John Barry

Is God Angry at the East Coast? God, Hurricanes, the Bible, and Pain

John Barry — Mon, 29 Oct 2012 23:06:55 -0700

Global catastrophes sadden us. The images are terrifying and experiencing such moments in history are painful. Why does God allow this to go on? Is He causing it? Where is God in hurricanes and pain? Here are some answers that make sense biblically.

God Is Opposed to Storms

When God first created the world, He pushed back the chaos. He brought order where none existed. This is what much of Genesis 1–2 is about. This is why God’s focus at the beginning is the sky and the waters. He is pushing back the madness. He calls doing so “good.”

When God’s will is connected to natural disasters in the Old Testament—like the flooding of the earth—God is not happy about it. It’s a last resort. It means God letting His own work be undone. He isn’t causing the big disasters in the Old Testament; He is moving out of the way of the disasters that would be present otherwise. He wants order, not the chaos of storms. The storms sadden God. (Why destroy what you created? God wouldn’t want to destroy His own creation.)

The East Coast Disaster Seems Natural—Not Caused

God reaches His last resort in very distinct moments, like when an entire city has turned away from righteousness. This was the case for Sodom and Gomorrah, where not even ten righteous people could be found (Gen 18:32–19:29). This was also the case for the flooding of the earth—only Noah and his family were found to be righteous (Gen 6–8).

I know righteous people on the east coast; you know righteous people on the east coast. If we do the math and run the probability of God causing all this, the answer here is pretty clear: God doesn’t want this. Instead, it’s caused by the chaos that still exists in the world. This type of chaos has been present ever since people went against God. But there is good news in the midst of this sadness.

Things Can Change

When Jesus came, died, and was resurrected, the very fabric of the relationship between people and God changed. Likewise, the relationship between people and the out-of-control creation changed.

Jesus brought full reconciliation. In relationship with Jesus, people can freely come to God to receive His grace.

Jesus calmed storms. Jesus walked on water. Jesus talked about how to build spiritual houses that would withstand storms. Jesus sent the Holy Spirit, which empowered us to do His work. We are able to look into the eye of the storm with hope. We must join together to pray against it—for God to intervene and move against it.

Pray

Please pray for those in the midst of the chaos or recovering from it. Please pray for the chaos to be pushed back. Please pray because it matters. It can change things.

Of Course I'm Political, I Believe in Jesus

John Barry — Tue, 23 Oct 2012 21:17:11 -0700

Jesus is political. That’s how He died.

In this season of everyone pitching their political beliefs—including my favorite kind of naysaying, Facebook critics—Christians quickly get out of control. In the midst of it all, it’s really easy to lose sight of who is really ruler, Jesus, as Eugene Cho recently pointed out. It’s also easy to lose sight of just how political Jesus is and what that means for us.

Our Opposition Is Everywhere—That’s the Choice We Made

Jesus’ entire identity opposed the worldwide power of Rome. Mark’s Gospel starts with, “Beginning of the good news of Jesus the anointed one, the Son of God” (Mark 1:1). This echoes decrees sent out by Caesars, and Tiberius’ silver denarius, which read “Tiberius, son of the divine [Augustus], [himself now] Augustus.” Jesus’ ministry and personhood made claims that were anti-Caesar and thus anti-Rome.

Now, Jesus could have overthrown Rome—Peter gave him the opportunity when he pulled out his sword when they came to arrest Jesus—but Jesus didn’t make that move. Jesus isn’t anti-government; he is pro our primary identity being in God. But if that identity directly conflicts with the powers that may be, we must be willing to put ourselves on the line for the sake of God’s will.

Taxes Are Actually a Reminder about Our Identity

When it came to taxes, all of Jesus’ worldview was wrapped into his answer: “Give to Caesar the things of Caesar” (Matthew 22:21). The coin had Caesar’s image (Tiberius). And by the coin proclaiming this image in association with divinity claims, it was anti-God’s image. God’s image is perfectly manifest in Christ. That’s what the focus should have been. Jesus turned the tax conversation into a currency conversation and the currency conversation into a God dialogue. He finished with, “and [give] to God the things of God” (Matthew 22:21).

