Don't Be Like King Asa!

     

     Before, I get to the points I want to make in today's blog, I want us to revisit a brief passage in 2 Chronicles 16 about Asa, the fifth king of the Kingdom of Judah. The Bible says that "in the 36th year of his reign, he developed a disease in his feet". It says that although "this disease was severe, yet even in his illness he did not seek the Lord, but [relied only] on the physicians". The demise of Asa is mentioned in a very short verse immediately following his diagnosis: "So Asa slept with his fathers [in death] the 41st year of his reign." What can we learn from this brief history?

     I am increasingly finding myself on the fringe of society; even among my fellow Christians. As we continue to swirl around in this "Covid stew of confusion", I am amazed at how easily led some people are to the spirit of fear. Charisma Magazine ran an article that really spoke to my heart, and I think shows us how some of us could identify with King Asa. The article was reflecting on the various comments on Facebook regarding how best to traverse the contradictory information we receive from the media on how to defeat the pervasive Coronavirus.

     One commenter said, "Show me the verse in Scripture that says God heals everything except Coronavirus". That got me to thinking about what Christians believe when it comes to how best to react during this pandemic. Depending on where you live, local authorities across the country have differing opinions as to what our behavior should be. Responses range from mandating we shut everything down, to more lenient policies of opening up businesses while maintaining common sense precautions. When is it okay to go without a mask? Is it really necessary to wear one while driving by oneself in a car? Even the Doctors and Scientists can't agree on the optimum solutions to Covid!

     Some advocate six more months of shutdown and quarantine, with schools closed and everyone locked away in their homes; while others say we must adopt a "herd immunity" mentality, whereby everyone eventually becomes exposed to the disease and the virus dies out, so to speak, as people get the virus and recover. But even that solution is not universally agreed upon. Do you attain herd immunity through vaccinations which have been rushed into existence, or do you achieve it through natural infection? You can see why there is so much stress and anxiety in the population. But we Christians are not supposed to resemble the general population.

     So, why do so many Believers turn to Science and Doctors for deliverance from this virus, rather than God? Perhaps the answer lies in Matthew 13:58, "And [Jesus] did not do many miracles there, because of their unbelief." As Christians, do we turn to the Doctor for a magic pill or procedure [or vaccination] to cure us before we turn to Jesus, who showed us that the power of God to heal is in us? How many, who call ourselves Believers, are afraid to walk among the general population without a mask? I'm not talking about being foolish and subjecting yourself to the company of someone obviously infected and suffering from Covid, or any other communicable disease, for that matter. I'm talking about being so paranoid that you avoid people all together or refuse to attend church or family outings because you can't "safely distance yourself"? What happened to our faith in believing our God is who He says He is? When did our unbelief begin to shake the very foundations of our faith? And when did the so-called "facts" from the so-called "experts" exceed our confidence in God's power?

     I choose to believe the Word when it says that I abide in Christ and He abides in me. To me, that means that I have a life-giving connection with Him; He lives in me, and I live in Him. So when I leave my home, I picture myself stepping inside the realm that is Christ, where Covid cannot touch me. And while I trust in the medical advice that Zinc, Vitamin D3 and Vitamin C are powerful fighters against the virus, I also see God's Living Water continually flowing through my lungs, washing away anything that might try to attach itself. Plus, I anoint my lungs with holy oil so that the virus is unable to become lodged in my lungs. And, of course, I always keep my spiritual armor on, and my shield of faith in position, along with the Sword of the Spirit at constant readiness. 

     I know there are some, even among the Christian community, who would claim I am hopelessly naive, at the least, or insensitive and careless of others, at worst. But I identify more with the Canaanite woman who approached Jesus to get healing for her daughter, than I do King Asa. That woman was willing to accept the bread crumbs from the Master's table, believing that even the smallest portion of what the Lord offers is enough to receive a miracle for her daughter. And yet, do you know how much that offended Jesus's disciples? It's no different today! I know that my belief in Jesus has offended the unbelief in the Doubters. I know that my confident faith in Jesus is seen as foolish and potentially threatening to those who walk in fear. I know, because I have seen the looks of disgust as I remove my mask immediately after exiting the grocery store; or when I have to pull it down to take a breath of fresh air instead of feeling confined by a piece of cloth that has not been proven to stop the spread of the virus anyway.

     Personally, I have chosen to wage war against this virus in the Spirit, refusing to give in to Satan's spirit of fear, and instead, opting to walk in the promises of Jesus. Throughout the Book of Matthew, Jesus shows us time and again that He healed everyone who came in faith and believed that He could heal them. It was their unbelief that caused them to doubt if healing was possible, and ultimately kept them from seeking Him. 

     I choose to live like the Canaanite woman, employing a supernatural faith that miracles and wonders still exist today. No weapon formed against me can prosper and no plague shall befall me as I live in the secret place of the Most High God and abide under His Shadow! I will trust in His protection and His provision. That doesn't mean that I will ignore safety measures or put anyone else needlessly in harm's way. I will continue to do the smart things that ward off all infectious disease. But I will also not give in to another's fear or worry that comes from their faithless unbelief. Neither will I be deceived by faithless Science or faulty human wisdom. I serve a supernatural God from whom all blessings flow, and I live in His Kingdom system, not the world's. Unlike King Asa, I turn to the Lord first, instead of putting my faith in man. Anything less does not honor the One who has defeated Death.

Psalm 73:28  But as for me, it is good for me to draw near to God;
I have made the Lord God my refuge and placed my trust in Him,
That I may tell of all Your works.

