The Emotional Aspect of Doctrinal Truth

We usually think of doctrinal truth as a concept or proposition arrived at by means of intellectual or cognitive processes. Wikipedia defines cognition as “the scientific term for “the process of thought”. Its usage varies in different ways in accord with different disciplines: For example, in psychology and cognitive science it refers to an information processing view of an individual’s psychological functions. Other interpretations of the meaning of cognition link it to the development of concepts; individual minds, groups, organizations, and even larger coalitions of entities, can be modeled as “societies” (Society of Mind), which cooperate to form concepts.”

Whether or not we have thought of this in a specific way, we believe this. It stands as a primary reason why Urshan Graduate School of Theology was founded. Our explicit purpose may be found in the use of the word “theology” in the school name. It means the science or study of God. All of us have an understanding—or even a conviction—that we should apply our mental faculties to the pursuit of truth, the acquisition of scriptural knowledge and to cognitively understand God, insofar as our finite minds allow us to do that. We use reason, analysis, investigation and other kinds of mental exercises in this pursuit. Carl Jung identified eight cognitive processes that humans use to perceive themselves, the world around them and their perception of truth: experiencing, reviewing, interpreting, foreseeing, ordering, analyzing, connecting and valuing. The study of the Jungian model is fascinating and one would benefit greatly in looking at it in-depth. Actually, cognitive psychology is the one branch of the field that I personally find the most credible.

God equipped man with the ability to think on a level above that of the animal kingdom. Since we were made in His image, then this property must be a reflection of the nature of God Himself. The mind is not an enemy of God nor is it to be considered insignificant in our relationship to God. In fact, Jesus said that we were to “love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind.” (Matthew 22:37).

But beyond the human nature to be inquisitive, the bible itself encourages us to apply our minds to understanding God. Consider the following scriptures:

· Study to show thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth. 2 Timothy 2:15

· These were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the scriptures daily, whether those things were so. Acts 17:11

· We have also a more sure word of prophecy; whereunto ye do well that ye take heed, as unto a light that shineth in a dark place, until the day dawn, and the day star arise in your hearts: 2 Peter 1:19

· But continue thou in the things which thou hast learned and hast been assured of, knowing of whom thou hast learned them; 15 And that from a child thou hast known the holy scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus. 16 All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: 17 That the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works. 2 Timothy 3:14-17.

The mind, however, cannot be completely trusted. It is affected by the fallen nature of man just as every other aspect of our existence bears the curse of sin. That means that we cannot give a blanket endorsement to every thought, every mental process or every conclusion that we reach through human reasoning. We can be misinformed. We can be biased. We can be illogical. We can be devious. We can be stupid. Albert Einstein said, “Two things are infinite: the universe and human stupidity; and I’m not sure about the universe.” While we’re on stupidity quotes, Elbert Hubbard said, “Genius may have its limitations, but stupidity is not thus handicapped.”

We also have to remember our good Greek friends in Acts 17. My Greek professor at the University of Toledo started his introductory course with a lecture about the Athenians. He said that around 500 B. C. there was a colony of geniuses who lived in Athens the likes of which has never been duplicated. They either began all of the great disciplines of the mind or they significantly advanced their study. Philosophy, politics, medicine, literature, art, drama, mathematics, physics, music, architecture, language, just to name a few, were developed in this culture. Their ideas about religion, however, although entertaining, were bizarre.

Paul went to Athens hundreds of years after Greece’s Golden Age, but the traces of its past lingered on in the minds of its intellectuals. After Paul encountered them on Mars Hill, he wrote the following passage to the Corinthians, who, no doubt, always felt a little inferior to the geniuses of Athens: “For it is written, I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and will bring to nothing the understanding of the prudent. 20 Where is the wise? where is the scribe? where is the disputer of this world? hath not God made foolish the wisdom of this world? 21 For after that in the wisdom of God the world by wisdom knew not God, it pleased God by the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe.” 1 Corinthians 1:19-21. Later, he wrote: “And my speech and my preaching was not with enticing words of man’s wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power: 5 That your faith should not stand in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God. 6 Howbeit we speak wisdom among them that are perfect: yet not the wisdom of this world, nor of the princes of this world, that come to nought.” 1 Corinthians 2:4-6. Thus, we must never trust solely in human cognition, especially in the spiritual realm. It is inherently inadequate in leading us to ultimate truth about God. While it is not right to say that the knowledge of God is illogical or that the understanding of God is non-rational, it is right to say that the contemplation of God goes beyond the limitations of the human mind. Ultimately, God knowledge is revelatory and experiential.

Perhaps the clearest scriptural passage that demonstrates the revelatory knowledge of God comes from the gospel of Matthew when Jesus asked the disciples who men said that he was. After they reported on what they had heard on the street, Jesus put the question to them personally. Peter said, “You are the Christ, the Son of the Living God.” Jesus did not give an initial confirmation to the substance of Peter’s statement. Instead, he commended him for the manner by which he acquired the knowledge. “You are blessed, Simon Barjona. Flesh and blood did not reveal this to you. This was revealed by my Father in Heaven.” Perhaps the reason for the greatest theological error over the centuries, the doctrine of the trinity, is because it was the result of man’s attempt to rationalize the state of the Godhead, making it conform to human wisdom instead of divine revelation. As such, it not only fails the revelation test, it fails the logic test as well.