God is our master. Finances are a piece of that, but Jesus’ message is larger: identity in who God is, is what matters. Let’s focus on that.

The Powers Aren’t that Powerful

Later in Jesus’ life, Jesus says to the Roman governor of Judaea, Pilate, during his trial, “You would not have any authority over me unless it was given to you from above. For this reason the one who handed me over to you has greater sin” (John 19:11 LEB). Jesus is not only political, he makes clear where political authority actually comes from—God allows it.

God doesn’t appoint political figures, per se, but he certainly allows the authority they have. He could, at any moment, take it for himself.

Are You Willing to Die for Politics?

Jesus lived as a political figure. He died because he was one. Before Pilate the Jewish authorities desiring to kill Jesus even say, “We have a law, and according to the law he ought to die, because he made himself out to be the Son of God!” (John 19:7). They go on to even make the remark, “If you release this man, you are not a friend of Caesar! Everyone who makes himself out to be a king opposes Caesar!” (John 19:12). It’s all political.

Politics may have sent Jesus to his grave but they didn’t keep him there. Jesus rose because his powers far exceeded those any political figures could dream of. His powers far exceed those any political powers have today or ever will have.

Jesus may have gone rounds in politics, but he seems to always feel a little annoyed in the process. He really cared about battling the unseen darkness. Pushing back against the powers that were controlling people’s hearts and stealing their lives is his focus.

We should care about what’s going on right now. Who we elect matters. But who we elect is only a temporary decision. What we do with the choice of Jesus is eternal. What we do with the decisions we’re faced with—to help and love others—has eternal effects. It changes their lives forever, or if we don’t act, doesn’t at all—an even sadder reality we often ignore.

I haven’t cast my vote yet, but I know that wherever I land, Jesus is still the focus. Whether I vote for Governor Romney, President Obama, or write the name in of my college roommate, the eternal politics and real spiritual warfare will wage on.

I Dreamed a Dream: What Book Can Explain Jesus?

John Barry — Sat, 07 Jul 2012 15:51:34 -0700

I dreamed last night that a friend I have been praying for finally became interested in Christianity. He asked me, “What’s the best book I can read to understand Christianity?” I was puzzled. At first, I thought, Mere Christianity, only to realize that Mere Christianity is better suited for a new Christian or someone who needs to become more serious about their faith. Then I was troubled. I didn’t have an answer.

My friend had asked me the question because he had recently heard me pray. While I was praying, he realized how much Jesus means to me and desired to believe—but wasn’t convinced yet—that there could be more to life. I assumed, in my dream, that the prayer made him realize that I actually believed that I was having a conversation with God: not just that I was petitioning, but that someone on the other side heard me, listened, and spoke back. This changed his perspective on faith in Jesus.

But a book of answers, like “What is Christianity?” or “Why did Jesus have to die?” wouldn’t be enough for him. And most of the books I could think of were too detailed or long. He needed an honest, succinct, and raw explanation of the radical work of the risen savior. He wasn’t asking me to define Christianity; he was asking to understand the mystery that is Jesus.

I awoke. I hadn’t answered his question, but my heart longed to help him. I began to think, “Why isn’t there a book out there that adequately explains the mystery of Christ at work in believers?” At first, I answered the question like a publisher, “Because Christians write books for Christians—their market.” But then I realized that there is a book that explains Jesus, in His fullness. I knew it all along. I talk about it everyday. The Bible should be the first book someone reads, always—and especially the Gospel of John.

We as Christians believe the Bible to be transformative, but do we really? We say the Spirit will bring someone to Christ, but do we pray like that’s the case? We know we should pray in all things, but how often do we? We all like sheep have gone astray. There is no end to the writing of many books. There is a savior that was led to the slaughter for all of us.

Who will call people to Jesus, if not us? Who will set an example, if we don’t?

There is only one book that can truly bring someone to God. Every other book that does so is a product influenced by that great book’s truth.