     

 

The Inadequacy of Religion

    

     I was truly saddened this past week as I ran across a headline which read. "Christian Rock Singer Reveals He No Longer Believes in God". Normally, this might have escaped my attention. But after scanning an article or two about Jonathan Steingard of the Christian rock band, Hawk Nelson, I was struck by some of his comments: "Thousands of people from a wide range of belief and unbelief have reached out to let me know I’m loved... I have been inundated with your stories. Beautiful stories. Tragic stories. Stories of hurt and healing, of pain and release... It’s clear I’ve struck a nerve, and that many many many of you have felt what I feel. We haven’t all landed in the same place, or reached the same conclusions but the struggle with the questions? That’s something we share."
     Why should we be concerned about this particular person's crisis of faith? First of all, every person matters to God, and when even one person in the Body of Christ succumbs to the spirit of Doubt, it should affect us all. But I want you to key in on his words that talk about being "hurt" and then healed; of feeling "pain" and then release. I'll return to those sentiments in a moment. For now, I offer his Instagram post that reveals the struggles he has encountered within his faith life:

     "This is not a post I thought I would ever write, but now I feel like I really need to. I've agonized over whether to say this publicly, and if so, how to do it, but now I feel it's less important how I do it, and more important that I do it. So here goes.
      After growing up in a Christian home, being a pastor's kid, playing and singing in a Christian band, and having the word "Christian" in most of the things in my life -- I am now finding that I no longer believe in God.
     The last few words of that sentence were hard to write. I still find myself wanting to soften that statement by wording it differently or less specifically -- but it wouldn't be as true.
     The process of getting to that statement has been several years in the making. It didn't happen overnight or all of a sudden. It's been more like pulling on the threads of a sweater, and one day discovering that there was no more sweater left.
     I have been terrified to be honest about this publicly for quite some time, because of all that I thought I would lose. I'm still scared, but I'm writing about this now for a few reasons.
     Firstly, I simply can no longer avoid it. Processing this quietly seemed right when I simply had doubts, but once they solidified into a genuine point of view, it began to feel dishonest not to talk about it."

     These are not the words of some young rock musician who is being seduced by the temptations of the world. They are the heartfelt cries of a 36-year-old man who has discovered that he's followed all the "rules" of what it means to be a Christian, yet realizes there's no foundation to his faith and he doubts the existence of the God he's been taught is real. The "sweater" unraveled and there was nothing substantial left.
     "Praying in public always felt like some kind of weird performance art," he said. "Emotional cries such as 'Holy Spirit come fill this place' always felt clunky and awkward leaving my lips. A youth conference I attended [when younger] encouraged every teen to sign a pledge that they would 'date Jesus' for a year. It felt manipulative and unsettling to me. I didn't sign it."
     Jon also revealed that when he consulted the Bible for answers to his questions, he became more confused.  His doubt in the Bible is what ultimately led him to stop believing in God, a thought that sent him "into a tailspin." He then suffered depression after the loss of his faith.
     Obviously, we can lay a measure of responsibility at the feet of the Enemy, who comes to "kill, steal, and destroy", and I believe our faith and relationship with the Lord are at the top of his list of targets to annihilate. But, are you also able to recognize the Enemy working with spirits of Doubt and Unbelief, which work nicely with the spirit of Religion that has been all over this man's life ... and how inadequate Religion was in overcoming his doubt and encouraging an intimate and legitimate "heart relationship" with the Lord? Those stories of "hurt and healing", and "pain and release" that he received were the result of untold numbers of people who have been hurt and pained by a Church that preached Religion instead of Relationship. And now, like Jon, the only way they can experience the freedom that comes with healing and release is to walk away from Religion, which corrupted the message and the relationship of the One who longed to bring them true and genuine healing.
     I will also submit the very real possibility that he received no real encouragement to read the Bible, nor to understand it through the revelations of the Holy Spirit. If he was "confused" when trying to get answers from the Bible as an adult, then it's quite possible that the Biblical teaching he received was religious [or denominational] in nature, as well, instead of revelatory. 
     Jon admits that his next question is, "What Now?" At this moment his answer is this: "I don’t really know how to answer the question… with much certainty, other than to (say) that I’m ready to live," he writes. "Openly. Honestly. Curiously. Deeply." I have to say that not only does my heart ache for him, but I must admit that I'm angry!
     To say that he's ready "to live" tells me that he has felt dead in Religion. And I know that, for me,  to truly "live" is to be in relationship with Jesus. And because I have been seeking to "know Him", He has met me in the midst of all my questions and searching for answers, and He has met me openly, honestly, encouraging my curiosity, and He has allowed me to experience Him deeply. But it wasn't until I came out from under the restrictive blanket of Religion that I was able to even begin that process.
     So, I get where Jon is coming from. I do not condemn him, because I have seen the damage that Religion has [and is] doing within the Body of Christ. Jon, and those who responded with their own stories about their struggles with faith, are not God-haters. They have just been short-changed by Religion. Jesus did not come to earth to establish a Religion; He came to re-establish a Relationship between man and His Creator.
     I'm sorry that Jon's struggles did not lead to a new awakening of his spirit in Christ. But Jon says he's open to having his heart changed, and that's a very good sign. If he will leave the door open to renewing his faith, then Jesus can heal his heart, breaking up the fallow ground in order to plant new seeds of righteousness that will bear fruit, watered by springs of Living Water. It's my prayer that Jon will be able to experience what it means to really be alive; to "live" in Christ, and then he will be able to bring a powerful testimony to those who are still hurting from the consequences of Religion. Jon may have turned from God at this moment in time, but God has not turned away from him. The Father will be waiting with open arms!

1 John 3:20     "for whenever our heart condemns us, God is greater than our heart, and He knows everything."