But man continues to try. This thought of God is so intriguing that we cannot stop our inquiry. The problem is that our intellectual quest not only falls short of the mark, it leads us astray. A. W. Tozer, in his book, “The Knowledge of the Holy,” says, “Left to ourselves we tend immediately to reduce God to manageable terms. We want to get Him where we can use Him, or at least know where He is when we need Him. We want a God we can in some measure control. We need the feeling of security that comes from knowing what God is like, and what He is like is of course a composite of all the religious pictures we have seen, all the best people we have known or heard about, and all the sublime ideas we have entertained.” And yet, “the world by wisdom knew not God.”

In my view, the only real solution to this dilemma must begin with reality—the state of things as they are. The knowledge of God does not begin with the abstract. It starts with what we know in the tangible and sentient world. Jesus laid the groundwork for this. “And Jesus called a little child unto him, and set him in the midst of them, 3 And said, Verily I say unto you, Except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven.” Matthew 18:2-3. A child lives several years before he or she can think in abstract ways. Yet, we understand that learning begins before this later stage development. The relatively new theory of Emotional Intelligence emerged in the mid-nineties which held that any measurement of IQ that did not factor in EQ was flawed. A number of studies have been done which demonstrate the presence of emotions not only in neo-natal children, but also babies still in the womb. Intra-uterine crying, anger, expressions of pleasure and pain have been registered before birth. A baby’s sense of love and security appear much earlier than its intellectual abilities.

Our understanding of God, therefore, cannot be limited or confined to the cognitive processes. We must embrace God on an emotional level as well as on an intellectual level. Personally, I do not believe that it is even possible to come to God on the basis of an intellectual pursuit. If it were, the giant brains among us would be the loudest proclaimers of the gospel. Instead, they are usually known for their skepticism, if not atheism. Our relationship with God may be confirmed, broadened, deepened and understood by our intellect, but it will never be the primary reason for the relationship. Moreover, anyone who does not develop an emotional tie to God will not survive the turmoil and deceitfulness of the flesh in living for God.

This leads us to my conclusion. Ultimately, the truths of God are not held in the head but in the heart. God has designed our relationship with him to touch all areas of our lives, body, soul (mind) and spirit. His truth is not meant to be intellectual only, but also an emotional experience. Hence, we have the phrase “the love of the truth.” Paul writes this in 2 Thessalonians 2:7-12. “For the mystery of iniquity doth already work: only he who now letteth will let, until he be taken out of the way. 8 And then shall that Wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming: 9 Even him, whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders, 10 And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved. 11 And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie: 12 That they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness.”

What, then, is our challenge? It transcends the hard facts about God. It goes beyond knowing God intellectually. It is to love God. It is to love the knowledge of God. It is to love every aspect of God: his oneness, his holiness, his might and dominion, his solitude, his justice, mercy, faith, grace and every attribute that we can use to describe God. The bond that we have in this God/man relationship is not in the magnitude of our knowledge, but in the depth of our love.

If you don’t think that God is that interested in something so primitive, so non-intellectual as love, think again. Remember Abraham and Isaac? The whole purpose for that scenario was not to prove Abraham’s intellectual grasp of God, but to find out if his love for God was greater than anything else in Abraham’s life. “And Abraham stretched forth his hand, and took the knife to slay his son. 11 And the angel of the LORD called unto him out of heaven, and said, Abraham, Abraham: and he said, Here am I. 12 And he said, Lay not thine hand upon the lad, neither do thou any thing unto him: for now I know that thou fearest God, seeing thou hast not withheld thy son, thine only son from me.” Genesis 22: 10-12. In the New Testament, God still requires proof of our love for him. “I speak not by commandment, but by occasion of the forwardness of others, and to prove the sincerity of your love.” 2 Corinthians 8:8.

Recently, I heard a young preacher, Brother Joel Urshan, preach about the revelation of John. He wasn’t talking about the Book of Revelation, but about the revelation of Christ’s love toward him. John referred to himself as “that disciple whom Jesus loved.” He seemed to be must more secure in this understanding that was Peter, who failed his Master.

The emotional aspect of doctrinal truth finds expression in our love for God. This lies at the heart of true theology. It could not be stated in a more beautiful way than John did in 1 John 4:6-13. “We are of God: he that knoweth God heareth us; he that is not of God heareth not us. Hereby know we the spirit of truth, and the spirit of error. 7 Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God; and every one that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God. 8 He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love. 9 In this was manifested the love of God toward us, because that God sent his only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through him. 10 Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins. 11 Beloved, if God so loved us, we ought also to love one another. 12 No man hath seen God at any time. If we love one another, God dwelleth in us, and his love is perfected in us. 13 Hereby know we that we dwell in him, and he in us, because he hath given us of his Spirit.”

Our greatest duty may not be to fully understand God.

It must be to simply and completely love God. On that basis, God can reveal more to us than we could ever know using our intellect. Moreover, to love God means to love His revealed truth. Any doctrinal truth that we possess will be lost if it is held in the hands of those who do not love God. Anyone who proclaims a love for God and simultaneously disparages the truth of God proves himself untruthful.

I love this Apostolic truth. I celebrate it. I have bought it. I will not sell it. I commit myself to its defense, whenever it becomes necessary. When given the opportunity, I will preach it, teach it and write about it without compromise. If that is an emotional response, so be it. I am convinced that God wants an emotional relationship with His people because He created us as emotional beings. I have no higher calling.

20 Life-Altering Metaphors

(Whenever I come across thought-provoking pieces, I like to share them with the readers of my blog. Full attribution goes to Graeme Franks who compiled these quotes. Enjoy.)

