I Like Mellow Yellow

"Lord, ...we ask you to help us work for that day.. when yellow will be mellow..."

The phrase above is from Reverend Lowry's so-called prayer at the Presidential Inauguration last night. A transcript is available here.

There's already a lot of chatter on this in the blogsphere. Many Asians are angry, some are indifferent while others don't care. Frankly, I think we (Asians and Pacific Islanders) are up in arms about a relatively insignificant phrase. Lowry's attempt at trying to be funny was only overshadowed by his poor attempt at leading a nation in prayer.

If this topic comes up at work or with friends, how should a Christian respond? Here is one simple suggestion (I'm sure some have a better one):

"The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much." - James 5:16

That "righteous man" is Christ. Without Christ, a man's prayers accomplishes nothing except to incite the flesh to cry out "Amen!" which is exactly what Lowry accomplished.

Now, think about what type of discussion that leads to with neighbors, co-workers and friends. I'm sure that would be better than discussing whether Yellow needs to be Mellow or not. :)

"Let your speech be alway with grace, seasoned with salt, that ye may know how ye ought to answer every man." - Col 4:6

My Testimony: HIM not me! - Part III

What should be a Christian's testimony?

In Part I, I introduced the question, "What is my testimony?" In Part II, we quickly looked at the biblical testimony. In this final part, I hope to help believers understand what a Christ-exalting testimony is.

I'm going to make this very short while hopefully maintaining relevance and spurring you on to honor Christ.  Read the Word of the Lord in the account of the Samaritan woman:

Joh 4:39-42

And many of the Samaritans of that city believed on him for the saying of the woman, which testified, He told me all that ever I did.  So when the Samaritans were come unto him, they besought him that he would tarry with them: and he abode there two days.   And many more believed because of his own word; And said unto the woman, Now we believe, not because of thy saying: for we have heard him ourselves, and know that this is indeed the Christ, the Saviour of the world. 

You know the story of the Samarita woman (Joh 4:5-29).  When the Samaritan woman gave her testimony, she did not recall her past life nor wonder at the new life ahead of her.  She did not call the hearers to understand her sordid past.  She did not make the hearers to marvel at her renewed outlook on life, her newfound joy and peace nor her hope of a better future.  She merely told the hearers of her testimony, "He told me all that I ever did."

What was her testimony to the hearers?  I submit to you that her testimony was this: I am a sinner, a great sinner - lost and dead.  He made me to see my sins.  Greater yet, He made me to see Him and now I rejoice because the Messiah has found me and saved me from my sins!

Christian, the height of your testimony is not your pursuit of holiness and achievement of a less sinful life.  Nor is it your current state of happiness and peace as compared to your past.  It is not merely that you once were a drunkard and now you are not.  When your testimony amounts to your works and experiences, you place onto yourself a yolk of righteousness that you cannot bear.  When your testimony is limited to the changes in your life, you place blinders on the ears of your hearers so that they only see you and not the God-honoring testimony.

Your testimony is not what you have done, are doing or will do.  Your testimony is that He showed you your sinfulness and need for a Savior and that you have obtained mercy.  The person and the work of Jesus (the gospel) is your testimony.

When you understand that, you will then see that "blowing your testimony" is not about sinning in front of others.  We all do that all day long.  Blowing your testimony happens when you don't blow the bugle of the gospel as an evangel to proclaim the excellencies of Him who brought us (wicked, rebellious sinners then, now and tomorrow) out of darkness and into His marvelous light.  Our testimony is not us, it is Jesus!

My Testimony: HIM not me! - Part II

What is a biblical testimony?

In Part I of this article, I asked the question: What is my testimony? The question was born from the consideration of how often Christians use the term to describe their actions in life. In this second part of this three-part article, I will attempt to summarize the biblical definitions and uses of the word "testimony".

Before I proceed, I want to point out that I am not a seminary graduate nor have I taken any Greek or Hebrew courses. Like most of you, I am a layman trusting in the Spirit's work, counsel of wise men and the Scripture's efficacy for all things pertaining to life and godliness. I long to understand the Scriptures so as to reveal Jesus in His glory while setting men aside in the sidelines as auditors.

The word "testimony" is used by the KJV translators 44 times in the Old Testament and 32 times in the New. In total, there are 6 distinct words or forms of a word translated as "testimony". All words speak of either bearing a record (as in a witness of an act) or giving a report. In some uses, the word represents the actual report or evidence given. The Hebrew and Greek words translated often as "testimony" is also translated as "testimonies", "witness" and "testify/ied".

Other than Jesus' rebuke of the Pharisees (as in Mat. 23:31) as party to those that "kill the prophets", none of the uses refer to the act of the speaker nor of his past accomplishments or failures when the testimony is that of a man. Only when the Scriptures refer to the testimony of God (as in Psa. 19:7, ) does the testifier speak of Himself or of His acts.

Why then has the contemporary use become so man-centered and how do we return to a biblical and Christ-honoring testimony? See Part III...

