Category: All Articles

“It’s a Wonderful Life”

by Mike Avery, posted in All Articles, Christian Living, Holiday

–December of 2007

“It’s a Wonderful Life”

The Greatest Gift, written by Philip Van Doren Stern, is a story about a man who wants to accomplish something in his own life but is so busy helping others that life seems to pass him by. Despondent over what appears to be a very ordinary if not even a wasted life, he wishes he had never been born. He gets his wish, and through the help of a guardian angel he sees the world as it would have been had he never lived. After viewing life from such a unique perspective, he concludes that life is indeed a wonderful gift.  Though Stern never found anyone willing to publish the story, it finally found its way into the hands of filmmaker Frank Capra, who turned it into the all-time Christmas classic It’s a Wonderful Life.

I have not had any life-changing visits from a guardian angel, but I have had my perspective on this life altered in recent months.  I am one of those Christians who truly believe the best is yet to come!  It has not been tempting to me to spend any time or money collecting the trinkets and toys of this present world. I have not craved houses and lands.   I have had a good life, a happy marriage, and wonderful children who are grown and established – so any time God is ready for me to go, I am ready to depart: no sad stories, no regrets about leaving and no struggle to grasp a few more fleeting moments of time here on earth . It’s been a great journey! (For those who are shocked by this, no, I am not depressed, and yes, I would like to know my grandchildren). After all, earnest Christians live with a very loose grip on this present world. Right? Right! We are only pilgrims passing through the temporal headed for the eternal. Right? Right!  This life is inferior at best and the sooner we slip the bonds of mortal existence and are clothed with the eternal, the better.  Right? Not quite!

Some months ago God began to speak to me about the wonderful gift He has given us in our earthly physical life. It should not be minimized or demeaned because it is not as blissful a state as the life to come, nor should one just endure it until liberated by heaven. Rather, it should be lived with deep gratitude and respect as a wonderful gift from God.  It is good, not because I make it so, but because He has made it so.  God created life and declared it good. God gave Adam and Eve each other and the created world around them to enjoy richly.  He considers this physical life sacred and reserves the severest penalties for those who destroy it.  The first promise attached to a commandment was the promise of a long life. God often promised length of days as a way of honoring His faithful servants in the Old Testament. All of this is still true despite the Fall of man and the curse of sin.  Obviously, God sees the life He gives us as very good!

Don’t confuse God’s gift of life that is good with what the world calls the “good life.”  The two are polar opposites. The citizens of this present world chase after the “good life,” grabbing all they can get and holding it as tightly fisted as possible.  They generally succeed in keeping it long enough to make themselves thoroughly miserable before losing it all.  Christians, however, have given up the “good life” so that they may enjoy a life that is truly good. They do not grab for what they can get, but rather hold everything they possess in an open palm.  They clutch nothing to themselves but God.  Thereby they can enjoy all things without those things affecting their joy.

If God views our earthly life as good, then His perspective ought to become our perspective. We should see every moment of our life here as a blessed gift to be richly enjoyed, life as a glorious journey marked by His grace.  I don’t need health or wealth or popularity or beauty or anything else to make my life good. All I need is to walk with Him and remain in Him moment by moment.   Such a view of life is neither a shallow optimism nor a refusal to acknowledge the deep darkness that life can bring.  It isn’t ignoring the curse of sin and its awful physical consequences. But it is refusing to let those things blind us to the ultimate goodness of this life. It is acknowledging that every day is a gift from God – a gift that when received gratefully can transform the most common and ordinary moment into joyful living.  It is a statement of faith that says pain, sorrow and trouble do not define my existence, determine my happiness, or have the last word!

If God sees life as good then His perspective should be reflected in the way we live it.  God has given me some real-life object lessons to illustrate this point. Oscar Johnson, a dear friend, died recently after battling cancer for several years.  Oscar’s life taught me so much about how one should truly enjoy each and every day. Oscar knew for over two years that he was dying.  The joy and optimism with which he lived those years was a powerful witness to hundreds of people.  During his last hospitalization, I was alone with him and took the opportunity to tell him how much he meant to my family and me and to say goodbye.  That opened the door to talk about dying.  He said to me, “Brother Avery, I have never walked this way before.  I don’t know what you’re supposed to do when you’re dying.” And then with a big smile he said, “So I’m just going to enjoy my family, witness to my doctor and take a nap.” Oscar was holding life in an open palm.  He was rejoicing in every moment he had, and others were incredibly impacted by that joy.

