimes,although with sensitivity, discouragedpeople need gentle but firm admonish-ment about their loss of perspective.When taking this role, discouraged peo-ple will sometimes accuse you of causingthem more discouragement. But we can-not truly encourage those who have lostperspective without discouraging themfrom a sinful frame of mind. The fact isthat sometimes we cannot shake our dis-couraged frame of mind because we dontfeel God is caring for us as we believe Heshould, on our terms.

In this regard it is very significant tonote the grammatical connection between1 Peter 5:6 and 5:7. Humble yourselves,therefore, under the mighty hand of Godso that at the proper time He may exaltyou, casting all your anxiet ies on him,

because he cares for you (ESV). The

main verb, humble yourselves functionsin direct relationship with the participlecasting (all your anxieties). Some trans-lations miss this dependant connectionby giving an imperatival force to verse 7cast all your cares on Him. It is also sig-nificant to connect the warning of verse8: Be sober-minded; be watchful. Youradversary the devil prowls around like aroaring lion, seeking someone to devour.

Concluding Summary

Dont quit! Rest, refresh yourself andbe refortified. Bodily depletion has spiri-tual and emotional consequences.

Guard your expectations. Dont buildthem on the responses of others. Spendtime with God.

Pour out your heart to Him (Psalm62:8). Listen for His voice in His Word.

Do the next thing you are supposedto do. Keep on keeping on.

Welcome help. Accept the love andencouragement from others.

Remember that you are not alone.God and His people are there at your side.


6/25

Gy Gilley

Gary Gilley is Senior

Pastor of Southern View

Chapel in Springfield,

Illinois. He has served

in various ways as amember of IFCA

International for many

years. His study paper

Think On These

Things is available at

www.svchapel.org

What attracts men to the pastorate? It israrely prestige, power or money (espe-cially the latter). In most cases it is about

love. Love for Christ, love for people and love forthe Word of God. The typical Bible College orseminary student can hardly wait to leave the aca-

demic world and enter the ministry where hungryand thirsty souls are awaiting his exegesis of theWord and his compassionate shepherding of theirlives. With great enthusiasm and pure (as far as hecan discern) motives he enters his first pastoratewith visions of changing hearts, building a powerfuland God-honoring church, and having an impacton the world for the cause of Christ. He steps intothe arena of the church to be used by the Holy Spiritto help form the people of God into Christlikeness and so he should. But few realize at the time thatthey will soon be waging great battles with the

world, the flesh and the devil battles more intensethan anything they have experienced in the past.Of course this is not altogether true. Having

been well-trained theologically, the newly mintedpastor has an excellent understanding of the enemiesthat oppose the believer and the work of Christ.What our man does not usually comprehend at thisstage in his ministry is the shape in which theseenemies will actually be appearing. He expects todo battle with the devil; he does not expect the devilto show up in the form of well-respected and well-dressed church members. He expects to do battlewith the world out there; he does not expect theworld to have infiltrated the hearts and minds of hiscongregation. He expects to do battle against theflesh; he does not expect to see such raw manifesta-tions of the flesh among those who claim the nameof Christ or at times within his own heart and life.

Expectations of the inexperienced pastor oftencrumble and morph rapidly, and soon our man isdisillusioned with the ministry, with the church,with his own life and too often with the LordHimself. Many drop away from the pastorate, andsome should, for they are not gifted and spirituallymature enough to continue. Others drag through

the work for years, sometimes until retirement,

and they shouldnt. Long ago their hearts werecrushed, their passion lost and their love for min-istry drained. But, as one such pastor told me inthe first year of my ministry, What else can Ido? I have no other marketable skills. Far toooften the result of this quagmire is that wounded

and confused sheep are being led by woundedand confused shepherds. Many of these puzzledpastors lay down their swords and head for saferground. Others, battle-scarred and weary, simplyhope to survive, but the delight that drove themto the Lords frontlines has long since dissipated.What remains is, at best, persistence and oftenlittle more than the necessity to make a living.

Expectations o the inexperienced

pastor oten crumble and morph

rapidly, and soon our man isdisillusioned with the ministry,

with the church, with his own lie

and too oten with the Lord Himsel.

Whats Missing?

Something seems to be missing in the prep-aration and expectations of pastors, and thismissing component leaves them vulnerable tofailure. It may be as simple as this: somewherealong the line pastors have missed the point thatif they are to have fruitful and productive min-istries they will need to pastor with both eyesopen. They will need to have one eye focusedon the Lord and the work before them, and theother eye scouting the horizon for the enemies.

I think Nehemiah had this down as he ledthe returning exiles in rebuilding the walls ofJerusalem. There was a great work to do but alsoan imposing and willing enemy. To concentrateon the work was his desire he wanted to build,not fight. Dont we all? But to naively ignore theenemy was to invite disaster. The people were

afraid. They were not warriors; they were farm-

Pastoring WithBoth Eyes Opened


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ers, shepherds and carpenters and outof their element on the battlefield. Theyhad signed on to build great walls notparticipate in power struggles. How doyou build walls in such an environment?The same way you build churches: withboth eyes opened.

Seeing fear encroaching on his peo-ple Nehemiah refused to give quarter.Do not be afraid of them, he demand-ed, Remember the Lord who is greatand awesome, and fight (Nehemiah4:14). There it is: one eye on the greatand awesome Lord, the other on theenemy. Theology was quickly workedout in methodology (it always is). Whilehalf the people built, the other halfstood guard (4:15-16). And even thosewho worked did so with a weapon inone hand or at least a sword girded at

their side (4:17-18). What Nehemiahunderstood was that there is no build-ing without opposition, no victory forGod without a show of force from thedevil. But Nehemiah would not be dis-tracted, or discouraged. Neither wouldhe back down or compromise to keepthe peace. He knew his mission tobuild walls. He knew his God He wasgreat and awesome, certainly not One toslink away from self-important warlords.He had one eye fixated on His God and

the task his God had given him, andhe would not be moved. But he neverallowed himself for a moment to forgetthat the enemy was still out there, readyto pounce, ready to destroy, ready tostop the work of God and rip apart thepeople of God that he loved. One eye onGod; one eye on the enemy. This is howNehemiah shepherded his people, and itis how we must shepherd our people.

At this point in my article, I will nolonger address our need to keep one eyeon God. This fixation on God is undeni-ably crucial and foundational. Without it,nothing of real value is ever accomplishedfor the Lord. However, my article willnow focus on the enemy. Many a manentered the ministry excited about Godand enthusiastic about the work but wassoon broken by the enemy. And that isdue at least partially, I am convinced,because they didnt expect to encoun-ter an enemy, at least not a serious one.When they do, they are disil lusioned andtotally unprepared for battle.

Lets draw some battle plans for two

enemies who will show up regularly inevery church and in every ministry. Howthese enemies are confronted will largelydefine the kind and quality of the min-istries that will be developed.

It takes a rugged shepherd,

one willing to sacrice himseli need be, to do hand-to-hand

battle with wolves. I am

unconvinced that the majority

o pastors today are prepared

or such combat.

