My husband came home the other day and shared with me a comment one of his professors made on a research paper he had written. The seminary professor stated, “This is too dogmatic.” My first reaction was, “What’s wrong with being dogmatic?” After all, the definition of dogmatic is simply holding to strong beliefs and opinions especially regarding to religious, political, philosophical or moral. So again I ask, “Is it wrong to have narrow thoughts especially concerning your faith and doctrinal beliefs?”

Why is it so offensive when someone knows what they believe, knows why they believe it, and stands firm upon that belief? Why do even Christian people struggle with absolutes? I often hear people referring to “gray areas” in scripture. Unfortunately, most times it’s in reference to some area of sin in their own life. John MacArthur in his book, The Truth War, says,

“In truth, far more issues are black and white than most people realize. Most of the truths of God’s Word are explicitly contrasted with opposing ideas. Jay Adams calls this the principle of antithesis, and he point out that it is fundamental to genuine discernment: ‘From the Garden of Eden with its two trees (one allowed, one forbidden) to the eternal destiny of the human being in heaven or in hell, the Bible sets forth two, and only two, ways: God’s way, and all others. Accordingly, people are said to be saved or lost. They belong to God’s people or the world. There was Gerizim, the mount of blessing, and Ebal, the mount of cursing. There is the narrow way and the wide way, leading either to eternal life or to destruction. There are those who are against and those who are with us, those within and those without. There is life and death, truth and falsehood, good and bad, light and darkness, the kingdom of God and the kingdom of Satan, love and hatred, spiritual wisdom and the wisdom of the world. Christ is said to be the way, the truth and the life, and no one may come to the Father but by Him. His is the only name under the sky by which one may be saved.’ Adams points out that such antithetical teaching is found ‘on nearly every page of the Bible.’ All truth sets itself against error. Where Scripture speaks, it speaks with authority. It speaks definitively. It speaks decisively. It calls for absolute conviction.”

So back to my original question, “What’s wrong with being dogmatic?” I have been proven wrong on many occasions. I’ve had opinions that are wrong. I’m smart enough to know that I’m not smart enough. But, there is a vast difference between ones opinions and the Truth of God found in His Word. I cannot think of anyone who was more dogmatic than Jesus himself. What other adjectives, besides narrow, unbending, or fixed, would we use to describe Jesus and His statements about Himself? Therefore, if my beliefs are fixed upon the Word of God and Christ Himself then call me dogmatic, call me narrow, call me rigid, call me unbending, call me inflexible. I’ll consider it a compliment.

I heard a story once about a new pastor coming to a small town.  Upon arrival he was warned about a man in the church who was impossible to please.  He was told that no matter what he did, he would not make this man happy and that the harder he tried the worse the man would become.  This pastor had a very special hunting dog.  She was one of a kind and could walk on water. So, the pastor eager to impress this difficult church member decided to invite the man duck hunting.    The first bird was shot and fell into the water.  The dog walked out on the water, retrieved the bird and dropped it at her master’s feet.  This happened several times with no response from the church member.  Finally, the pastor asked, “So, what do you think of my dog?”  To which the disgruntled man stated, “Not much!  That dog can’t even swim!” 

I guess we’ve all accepted the fact that there are some in this world who we will never please, no matter what we do and no matter how hard we try.  And to be honest there are people that I don’t even want to try and please.  I have no desire to please liberals or feminist or those who are evil.  But, for the most part I do want people please with me.  And sometimes, even though I try hard there are those I love who I don’t always please. 