There is only one Spirit that can explain the mystery of God, and it has a way of bringing more mystery into our lives—a more urgent, pressing type of faith.

There is only one type of prayer that matters—the one we mean. I dreamed a dream. Are you dreaming one?

World’s Most Advanced Study Bible—Free through March 2014 with Coupon Code

John Barry — Tue, 26 Jun 2012 09:00:00 -0700

You’re about to benefit from my recent blogging infrequency. Today, I have the honor of introducing Faithlife Study Bible—it’s free for you through March 2014. Just go to FaithlifeBible.com and enter the coupon code JohnBarry. Faithlife Study Bible rethinks the study Bible. It’s a new study Bible, designed from scratch for a digital world.

Faithlife Study Bible has its own unique app and is fully integrated into a brand new community built around the Word, Faithlife.com. Faithlife Study Bible is focused on facts—presenting the literary, historical, and cultural backdrop of the Bible, while articulating various viewpoints about any given passage. Study notes are supplemented by hundreds of articles, some of which are devotional, and many of which are from well-known scholars, church leaders, and Christian thinkers. The study Bible also includes articles on major thematic topics, as well as background information about the Bible, and the types of literature in the Bible.

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There are three layers of notes in Faithlife Study Bible including the articles, about 400 photos, videos, and infographics, and a brand-new daily devotional titled Connect the Testaments. (Spurgeon’s classic devotional Morning and Evening: Daily Readings is also available as part of your free subscription.) All these resources are enhanced by an inline glossary that defines biblical and historical terminology.

Using Faithlife, you can also set up a reading plan for yourself or a group, and the community notes feature makes it easy to share your thoughts on a passage with a group. (The full feature list is here.)

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I hope you enjoy Faithlife Study Bible. I would love to hear your feedback. And since it’s still growing—we’re constantly adding new analyses and rich media—please let me know what you would like to see added.

What Death Taught Me Once Again

John Barry — Sun, 27 May 2012 14:12:38 -0700

A friend I knew as Papa, Bob Moore, left a legacy today: God is big and suffering like Christ is how we show Him to others.

Both of my grandfathers passed away before I was born, so Bob Moore was the closest thing to a local grandfather I ever knew. I don’t think he intended to become my grandfather, but he became it anyways. By the time he joined Christ in heaven, his body was badly beaten from disease and a few falls along the way. I mention this because it’s in his suffering that I learned the most from him.

People teach us in different ways: Bob Moore taught me what it meant to suffer like Christ. I never heard him complain as a disease moved like a freight train through his body. Instead, he embraced Jesus in it all. For all the study I did of God’s suffering servant (Isaiah 52:13–53:12), Papa Moore showed me what it meant to really embrace what that servant, being Jesus, requires of us. It wasn’t the books that truly taught me about the suffering servant’s legacy, or my study of Hebrew, but the life and experiences of people like Papa.

He was an engineer, a physicist, and a specialty pilot who served our country. And it was in a physics based remark that I came to understand how he embraced Christ, even in all of his pain. He said, “God is big.” It was simple, yet profound. God is bigger than suffering. Christ transcends it. Christ feels it; He knows us in it. And we know Him in it.

When one of Jesus' followers moves to heaven, we remember them by their legacy for the kingdom here. The Montana man who just received a new body in heaven taught us that we must live a great adventure for Christ. We must be willing to risk everything for Jesus, despite how hard it may be at times and how much our bodies may try to hold us back from doing so.

It was Papa who also taught me that it is never too late to have influence for Jesus. He became the patriarch of our family--the man who prayed fervently at our meals. We saw Jesus in each of those moments. And it was Bob that we watched get baptized at age 77. It’s never too late to embrace God’s full call on your life and for reconciliation to come in the process.

For all these “was” remarks, what’s most important is that “Bob is.” He is with Christ. He is a saint in God, because of Christ’s great work in Him.

We salute you Papa Moore.