Personal Attacks and Conflicts

I recently spoke to a group of pastors

who were trying to address a problem.A number of their younger pastors werestruggling with understanding the roleof pastor as leader. They feared beingcalled dictators and had become timidand passive. As a result, their minis-tries were weak, and the men themselveslacked confidence. In other words, theyhad been intimidated into abdicatingtheir role as shepherds. Because of fear,uncertainty and doubt they had chosento run (or at least lie low) rather than

fight. Perhaps most of them were kindand humble men who just wanted togently lead the sheep. But while theywere gazing at the soft sunset, wolveswere preparing an assault. And wolvesare ruthless. It takes a rugged shep-herd, one willing to sacrifice himselfif need be, to do hand-to-hand battlewith wolves. I am unconvinced that themajority of pastors today are preparedfor such combat.

Books and articles are legion deal-ing with the subject of pastors underattack. Often these narratives are littlemore than sob stories and hand-holding.Most of them miss the fact that we pas-tors deserve much of the criticism thatcomes our way. And God, by the way,knew this would be the case. Pastors areshepherds (by definition), but they arealso sheep (by nature). We are shepherd-sheep or sheep-shepherds. Either waywe have been given an impossible taskby the Chief Shepherd. We have beencalled to lead the flawed people of God

when we ourselves are plag ued with

defects and blemishes. The best of us saythe wrong things at times. We may beinsensitive, distracted, too weak or toostrong, prone to frustration, and the listgoes on. We will offend people; we willwrong people; we will stumble. And webetter get used to it. One consolationis that our Lord knows what kinds ofpeople He has placed at the helm of Hischurch. This is not an excuse for sinful-ness, but it is recognition that perfectionwil l never be the mark of human shep-herds. God is not surprised by this. Heintends to build local churches throughthe labor of imperfect people, and thatincludes their pastors. Our Lord has sodesigned things this way because theinteraction and even failings of Godspeople, when responded to biblically,produce maturity in the body.

But when theory becomes reality,when crit icism abounds, when a powerplay is in full force, when the battle cryhas been sounded, whats a pastor todo? Far too many falter at this crucialpoint. Somewhere along the line theyhave been led to believe that the pastoris to be a nice guy. He is to be sweet,kind and never upset the members. Heis to love people, not confront them. Heis to be a doormat, willingly acceptingabuse, not a stronghold demanding bib-

lical compliance. After all, the averagepastor wants everyone to like him. Hewants to please people.

Just where did we ev er ge t thisimage of a pastor? Certainly not fromScripture. Paul, who gave us most ofwhat we know about church and pasto-ral life, while always loving, was neverone to back away from a fight whenone was needed. When the Corinthianschallenged his apostolic authority helovingly but firmly called them out (seeSecond Corinthians). When Timothywas al lowing some to bul ly him, Paultold him to not let them get away withit (1 Tim 4:12). Pastors are not givenflocks so they will have an admirationsociety but so that they might lead themin the ways of God. It is a hard les-son but a vital one we cannot pleaseeveryone. We cannot be what everyonewants us to be. To make this our goal isto forsake our mission which is to pleaseChrist (2 Cor. 5:9). Until we understandthis we will never be the pastor God

wants us to be. As long as it is more


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important to us to be liked by peoplethan to be approved by God, our minis-try is superf luous.

Over twenty years ago I read an arti-cle by Steve Brown entitled Developinga Christian Mean Streak.1 This articlehad a profound impact on my life. I hadjust gone through the most difficult timein my ministry, a time of gossip, slanderand pure sinfulness on the part of a few,which led to division and spiritual harmfor many. I had, along with most of ourleaders, taken a strong stand againstthis divisive group. This action was notonly the right thing to do but ultimatelyturned out well for our church. Still, Ihad nagging doubts about some of thedifficult steps we had to take, and I feltremorseful about things that I knewbiblically and rationally had been han-

dled correctly. Reading Browns articlereinforced what I knew to be true ashe spoke of the devastation in churchesbrought about by weak leadership.

The following are some principles Ibelieve will greatly aid pastors as theyface the inevitable attacks and challeng-es that will come. I believe application ofthese principles will do much to enhanceand guard pastoral ministry.

Mean Business with the Word of God

Most conservative pastors spendhours every week studying the Word forsermons and various Bible studies. Theysincerely believe that the Scriptures areinerrant, infallible and necessary for sal-vat ion and god ly living. But when itcomes to the real problems of life andconflict resolution they often leave theteachings of Scripture at the door. Theybelieve in the inspiration of the Wordbut not in its sufficiency. They believein its principles but not in its author-ity. They believe in its helpfulness butnot in its power. When an issue aris-es between members in the body, thetruths of Scripture are treated as sugges-tions rather than mandates. That Godhas provided through the Word every-thing we need to correct such issuesseems to skip the minds of even godlypastors and leaders. Ideas based on psy-chology, common sense or the latestself-help manual often trump the clearand unchangeable teachings of God.The resu lt is a free-for-al l of opinion,

he said / she said accusations, hurt

feelings and division. All this is avoid-able (unless there are serious doctrinal ormoral issues at stake) by simply puttinginto play the principles the Lord has sograciously provided.

For example, below are some simpleteachings in the Word designed to avoidand resolve conflicts that will inevitablyraise their heads from time to time inany church. Every church leader needsto be well-versed in these truths:

The New Testament speaks of thegreat obligation and privilege of being ashepherd of Gods flock (1 Peter 5:1-4;Acts 20:28). Elders are to aspire to theoffice (1 Timothy 3:1), not be forced intoit. And they are to take the responsibilitiesof the office seriously (Hebrews 13:17).

One of the areas in which eldersguide the people of God is unity (1

Corinthians 1:10; Philippians 2:1-2; 4:2-3). Even Gods redeemed people do notnaturally gravitate toward unity. Theytend to find ways to bicker, get theirfeelings hurt and lash out at those whooffend them in ways that cause division.They need leadership who wil l teach andmodel the biblical approach to conflict.

One of the ways in which unity inthe body is broken is through inappro-priate words of gossip and slander. OurLord cautioned about this in the book of

Proverbs. In Proverbs 10:18 it says that afool spreads slander. Proverbs 16:28 and17:9 clearly teach that slander separatesclose friends, yet Proverbs 18:17 showsthat gossip loses most of its power whenthe other side of the story is sought andheard. Proverbs 20:19 goes so far as tocommand that we not associate withgossips. These are wise and valuabletruths that we must incorporate into thelife of the church.

God knew that sins of various kindswould ar ise within the body and Hegives instructions for how they are to behandled. When gossip/slander/conflict/evil is found among believers there areclear steps on how to deal with them:Matthew 18:15-17 tells us to start withprivate confrontation, followed by smallgroup rebuke and then church dis-cipline. But always keep in mind thatthe goal of this process is repentance(Luke 17:3) leading to forgiveness andultimately reconciliation (Luke 17:4).We should constant ly remember that

we are a community of grace and thus

a forgiving people. No one lives a per-fect life, so when we fail each other weare to seek reconciliation on the basisof grace. Therefore we look for everyopportunity to show kindness, tender-heartedness and forgiveness (Ephesians4:32), for the alternatives are anger, bit-terness (Ephesians 4:31) and division(Hebrews 12:15).