As a child of God I desperately want to please Him.   There is a verse in scripture that has been on my heart a lot lately.  But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him. (Heb 11:6) It’s not that it’s hard to please God without faith, its impossible!  Why is my faith weak?  He has never forsaken me.  He has never failed me.  He has never left me.  He has never abandoned me.  But yet, I worry.  I fret.  I get anxious.  I become troubled.  Why?  Without faith it is impossible to please God!   I am learning as a child that my faith is strengthened by learning more about God.  The more I know Him the stronger my faith becomes.  Consider what D.L. Moody once said, “I prayed for faith and thought that someday faith would come down and strike me like lightening.  But faith did not seem to come.  One day I read in the tenth chapter of Romans, ‘Now faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God.’  I had closed my Bible and prayed for faith.  I now opened my Bible and began to study and faith has been growing ever since.”  Oh, that I would dive into the Scripture and grow in faith and knowledge.  For in times like these our faith needs to be ever so strong.

It’s a fairly quite morning here in our home so with high hopes I grab my Bible, computer and a cup of coffee and head to my favorite spot in the living room with a blanket and pillow for comfort.  It’s the second day of the New Year.  We spent Wednesday evening singing in the New Year with our church family and then spent the day yesterday with some dear friends.  The children rode 4-wheelers and go-carts, we shot guns and arrows, they lit fireworks, we fellowshipped and enjoyed the blessings of the first day of the year.  But now, with the holidays over, it’s time to get back to the normal routines of life.  So in order to catch up on the news and happenings of the world I pull out my computer and read the headlines.  I’m always somewhat hesitant in my heart, just because I get tired of horrific and gloomy news.  From the trash talk on CNN, to the report that the military is wary over our new president elect, to the murders, rapes, threats, recession, immoral politics, and talk of hate crimes; this morning was no different.  So with a deep sigh I begin to read the news.  It was then when one article grabbed my attention.  The title was:  A New Year’s Resolution: Could we be a little more polite, please?  The writer began to explain how rude people had become, as if this was a shock to any of us.  He stated that the biggest problem was that in today’s society rudeness is no longer something to be ashamed of, but rather applauded.  This is not only true among the youth but adults as well.  In fact, if we were to place blame it would have to be with the adults, for it is through their examples that the youth learn.  As the author stated the obvious throughout the article I began to wonder if he would offer a solution to this problem.  His conclusion was simply that times are getting hard, jobs are being lost, businesses are being closed and if we as a people have a hard time being kind and polite in the “boom years” how will we treat each other in the “lean years”?  On a positive note he ended saying that just maybe as life gets crueler perhaps we’ll get kinder.  As I read this I just shook my head.  Immediately, I thought of one particular passage in scripture.  The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it? I the LORD search the heart, I try the reins, even to give every man according to his ways, and according to the fruit of his doings. (Jer 17:9-10)  What amazes me is that we actually believe that apart from God there is any kindness or good in any of us.  Mankind is not only evil but desperately wicked.  The Greek word for desperately is “anash” and it means incurable, sick, woeful.  The truth is that we can plead with people to be kinder until we’re blue in the face; we can try to enforce laws of morality among society; we can even indoctrinate children through the public school systems to live in harmony, but until a person is changed by the most Holy God above they will be desperately wicked and evil and selfish and rude.  There is no righteousness apart from God.  Don’t get me wrong.  I will teach and train my children to have good manners and to be tenderhearted and kind, but my teaching will be based upon the foundation of scripture and nothing else.  It is the Word of God planted into the hearts of each of us and the imputed righteousness of Christ that will make the difference in this world.  Teaching kindness is good, but introducing people to Christ is better.  When those around us become true children of God then the rudeness will disappear and we will begin to see a little more kindness in this world.  So, what we all need is A New Year’s Resolution:  Could we share the gospel more, please.

And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things that they had heard and seen, as it was told unto them.  (Luke 2:20)

Can you imagine what it must have been like to witness this event?  Here we find lowly shepherds, men of humble degree, thought poorly of by most men.  And yet, God chooses to announce through them the birth of His Son  –  Jesus  – born in a manger.  God’s gift to mankind was first given to the shepherds in the field.   I’m amazed and very thankful that God chooses to work with the small, unimportant things here on earth. Otherwise, where would I be?