Passion Week is a Calling and You're Called

John Barry — Tue, 03 Apr 2012 12:55:00 -0700

My friend walked up to me weeping. I asked him what was wrong. He responded, "I just read the Gospel of Luke. I think I need to sell everything and follow Jesus. ... But that's not what makes me sad; it's that I am so far from Christ. All these years I've been following Him and I'm just now realizing what it means to actually follow Him. He was willing to give everything for me, and I must give everything for Him."

I cried too. It changed my life. I wanted to respond with some scholastic copout about metaphors or hyperbole, but I knew that wasn’t the truth. Christ has called us to give everything for Him.

But I must tell you that God is still working this great work in me. And as for my friend, I recently brought this story up to him, and he said that God is still doing the great work in him as well. What we share in common is that Christ has seriously transformed both of us since that day.

As Easter has been marketed, sold, and bought, so we have done the same with our souls. To use a cliché from the epic '90s Christian rock era, we're not "sold out for Jesus"; we've sold out to the world. There is so much truth in the statement, "be in the world, but not of it." But the world sees a great lie when they look at the state of Christianity: statistically, we’re not living like Christ called us to, and that hinders the witness we’re meant to be. We have invested in expensive buildings and grounds, even doing so in the name of the "cornerstone." Meanwhile, the poor are dying. There are still unreached people all over the world. I could throw the facts at you about how bad the situation is, but you already know, and you also know that you should do something about it. It's the great enslavement of our generation. No one in this world should die from hunger or thirst; there is enough for everyone, but us with much to give aren’t giving.

If we're really honest with ourselves, we as Christians, as a whole, are as much of the world as we are in it. If you think me merely a cynic, and even if you don't, read the Gospel of Luke this week.

We as Christians have lost the passion of Passion Week. Yet, Christ's passion, instilled in us, is meant to be the primary factor that makes us Christian. Christ died for us, and we're called to be willing to do the same (Luke 9:23-25).

William Wilberforce, the great abolitionist put it this way:

"We turn from [Christ's work] coldly, or at best profess it negligently, as a thing of no account of estimation. But a due sense of its value would be assuredly impressed on by the diligent study of the Word of God, that blessed repository of divine truth and consolation. ... Reason dictates, Revelation commands; 'Faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God' (Romans 10:17); 'Search the Scriptures' (John 5:39); 'Be ready to give to every one a reason of the hope that is in you' (1 Peter 3:15). ... Yet, it is not undeniable that with the Bible in our houses, we are ignorant of its contents; and that hence, in a great measure, it arises, that the bulk of the Christian world know so little, and mistake so greatly, in what regards the religion which they profess?" (Kevin Charles Belmonte (editor), A Practical View of Christianity; some punctuation changed).

5 Days in 4 Gospels Series (from the Archives)

P.S. I’ll be back to our spiritual gifts and offices series soon.

#Kony2012: Should You Donate? How NGOs Work

John Barry — Wed, 07 Mar 2012 23:12:23 -0800

When working on projects, we often say, “Chaos will ensue” and we’re happy when it does because it means we’re making progress. It’s also often said that “Inventions should cause disruption.” Sometimes that disruption is good and sometimes it’s bad. The kind of chaos and disruption Invisible Children’s #Kony2012 campaign has caused is good. No matter what side of the debate you’re on, you can’t argue against awareness about child soldiers and child sex slaves. If we don’t know, we can’t do anything. But there’s more to it than that, isn’t there? The concern is, “Should I donate?”

I serve as the treasurer for an NGO, as co-chair for a government set-up advisory board, and as the president of a church. (Yes, for incorporation purposes, churches have presidents.) So I have a bit of experience in the area of acceptable financial practices of donor or tax-payer funded entities. I don’t claim to be an expert, but I know enough to understand what I’m looking at when reading an organization's financials.

Now, I’m not going to go into the details about Invisible Children’s finances, because they’ve already adequately covered that in a recent response, but it should be noted that Invisible Children does several things they don’t have to do. For example, they post their financials on their website. So despite some recent claims that they’re required to do this; they aren’t. They do it because they want to be transparent.