The Lord a ls o re cog nized tha tSatans attacks would be especially lev-eled toward the leadership of the church.If Satan can bring down an elder or plantseeds of doubt in peoples minds, he cancause great harm in the body. Thereforethe congregation must be taught thespecial instructions God has providedregarding elders. First Timothy 5:19 tellsus not to receive an accusation againstan elder except on the basis of two or

three witnesses. It is implied that thesewitnesses are wi ll ing to make publicaccusations - not orchestrate a whisper-ing campaign.

These simple inst ructions if fol-lowed, would greatly reduce the frictionfound in so many churches and thusenhance the ministries of those church-es. Yet many churches and their leadersbehave as if God never anticipated suchproblems and has nothing to offer inway of solution.

Enemies Must Not Define Ministry

I use the word enemy loosely sinceI believe the vast majority of trouble-makers in any church are what oneauthor described as well-intentioneddragons. That is, they do not see them-selves as difficult people, they usuallydo not mean to be demanding, and theyenvision themselves as being part of thesolution, not part of the problem. Whatestablishes them as enemies are not nec-essarily their intentions (which may begood) but their ignorance of, or refusalto submit themselves to Gods approachas described in the Word. Abandoningthe biblical methodology, they apply anapproach that is not sanctioned by Godand has ensuing consequences. Theybecome enemies, not so much of thepastor, but of the way of God. If thesepeople are prevented from controllingthe church, but not corrected biblically,they will prove to be irritations with-in the body. They will gripe, complain

and whisper in an attempt to win a few


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more to their cause. But worse, if theyare allowed to have their way, they willdefine the local church ministry andthat will be in an unbiblical manner.

The problem is that most churchleaders want to avoid conflict at all cost.They were not attracted to church lead-ership to do battle but to help people.Little do they know that doing battle isa key ingredient in helping people, andthus, when tough situations show up, theylook for ways to sidestep trouble. Ofteninexperienced leaders are heard saying,Maybe it will blow over. Yet, ratherthan blowing over, the problems becomeingrained. Next comes the temptationto give in. Far too many churches are runby those who are willing to squeak theloudest and cause the biggest disruption.Of course such people, controlled by their

flesh rather than by the Spirit, are the lastpeople who should be leading the church.The simple fact is that someone will leadin any local assembly. It should be thepastor and the appointed leaders, but ifthey are unwilling to fulfill their biblicaljob description, someone else will stepinto the gap. Pastors who are fulfillingthe role that God has given them darenot run from the field of battle and handthe victory to the enemies.

Always Remember who Your Master IsThe pastor who is working for thepeople rather than for the Master is atthe whim of every voice in the congre-gation. While it is wise to listen to thethoughts of Gods people, and in factmuch of value is often gleaned, there isonly one voice that must be obeyed. Achurch must not be modeled after thepattern of mens minds. God has alreadydesigned His church; it is not our task torethink the church (as many are callingfor today) but to unfold Gods paradigm.I believe Ephesians 4:11-16 lays out theLords blueprint for His church perhapsbetter than any other place in Scripture.There we f ind that God has given to Hischurch specially gifted men to equip thesaints so that they might do the workof ministry which in turn builds up thebody of Christ. To dispose of this bibli-cal model for a seeker-sensitive one, oran Emergent one, or for the next fadcoming down the pike, or for the whimsof a divisive group in the congregation,

is to discard the voice of the Master.

Keep in mind that if you lined upone hundred people who know you welland had them honestly evaluate yourlife as they see it, one hundred peoplewould be wrong to various degrees. OnlyChrist knows who we are at the core ofour being, only His evaluation is correct,and only what He thinks ultimately mat-ters. Our task is to live to please Him (2Corinthians 2:9), not our congregation,ourselves or the latest guru impressingChristians at the moment.

Never Abandon the Sheep to the Wolves

As much as I apprec ia ted Stev eBrowns article, one thing grieved me.He said that he kept a resignation letteron file at all times and was willing touse it. While there is a time to resign aministry, far too many pastors pull the

trigger too quickly. Most leave the fieldof battle during the heat of conflict, onlyto move to another church in which con-flict will eventually rear its ugly head. Itshould never be forgotten that conflictis simply unavoidable; what matters ishow it is handled. But to leave the sheepduring the very heat of battle, at themercy of wolves, simply does not speakwell for the shepherd. Such a move maygive temporary respite for the pastor,but it will not normally do anything

for the local church except to allow thewrong people to gain control and inf lictmore harm. I have determined, by Godsgrace, that I will never desert the sheepwhen they need me most. If I were toleave my present ministry, it would beduring a time of relative peace and spiri-tual prosperity, not when the wolves arenipping at the heels of the sheep.

Above I wrote that pastors shouldprepare for two enemies who will showup regularly in every church and in everyministry. The first that I addressedabove was personal attacks and confl icts.The second is false teaching.

False Teaching

Perhaps the most ignored promisefound in the New Testament is 2 Peter2:1-3: But false prophets also aroseamong the people, just as there will alsobe false teachers among you, who willsecretly introduce destructive heresies,even denying the Master who boughtthem, bringing swift destruction upon

themselves. Many will follow their sensu-

ality, and because of them the way of thetruth will be maligned; and in their greedthey will exploit you with false words;their judgment from long ago is not idle,and their destruction is not asleep.

Peter clearly warns that false teach-ers will be found within the church ofChrist, and these posers will secretlyintroduce heresies that will bringdestruction to the lives of Gods people.In light of this fact Jude, in a parallelpassage, calls for us to contend earnest-ly for the faith which was once for allhanded down to the saints (Jude 3). IfPeters warning is ignored, Judes chargecan be equally discounted. But why?Why do most of Gods people, includ-ing pastors, behave as if these texts werenever written? This is especially prob-lematic because these are not isolated

concerns in the Scriptures. Not only didJesus constantly confront false doctrine,but most of the New Testament epis-tles heavily lean toward exposing andcorrecting both false teaching and falseliving (Titus 1:9). Why would modernbelievers assume that these things are nolonger important in our age?

No doubt the principal reason is thatpeople today eschew the negative andgravitate toward the positive. The pen-dulum has swung from a time when

people didnt feel like they had gone tochurch unless they had their toes steppedon, to a time when to step on peoplestoes might mean they will switchchurches. The most popular preacher ofour day is a man who knows little the-ology, is not trained in the Scriptures,does not preach the gospel and ignoreslarge portions of biblical truth. Insteadhe smiles constantly, tells people Godwants them to have a wonderful andprosperous life, and shuns any commenton sin or judgment. Yet, every weekendover thirty thousand people flock to hisservices and millions tune in via televi-sion. This pastor is merely reflective ofour times, and he is successful. Preacha biblical message if you like, but if youwant a succes sful minist ry (in otherwords, large crowds) you better give thepeople what they want.

But what about Gods warningregarding false teachers and His man-date to contend for the faith? The trendypastor rides the waves of current fads

and philosophy, but the faithful pas-


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tor anchors his ministry in the timelesstruth of Gods revelation. If our Lordhas bothered to warn us that wolvesin the form of heretical teachers willattempt to ravish the sheep, we need totake Him seriously and keep a constantwatch for predators. If God has instruct-ed us to earnestly contend for the faith,we had better strap on our armor andprepare for battle. If we love the peoplewith whom the Lord has entrusted us,we will want to protect them from thedanger of wandering from the truth.