A few weeks ago I attended the funeral of alumnus John Case, Jr.  John died suddenly from a rare form of cancer at the age of forty-two. Hundreds came to the viewing and the funeral.  His life had impacted so many people for what appears to be one primary reason – he loved life and it showed!  From the twinkle in his eye, to the lilt in his voice, to the humor in his words, John left those around him with the feeling that life is good and he was enjoying it!  A simple phone call from John could be the bright spot in a person’s day.  What a great way to live!  It is doubtful that anyone was ever influenced toward the life to come by someone who despised the one he or she was living now.  Life is good, and as Christians we should demonstrate that goodness to those we interact with.

As we celebrate God’s unspeakable gift in Christ this Christmas season, it would be good to also celebrate another of His wonderful gifts – the gift of life.  Important celebrations require planning and thought.  Last year on Christmas morning, before my family and I opened our gifts, we read the Christmas story, prayed together and then I read some prepared remarks about how good God had been to our family and how grateful I was for each of them.  I then mentioned some specific things about each one that I deeply appreciated.  After I finished, each family member did the same.  At times we were so overcome with emotion we couldn’t speak.   When it was over, we embraced each other and realized anew how wonderful life really is! If you’re alone, read a prepared letter to God and thank Him for the life He has given you.  You will not be alone for long!   What ever your circumstance, don’t miss an opportunity this year  to celebrate all of life.  Because it really is wonderful!

What’s in a Song?

by Mike Avery, posted in All Articles, Music

–November of 2007

What’s in a Song?

Methodism, it has been said, was born in song; and this was facilitated by the poetic genius and deep piety of Charles Wesley.  Few would argue that Charles Wesley‘s work in the composition of hymns has no equal in the English language, and is perhaps superior to any other man that ever lived.  Wesley’s story is even more remarkable when one remembers that he had never written a hymn before his “heart warming” experience on Whitsunday, 1738.  Following his conversion he wrote his first hymn, “Where shall my wondering soul begin?”   He went on to publish more than 4,500 hymns and left some 3000 in manuscript form.

Wesley’s hymns have become the gold standard for all other hymns.  They are worshipful, scriptural, instructional and pregnant with every conceivable phase of Christian experience and Methodist theology. They not only lift ones heart in adoration and praise to God, but they fill ones head with good Wesleyan theology.

The question naturally arises, “How did he do it?” along with the question, “Why isn’t someone today writing hymns like Wesley’s?”  I have neither the musical expertise nor insight to answer those questions to anyone’s satisfaction, including my own.  But music scholars Harry Eskew and Hugh McElrath give the traits of a Wesley hymn according to form and content in their book, Sing with Understanding: An Introduction to Christian Hymnody.

In summarizing what these music scholars have said a hymn by Charles Wesley will consistently have the following five traits in its form:  1. It is rich in the variety of poetic meters.  2. Sound and sense coincide, that is, individual lines express complete thoughts while being alliterative.  3. Wesley is bold and free in scriptural paraphrase without sacrificing the true meaning of the passage.  4. He uses a skillful mixture of the English and Latin vocabularies.  5. He uses a wide range of literary devices masterfully.

The content of a Wesley hymn also possesses certain remarkable characteristics such as: 1.Wesley’s hymns are replete with Christian dogma. Hymns taken as a body constitute skillfully condensed doctrine.  2. They are full of scriptural allusion. 3. They express a passionate Christian experience. Every mood of the Christian soul is expressed. 4. They are simple and smooth. Important matters concerning God and the souls of humans are dealt with simply and directly. 5. They are appropriately mystical.  The Wesley hymnic language reflects an appropriate intimacy in which God is talked to as a friend but never treated like a chum. This quality makes these hymns timeless and universal.

If it is true that Methodism was born in song, then it is equally true that her faithful sons and daughters still value that song.  For this very Sunday, Wesleyans all around the world will sing the words “O for a thousand tongues to sing my great redeemers praise; the glories of my God and King the triumph of His grace” and will be able to do so because Charles Wesley knew what was in a good song!