20 Life-Altering Metaphors

By Graeme Franks

1. “Be a Columbus to whole new continents and worlds within you, opening new channels, not of trade, but of thought” Thoreau
2. “Do not go where the path may lead, go instead where there is no path and leave a trail.” Ralph Emerson
3. “A book should serve as an ice-axe to break the frozen sea within us” Franz Kafka
4. “Words are, of course, the most powerful drug used by mankind” Rudyard Kipling
5. “One recognizes one’s path by discovering the paths that stray from it” Albert Camus
6. “Without passion, man is a mere latent force and possibility, like the flint which awaits the shock of iron before it can give forth spark” Henri Frederic Amiel
7. “If you board the wrong train, is is no use running along the corridor in the other direction” Dietrich Bonhoffer
8. “Reading is a means of thinking with another person’t mind; it forces you to stretch your own” Charles Scribner Jr
9. “Holding on to anger is like grasping a hot coal with the intent of throwing it as someone else; you are the one who gets burned” Siddhartha Gautama Buddha
10. “The rule in carving holds good as to criticism; never cut with a knife what you can cut with a spoon” Charles Buxton
11. “It is better to wear out than rust out. There will be time enough for repose in the grave” Richard Cumberland
12. “Without goals and plans to to reach them, you are like a ship that sets sail with no destination” Fitzhugh Dodson
13. “The Promiseland always lies on the other side of the wilderness” Havelock Ellis
14. “Acting without thinking is like shooting without aiming” B.C. Forbes
15. ‘One does not discover new continents without consenting to lose sight of the shore for a very long time” Andre Gide
16. “Happiness is as a butterfly which, when pursued, is always beyond our grasp, but which if you will sit down quietly, may alight upon you” Nathaniel Hawthorne
17. “In matters of principle, stand like a rock; in matters of taste, swim with the current.” Thomas Jefferson
18. “A mind, like a home, is furnished by it’s owner, so if one’s life is cold and bare he can blame none but himself” Louis L’Amour
19. “Dwell as near as possible to the channel in which your life flows” Thoreau
20. “It’s a good thing to turn your mind upside down now and then, like an hour-glass, to let the particles run the other way” Christopher Morley

Read more: http://www.gfranks.com/writing/2009/5/11/20-life-altering-metaphors.html#ixzz0KX7rRdYC&C

What Is Freedom?

What does freedom mean?

The question is often asked, rarely answered.

Citizens trying to be statesmen offer flowery orations, stale clichés and boring speeches that bounce of our collective eardrums. Junior High essayists compose awkward sentences for writing assignments, liberal academic types twist the meaning of freedom into something sinister and radical activists hold up crudely printed poster boards to claim dubious rights.

Call me a throwback, but maybe there is a better way to explain freedom. Of course, in order to appreciate this, you have to imagine what it would be like to live in a totalitarian state or under the oppression of a dictator. You also may have to know a little bit about our actual history, not some perverted or watered down version written by the revisionists who hate America.

So, what does freedom…

Taste like? T-bone steaks, venison, elk, moose, hot dogs, Coca-cola, corn-on-the-cob; salt and fresh water, powdery snow, succulent fruit from the San Joaquin Valley.

Smell like? Fresh mown hay, sawdust, gasoline vapors, diesel fuel of eighteen wheelers, fried chicken, popcorn, shrimp trawlers, the mixture of Manhattan Island’s Chinatown soy sauce aromas with the smells of baked bread in Little Italy.

Look like? Roller coasters, Memorial Day parades, huge American flags waving in the breeze, tears of joy on faces of immigrants at their citizenship ceremonies, somber rows of white crosses and Stars of David against neatly manicured lawns, veterans covering their hearts with their hands and a far away look in their eyes as the flag passes by.

Sound like? The click of voting machine levers, prayers in churches, 4^th of July fireworks, pledges of allegiance, fervent voices singing “God Bless America”, roar of fighter jets crisscrossing the sky, the U. S. Marine Corps band playing “Hail to the Chief.”

Feel like? A deep blue passport in my pocket that is honored and respected in every country where I travel, the hugs of my family that I know is safe and protected, the lump I feel arise in my throat when I read the final paragraph of Lincoln’s Second Inaugural, the gratitude that sweeps over me when I first catch a glimpse of The Lady when my plane descends into JFK.

To those who think that I am a small-minded nationalistic doofus who talks with a twang and makes my own ammo, I would simply say get a life. There are no lines streaming out of the U. S. of A. In case you haven’t noticed, they’re lined up trying to get in. They’re leaving the countries that you think we ought to emulate and coming to the country you despise.

To whom do I own my gratitude for freedom? Certainly not to you. You would never have spilt an ounce of blood to guarantee my liberty. Last time I checked, those were red and white stripes on our flag, not yellow.

“War is an ugly thing, but not the ugliest of things. The decayed and degraded state of moral and patriotic feeling which thinks that nothing is worth war is much worse. The person who has nothing for which he is willing to fight, nothing which is more important than his own personal safety, is a miserable creature and has no chance of being free unless made and kept so by the exertions of better men than himself.”

—John Stewart Mill

And so, this July 4^th, I have to say I am sick of the plastic smiles of media personalities saying, “Happy Birthday, America!”

This isn’t about a birthday.

This isn’t a superficial celebration marking a certain number of years since 1776.

This is about remembering what freedom is all about. I don’t hear nearly enough people talking about freedom. We obsess too much on fireworks, flag waving and getting the day off. We should be hearing the Bill of Rights recited, the Declaration of Independence proclaimed anew, and strong warnings to those who would dare conspire against these freedoms!