Unfortunately there is much con-fusion in this area. Many, eager tomaintain harmony among Gods peo-ple, cannot reconcile contending forthe faith with unity. Certain ly Paulspeaks of unity of the faith as a markof Christian maturity and something

that should result from equipping thesaints as we speak the truth in love(Ephesians 4:12-15). But the unity Paulcommends is a oneness built around thefaith, which is a synonym for biblicaltruth. The body of Christ is to be taughtGods truth, stand on truth, be unitedaround truth and dispense truth. Pauleven describes the church as the pillarand support of the truth (1 Timothy3:15). It becomes obvious that thechurch has very little purpose if truth is

not at the center of all it does. Unity thatis not centered in the truth is not unityof the faith but mere uniformity.

Where I live, we have the secondlargest military cemetery in the country.If you were to visit Camp Butler youwould not find unity but the essence ofuniformity: gravestones in perfect order,grass beautifully mowed. But every-one there is dead. Uniformity is a gooddescription of much of the church today:sociable, active, tolerant, compromisingand dead. Biblical unity, on the otherhand, is a description of a vital faithwrapped around truth.

Since we are called to this kind ofliving, it is of utmost importance thatpastors devote themselves to the carefulteaching of the Word and the protectionof Gods people from error. Many pas-tors are quite dedicated to the study ofScripture. They painstakingly preparetheir message and Bible studies usingall diligence to make certain that theyexposit Gods Word. This is excellent

and where the majority of the pastorsenergy should be expended. They mustalso be aware, however, that their peopleare surrounded constantly by a wide arrayof falsehood and half-truths in the nameof Christ. There are few Christian tele-vision programs wor thy of the name,Christian radio is often a mixed bag,many Christian bookstores are a mine-field where the very worst in Christianliterature is sold, and the Internet is filledwith every form of deception.

This is not to say that there can-not be honest disagreements amongChristians over some areas of doctrine- not every hill is worth dying on. Noram I saying that everything outside thefour walls of ones particular church isdangerous, far from it. There has neverbeen a time when more wonderful tools

have been available to aid the seriousChristian: computer programs, excellentcommentaries and theological works, lit-erature which shines the truth of God onthe issues of life, and good Bible teach-ing from many sources. The problemis that few Christians have been taughtto discern truth from error. Therefore,many well-intentioned believers swallowwhatever is being promoted. For exam-ple, Michael W. Smith heavily endorsesthe f ictional workThe Shack, saying that

it will change ones relationship withGod forever. His endorsement alonemay account for the sale of hundreds ofthousands of copies of the novel. Andhe is right. The Shack, if taken seriously,may very well change your relationshipwith God, but not in a positive way. TheShack offers a view of God that blendsChristianity with Eastern and New Agethought. The undiscerning Christianwi ll not recognize this fact and couldeasily sink into a distorted understand-ing of the nature of God.

How does the concerned pastor dealwith these kinds of issues? First, he iscareful to keep before his people solidbiblical teachings - in the above caseregarding The Shack, the biblical teach-ing at stake is the person and natureof God. Yes, I know that many wouldrather hear about self-image and howto prosper and succeed in life, but whatthey need to hear is about the greatnessand majesty of God as rightly taughtfrom the Word.

Tey must also be aware,

however, that their people

are surrounded constantly

by a wide array o alsehood

and hal-truths in the nameo Christ.

Secondly, I believe the concernedpastor will keep both eyes open, becom-ing aware early of potential trends,movements and books which mightsideline his people. He then educateshimself, as necessary, so that he can stayahead of the curve on potentially harm-ful matters.

How can this be done, given the lim-

ited time most pastors have?First, pay attention to what the

Christian media is pushing. What arethe hottest books? What conferences arepeople attending? What quasi-Chris-tian themes are being promoted in thesecular arena? What new concepts arecollege students (including Bible Collegestudents) bringing home? What is mak-ing the rounds on the Internet? A fewof these things will prove to need theattention of the pastor wanting to con-

tend for the faith. For example, pastorsmight find, to their sad surprise, thatsome of their people are buying whatOprah is selling at the moment. Recentlyshe has thrown considerable influencebehind the New Age Movement (oftencalled the New Spirituality). First, it wasRhonda Byrnes The Secret, next it wasEckhart Tolles A New Earth. Both ofthese authors liberally quote Scripturecould any of your people be taken in?

Hopefully not. Hopefully yourflock can see through Oprah, but whatabout things closer to home? Takethe Emergent Church movement, forexample, which is nothing more than apostmodern update of old liberalism -the same liberalism which theologicallygutted the conservative denominationsin the Nineteenth and early TwentiethCenturies. But most Twenty-FirstCentury Christians have no conceptof this, and when they read the win-some literature of Emergent leaders theyare attracted. This is especially true of


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impressionable college-age students.Yet, when I ask Christian leaders if theyhave read the authors that so influencetheir young people, I receive few posi-tive responses. They seem to be unawarethat Donald Millers Blue Like Jazz is themost popular book on campus, as it offersa fresh view of the Christian life, at thesame time using virtually no Scriptureand subtly distorts the Bible-basedworldview. Nor have most pastors readBrian McLaren, the recognized leader ofthe Emergent movement. They might beaware of Rob Bell, if for no other reasonthan his videos (called Noomas), are usu-ally front and center at most Christianbookstores. But they dont know what heteaches. It is hard to guard the sheep andcontend for the faith if we dont knowwhat the most prominent teachers are

doing to cause confusion in the flock.Most of the important challenges

to the faith today seem to center eitheraround the Gospel (such as The NewPerspective on Paul or Evangelicals andCatholics Together) or the Scriptures.Sometimes the Bible takes a direct hit,such as the Bible code phenomenon or adestructive hermeneutical approach (suchas Redemptive-Movement Hermeneutics).But more likely the Bible is subtly under-mined by the time-honored approach of

ignoring what it says and adding to it,thus twisting the Christian life into what-ever form one pleases.

The last concern is so common thatit is impossible to escape. The wisepastor teaches his people the authorityand sufficiency of the Word. He fur-ther instructs them in how to take theideas of men and women and run themthrough the grid of Scripture. Thisapproach filters the concepts that do notemerge from Scripture leaving only thepure truth. Unless pastors teach theirpeople this type of discernment they willmost likely be tossed here and there bywaves and carried about by every windof doctrine (Ephesians 4:14).

Conclusion

Somewhere I picked up this littlestory of a mother who one Sundaymorning went in to wake her son. Asshe told him it was time to get readyfor church he replied, Im not going.Why not? she asked. One, they dont

like me, and two, I dont like them. Hismother replied, Ill give you two goodreasons why you should go to church.First, youre 59 years old, and second,youre the pastor.

It wouldnt surprise me if most pas-tors feel this way on occasion. A fewyears into the ministr y, and many areasking, What have I gotten myselfinto? Their expectations of perpetuallycalm seas and constant spiritual victorieshave dissolved into turbulent waters andall too regular battles. This is not to saythat the work of the pastor is not glori-ously fulfilling and often abounding infruit; it is to say that most accomplish-ments for the Lords glory will be on thefield of battle, not in the rose garden.The effective pastor must be preparedfor this reality. Enemies, both within

and without the church, will be his con-stant companions.