Leadership

by Mike Avery, posted in All Articles, Christian Living, Ministry

–October of 2007

Leadership

The rise and fall of societies and of institutions has depended almost exclusively upon the quality of its leadership. George Barna, who has spent years researching the Church in America, claims that the most serious weakness he has found within the Church in the last fifteen years is the lack of leadership.  Few would disagree that strong, bold, innovative, and godly leadership is in short supply.

During the Civil War General Robert E. Lee said, “I believe our Army would be invincible, if it could be properly organized and officered.  These men will go anywhere and do anything if properly led.  There is the difficulty of proper commanders.”  Lee knew that ultimate victory rested on the quality of leaders that led the troops.  He wanted men with: administrative skills and diligence, imagination, initiative, resourcefulness, and the ability to elicit the best in other men. Like Lee, people everywhere are looking for leaders.  So, what does one look for in a leader?

Don’t put too much stock in outward appearance.  Externally, leaders often appear very different.  Hitler and Gandhi or Mother Teresa and General George Patton would be excellent subjects for a study in contrast except for the one thing they had in common — they were all leaders.  God has used uncultured farmers, crude fishermen, and simple shepherds, as well as gifted scholars, astute politicians, and military tacticians to lead his causes.  While most of us look at the outward appearance, God looks at the core of the person’s character.  He looks for certain inner traits that will turn a lad into a leader.  As a matter of fact, research shows that internally, leaders have certain characteristics in common.  Let me list them for you:

Leaders have clear cut objectives.  Leaders know what they what to achieve, why they want to achieve it, and how they are going to achieve it.  They know that you will only achieve what you aim for so they keep focused on their goals and objectives.

  1. Leaders know themselves.  Leaders know their strengths and weaknesses.  They lead from their strengths and bring the right people around them to help where they know they have weaknesses.
  2. Leaders are persistent.  They have staying power.  They will sometimes give a lifetime of dedicated service just to seeing their objectives fulfilled.
  3. Leaders are learners.  They never stop learning and growing.  They have an insatiable appetite to expand their knowledge and learn how to lead more effectively.
  4. Leaders have the ability to attract and energize people.  Leadership is influence.  Leaders have the ability to influence others to accomplish a common goal.
  5. Leaders are risk takers.  They don’t fear failure.  They are willing to fail if they can learn something from it.  They aren’t afraid to take risk with resources, ideas, and change if they believe good can come from it.
  6. Leaders are followers. No true Christian leader is a law unto himself.  He asks others to follow him only as he follows Christ.  He lives in obedience to the Word and those to whom he is accountable.

Some who are reading this right now are looking for a leader to lead your church or organization.  Look for these core traits.  Don’t be too caught up in outward appearance or you may miss a David, Israel’s greatest King.  Don’t be deceived by a hesitant speaker, or you may miss a Moses, Israel’s greatest leader.  Don’t be turned off by a “thorn in the flesh” or you may miss a Paul, the church’s greatest missionary. But look inside.  Look for the right kind of heart.  That’s where you will find a true leader.

Real Persons or Fictive Characters?

by Mike Avery, posted in All Articles, Christian Living

–September of 2007

Real Persons or Fictive Characters?

The bravest moment of a person’s life is when they take an objective look at themselves.  The saints saw such introspection as healthy and necessary for character transformation and growth in personal holiness.  The value is not in just the looking, but in honestly acknowledging and dealing with what one may find.  It can be very painful to confront the truth about ourselves, but a failure to do so thwarts the goal of becoming the “real” person that God intends for us to be.  Furthermore, when we fail to acknowledge something that we know is true about ourselves and rather seek to obscure it, we inadvertently cultivate a dangerous form of duplicity that makes us more of a fictive person than a real one.  James calls this, “deceiving yourselves.”  Jesus called it hypocrisy.

The word hypocrisy comes from the language of the theater.  It originally meant “recitation, acting on stage.”  What happens on a stage is not real­ – it is fiction – it is make believe.  All that is bad about fictive behavior was transferred to the word hypocrisy until it has become a word that is exclusively negative. One may brag of almost any sin, but one never brags of being a hypocrite.  Hypocrisy is ceasing to be a real person in order to become a character. By the time of Jesus the word had acquired at least one other meaning.  It began to be used to describe the disconnection between outward life and inward reality. Jesus called the Pharisees hypocrites because they sought an outward conformity to the law while their hearts were vile and wicked.