Just so you can review, here is the Bill of Rights. Red Chinese don’t have these. Cubans don’t have these. Neither do the North Koreans, Russians, Iranians, or Venezuelans. America is special. America is exceptional. God bless America!

Freedom of Speech, Press, Religion and Petition

Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.

Right to keep and bear arms

A well-regulated militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear arms, shall not be infringed.

Conditions for quarters of soldiers

No soldier shall, in time of peace be quartered in any house, without the consent of the owner, nor in time of war, but in a manner to be prescribed by law.

Right of search and seizure regulated

The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated, and no warrants shall issue, but upon probable cause, supported by oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be searched, and the persons or things to be seized.

Provisons concerning prosecution

No person shall be held to answer for a capital, or otherwise infamous crime, unless on a presentment or indictment of a Grand Jury, except in cases arising in the land or naval forces, or in the militia, when in actual service in time of war or public danger; nor shall any person be subject for the same offense to be twice put in jeopardy of life or limb; nor shall be compelled in any criminal case to be a witness against himself, nor be deprived of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law; nor shall private property be taken for public use without just compensation.

Right to a speedy trial, witnesses, etc.

In all criminal prosecutions, the accused shall enjoy the right to a speedy and public trial, by an impartial jury of the State and district wherein the crime shall have been committed, which district shall have been previously ascertained by law, and to be informed of the nature and cause of the accusation; to be confronted with the witnesses against him; to have compulsory process for obtaining witnesses in his favor, and to have the assistance of counsel for his defense.

Right to a trial by jury

In suits at common law, where the value in controversy shall exceed twenty dollars, the right of trial by jury shall be preserved, and no fact tried by a jury shall be otherwise reexamined in any court of the United States, than according to the rules of the common law.

Excessive bail, cruel punishment

Excessive bail shall not be required, nor excessive fines imposed, nor cruel and unusual punishments inflicted.

Rule of construction of Constitution

The enumeration in the Constitution, of certain rights, shall not be construed to deny or disparage others retained by the people.

Rights of the States under Constitution

The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the States, are reserved to the States respectively, or to the people.

You know you are free when…

• You can choose what you want to be.
• You can vote for whomever you want to.
• You can support any candidate you choose.
• You can say whatever you want to say.
• You can talk to anyone you want to.
• You can write anything you want to.
• You can read any book, tract, newspaper or sign you want to.
• You can spend your money however you wish.
• You can buy anything you can afford.
• You can take or refuse to take any job.
• You can go to any school you choose.
• You can study any subject you like.
• You can join or refuse to join any group, club or association.
• You can listen to any voice you like.
• You can travel to any point on the globe you desire.
• You can live any place you want.
• You can worship any way and in any place you desire.
• You can defend your person and property from any attacker.
• You can paint, play, sing, dance, hunt, fish, shop, cook, eat, drink, party and watch anyway you choose.
• You cannot break any law you wish to break, but you can participate in making the laws or electing legislators to office in a democratic manner.

The Jordan Boys

I post this piece today in honor of my father, Victor L. Jordan, 1913-1982.
 

My dad was born the sixth child of Edwin and Jenny Jordan, both of whom died before I was born. His father, born in Urbana, Ill., was a railroader who worked all through the depression years, thus sparing his family the harsh conditions that befell most of the unemployed. Nevertheless, my father, along with his siblings, were very much aware of the tough economic times and grew up knowing that they had to work hard to survive.

From what I have been told Edwin was kind of a crusty, kiddingly brusque man who always meant to rule with an iron hand but winked a lot at his children’s antics. He knew his boys were always up to something, but he never had the heart to catch them. My dad said he remembers times when he and his brothers were out past curfew and Pop would sit on the stairs, waiting for them to come home. He would always fall asleep and the boys would sneak in and step over him on their way to bed. The next day he would forget all about it. Jenny, my grandmother, added softness to the home and helped the boys “get away” with many of their tricks. Her maiden name was Jones, but her mother’s maiden name was Jackson. Through that name, my dad claimed a connection to the Confederate general, Stonewall Jackson. He recalled a picture of a man with a big black beard hanging over the fireplace while he was growing up and assumed that it was General Jackson.

There were nine brothers and one sister in my father’s family. They are all gone now, but they were all characters. Their names were Alonzo (Lon), Peter (Pete), Clifford (Snip), John, Paul, Victor, Kenneth (Tenny), Glenn and Robert (Bud), and one sister, Thelma. The girl ruled the roost, according to her brothers. They were all rollicking, irreverent, fun-loving boys who were always pulling stunts and making life interesting. John was the most eccentric of the bunch. He used to sit in his bedroom and pluck out a tune on a guitar for hours on end, making the same mistake over and over. It drove everyone in the house nuts, but he would just smile and keep it up. The dictionary was his favorite book and he would read it like it was a novel, memorizing many words and definitions just for fun. Paul was the most mischievous. Often, he would make wisecracks or stupid faces at the supper table, getting his brothers to laugh at him. When Pop looked up at the disturbance, Paul kept a straight face and the others would get sent away from the table. My dad was closest to Paul, Tenny and Glenn, and they spent the majority of time roaming around the neighborhoods, parks and swimming holes of the Brightwood section of Indianapolis where they lived.