When I think about what my Creator has done for me I’m overwhelmed with humility yet at the same time I’m filled with pride.  Author, C.S. Lewis penned this thought well when he wrote, “You come of the Lord Adam and the Lady Eve,  And that is both honour enough to erect the head of the poorest beggar, and shame enough to bow the shoulders of the greatest emperor on earth.” (Prince Caspian)

I am so thankful that I serve a God that I can come humbly before as well as boldly to the throne.  Had it not been for the babe in the manger who became the perfect Lamb of God, died on a cross and then defeated death and rose again all hope would be lost.

As we celebrate this Christmas season and dwell upon what God did for us may we all be as humble as the shepherds.  But let’s not forget what happened to them after their encounter with the Savior of the world.  And when they had seen it, they made known abroad the saying which was told them concerning this child. (Luke 2:17)  I have to ask myself, Who have I shared the good news with this season?  It’s easy to buy a present and give it away but what about giving the gift that all these presents are suppose to represent?  We celebrate Christmas to remind us of Christ birth and we give gifts to remind us of God’s great gift.  My prayer is that I will be like the shepherds and return glorifying and praising God.  And my prayer is that I will make the good news known abroad and tell others  –  for this is the greatest gift we can give to a lost and dying world.

October is Pastor Appreciation Month.  I don’t know when this tradition started but I do know that every Christian magazine and book store catalog I get in the mail reminds me of this.  Maybe Pastor Appreciation Month was around when I was a child and I just don’t remember.  But this I do know, growing up I had immense respect for pastors, preachers and evangelist.  In fact, everyone did.  To be a man of God meant something.  It seemed that everyone understood the high calling of these men.  Do we now have to have a month dedicated to these men because society as a whole has disregarded them?  Or is it because many do not live up to the high calling in which they have been called?  Maybe a little of both?  What a sad place we have come to. 

Unless a person has been there or lived with someone who has, one could never understand the responsibility placed upon a minister.  I’m not even talking about the physical or emotional demands, although they are usually great.  What I’m talking about is the overwhelming accountability to stand before God and preach His Word.  Do people realize how huge this is?  James Chapter 3 tells us that they will receive the greater condemnation.  Ezekiel Chapter 3 talks about the watchman and how if he fails to warn the wicked their blood is upon his hand.  Hebrews 13:17 says that these men watch for our souls and must give account; for this reason we should obey and submit so that they can do it with joy and not grief, otherwise it is unprofitable for us.  Do we understand this?  These men will stand before God one day and give account for us.  The weight is enormous.

When men of God stand before me I have one obligation and that is to determine if they are speaking the truth.  That is all that matters.  Is this man a false prophet or is he preaching true doctrine and correctly dividing the Word of God?  If he is a true man of God and speaks, “Thus saith the Lord” then I better listen.  For if I have a problem then in reality my problem lies with God himself, not the messenger.  Oh dear friends, we as God’s people had better be careful.

I heard a story once about a man who asked his neighbor if he could borrow his lawnmower, to which the neighbor replied,

“No, I’m sorry you can’t.  There are no direct flights from Chicago to New York today.” 

He neighbor said, “What does that have to do with me borrowing your lawn mower?” 

“Nothing,” he said, “but if I do not want you to borrow it, one excuse is just as good as another.” 

You see, when a person does not want to hear the Truth of God proclaimed they will use any excuse, for one is just as good as another.  Men will listen to our excuses but someday we will all stand before God and be without excuse.

Although it’s sad that we’ve come to this place a person who reads the Word of God really isn’t surprised.  In Scripture every prophet of God who proclaimed truth and preached with boldness was hated and despised. (Hebrews 11:32-40)  Jesus warned his followers “If the world hate you, ye know that it hated me before it hated you. If ye were of the world, the world would love his own: but because ye are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you.” (Joh 15:18-19) And Paul warns Timothy, “Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine. For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears; And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables.” (2Ti 4:2-4)

 Has the time come?  Ask a minister how many people will truly endure sound doctrine and see what he says. Oh, my heart breaks for the condition we are in.  And yet I have a peace for my heart rejoices that there are still men of God worthy of appreciation……(October or not)!