Surely there has never been a morechallenging time to be a pastor. Pastorsmust learn to minister with both eyesopen, as they fix their eyes on Jesus(Hebrews 12:2), and yet remain awareof the enemies that oppose the Lordswork. Perhaps there is no better verse inScripture for the man of God to mem-orize and believe than 1 Corinthians15:58, Therefore, my beloved brethren,

be steadfast, immovable, always abound-ing in the work of the Lord, knowingthat your toil is not in vain in the Lord.

ENDNotES

Steve Brown, Developing a Christian MeanStreak, Leadership (Vol. VIII no. 2), Spring 1987,

pp. 32-37.


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T

o state that the concept of absolute truth(a statement that is true in any circum-stance) is under attack is somewhat akin

to saying water is wet. Depending on the surveyyou read, somewhere between one-third and one-half of all North Americans reject the idea thatthere could be a statement that is true in everyconceivable situation. Of course when someonesays, There is no such thing as an absolute truththis is, in and of itself, a claim of absolute truth.Therefore the proposition is self-negating. Stil l,it seems that this rather obvious (dare I say theword) truth is lost on the man who would argueagainst the existence of absolute truth.

One of the most curious inconsistencies of those

who hold this position (a position, by the way, thatoverflows with inconsistencies) is that they usemaps. For you see a map has landmarks and roadsthat are fixed at a certain location. Thus, a map, byits nature makes a claim to absolute truth. Yet thevast majority of people (there are always exceptions,I suppose, but I can honestly say I have never metany) assume that an up-to-date map is a correctrepresentation of what actually exists.

One would expect that, for those who believetruth is relative (what is true for you might notbe true for me, and what was true for me fiveminutes ago might not be true for me now) thebest map would be a blank sheet of paper. Thatway each individual map reader/maker would beempowered to change and create his own person-al, fluid, truth-of-the-moment. The inscriptionswould have to be in penc il of course , since itwould be necessary to erase and re-write as thetruth changed. Now using a map like this wouldbe as ridiculous as stocking up on powdered water,but it is a position demanded if a man rejectsabsolute truth. If absolute truth is a socially-desig-nated fiction, then maps are an impossibility. Yetthe existence and reliability of maps is as widely

accepted as is the reality of electricity.

It is impossible to walk through this life andbehave consistently if one accepts no absolutetruths. No one doubts the reality of gravity when

standing on the edge of a cliff, especially whenthey are looking down. No one says, Well, thatbottle marked poison may be harmful to youbut my truth is different than yours. At leastthey dont say it for very long if they act on thatassumption. Absolute truth is so often assumedin so many different circumstances that onewonders how people can deny its existence.

I absolute truth is a

socially-designated ction, then

maps are an impossibility.Yet the existence and reliability

o maps is as widely accepted as is

the reality o electricity.

Because it is so obvious, some are forced toadmit the existence of absolute truth in regardsto the material world. However, when they dealwith the non-material, their worldview changesradically. They may say, your ideas about whatlies beyond this material universe might be help-ful to you, but they arent helpful to me. I havemy own ideas. And since both you and I arehelped by our ideas, and they lie outside therealm of verification, what is true for you mightnot be true for me.

The problem with separating the materialfrom the immaterial when it comes to the natureof truth, is that the very act of making this dis-tinction implies that the immaterial is less realthan the material. In other words, while the mate-rial world can be examined, weighed, measured,quantified, and categorized, these activities are

impossible with the immaterial world. Therefore,

Some ThoughtsAbout Maps

Bue Bke

Bruce Baker is SeniorPastor of Jenison Bible

Church in Hudsonville,

Michigan. This article

is an abridged excerpt

from his forthcoming

bookThe Road to

Maturity.


13/25

they claim, we cant truly know the real-ity of the immaterial realm.

Consider two people in a roomwith no windows and only one door.Lets name them Tom and Bob.They have spent their whole lives inthis room. From outside the door theyhear noises, faint and muffled, but loudenough to know that something liesbeyond. Since each man hears thosenoises a little differently, each comesto different conclusions about what isbehind the door. Knowing that he mustpass through that door at some unde-fined point in the future, each lives hislife according to his idea about what isback there. But the fact that they cantknow what is behind the door doesnot change the reality of what really isbehind the door.

Now consider what would happenif someone from the hidden side of thedoor provided a TV that Tom couldaccess and Bob couldnt. The personbehind the door chooses images toinform Tom how he should live in prep-aration to pass through the door. Tomcould, therefore, make a claim to abso-lute (but incomplete) truth based uponthe revelation supplied from behind thedoor. If Bob were to say, Well, thatsyour truth. I have my own, this claim

would seem absurd to Tom, who hasactually experienced the reality, eventhough indirectly.

Tose who are born again

know that the spiritual world

is just as real as this one.

And just as there is absolute

truth in the material world,

so there is absolute truth in

the immaterial world.

It is the same in the spiritual world.God the Holy Spirit has revealed spiri-tual truths to those who trust in Christwhich he has not revealed to the world(because these truths are beyond theirunderstanding). Those who are bornagain know that the spiritual world isjust as real as this one. And just as thereis absolute truth in the material world,

so there is absolute truth in the imma-

terial world. Therefore, if a person reallybelieves that something lies beyond thislife, then, if they are going to be con-sistent, they must hold that there can becorrect and incorrect information aboutthat something.

Even those who deny absolute truthcannot live a life consistent with theirbelief. That people read maps for exam-ple, illustrates how absolute truth isassumed as we walk through life. Below,in no particular order, are some basicassumptions that all people make aboutmaps. I assume these truths to apply tothe Bible as well.

First, a map is a correct representationof what actually is, and therefore is truefor everyone. My wife and I visited theColumbus zoo recently. At the entrance,we were handed a map of the zoo. After

strolling around aimlessly for a bit, wedecided we wanted to see the gorillas.But how to get there, that was the ques-tion! We unfolded the map given to usand found it to be remarkably unhelpful.We studied it and turned it around vari-ous ways trying to figure out which wayto go. Eventually, we just guessed andmeandered in what we thought was thegeneral direction of the great apes. Finally,we spied signs which pointed us down thecorrect path. What is interesting about

this story is that it never occurred to usthat the map was wrong. We just assumedthe zookeepers wouldnt be in the businessof handing out maps designed to mislead.We trusted that they distributed maps inorder to show people where the exhibitswere and to guide the crowds to them.Rather than doubting the maps accuracy,we automatically concluded that eithera) we were reading it wrong, b) the mapwas confusing and poorly written, or c)all of the above. What we didnt do wastry and trade someone else for their map.We assumed everyone had the same mapbecause its truths (confusing as they were)were universal.