When I was born, my father was a machinist, working at a shop called Challenge Gauge & Tool. He had also worked at many handyman type jobs over the years—painting, wallpapering, barbering—especially during the Great Depression. He married my mother in 1935 and, like many young men of that day, he did whatever he had to do to make a living. Later in his adult life, be became an Apostolic minister.

The eldest brother, Lon lived in Indy all his life and sold ice cream. He died of liver cancer in 1955. He received the baptism of the Holy Ghost on his death bed. Reverend N. A. Urshan was present and verified the experience. Pete moved to New York, Snip went to California. I’m not sure, but I would assume that they moved after joining the military. Both of them died of heart attacks. Paul was an adventurous soul and hopped freight trains all over the country. His mother prayed that he would come back home. One day, he misjudged his jump and a train wheel rolled over his foot, severing his big toe. Fortunately, he recovered from his injury, but walked with a limp from that time on. His unsympathetic brothers nicknamed his Step-and-a-Half. At any rate, his handicap forced him to move back home and his mother’s prayers were answered.

Paul, in a story that I’ll get to later, became the pastor of Christian Tabernacle in Indianapolis. After pastoring successfully for over forty years, he retired and lived into his eighties. My Dad, Victor, was called into the ministry in his twenties. He assisted my maternal grandfather, Reverend Alexander Anderson in his small church in Indianapolis. Later, he ventured into the west side of Indianapolis to start a home missions church. In 1956, he assumed the pastorate of Christian Temple Church in Jackson, Michigan after my mother’s brother, Gus Anderson resigned and went to Herrin, Illinois to become pastor of Radio Tabernacle. He continued pastoring until September, 1982, when he died of a heart attack. Tenny lived and worked in Indianapolis all his life. He served as the main song leader for Pastor Nathaniel Urshan of Calvary Tabernacle. He died of a heart attack in 1978. Glenn spent some time in the Army and came back to Indy where he lived and worked the rest of his life. He died in a freak accident, falling down the basement stairs of his house. Bud was the baby of the family and got everything he wanted. His older brothers catered to little Bud and never got jealous of him, even when he got the only new bicycle that anyone in the family ever had. He moved to Noblesville and then to Fishers, Indiana. He died of a heart attack in the early nineties.

My dad, Vic, along with Tenny and Glenn had excellent singing voices. They often sang together in duets and trios. After Paul, Vic and Tenny started going to church, they sang in many services. They were invited by Raymond Hoekstra, the pastor of a large oneness Pentecostal church in Indy, Calvary Tabernacle, to sing on his weekly radio program several times. My dad always thought that was worthy of note, and especially funny since neither Tenny nor Glenn had received the Holy Spirit at the time, something that Brother Hoekstra strongly preached about in his messages.

The series of events that changed the course of my father’s life began with a lady preacher, Sister Leona Spillman who started an Apostolic church in Brightwood. The Jordan family did not live far from the church. In those days before air conditioning, the church opened their windows open wide during the hot summer months. The lively music and worship wafted out the openings and carried for blocks. Many people complained, but others were touched by the sounds of praise. My father was one of them. One night in 1930, he stood across the street from the church, listening to the music. The Holy Ghost began to move on his heart and he felt irresistibly drawn to the little building. After smoking for eleven years, he flipped his last cigarette into a mud puddle in the parking lot of the gas station and entered the front doors of the church. He went to the altar, repented, was baptized in Jesus’ name, received the Holy Ghost and never looked back. His brothers, Paul and Tenney, soon followed suit and were saved. My Dad said after they were saved, the Brightwood Police Force laid off half their officers! Probably a little exaggeration.

Paul became a preacher almost as soon as he got in the church. He was a gifted speaker and mastered the scriptures in record time. When Pastor Spillman died in 1953, Paul became the pastor of the church, Christian Tabernacle. The church has produced many Apostolic preachers and dedicated Christian workers since it was established in 1929.

He, my dad and Tenney became solid men of God and their wives and families were dedicated to the Apostolic truth. The Jordan legacy continues on to this day.

How Wide Is the Door?

“I am the door.” John 10:9

The Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem, situated over the spot where tradition says the baby Jesus was born, draws thousands of tourists every year. Another feature of the edifice, however, “The Door of Humility”, elicits nearly as much interest from visitors as does the silver star where Mary supposedly delivered her baby. Originally, the door was built as a normally sized entrance into the church building. The Ottomans, during their time of occupation, walled up a major portion of the opening, leaving only a small doorway. They did so to prevent looters from taking carts in and out, and to make worshippers dismount and bend low to enter the church in a forced show of humility. The first doorway may still be seen in an arch above the remodeled door.

When it comes to the church of the Lord Jesus Christ, no one has the authority to make the door any bigger than what the Founder made it. Indeed, Jesus said, “Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat.” Matthew 7:13. The doctrinal truths that govern the entrance into the church are as valid and necessary today as when they were articulated by the Apostles. The church was built to require the same faith, the same obedience and the same commitment from every supplicant. Some want to enlarge the opening to the church so that unbelievers and sinners can come in without so much as shedding one remorseful tear or embracing a single tenet of faith.

By the same token, neither does anyone have the authority to reduce the entrance of the church down to exclude “undesirables”, to impose some form of discrimination or to require compliance with some privately-held belief. Some are so far removed from their own point of entry into the church that they view newcomers with suspicion and condemnation. They forgot that they were dug from the same pit.

We must not make the door too small to obey the words of Jesus: “All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth. “Go ye therefore, and teach all na­tions.” Matthew 28:18.

We must not make the door too small to welcome the least among us. “Go out quickly into the streets and lanes of the city, and bring in hither the poor, and the maimed, and the halt, and the blind.” Luke 14:21.