  “Let the elders that rule be counted worthy of double honour, especially they who labour in the word and doctrine. For the scripture saith, Thou shalt not muzzle the ox that treadeth out the corn. And, The labourer is worthy of his reward. Against an elder receive not an accusation, but before two or three witnesses. (1Ti 5:17-19)

Last week our homeschool group took a field trip to a corn maze.  Being my first time through a corn maze I wasn’t exactly sure what to expect.  It was a learning experience.

Before we entered we were given a punch card and instructions.  The goal was to find the 12 stations and punch your card.  Each station had a map of the maze.  Each corn maze is in a shape; this particular one was a reindeer.  Each path was between 1 to 2 miles long but take into consideration that you might circle around quite a bit and back track some, it could be much longer.  If you’ve never been through one let me explain what it’s like.  First of all, there are acres and acres of corn.  I realize that’s probably not very surprising.  But what surprised me is that when you get into the field you cannot see anything but corn.  As you walk down the path there is corn to the right of you and corn to the left.  You can’t see over it or through it.  As you walk you have choices of different paths to take.  So you walk, make choices; walk some more, make more choices over and over again.  After sometime all the paths start looking the same.  After walking for what seemed like forever we finally found our first station…..it was number 6.  How we missed 1 through 5 I’ll never know.  We circled around, walked some more, went down different paths and found our second station…..number 8.  By this time I had decided that the parents who stayed back at the picnic tables must had come before and knew exactly what they were doing.  At one point we walked right up to a stairway and little bridge.  You could climb it and look out over the maze.  You couldn’t see it until you were right up on it.  By the next station (number 7) I had determined that the easiest way to get out of this maze was to try and back track the way I had came.  This helped and somehow we manged to make it out hot, tired and frustrated.

So….the lesson learned about corn mazes (other than they are not fun) came from my son.  He was running around the maze having a great time with all his friends. He was enjoying the journey and experiencing new things with each turn.  When he came out of the maze I noticed that most of his card was punched.  I asked him his secret.  He said, “Mom, when we came up to the first map we just took a picture of it with our cell phones and followed the map.”  Simple enough, why didn’t I think of that? 

You see, life can be just like that corn maze.  God has designed a picture.  He created it and he has placed each of us in the field.  We can’t see the whole picture but we know that it’s there.  One day, we’ll look down from the sky and say, “Oh, now I see it, it’s a reindeer.”  But now, here in the middle of the field we wander around making choices.  We go left, then we turn right, then we decide to back track.  All we can see is the corn.  We have access to the map.  It has everything laid out for our journey through life in it.  It has God’s perfect plan for our life and even has the outcome of it.  But, many times we ignore the map.  It takes too much time to memorize it or study it and it’s way too much trouble to carry it around, so we go on making our own decisions.  Occassionaly, we will stumble upon a stairway and little bridge.  There might even be someone up on it saying, “I can see the way, you need to go this way.”  Again, another choice we have to make.  Sometimes we listen; sometimes we don’t. 

There are times, as I’m traveling through the corn maze of life, that can be very frustrating.  I’ve come to a path…..I need to make a decision…..I wish I could see the outcome…..how do I move forward?…..what’s next?…..But I must remember, God knows.  He not only knows, but He has given me His map; His Holy Word.  He has not only given me His map, but He also wants to lead me down the path.  And not only does He want to lead me down the path but He wants to lead me down the path that takes me right to Him.  So, I walk, with my eyes on Him and getting closer and closer with each step ….. hoping …… obeying …… trusting.