In addition, Invisible Children’s financials have recently been approached from the stand-point of what they’re actually doing in Uganda. That approach misunderstands not only their stated goals—which involve awareness as a major component—but it also misunderstands how non-profits work. Although the majority of non-profits are doing physical work in some place, there is nothing to prevent a non-profit from being mainly about the goal of awareness. If that’s all Invisible Children did, and the government continued to be in approval of their 501(c)(3), it would be completely acceptable. But Invisible Children does more than raise awareness; they’re also doing incredible work on the ground. When approaching their financials, it’s inaccurate to suggest that money spent on travel or camera equipment is somehow not going towards their work. The travel expenses involve a massive part of their work since they travel around the nation campaigning and showing their films to raise awareness—not to mention all the trips they have to take to Africa to check on the progress of their projects, meet with partners, and get new footage.

One of the most startling things about joining a non-profit board is how much time and money is spent on insurance, building costs, computer costs, and other expenses that appear to be a distraction from your primary cause. But if these things don’t happen, the cause doesn’t happen. It’s a big misnomer that somehow non-profits are so different that people just bring their own computers, and pay for their own insurance, and that they’re all underpaid. People shouldn’t be paid top-notch salaries to work at a non-profit, but they should be paid well enough to make them feel appreciated. And a large staff to accomplish a big mission is expensive. (Note: I currently don’t get paid by a single non-profit.)

I’m also getting the feeling that people (especially the media?) are surprised by how fast the Kony 2012 campaign has gone viral and how many celebrities are for it. Now, I’m amazed like everyone else, but I’m even more shocked by how long it takes people to get impassioned about disheartening statistics elsewhere. I ran a campaign raising funds for Horn of Africa Famine Relief for my birthday, and I was amazed at how few people even wanted more information. We’re talking about 13 million people affected by this problem, and the famine didn’t even trend on Twitter (to my knowledge). So why aren’t we more shocked about the general apathy? Is compassion really that surprising? Shouldn’t that be the natural response?

So would I donate to Invisible Children? I haven’t yet, but that’s not because I’m somehow against what they’re doing financially or because I’m concerned that they support action by an army that has some corruption. (Reminder: Torture at Guantanamo Bay and American soldiers prosecuted for killing civilians. There is no excuse for brutality or war crimes, ever, but there is also no corruption free military. And sometimes military action is required, despite its flaws.) I haven’t donated to Invisible Children yet because I’m currently supporting aid relief with other organizations and because Invisible Children is doing pretty well financially.

But we should all be passionate about the cause of saving the lives of children (and Invisible Children may actually need the funding right now more than I realize, so I'm not suggeting my method). I have signed the petition, and recommend you do so as well; be listed among the names of citizens that demands that the US government bring Kony to justice. I also encourage you to watch the Kony 2012 film.

If you’re not sold on Invisible Children’s mission and methods, that’s one thing, but name a better way to end this problem and bring one of the leading war criminals of our time to justice. (Because the Rwanda Genocide is a testament to what happens when we do nothing.) If you’re more passionate about a different cause and want to donate to that, do so. But let’s not make excuses or accusations until we actually know the facts. And no matter what, donate to something that’s alleviating world poverty and bringing justice. It’s the least we can do.

The Delusionals Are Ruining the Fun

John Barry — Mon, 13 Feb 2012 22:36:54 -0800

We’ve all met the delusionals and the crazies in religion, or at least seen them on TV or YouTube. The way that they affect Christianity reminds me of what happens in work environments: One person does something stupid or abuses the system, and suddenly there is an additional code or protocol that everyone else has to follow. One person’s folly becomes everyone’s regret. Among Christians, it seems that our reaction to the loonies has made us all act a little crazy. Rather than seeking to distinguish between the spirits of good and evil, and sane and insane, we’ve generally abolished anything that seems a little odd or difficult to rationalize.

But there is comfort to be found in what Paul tells us about how spiritual gifts come into play, and how they should be used. He addresses the problems we’re dealing with head on.