We must not make the door so small that we contradict the intent of God. “For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.” John 3:17.

We must not make the door so small that we mismanage the purpose of the church. “To wit, that God was in Christ, re­con­ciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath com­mitted unto us the word of recon­ciliation. “Now then we are ambas­sadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us: we pray you in Christ’s stead, be ye reconciled to God.” II Corinthians 5:18-20.

We conclude that “all have sinned and come short of the glory of God.” There­fore, those who have not been deliv­ered from sin are “poor, maimed, halt and blind.” In today’s vocabulary, we may de­fine them as dysfunctional, addictive, im­balanced, co-dependant, or suffering from emotional, psychologi­cal or social problems. They may be lonely, rejec­ted or guilt-ridden. They may be outwardly successful, but inwardly troubled. The key concept is that people in sin are people in pain. Without a cure, these people will die an eternal death. From farmers to factory workers, from doctors to attorneys, from mechanics to insurance agents, from black to white, from atheists to pagans, the door to the church must be big enough to take them all. Whoever, wherever, whatever a person may be, they can be saved!

Jesus Christ came to rid each believer of his sin, relieve him of the pain caused by sin, and recreate him in the image of God and give him everlasting life. He did not come so man could merely exchange one pain for another. He did not come to establish another religion in a world already glutted with reli­gion. He did not come to simply identify sin and preach condem­nation. He came to save. “For the Son of Man is come to seek and to save that which is lost.” Salvation is, above all else, God’s plan to restore man to a right relationship with Himself. We, as the church, are Christ’s ambas­sadors to this world, recon­ciling it to God.

Jesus is The Door. The dimensions of his grace have never changed. “Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and to day, and for ever.” Hebrews 13:8.

To the Class of 2009:

You are one of seven billion people who live on planet Earth. You are one of over 306 million people in the United States of America. You are one of about 2.9 million high school graduates in the nation. Despite these statistics, you are one-of-a-kind. You are absolutely unique. You bring something to society, to the culture, to your circle of friends and to your family that makes you unique.

Now is the time to begin to respect who you are more than ever before. The huge choices that lie in front of you today call for your best and highest efforts. The difference you make in the world may mean the preservation of hundreds of lives. Something you do, something you accomplish, something into which you invest yourself may be critical to some important person that you don’t even know today.

I say this because hundreds of young people will die the day they graduate through alcohol-related causes. Thousands of high school graduates will suffer serious injuries on their graduation day. Many will lose their reputations, their honor, their mental abilities and their futures on the day that should mark the greatest milestone of achievement in their young lives.

Today, heartbroken parents will be called to identify the grisly remains of a precious boy or girl that they loved and nurtured for eighteen years. The few days after graduation rank among the highest for teens overdosing on drugs, contracting STD’s and taking their own lives. Through wild and crazy parties, risks and dares, stupid choices and heightened mental depression, young people whose lives should stretch out before them comes to a mangled and shocking halt. These acts are not innocent. They are encouraged by today’s cult of perverts who have a fascination with death. These lyrics are a small sample of the suicide lyrics sung by some of the most popular rock bands today:

Ablaze My Sorrow

Is this just a preparation, For what is soon to come?
Another life might be waiting, For me to enter the tomb

I am not the only one I am dying to find out
I want my life to rest, Solution suicide

This life is filled with ignorance, We are all born to die
No one knows what is to come, No one can see beyond life and time

Enter the realm of death, Sacrifice your life
To fill the emptiness, With knowledge from the other side

The music culture has a profound influence over the minds of young people. In addition to these depressing suicide lyrics, songs about killing people, getting drunk, getting high, committing sex crimes, disrespecting women and total lawlessness populate websites like iMusic, eMusic, Pandora, Rhapsody and many others like them. Driven by Satanic forces, depression and nihilism, the youth culture seems to be imploding on itself.

Class of 2009, reject this dark cloud of negativity and start loving life. Don’t hand over the reins of your life to the fried brains of a twisted rocker. Don’t let the sweet temptation of crystal meth, brown sugar or white crack bludgeon your brain into senselessness. It is now time to stand up against it all and respect who you are and where you’re going.

Joseph respected himself and made a difference. He held his head high, even after being sold into slavery. He rejected the sexual advances of his boss’s wife and was thrown into prison, but he didn’t give in. He lay forgotten in his cell for years before his good deeds were remembered, but he didn’t let it get to him. Eventually, he climbed up the ladder of success and became one of the greatest men in the kingdom of Egypt.

Paul respected himself and survived the crushing weight of guilt because he persecuted and murdered Christians. When he knew that other church leaders were wrong, he didn’t back down. He made his views known in a respectable way and gained the confidence of the entire church. His stature among the early Christian church members was huge. Today, one can hardly mention the writings of the New Testament without calling the name of the Apostle Paul.

Jesus respected himself and stood firm against the religious hierarchy of his day. He knew who he was and what he came to do. He submitted himself to the mockery of a trial, the abuse of the mob and the injustice of the cross. Yes, he was the Almighty God manifest in flesh, but he was also a human being with all the related weaknesses and limitations of the body. Despite feeling totally abandoned by the Father, he said, “Not my will but thine be done.” It was not self-loathing, but self-respect that authored that statement.