Second, maps must be interpretedbefore they can be applied to life. Whatthe Columbus zoos map didnt do wastell us where we were. We were com-pelled to look around us for the variouslandmarks indicated on the map todetermine our current location. Andhere was the root of our problem. Wecouldnt agree on our location so we

couldnt decide which way we ought to

go. The landmarks listed didnt appearto correspond with our surroundings.Simply put, we had an interpretationproblem! We couldnt answer the ques-tions required to properly use the map.What does this symbol mean? Is that hotdog stand shown on the map? We knowwere at an intersection of three roads,but there are several places like that onthe map. Which one is ours? Fortunatelyfor us, God is the perfect communica-tor. After all, language was His idea inthe first place! Therefore, we can counton the clarity of Scripture. In otherwords, the main idea the Bible is try ingto express in any given passage is clearenough that we can understand and,more importantly, act upon it. While wemay not be able to answer every ques-tion, the information necessary for us to

move on to maturity is clearly presented.Thi rd, maps dont take you any-

where. They just show you the way youshould go. As we stood at that cross-roads in the zoo and stared at the map,we didnt move at al l. The map didntmagically transport us to our desireddestination. All it did was point theway. We had to actually do something!The reason we didnt move for a whilewas that we didnt know where we weregoing. But even if we had understood the

map, staring at it, studying it, findingthe intricate relationships between oneexhibit and another, even memorizingit didnt take us one step closer to seeingthe gorillas. In James 1:22 (NIV) theBible warns against such inaction: Donot merely listen to the word, and sodeceive yourselves. Do what it says.So merely learning facts from the Bibleprofits you nothing if you do not putwhat you learn into action.

Fourth, while there may be manyroads that lead to the same place, thedestination doesnt move. We discov-ered there was more than one road thatled to the gorillas. What we wanted tosee on our way determined the road wetook. Nevertheless, nothing on the mapchanged its location. The destinationremained fixed in place. Only the routewe took to get there was (somewhat)optional. When God begins to work inHis servants, He doesnt always takeus down the same road. We dont allpass the same points. He determines the

route for us depending on what is nec-


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essary to change us. Some might needto be freed from greed or lust or anger.Others might need to have added tothem humility or patience, or endurance.And God s ways of suppressing thosevices and producing those virtues are asvaried as the individuals God has calledto serve Him. There are general prin-ciples and even specific commands to befollowed, to be sure. But God works inus individually, according to our indi-vidual needs. That being said, the goalof maturity remains fixed, even if thepath down which God leads us variesfrom person to person.

Fifth, not all roads take you where youwant to go. While there were many roadsleading to the gorillas, not all the roadsdid. It was possible to head in the wrongdirection and miss the goal entirely. I say

this, not to take away from the previouspoint, but merely to restrict it somewhat.It is possible to misinterpret a map andthus end up where you dont want to be.Some would say that the journey is theimportant thing, not the destination. Butif your journey leads you to the middle ofthe desert where you are dying from thirst,chances are you would reconsider thatopinion. The journey is certainly impor-tant and it isnt the same for everyone, butthe destination remains fixed on the map,

and not every road takes you there. Thatswhy asking for help reading the map is agood ideaas long as the person givingthe directions knows how to read the maphimself and knows the lay of the land. Aspastors and Bible teachers, thats our job--knowing the lay of the land and directingpeople in the right direction in accordancewith the map.


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W

hile I was waiting to get a haircut,I came across an article in a recentissue of U.S. News & World Report.

The title caught my attention. How Did Lifeon Earth Get Started? The article quoted sci-entists who say that they have found the oldestrobust evidence of life.1 The evidence they citedinvolved rocks that, they claim, dated back 3.5billion of years. The article went on to say thateven before this great discovery, ample evidenceindicated that life on Earth began while our 4.5billion-year-old planet was very young.2 Thatswhat the world teaches.

But we need to ask, What does the Bibleteach? When we read the first chapter of the

Bible, we learn two important things: 1) God is aGod of order, and 2) God is an all-powerful God.

God is a God of Order: He created everything

In the beginning God created the heavensand the earth (Genesis 1:1).

Genesis 1:1 serves as a summary of thecreation account with the expression in thebeginning referring to the beginning of ouruniverse as we know it.3 Genesis 1 was an answerto the false religions of those days which said thattheir gods created the world. These were peoplewith whom the Israel ites interacted and whocirculated stories about how the world came tobe and how humans came into existence. Forexample, the Babylonians taught that Marduk,the chief god of Babylon, decided to manufacturea man in order to serve the other smaller gods, sothat those gods could rest. The Egyptians taughtthat while the Egyptian god Khnum was sittingat a potters wheel forming man, Hekat his wifegives the clay figure the breath of life in its nos-trils. 4 The Sumerians taught that humans cameto be as a result of many gods being involved ina drunken orgy.5 The Canaanites were a peo-

ple who worshipped foreign, false gods. They

believed that El was the creator and his wifeAsherah was the goddess of ferti lity, the one whomade grass grow and the one who made women

to become pregnant. Baal was the storm god.Besides giving a clear answer to the false reli-

gions, Genesis 1 is an answer to todays atheist whosays There is no God. Genesis 1 is also an answerto todays evolutionist who says that the world andeverything in it is a result of a Big Bang.

He created all the over

two hundred galaxies that we

know about and all the other

galaxies we dont know about.Genesis 1:1 tells us that God created the

heavens and the earth. The expression the heav-ens and the earth is a figure of speech calledmerism. A merism is the use of two oppositestatements to signify the whole. For examplein Psalm 139:2 David writes, You know whenI sit down and when I rise up that means thatGod knows everything about us. So when theBible says that in the beginning God createdthe heavens and the earth, this means that Hecreated the heavens, the earth, and everythingin between. He created all the over two hundredgalaxies that we know about and all the othergalaxies we dont know about.6

God is a God of order: He formed the form-

less and filled the void

The earth was without form and void, anddarkness was over the face of the deep. And theSpirit of God was hovering over the face of thewaters (Genesis 1:2).

Genesis 1:2 asserts that God brought theworld from its primitive condit ion of desola-

tion and waste to its fullness and order. 7 In

In the Beginning,God Created

Tibeius rt

Dr. Tiberius Rata

is originally fromRomania. He is now

Chairman of the Bibli-

cal Studies Department

and Professor of Old

Testament Studies

at Grace College and

Theological Seminary

in Winona Lake, IN.

He is available to speak

in your church and may

be contacted by email at

[email protected]


16/25

his bookParadise to Prison, Dr. John J.Davis explains, Verse 1 is an indepen-dent clause describing the creation exnihilo of the universe in the beginning,and verse 2 is a series of three circum-stantial clauses describing the conditionof the earth before God completed Hiswork of creation.8 It is also importantto understand what this expression doesnot mean. It doesnt mean that betweenGenesis 1:1 and Genesis 1:2 there is gapof millions or billions of years. Thereis no grammatical evidence in Genesis1:1-2 nor any biblical evidence elsewhereto support such a hypothesis.9

The following shows how our God,who is a God of order, formed the form-less and filled the void.

Gd fms he fmless

Day 1: Light with darknessDay 2: Sea and skyDay 3: Fertile earth

Gd flls he dDay 4: Lights for the day and nightDay 5: Creatures for the water and airDay 6: Creatures for the fertile earth

God is a God of order: He created

everything in six days

And there was evening, and there

was morning, the first day (Genesis 1:5).The fact that our God is a God oforder can be seen in the creation accountwhich is presented in a very clear temporalframework. The question we need to ask is,Are these literal 24-hour days as we knowthem, or are they long periods of time?

Until the 19th century, very few peo-ple questioned that God created the worldin six literal days. But as the world rejectedGod and His Word, the world (throughCharles Darwin) also came up with thehypothesis that life evolved over billionsof years. Unfortunately, some Christiansbought into this hypothesis, and sidedwith Darwin instead of relying on theBible. Some tried to marry the Bible withthis so-called science. One result was atheory called the Day-Age theory.