We can’t “will” spiritual gifts into play on our own, like some Harry Potter spell; instead, only God can grant them, as He deems fit: “All these [spiritual gifts] are empowered by one and the same Spirit, who apportions to each one individually as he wills” (1 Cor 12:11 ESV). We cannot force spirituality; we can only invite it. And each person receives gifts as God wills.

All Christ followers were meant to be one with Christ; and as communities, we are meant to be unified together, as Christ as unified us to Himself, with the common purpose of God’s work among us (1 Cor 12:12–13). This does not downplay our diversity, and the unique ways in which God uses each of us, but instead emphasizes it. Paul uses the analogy of the human body to make this point. He suggests that as each member of the body is required for the overall body to function, holistically and healthily, so must each individual person play their part (1 Cor 12:14–21).

Each type of spiritual gift is needed for the church’s work. There is no part that is greater than the others.

When Paul made this point, he did so because the Corinthians had elevated particular spiritual gifts, specifically speaking in tongues, over others. Today, we have a similar problem: we often elevate people with speaking abilities (the pastor types), or those with lots of knowledge, over others. The other spiritual gifts are usually given the back seat.

It seems that we give certain spiritual gifts the back seat because we don’t understand our need for them, like how an unhealthy person doesn’t see the need for exercise. Or, because we’re simply uncomfortable with them, like how an unhealthy eater disliked vegetables at one point (because they were cooked wrongly), and now refuses to eat them. The fears aren’t rational, but we use them because they seem rational.

Since the loonies manifest similar attributes to some spiritual gifts, we’re worried about how out of control spirituality can become. And in return, we quietly banish it, like we do vegetables from our diet. Now, we rarely frame the issue this way—and thus I’m making it seem a little more cut and dry than it is for most people—but that’s the gist of what’s going on.

The only difference between the problems Paul was addressing and the problems we’re dealing with today is that the Corinthians were elevating the slightly more audacious gifts over the more modest ones. But it doesn’t take much to see how Paul’s words also apply to our situation:

“The parts of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable, and on those parts of the body that we think less honorable we bestow the greater honor, and our unpresentable parts are treated with greater modesty, which our more presentable parts do not require” (1 Corinthians 12:22–24 ESV).

After recognizing this point, Paul sticks it to the Corinthians. He won’t allow for this to go on.

“But God has so composed the body, giving greater honor to the part that lacked it, that there may be no division in the body, but that the members may have the same care for one another. If one member suffers, all suffer together; if one member is honored, all rejoice together” (1 Corinthians 12:23–26 ESV).

We rise together; we die together. Thus, we should suffer together. No fight is ever won by an army with merely one type of defense or attack. We need one another and the unique gifts God has granted each of us. Apart, we will fall. And if we continue to deny parts of God’s workings among us, we will certainly sacrifice God’s plans, and the amazing things He wants to do.

The honor in our communities doesn’t necessarily reside with the gifts that we regard highly; nor does it reside with the gifts we don’t regard at all. Instead, they’re all equal. The problem isn’t the gifts; it’s us.

What gifts are you honoring over others? How can you combat this in your community?

Join the movement. Be the first to know. Sign up for updates here.

Want to read the entire series? Here is a round-up:

Spiritual gifts or curses?

We don’t compare ourselves to Elijah but should

Treating pastors like restaurant managers

Jesus in a cashmere sweater

Banishing Sunday school teachers

Spiritual gridlock: the end of miracles?

The myth of the apolitical church

Healing: it's what we all need

Help: a war cry, not a cry of desperation

Administrators: leaders, not paper pushers

Speaking in tongues: not crazy, just different

Interpreting, (well) everything

The higher gifts: an owner's manual

Why pastors never meet expectations

Looney tunes and the church

Purpose: it's confusing

"Be a man"

Growing pains: don't be like Mike

I don't want you to be uninformed

Spiritual gifts: a definition

Onward towards a better way

Where's God today?

Faith over intellect? Intellect over faith?