• Self-respect enables you to be humble without humiliation.
• Self-respect leads you to self-confidence without arrogance.
• Self-respect means you can be sure without being presumptuous.
• Self-respect teaches you to love yourself without being narcissistic.
• Self-respect helps you to be assertive without being demanding.
• Self-respect shows you how to be responsible without breaking beneath the load.
• Self-respect informs you how to love others without being co-dependent.
• Self-respect provides a way to be submissive without being robbed of self-identity.

If you truly respect yourself, you will …

…accept the fact that God loves you.

…embrace the fact that Jesus Christ died for you.

…understand that you are eternal and will live forever somewhere.

…realize that you have been created for a divine purpose.

…understand that you are a unique person, unlike anyone else in the world.

…accept the priceless value of your soul.

…agree that you matter in the grand scheme of the universe.

…deliberately ingest positive words and thoughts into your mind.

…exercise great caution in choosing and cultivating your relationships.

…invest in a great education.

…continue to learn throughout the remainder of your life.

…impose great discipline on your mind and body.

…develop your talents as much as possible.

…develop good moral virtues and habits.

…constantly work to improve yourself in every way.

…spend your money wisely, effectively and frugally.

…apply the highest standards of integrity and honesty to your life.

…develop a healthy fear and respect for God.

…respect your fellow travelers in the journey of life.

…resist any adversity that threatens to hinder you from fulfilling your dreams.

…protect your name and reputation from ruin.

…guard your eyes and ears from destructive influences.

…not waste your time on inconsequential matters.

…not abuse your body through neglect or dangerous behaviors.

…not resign yourself to second best in anything.

…not allow your mind to be destroyed by any substance or philosophy.

…not neglect your spiritual life.

Class of 2009, you can be better than all the classes of all the years who went before you. Respect your worth, your value and your future.

I Love America

I am profoundly offended and wholly outraged by the leader of our nation who has daned to offer untoward apologies for the greatest nation that has ever existed on the face of the earth. If this nation is so abysmal, why do millions of foreigners want to come here? The United States of America counts 38,355,000 immigrants as a segment of its total population. (2005) That is three times more than the next in line, Russia. In fact, the total immigrants taken in by Russia, Germany, Ukraine and France combined amount to less than our immigration totals. This does not include the illegal immigrants who flood over our borders. www.nationmaster.com. I do not hate America. I love America. Would to God that someone would speak for us and tell the world how much we love this nation. Maybe it could go something like this.

I love America because it represented and delivered hope in 1910 for a poor, sixteen year old Greek immigrant who became my grandfather. Where else but America could he start his own business and later become a pastor and then a bishop?

I love America because it has opened its doors wide to the poor, the repressed and the persecuted of the world since its inception in 1776.

I love America because it has willingly and sacrificially rushed to the defense of nations who were under attack from tyrants and dictators.

I love America because, with pride, I have walked down the long rows of white crosses and Stars of David marking the graves of Americans who died in Germany, France, Belgium and other nations. By contrast, this nation has no such graves of foreign soldiers who fought to defend us.

I love America because it has assumed the enormous burden of manpower and expense to defend the free world against hostile regimes and totalitarianism.

I love America because when it successfully defended its sister nations against invasion, it had no designs of imperialism. Instead, it withdrew its forces (unless asked to stay), turned the country back to its elected leaders, and went home.

I love America because it has supplied the materials and manpower to rebuild nations that have been torn by war and natural disasters.

I love America because it has generously contributed to the welfare of people around the world who experienced great hardship and deprivation.

I love America because its laws extend basic, individual freedoms and rights to people of all races, creeds, colors and religions.

I love America because it has been big enough to recognize its failures and sins, and has corrected many of its errors of the past even though the bloodshed and economic cost was devastating.

I love America because it has shouldered the task of feeding the world with its vast supply of grain from its rich interior and its hardworking farmers.

I love America because it has opened the doors of thousands of colleges and universities to millions of students from every nation under the sun.

I love America because it has provided a safe haven for gifted people to cultivate their genius and superior abilities and gave them the freedom to develop their potential to the fullest extent possible.

I love this nation because it has encouraged investors, risk-takers and entrepreneurs to work hard and realize their dreams.

I love this nation because, although it is less than 250 years old, it has the greatest cities, the greatest plains, the greatest national parks, the greatest system of superhighways, the finest health care research and facilities, the greatest educational establishment, the widest variety of vocations, the greatest economy, the greatest corporations and proportionally the largest middle class of any nation in history.

I love America because nobody has ever told me which God to serve, which faith to follow, which church to attend or which creed to embrace. I have been free to live my life according to the convictions of my heart.

I love America because my vote is mine alone, no one tells me how to cast my ballot and no one tells me that I have to belong to any political party.

I love America because I can voice my approval or dissent in a letter to the editor, by speaking out in a public forum or by a peaceful demonstration.

If the people who hate this nation were to get their way, none of the above would be true. There is only one reason why they hold their abhorrent views. They believe that if they can tear America down and rebuild it in their own way, they would come out on top of the heap.

America—the way our founding fathers established it—is the best hope for every individual. America is the best hope for black, white, red, yellow or any other color of skin. America is the best hope for any religion or creed. America is the best hope for the student, the business person and the citizen. America is the best hope for any person of faith. America is the best hope for any family. It has been the launching pad for the greatest number of success stories of any people in history.

I love America. I am an American. Do not apologize for me.

Acceptance

Popular culture is making a lot of demands lately, but the most intense pressure is that we accept things that we do not understand or like. Religion, philosophy, politics, sexual orientation, avocation, appearance—the list goes on—seem to dominate the dialogue. Political correctness people regularly scold us for judgmentalism, narrow-mindedness and bigotry when we balk at swallowing even the most extreme of cultural offerings. We are treated to lessons in situational ethics, sensitivity training and diversity education to bring us more in line with today’s world.