The Day-Age theory suggests thatGod created the world, however not insix literal days but in six long periods oftime they call ages. This way, they said,we can al low for the idea of bill ionsof years. Unfortunately, these people

are more interested in pleasing Darwin

and his followers, than pleasing God andtrusting His Word. The Biblical recordsides with those who hold to a six literalday account.

The word tr anslated day is theHebrew word ym which appears 1584times in the Bible. This word can meanboth a 24-hour period and a long inde-terminate period of time. However, outof 1584 usages, only seventeen times doesym mean a long, indeterminate period oftime. This is the case in the propheticmaterial when the prophets speak aboutthe Day of the LORD (Isaiah 13:9;Jeremiah 46:10; Ezekiel 30:3; Joel 2:1,11). Furthermore, every time the wordym is modified by a numeral, it alwaysrefers to a 24-hour period (Genesis 7:4;Exodus 12:18; Leviticus 8:33; Numbers9:3; Deuteronomy 1:2).

Unortunately, some

Christians bought into this

hypothesis, and sided with

Darwin instead o relying

on the Bible. Some tried

to marry the Bible with

this so-called science.

Internal evidence from Scriptureclarifies that these were literal 24-hourdays, as we know them. The FourthCommandment states, Remember theSabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days youshall labor, and do all your work, but theseventh day is a Sabbath to the LORDyour God. On it you shall not do anywork, you, or your son, or your daughter,your male servant, or your female ser-vant, or your livestock, or the sojournerwho is within your gates. For in six daysthe LORD made heaven and earth, thesea, and all that is in them, and restedthe seventh day. Therefore the LORDblessed the Sabbath day and made it holy(Exodus 20:8-11). Six days are referred toin the same context regarding a workweek and creation week, proving that inboth cases 24-hour days are meant.

Also, if one believes that these dayswere long periods of time, ages of mil-lions and billions of years, what happenswith the night-ages? That is a question

they cannot answer.

We can appeal to biologists, botanists,geologists, physicists, mathematicians,chemists, biochemists, and geneticistswho can attest that the Bible is true andcorrect in all things including the creationaccount. But in the end, these experts willbe unable to convince anyone, becauseultimately, we need to understand thatGods creation is a miracle.

God is all-powerful: He created

everything through the power of His

Word

Seven times in Genesis 1 Moseswrites, And God said, Let

Genesis 1:3 And God said, Let therebe light

Genesis 1:6 And God said, Let there bean expanse in the midst of the waters, and

let it separate the waters from the waters.Genesis 1:9 And God said, Let the

waters under the heavens be gatheredtogether into one place, and let the dryland appear.

Genesis 1:11 And God said, Letthe earth sprout vegetation, plants yield-ing seed, and fruit trees bearing fruit inwhich is their seed, each according to itskind, on the earth.

Genesis 1:14 And God said, Letthere be lights in the expanse of the heav-

ens to separate the day from the night.Genesis 1:20 And God said, Letthe waters swarm with swarms of liv-ing creatures, and let birds fly above theearth across the expanse of the heavens.

Genesis 1:24 And God said, Letthe earth bring forth living creaturesaccording to their kinds - livestock andcreeping things and beasts of the earthaccording to their kinds.

Each time God spoke in Genesis 1,His Word powerfully brought somethinginto being. The Psalmist declared, Bythe word of the LORD the heavens weremade, and by the breath of his mouth alltheir host. He gathers the waters of thesea as a heap; he puts the deeps in store-houses. Let all the earth fear the LORD;let all the inhabitants of the world standin awe of him! For he spoke, and it cameto be; he commanded, and it stood firm(Psalm 33:6-9).

Not only does God create throughthe power of His Word, but six timesin the first verses of Genesis we are told

that God saw that it was good. This is


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not just an evaluation of Gods creation,it is also moral pronouncement. The cre-ation is good because God made it, andbecause it conforms to His nature.10

Conclusion

When I came to the United Statesback in 1986, Ronald Reagan wasPresident. He said, Sometimes whenIm faced with an unbeliever, an athe-ist, I am tempted to invite him to thegreatest gourmet dinner that one couldever serve, and when we finished eatingthat magnificent dinner, to ask him if hebelieves theres a cook.

One of my friends puts it like this:The same scientists who say that sci-ence has proven that a six-day creationweek dating only thousands of years agois impossible would ALSO tell you that

science has proved that a virgin birthis impossible, that no one can walk onwater or calm a storm with a word, thatpeople cant be miraculously healed ofblindness or leprosy with just a touch ora word, and that people certainly cant beraised from the dead. Indeed, a scientistwithout God and the Bible as his/herfoundation is a dangerous creature.

Even more dangerous than these sci-entists, is a pastor or a Bible professorwho rejects the truth of the Bible. Here

is an excerpt from a letter called TheClergy Letter Project, which has beensigned by over 11,000 pastors. They write,Religious truth is of a different orderfrom scientific truth. Its purpose is notto convey scientific information but totransform hearts. We the undersigned,Christian clergy from many different tra-ditions, believe that the timeless truthsof the Bible and the discoveries of mod-ern science may comfortably coexist. Webelieve that the theory of evolution is afoundational scientific truth, one that hasstood up to rigorous scrutiny and uponwhich much of human knowledge andachievement rests. To reject this truth orto treat it as one theory among others isto deliberately embrace scientific igno-rance and transmit such ignorance to ourchildren... We urge school board membersto preserve the integrity of the sciencecurriculum by affirming the teaching ofthe theory of evolution as a core compo-nent of human knowledge. We ask thatscience remain science and that religion

remain religion, two very different, but

complementary, forms of truth.11

The Bible, on the other hand, clearlystates, By faith we understand that theuniverse was created by the word of God,so that what is seen was not made out ofthings that are visible (Hebrews 11:3).It is our duty to respond to this great,Creator God with worship, praise and trust(Revelation 4:11; Psalm 8; Psalm 146:3-6).

ENDNotES

1 Brian Vastag, How Did Life on Earth GetStarted?, U.S. News and World Report, Volume145, Number 3 (August 4, 2008), p. 43.

2 Ibid.

3 Allen Ross, Creation and Blessing (GrandRapids: Baker, 1997), p. 106.

4 Kenneth Mathews, Genesis 1-11, Ne wAmerican Commentary (Nashville: Broadman& Holman, 1996), p. 91.

5 Ibid., p. 95.

6 The Hubble Space Telescope site estimate sthat there are hundreds of billions of galaxiesin the universe.

7 Ross, p. 106.

8 John J. Davis, Paradise to Prison (WinonaLake: BMH Books, 1975), p. 46.

9 For furt her study see Weston W. Fields,Unformed and Unfilled, The Gap Theory(Phillipsburg, NJ: Presbyterian and ReformedPublishing Co, 1978).

10 James Montgomery Boice, Genesis 1-11(Grand Rapids: Baker, 1998), p. 85.

11 http://www.butler.edu/clergyproject (accessedFebruary 13, 2009).

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EDitorS NotE: It is always use ful to clar ify ourtheological positions when asked. Below are some ques-tions about dispensationalism that Dr. Michael Vlach

answers. His answers should be helpful to our readers.