Back At It...

I've taken a long break to do some major remodeling of unused rooms around the house to prepare for what we hope to be an interesting and blessed 2009.  More on that later...

I will be publishing the completion of the "My Testimony: Him not Me!" article this weekend as well as posting some that I've drafted but have not been able to complete.  I hope you find them beneficial to your soul.

My Testimony: HIM not me! - Part I

Introduction: What is my testimony? - Part I

[This is Part 1 of a multi-part article]

My recent thought: "What does it mean to have a good testimony?"

How many of us have heard or thought the following statements/questions?

• Man!  I just blew my testimony in front of my co-worker when I got angry.
• When you sin, you blow your testimony.
• That Christian made a big mistake and just blew his/her testimony.

I found a website where a number of people shared their testimony and they all sounded very common and fit the modern-day definition of a testimony.  They spoke of their experiences before and after Christ was revealed to them.  They spoke of the contrast between their "past lives" and new lives.  Is this what a Christian's testimony should be?  Seems like it, right?

I found another website that actually provided an outline for how to write a testimony.  At the end of the outline, the writer noted to "make sure that your testimony glorifies God".  This is very sage advice but does the outline encourage that?

Maybe what we've known as a God-glorifying testimony really isn't.  Maybe it is.  At the very least, it's worth asking the question "What is my testimony?"  Or, better yet the question should be "What should my testimony be and how do I blow it?"

In Part II of this multi-part article, we'll look at what I believe are proper, biblical interpretations of a testimony.  In Part III, I hope to encourage Christians toward a Christ-exalting testimony.  In the meantime, I encourage you to ask the question, "What is my testimony?"

[Part II]

Doubting Faith

Can an honest and saved sinner be a Doubting Thomas?

I heard a professing believer once say that he never doubts God nor his salvation in Christ.  Being my usual inquisitive self, I probed further and asked, "Do you mean that you never doubt your faith?"  He answered assuredly, "Never.  I don't think a true Christian could doubt or else their faith is not real."

Well, I'll say it loud and clear because I know that the honest sinner out there will hear me:  There are days when my faith seems unmovable and days when my doubting causes the spiritual ground under me to shake.

"For he saith to Moses, I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion.  So then it is not of him that willeth, nor of him that runneth, but of God that sheweth mercy." Rom 9:15-16

Dear saints, our salvation is not founded on our works, abilities, character or moral grounds.  It is founded on the mercy of God on our poor, lost souls.  We may have great strength of character and will of the mind (i.e. carnal faith) to be so assured of a truth whether it is of eternal things or of carnal things.  Yet, that carnal faith does not save us unless God were to look mercifully on us and give us spiritual eyes to behold the Lord Jesus as our substitute for our sins and sovereign ruler of our souls.  That is the difference between carnal and spirtual, God-given faith.

We are not saved because we have a perfect faith but rather that the One in whom we have faith is perfect and pure.  Neither then does our faith exist merely in two states: Existent and perfect or not at all.   For our faith grows He continues to reveal Himself to us.[Rom 12:3, 14:1]   Nor was that faith granted only once to apply perfectly on the day that the Spirit revealed Christ to us.   Instead, God continually grants us faith so that we might have the spiritual eyes necessary to look to Jesus who with one act perfectly accomplished all that was necessary to pay for our sins and please the Father. [Heb 12:2]

Christian, do not marvel at your weak seasons of faith nor be discouraged by them.  Examine yourselves to see if you are of the faith.  If you are a true believer, He will grant you mercy by causing you to look again to Christ.  For as you continue to look to Jesus, He will - as the author and perfecter of faith - shine His face on you that you might see His majestic glory and merciful kindness.  As a result, you will not extol the strength of your faith in pride but rather be humbled by His mercy once again toward you.

I Was Arminian and Did Not Know It

I did not realize until recently how self-glorifying the infant stage of my Christian life was.  Let me start by quoting some phrases and sentences I used often soon after Christ revealed my sin and my need for His mercy.

"When did you bow your knee to Christ?"

"When did you give your life to Jesus?"

"Turn from your sins and look to Christ and you will be saved."

"My life changed when I gave my heart to Jesus."

"Pray this prayer with me and God will save you."

I dare not say that any of those statements inherently are unbiblical.  In fact, the third statement can be properly supported by Acts 2:38.  However, I will say that they are closer bedfellows to free-will and human choice salvation than the biblical truth of salvation being wholly and solely the loving foreknowledge and sovereign grace of our Lord Jesus to save sinners by His good pleasure and for His glory.

The thought I am hoping to incite you to consider is this:  How often do we in our daily testimony and witness unknowingly (and maybe even knowingly) point to our work as the source of salvation rather than point the sinner to Christ and incite them to beg our gracious Lord for mercy.

"Which in time past were not a people, but are now the people of God: which had not obtained mercy, but now have obtained mercy." - 1Pe 2:10

In my next post, I am going to ask the question, "What is our testimony: Our walk or His steps?"