Let thine eyes look right on, and let thine eyelids look straight before thee. Ponder the path of thy feet, and let all thy ways be established.  (Pro 4:25-26)

Four years ago I read a beautiful story about a young girl’s journey through life.  It was written by Elizabeth Prentiss in 1869.  Her book, Stepping Heavenward, touched my heart in a very special way.  The book is in the form of a girl named Katherine’s diary, first written in on her 16^th birthday.  As you read, her life unfolds in front of you and you watch as she draws closer to Christ with each step.   You see her joys and her pains; her victories and her struggles.  One particular story that I remember so vividly is when her father-in-law moves in.  Katherine is a dear daughter who serves and waits on him with tender love and patience.  But her patience is tried and her love is tested for this man is cold to her.  To make matters worse, for some reason every special occasion, like the anniversary of her and her husband’s marriage or their children’s birthdays, he will shut himself up in his dark room for the entire day.  This goes on for many years and although she hides it, her heart grows bitter towards him. After all she has opened up her home to him and cared for him and he ruins every special day.  Most people would certainly sympathize with Katherine as she writes in her diary.  I know I did while reading it.   But, the lesson that Katherine learned next taught me one that I will never forget.  After the passing of her father-in-law Katherine was cleaning out his room.  It was then that she discovered his own journal.  Picking up to read it Katherine’s eyes were opened up to the reason that he would lock himself in the room on each special occasion.  Out of love for the family, this man would devote the entire day to prayer and fasting.  If it was her anniversary, he would pray and fast for their protection and blessings in their marriage.  Whichever child’s birthday it was he would pray and fast all day long for this child.  He would sacrifice the joy of the day and go to God on behalf of the ones he loved so much.  His journal revealed his heart.

When we lived in Fayetteville, Ark we lived on a mountain behind Wal-mart.  It was a dead in road so every day we would have to pass Wal-mart coming and going.  Often we would see one of our neighbors, an elderly lady, walking to and from Wal-mart.  Without fail, every time we would slow down and smile and wave at this lady.  And without fail, every time she would frown back.  Not once did she even wave to us as we passed.  I remember thinking how rude she was.   I even commented to my husband that I didn’t think she was very friendly.  But one day coming home from town it was lightly raining and this lady was walking home with several sacks of groceries.  I stopped and asked her if she would like a ride home.  She was so thankful.  We had a pleasant visit and I dropped her off at the house.  After that I expected her to wave back to me but she never did.   But on the days I would stop and offer her a ride she would gladly accept.  And on the days we would go and visit her home she would welcome us in with a hug and smiles.  It was then that I realized that I had misjudged her reaction on the road.  Just because she did not wave and smile at us as we drove past I had written her down as a cross old lady.  Could it of been that she simply had bad eyes and didn’t see us wave or maybe because of her age walking was strenuous on her body and this explained the frown.  Either way, I had the wrong impression of her.  Another lesson learned.

This reminds me of another story.  There is a man who everyday weeps and prays for the souls of many.  Upon his knees he will petition Almighty God on behalf of those he loves.  Sleepless nights are spent in prayer.  He too is misjudged.

Thirty years ago when asked to quote a Bible verse the most common one was John 3:16.  But now studies show that when asked to quote a Bible verse the most common one mentioned is Matthew 7:1, Judge not, that ye be not judged.  This does not surprise me.  For our society as a whole is rebellious and does not want anyone looking at their lives.  But scripture is very clear.  There are certain things we can and should judge and certain things we cannot.

We absolutely cannot judge the heart or inner motives of others.  Only God knows the heart (I Samuel 16:7).  We also are not allowed to judge a ministers service to God (I Cor. 4:1-5) and we are not to judge the appearance of others (John 7:24).  These are a few things that are clear in scripture on judgment.

This does not mean however that we are to be undiscerning Christians; for we are commanded to make judgments between good and bad.

Examples:

-when disputes arise between believers it should be settled between the church                 (I Cor. 6:1-8)  This means that a judgment has to be made.