Faith as a gift

"Satan made me do it" and no one saw it

“Satan Made Me Do It” and No One Saw It

John Barry — Sun, 12 Feb 2012 21:30:01 -0800

“Satan made me do it,” and no one recognized it. Is it just me, or does this seem to be an accurate adage for how the Christian faith often functions today? As much as we may mention evil, and its ramifications upon our lives, how often are we really combatting it? Resisting temptations is one manifestation of opposing the dark powers that may be, but it is only one among many.

The evil things that creep into our lives and communities are often the kind that we don’t recognize—“a wolf in sheep’s clothing.” Most people can recognize a temptation when they see it, but there are also many subtle, evil things that slowly dwindle away at our dedication to following God’s will. These subtle, evil things manifest themselves in simple ways, like “reason” overpowering faith, and demonic possession being excused as merely mental illness.

There is a spiritual gift that those who know how to recognize evil have. Paul mentions it in one of his lists of spiritual gifts.

To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good. For to one is given through the Spirit the utterance of wisdom, and to another the utterance of knowledge according to the same Spirit, to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by the one Spirit, to another the working of miracles, to another prophecy, to another the ability to distinguish between spirits, to another various kinds of tongues, to another the interpretation of tongues. All these are empowered by one and the same Spirit, who apportions to each one individually as he wills (1 Corinthians 12:7–11 ESV).

More literally, this gift can be rendered as “distinguishing of spirits” or “distinction of spirits.” Paul regularly talks about good and evil—recognizing how these two opposing forces interact in our lives and in our communities.

The author of Hebrews makes nearly the same point as Paul: “But solid [spiritual] food is for the mature, for those who have their powers of discernment trained by constant practice to distinguish good from evil” (Heb 5:14). Like faith, everyone who claims to believe in Jesus should have the ability to distinguish between good and evil things and spirits, but some are more gifted in this area than others. And note how the author of Hebrews prefaces this topic: using the word “constant.” The “practice” must be constant. It’s constant because evil is constant.

Although its not regularly discussed in most church communities—probably because its viewed as weird by those who don’t believe the same way—the warring powers of good and evil are a regular topic in the New Testament. Jesus, the apostles, and his disciples regularly cast out demons. Paul writes letters that have the fight against the powers of evil as a central topic, like his second letter to the Corinthians. And, Peter makes the fight against evil the crux of his second letter; ditto for Jude and John’s apocalypse that we call Revelation.

At the center of the Bible, thematically, is the idea of a war for souls, and the tragic love story of a God trying to prompt His beloved people away from these evil spirits and evil choices. These evil spirits are warring for our allegiance. They exist because, like us, they chose to follow their own wills over God’s perfect will.

Buy why would God let them exist at all? Everyday that God doesn’t vanquish the evil spirits from the earth is an opportunity for people to come to salvation. For the day that He vanquishes evil, He will destroy all of it, including evil people because they keep the evil spirits and other kinds of evil alive in them. But that day is not today. Instead, today Jesus offers grace in the hope that before the end we will choose Him back.

Between now and the last day, we as Christians must distinguish between good and evil spirits. We must know when it’s truly God performing miracles, offering a prophetic word, and speaking in tongues, and when its evil powers doing work that mimics God’s. This distinction comes through a knowledge base in the difference between good and evil, as articulated in the biblical text, and a dedication to prayer, so that we may receive wisdom and discernment. Furthermore, the distinction itself is simple in most cases: Is the [you name it] being used to free people and offer them the gracious way of Jesus, or is [you name it] being used for the power or gain of select individuals? (Who is it really about?) Now there are many situations that are too complicated for this question to answer—requiring those with the spiritual gift of discerning between spirits—but for most, this question can be used.

Those who are gifted in the area of discernment between the spirits must act. For if they don’t, we will all end up in a situation we don’t want to be in: a place where evil is guiding in our communities and hearts, not God. Christ has overcome evil; we must rely on Him to help us identify it and fight against it. For this reason, we must grant people with the gift of distinguishing between spirits the freedom to do so. We must embrace their gift, not be afraid of it.

How can you make people with the spiritual gift of discerning between spirits feel comfortable to speak up when the time comes?