Question: You have been critical of how dispen-sationalism is often defined. What do you thinkis a good short definition of dispensationalism?

Answer: Dispensational ism is a system of theol-ogy primarily concerned with the doctrines ofecclesiology and eschatology that emphasizes thehistoricalgrammatical meaning of Old Testamentprophetic passages and covenants, a distinctionbetween Israel and the church, and a future sal-

vation and restoration of the nation Israel in afuture earthly kingdom.

Question: Why are you a dispensationalist andhow did you become a dispensationalist?

Answer: I consider myself a dispensat iona listbecause I believe the foundational beliefs of dis-pensationalism are biblically sound. I accept thebasic hermeneutical assumptions of dispensa-tionalism, especially the view that what Godpromised in the Old Testament to Israel will befulfilled with the nation Israel. I also believe itsviews on the distinction between the church andIsrael. My theological heritage as a Christian wasinfluenced by dispensationalism. When I becamea Christian at age 14 in the early 1980s I attendedchurches that could be considered dispensation-al. In the early 1990s I did what many youngadult Christians do who are serious about theBible. I was willing to examine the beliefs of mytheological heritage to see if what I had acceptedby heritage lined up with what the Bible teaches. Iwas aware of the negative critiques that influentialnondispensational scholars had offered. Several

scholars who I had great respect for in the areas

of Gods sovereignty, salvation, and authority ofScripture were critical of dispensationalism andpart of me wondered, What if they are right? Am

I missing something? I began to examine wheth-er dispensationalism was a biblical theology. I readmany books and articles from both sides of theissue. Particularly influential to me was the 1988book, Continuity and Discontinuity: Perspectiveson the Relationship Between the Testaments, editedby John S. Feinberg. The purpose of this bookwas to put leading dispensational and discontinu-ity scholars against leading covenant theologianson the important issues of hermeneutics, law,kingdom, people of God, and salvation in thetestaments. This book allowed a side-by-side

comparison of leading scholars on both sides ofthese key issues. And, in my opinion, the dispen-sational/discontinuity scholars were much moreconvincing. I found the dispensational herme-neutic of maintaining a reference point in theOld Testament prophetic passages to be sound.I also found the case for a salvation and restora-tion of the nation Israel to be very strong. Themore I studied these issues, the more convinced Ibecame that dispensationalists were right on theseimportant issues. Later, when I wrote my disserta-tion in 2004 regarding the relationship betweenIsrael and the church, I became further convincedthat the church is never identified as Israel inthe Bible and that a future salvation and restora-tion for Israel could be supported in both theOld and New testaments. Now I am not just adispensationalist by heritage. I am a convinceddispensationalist from much personal study.

Question: What is the main mistake thatnondispensationalists make when evaluating dis-pensationalism?

Answer: The main mistake is presenting straw

man arguments and then knocking the straw man

Q & A AboutDispensationalism

Miel J. Vl

Dr. Mike Vlach isAssistant Professor of

Theology at The Mas-

ters Seminary in Sun

Valley, CA. This article

is an excerpt from his

book Dispensational-

ism: Essential Beliefs

and Common Myths

available at www.

TheologicalStudies.

org where you may also

access numerous other

theological studies and

articles written by him.


19/25

down and declaring victory. Put sim-ply, many nondispensational critics aredeficient in their understanding of dis-pensational theology. Whether they aresimply overconfident or have not donetheir homework, they present dispensa-tionalism in a way that is either not trueor is seriously outmoded. John Gerstnerand his book, Wrongly Dividing the Wordof Truth, was a classic example of poorresearch and misrepresentations. Bytying dispensationalism to multiple waysof salvation, Arminianism, antinomian-ism, and nonlordship salvation, Gerstnershowed a complete lack of understandingof dispensationalism. Plus, he just flatoutmisrepresented dispensational theology.A recognized principle of scholarship isthat one should represent his opponentaccurately, and this clearly was not the

case with this book. No dispensational-ist I knew of felt that Gerstner was evenclose to being fair to dispensationalism.Hank Hanegraaff, with his 2007 book,Apocalypse Code, was another exampleof someone pretending to understanddispensationalism, but he too fell farshort by making silly claims that dispen-sationalism threatened the uniquenessof Christs resurrection and the deityof Christ. Hanegraaff also claimedthat dispensationalism leads to racism

and the promotion of ethnic cleansingbecause it believes God will fulfill landpromises with the nation Israel and thatIsrael will undergo tribulation in thefuture. Fortunately, not many have fol-lowed Hanegraaff in making outrageousclaims like this that cannot be supported.Not all critics of dispensationalism arelike Gerstner and Hanegraaff. Scholarslike Anthony Hoekema, Vern Poythress,and Willem VanGemeren have beennotable exceptions. They attempt to dealwith real issues and do so in a graciousmanner without blatant straw man argu-ments and personal attacks.

Question: Any other common mistake?

Answer: Yes. Most books cr itical ofdispensationalism often emphasize thedispensationalism of the early TwentiethCentury and do not adequately deal withmore recent dispensational scholars. Manysay something like, Dispensationalismis a system of theology that is based on

the belief of seven dispensations as found

in the Scofield Reference Bible. Then aseries of documentation comes from schol-ars from the early and middle years of theTwentieth Century. While quoting ear-lier scholars is certainly fair game, it is alsohelpful to deal with more recent scholar-ship as well. Another good principle ofscholarship is to be aware of both older andrecent research on a topic. Yet when read-ing some critiques of dispensationalism,one gets the impression that dispensationalthought was frozen by 1950.

On those issues that

are at the heart o

dispensationalism, the

dispensationalist has much

to stand upon.

Question: Do you think dispensational-ists could do a better job of explainingdispensationalism? If so, how?

Answer: Yes I do. For starters I thinkdispensationalists have been less thanhelpful when they emphasize belief inseven dispensations or doing word stud-ies on oikonomia, as if understandingthis Greek term somehow identifies

the essence of dispensationalism. I havebeen hard on nondispensationalists foroveremphasizing these things, but dis-pensationalists themselves have oftenbeen guilty of overemphasizing thesepoints as well. Second, dispensation-alists need to be bolder in defendingdispensational beliefs. The Israel/churchdistinction, premillennialism, and thedoctrine of the future salvation and res-toration of Israel are very well supportedin Scripture. On those issues that are atthe heart of dispensationalism, the dis-pensationalist has much to stand upon.

Question: Many like to point out thatdispensationalism began with JohnNelson Darby around 1830, thus dis-pensationalism is a new theology. Howdo you respond to the charge that dis-pensationalism should be rejected sinceit is a new theology?

Answer: I have two responses. First, itis true that as a system of theology, dis-

pensationalism began in the nineteenth

century. Yet it is also true that several keyelements of dispensational belief wereheld by the early church. A strong con-sensus existed in the Patristic Era (A.D.100-451) that in the future, the comingsof Elijah and Antichrist would precedethe second coming of Jesus. In associa-tion with these events there would bea mass conversion of the Jewish peoplein line with what the Old Testamentprophets like Zechariah predicted. Thus,many of the church fathers believed in afuture salvation of Israel, something dis-pensationalists also do. The early churchwas also clearly premillennial. It believedthat Jesus would return a second time toset up an earthly kingdom. To be hon-est, the early church also had some viewsthat did not line up with dispensation

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