So, when my Mohawk-coiffured banker with a multicolored mane lumbers toward me with 29 piercings in his tattoo-covered body and flexes his chiseled six-pack at me, I guess I am supposed to smile affirmingly and calmly ask him about the rates on my passbook savings account? Or when my waitress—server, SERVER, sorry, SORRY!—peers at me through glittered eyelids and says like, like, like, like 300 times through black lipsticked lips and amazingly writes my order gripping her pen with fingers sporting two-inch long patterned nails, I am expected to ask for lemons in my water with a deadpan expression?

Yes. That’s exactly what I am supposed to do. Accept everything. Affirm everything. Tolerate everything. Ignore the weird, the extreme, the preposterous, the offensive, the bizarre and the nonsensical. Understand that I was brought up differently. Recognize that I have a limited view of life. I am the spec on the spectrum, the tail on the bell curve, color number 2,453,917 on Hewlet-Packard’s ink chart. Acceptance is the way to get along with everybody with the least amount of resistance.

Pardon me, but I wonder if the people I think are weird are mandated to get sensitivity training to understand me. Probably not. In fact, that very statement demonstrates the acute nature of my problem.

Well, since I’ve already tipped my hand, let me just go ahead and say what’s on my mind. Is it really a good idea to accept everything? Do standards of propriety and sanity exist anywhere in the universe? What if I am right in my viewpoint? Moreover, what if the things I reject in the passing cultural parade really are bizarre, offensive—and wrong? What if history judges me to be right and them to be wrong? Should I be obligated to accept everything even though I genuinely feel otherwise? Am I to trash my honest feelings, deny my authentic identity and take leave of my senses because I am afraid that to express myself would be offensive to someone? Do I have to invalidate the institutions, the value systems and the sum total of my past experiences and kow tow to this new wave of thinking?

Case in point. Several weeks ago it was reported that scientists have failed to locate a “gay” gene. Up to that point, one of the huge arguments used by the homosexual population was that they were born that way. Now, it has been demonstrated that they were wrong. In the meantime, however, those who rejected gay behavior were castigated for their stupid homophobia. Didn’t such people know, they mocked, that gays were genetically predisposed to homosexuality? Do I hear any apologies from the gay community? I’m listening. So far, nothing.

Same-sex marriage and adoption by homosexual couples have come under heavy fire by conservative-minded people. The abortion issue still rages, even after thirty-six years of Roe v. Wade as the law of the land. Spin-off of this conflict, like stem-cell research, late-term abortion, live-born abortion and other related issues incite debate as well. Social engineering, euthanasia, gene manipulation, organ harvesting, cloning and other matters keep ethicists, lawyers and judges busy, in and out of courtrooms. While the answers are not all clear, the fact that there are different sides to critical issues is abundantly clear. And yet, those of us who argue for the side opposed by liberal establishment receive ridicule for our convictions rather than respect for the right to have them. They “know” what is right. We should accept their beliefs. Period.

To force me to accept things that my point of reference rejects, however, is tantamount to a denial of my religious beliefs. Does this demand for acceptance trump freedom of religion, freedom of press, freedom of speech and freedom to associate with whomever I choose? Does this not constitute a tyrannical form of coercive government? Am I no longer a free man? If I must believe what someone else tells me to believe, or if I have to denounce what someone else tells me to denounce, then I am not free.

I am committed to the teaching of the Scriptures. This defines my philosophy, my world-view and my convictions. The Bible is my baseline of beliefs. To me, this is perfectly acceptable. The world is free to disagree with me and my Bible, but it is not free to deny my right to hold such views. (It is rather odd that the same crowd that has a problem with me has little to say about Muslims who believe in the Koran, Buddhists who follow the Sanskrit, Mormons who believe in the Mormon Bible or many other religious groups who revere certain writings that they consider sacred.)

But beyond the issue of rights, I have serious doubts about the validity of the things I am asked to accept. If I refuse to accept same-sex marriage, for example, it is not simply because my scriptures forbid it. While that may be reason enough, it does not represent the full-orbed argument. I also see huge societal problems as a result of its establishment. I see a domino effect on laws, customs, traditions and the whole fabric of culture. I see it precipitating psychological and emotional disorders. I see economic repercussions. I see a Pandora ’s Box of complications opening up to the whole world. Those who deny these allegations have no reputable track record on which they can stand. They cannot assure me that my fears aren’t true. In fact, they don’t seem too interested in winning the argument. They only want to impose their will.

Elizabeth Kübler-Ross in her groundbreaking book, “On Death and Dying,” identifies five stages of emotional progression to death. According to her, they are denial, anger, bargaining, depression and acceptance. Of course, in order for this to occur, a patient has to truly be in a terminal state. A person who has no such prognosis is under no obligation to accept death based on someone else’s wishes. If those who demand fundamental changes in our Judeo-Christian culture cannot produce credible evidence that we are no longer viable, then their efforts are merely political, not substantive. I have the distinct impression that people who attack this culture and try to change it are motivated by hatred, rebellion and extreme selfishness. That’s my opinion and I am entitled to it.

If people want to live their own lives according to their own rules, so be it. If they must change me and my life as a part of their agenda, that’s another story. I feel no moral obligation to accept things with which I have profound disagreement. Acceptance must be volitional. If not, it is tyranny.