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Faith as a Gift

John Barry — Sat, 11 Feb 2012 19:47:31 -0800

I don’t know anyone that authentically follows Jesus that hasn’t struggled with faith at some point. Some people struggle intellectually: they learn something new and don’t know how to compute it with their faith. Others are troubled because of crisis: Something horrible happens and they don’t know if they believe anymore, because they can’t imagine God letting the pain or evil they’ve experienced go unchecked.

A little observed fact about Christianity is that struggle is a good thing. Few good things happen without scars. (And everyone needs to grow up, out of the ignorance of youth.) No one ever lived a great life without some sort of turmoil. The greatest leaders in Christianity have suffered for their beliefs, and nearly all of Jesus’ earliest followers died for their beliefs.

But it’s a major problem when we blame God for the physical, spiritual, and intellectual struggles we experience. This problem is rooted in a misunderstanding of how God operates in the world. The pain in our world is rooted in how people respond to God; not in God’s decisions. If we were all in perfect relationship with God, evil people wouldn’t exist. Likewise, if we were in perfect relationship with God, we wouldn’t have intellectual struggles. We would know Him and understand Him. And if we were in perfect relationship with God, the world wouldn’t be a chaotic mess full of physical pain.

In addition, intellectual struggles are usually rooted in ignorance, like the kind often manifested in fundamentalism. (“Just believe what we say,” is how I define fundamentalism.) In many sects of Christianity, faith is seen as something separated from intellect. Thus, when intellect is actually used to analyze faith, faith begins to crumble. I’m betting that if we taught the full truth in our churches, we wouldn’t see people lose faith in college. Instead, we would see them encounter things they already had an answer to. And when they didn’t have an answer, they would have a support system—in other people and in their own faith—to rely on. We would support them in the struggle. We need people to rely on, but who are they? How do we identify them?

Here’s where it gets really good: There is a spiritual gift to support people in faith struggles. Yes, faith itself can be a spiritual gift.

To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good. For to one is given through the Spirit the utterance of wisdom, and to another the utterance of knowledge according to the same Spirit, to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by the one Spirit, to another the working of miracles, to another prophecy, to another the ability to distinguish between spirits, to another various kinds of tongues, to another the interpretation of tongues. All these are empowered by one and the same Spirit, who apportions to each one individually as he wills (1 Corinthians 12:7–11 ESV).

Have you ever met someone with the gift of faith? They just seem to be faithful no matter what. They’re always loyal, always attached to Christ, and never cease to believe in the betterment of others. People with the gift of faith place everything in the hands of Jesus—claiming that He will redeem, no matter what the circumstances. These people are encouraging. They give us hope (which happens to be part of the definition of faith, in Hebrews 11:1).

Now, faith is required for all Christians, as is wisdom and knowledge. But the thing about spiritual gifts is that they are a way of labeling what comes easier for some people over others. (Spiritual offices are more unique in this regard.) Some are almost naturally wise—always observing. Others seem to just remember things—they know when others forget. And others just believe—no matter what, they have faith when others don’t.

The most faithful among us are rarely recognized. They’re uncompromising, but we don’t realize it because nothing ever seems to change about them: they don’t complain when things get difficult, but instead believe. They’re forcing us all to grow, but we don’t recognize their growth because it’s too consistent. People with the gift of faith are like an oak tree in the front yard. It’s growth is slow and steady. It’s not until we reflect on pictures of the tree when it was small that we realize that it has been with us all along, and has been a subtle reminder of providence. God has cared for it, because it simply waited patiently for the sun and the rain. And something as simple as its leafs and fallen branches become a nurturing place for others.

We need people who will remind us of what we’re meant to be, and people with the gift of faith do just that. Every community needs someone who remembers what it’s all about: the gospel and the gospel alone—showing the love of Jesus to the world and the hope of salvation He offers.

We all need hope. And we all need someone to believe in us when we’ve stopped believing in ourselves. People with the gift of faith see God’s faithfulness working in us and through us. They recognize Jesus’ plan for our lives, as individuals and collectively as church communities; and they continue to remind us of it.

Who has faith no matter what in your community? How can you promote people with this gift?

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