-the church is to judge serious sins of its members and take action                                    (Mat. 18:17 & I Cor. 5:9-13)  Again, another judgment.

-believers are to judge the teachings of preachers and teachers by the Word of God      (Mat. 7:15-20 and 1 John 4:1)  We have to judge heretical preaching.

-Christians have to discern if others are believers in order to obey God’s command in 2 Cor 6:14.  This means in order to obey God’s command we have to judge a person’s salvation.

-those in church must judge which men have qualifications necessary for elders and deacons (1 Tim 3:1-13)

-we have to discern or judge which people are unruly, fainthearted, weak, etc (1Thes. 5:14)

If we are to never look at a person’s life and judge their fruits then someone forgot to get that memo to King David.  The Psalms are filled with judgments.   Matthew 7:1-5 doesn’t teach to never try and remove the mote from a brother’s eye only to first examine your own eye so that you might see clearly.  And David, when confessing his own sin before the Lord in Psalm 51 says that after he is restored he will then teach transgressors their ways and sinners will be converted (vs 13).

Once again, I needed to be reminded of this.  I believe that there is a fine line threaded through the heart of true believers.  I will not let the enemy tell me that I cannot discern between good and evil in the lives of others.   And likewise, I will not let the enemy tell me that I have the right to judge people’s hearts. 

I read an interesting quote the other day by William Gurnall, 17^th century pastor and author.  He said, “It is worse to live like a beast than to be a beast.”  Interesting enough, a blind person who walks in darkness and has never seen light cannot fully understand what they have not experienced.  A deaf person who has never heard one single sound cannot know the extent of what they miss when a melody is played.  A person whose taste buds have never tasted honey cannot fully appreciate the savor of the sweetness.   And a person who has never loved or been loved cannot fully cherish what love entails.  Yet, take a person who has seen a glimpse of the light and cast them into darkness, or a person who has experienced the beauty of the sound of music and close up their ears, or a person who has once tasted sweetness only to never again, or a person who has loved to be filled with hatred and bitterness.  What kind of person would this be?  I would venture to say a most miserable person.

I truly believe that the most miserable person in the world is a child of God who is living in sin. 

For a child of God the darkness is past and the true light now shineth. (I Jn 2:8)  A child of God has been called out of darkness into His marvelous light. (I Peter 2:9) We were once blind, but now we see.  But, add sin to the equation and now the light is hid.  Sin causes doubt.  Sin robs joy and contentment.  Sin darkens the path. 

A child of God has heard the gospel and believed (Acts 15:7).  The true shepherd calls and the sheep hear His voice (Jn 10:3).  But add sin to the equation and the voice of the Shepherd becomes muffled.  Sin clouds the ears.  Sin causes ears to be dull of hearing.  Sin makes a man deaf to the Words of God.

 A child of God has tasted and seen that the Lord is good.  (Ps 34:8)  God Words are as sweet to the mouth, yea sweeter than honey (Ps 119:103) But, add sin to the equation and now the taste buds are dull and dry.  Sin is bitter.  Sin causes hunger.  Sin is the leaven in bread.  Sin causes the mouth to be filled with gravel. 

A child of God has experienced His love.  (I Jn 4:16)  He has commended His love toward us (Rom. 5:8) But add sin to the equation and while it will never change His love for us it most certainly changes our love for him.  If we love Him we will keep His commandments.  Sin causes disobedience.  Sin separates.  Sin reveals evil in the heart.

Take an unsaved person and while their life is empty and full of strive they truly don’t know any difference.  They are as the blind man who has never experience light, for the god of this world has blinded their minds. They are truly as a beast.   But take a saved individual who is deep in sin.  This person has touched, tasted, breathed, lived and experienced all the joys of salvation but sin has stripped away their joy and until repentance is wrought there will only be misery in the life of this person.  This person is a prince living as a pauper, a rich man living in poverty, a child of God living as a beast.

Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts: And see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.

(Psa 139:23-24)