Blaise Pascal wrote, “Every person has two lives: one is the true life, and the other is the imaginary life lived in one’s own or other’s opinion.  We work tirelessly to embellish and preserve our imaginary selves, and we neglect our true selves.”  Whether Pascal is fully correct or not, what is true is that one almost never hears of anyone acknowledging this subtle sin that so easily dogs the steps of those who pursue righteousness and value holy living.  Why?  The reason is simple: Wherever spiritual values, piety, and holy living are the most highly esteemed, the temptation will be present to pretend to have them—so as not to seem to be without them.  Wherever rules of behavior are valued and adherence to those rules is obvious to others, the temptation to “act out” our commitment for the sake of others or because of fear of what others may think will always be near at hand.

Why is hypocrisy such an abomination to God? Because hypocrisy it is a form of idolatry. Hypocrisy gives the creature a place that belongs only to the Creator.  One lets what others think become more important to us than what God thinks.  In the end we become performers for the audience (others) rather than living a life solely for the glory of God.  It can even lead to a distortion of scripture as it alleviates the view of my peers over the clear teaching of God’s Word.

What is the cure for such hypocrisy?  First, we need to seek to have a heart that has been so thoroughly cleansed of sinful self-love that we are more anxious about “being” (true character) than we are about “seeming” (our reputation).  Second, we need to establish in our soul the principle behind whatever rules we use to guide our lives so that it is indeed the principle rather than the rule that does the guiding.  Third, we must understand that any ritual we perform or rule we keep that is not motivated by love for God and man will be just an empty shell—a complete facade.

True spirituality will always make us more real not less.  It constantly reminds us that, “all things are naked and opened before the eyes of him with whom we have to do.”  C.S. Lewis was right when he said, “The prayer preceding all prayers is: May it be the real I who speaks. May it be the real Thou that I speak to.”  God deals in reality.  Let’s be real!

Backslidden

by Mike Avery, posted in All Articles, Christian Living, Church, Theology

–Summer of 2007

Backslidden

When is the last time you heard some honest soul talk about his spiritual condition and use the term backslidden?  It’s a word that seems to have been dropped from the Church’s vocabulary, even among those within the Wesleyan Armenian tradition.  One could get the idea that it’s simply not a problem anymore.  But is that really the case?

A generation ago you heard the subject preached or written about with some degree of frequency and always with intensity.  It was not generally done from the standpoint of how one may backslide and steps to prevent it, but with the idea that many were already backslidden, or at least well on their way, and needed to be reclaimed. The intent of this kind of preaching was to awaken those who were spiritually asleep and call to repentance those who had sinned, but more often than not the results were less than positive.  It helped create a “one sin your out” mindset and fed an unhealthy environment of constant self-introspection.  Many young people were left in a state of confusion and spiritual instability.  It also turned overly conscientious souls into perpetual seekers who could never find any sense of assurance or security in their salvation.

To address this imbalance, a new generation of preachers and spiritual counselors took a different approach.  The preachers simply stopped talking about backsliding and focused primarily on prevention.  Spiritual counselors, who had already shifted from the experiential paradigm of salvation to a relational model, stressed how difficult it actually was to backslide and how rarely it happened. Before you knew it, backsliding had practically disappeared.  On the beneficial side, the focus on discipleship and the nurturing of the weak was a very positive alternative to re-converting the saints at every revival.  On the downside, with no warnings against backsliding or proclamation of its spiritual consequences, many began to feel that they could live in clear disobedience to God’s word and suffer only minimal spiritual damage. If we believe the consequences of sinning fail to impact our standing with God, then sin itself is minimized, and when sin is minimized, sinning is trivialized. The members of this new culture of “saints without sanctity” have become very adept at describing their spiritual condition in highly generalized terms.  They fail to speak about “walking in all the light” or “living in total victory.”   They talk about “not doing very well spiritually” or say, “I am a little down right now because I haven’t been having my devotions lately”.

Now I know that just occasionally preaching on backsliding will not solve the entire situation I described above, but people will be helped by a clear biblical statement that tolerating failure and practicing disobedience has clear and unmistakable consequences, including spiritual self-deception and ultimately the loss of saving faith.  Our people, both young and old, need to hear that when people refuse to heed the checks of the Holy Spirit and repent of their sin, they have “turned away” from saving grace and have “departed from the faith.”  Whether you want to call it backsliding or not, the end result is the same and the spiritual consequences are dire.