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Peter teaches how deeply Jesus values you and showers you with unconditional love, grace, joy and blessing for the good purpose of blessing others. Imagine the audience in 1 Peter. They hear these words and realize wherever they go, Jesus is goes them. Discover who you are in Christ and live in that power. Preached at Casas Church. Used by permission.

Altars are markers that remind us of God’s work in our lives. Four altars we can construct are for remembering God’s revelations, for remembering decisions we have made, for giving thanks and for remembering dreams of what God is going to do.

Wise Men followed the star. They jumped for joy, and they came bringing gifts. Mary and Joseph needed a miracle and it was provided by someone that God sent from 1,000 miles away. Your gift is someone else’s miracle. Step out in faith. Be obedient to God’s vision. Celebrate more and give all you have to God and others. Preached at National Community Church. Used by permission.

Kneel in pursuit of God’s presence. Don’t   bow down to something else. Kneel in repentance. Jesus never turns away from a sinner with a repentant heart. Kneel in submission. You can kneel now or you can kneel later. Surrender! Preached at LifeChurch.tv . Used by permission of lifechurch.tv/open .

Pastor Francis Chan deals with the moral failure of a church leader in a wise, compassionate, godly fashion. Sin must be dealt with, but our focus in facing the issue of compromised morality in the church should be godly fear and self-examination rather than condemnation and arrogance.

The scene: A bunker on the front lines. Artillery shells are exploding all around. Machine-guns lay down a blanket of tracer rounds overhead. The drone of enemy dive-bombers is increasing in pitch. A fully equipped soldier cowers, sniveling at the feet of his superior officer saying, “Captain, they keep shooting at me. Please make them stop!” Have you seen the movie? Probably not. After all, war movies are about war. Soldiers know they are at war, and they expect to be shot at, because that is what war is all about. Yet, how many times do I play the part of the sniveling soldier? The apostle Peter writes, Dear friends, do not be surprised at the painful trial you are suffering, as though something strange were happening to you. But rejoice that you participate in the sufferings of Christ, so that you may be overjoyed when his glory is revealed. (1 Peter 4:12-13) We are at war. We have an enemy who is hell-bent on destroying us because we belong to Christ, nothing personal about it. He even seeks to destroy those that don’t yet belong to Christ, simply because they are made in the image of God. And he hates God. Why does it amaze me that he and his minions would shoot at me. And if he can’t “take me out”, he will be content to keep me neutralized, cowering in my foxhole. The last thing he wants is for me to engage him in battle. He knows the power I have at my disposal. For though we live in the world, we do not wage war as the world does. The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds. We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ. (2 Corinthians 10:4-5) I pray also that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints, and his incomparably great power for us who believe. That power is like the working of his mighty strength, which he exerted in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly realms, far above all rule and authority, power and dominion, and every title that can be given, not only in the present age but also in the one to come. (Ephesians 1:18-21) The question is, do I know the power I have at my disposal? Oh yes, I can quote the verses above, and others. But do I know it not just in my mind, but in my heart? What will it take to convince me of the power I have to oppose the enemy, not just on my own behalf, but also on the behalf of others? What will it take to “encourage” me? I think it is largely a question of focus. On what do I focus the thoughts of my heart and mind? Think of Peter, as he was walking towards Jesus out on the troubled waters of the Sea of Galilee. He did fine as long as he kept his focus on Jesus. Once he began to focus on the angry waves, he began to sink. Is that my problem too? Do I keep my focus on Jesus, who has defeated the enemy already? Or do I become distracted by the noise of battle around me and allow it to unnerve me? A big part of maintaining an intentionally-biblical world-view is to remain cognizant of the truth. The truth is that Jesus has already defeated the enemy. Eternal life is mine, now, not just after I die. Eternity is now, and Satan’s head has already been crushed under Christ’s heel. I don’t need to cower in fear. I am on the winning side! Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him who endured such opposition from sinful men, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart. (Hebrews 12:2-3) I used to have a bumper sticker that read, “I know the future … God wins!” I need to remember that. In the passage above, the word “perfecter” could also be translated “finisher” or “completer”. It is done, in eternity, and I am in eternity now, so I can live according to that truth. As Jesus said from the cross, “It is finished!” Though in this life, I am still bound by time, I know I have been purchased for eternity, and I can choose to live with an eternal perspective. A biblical world-view is by definition an eternal perspective. Therefore, I need to gird myself with this knowledge as I face life each day, not fearing the battles to come, but preparing myself for them. Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints. (Ephesians 6:10-18) We often quote those verses from Ephesians, but I think we too-often miss that last sentence. I need to remain alert to the reality about me, not just the physical reality, but the spiritual reality. I need to recognize that the spiritual is far more real than I think, and the stakes are much higher. As that sinks in, I could become frightened, like Peter out on the waves, or I could remember who I serve and turn my eyes on Him. Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal. Now we know that if the earthly tent we live in is destroyed, we have a building from God, an eternal house in heaven, not built by human hands. (2 Corinthians 4:16 – 5:1) Though the stakes are high, the reward is already in place. I have a place in eternity. I have a home in heaven. The worse thing the enemy can do to me will only make that reward more real to me. The way to keep my eyes on Jesus is to remain in prayer and fellowship with Him. This must be an intentional act, but will become more “natural” the longer I practice it. In prayer and fellowship I need to worship Him, remembering who He is, and what He has done, and how much He cares for me and for those around me. As that truth sinks in, it will be easier to appropriate the joy and peace He has already given. Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. (Phiippians 4:4-7) In fact, as I practice worshipping in His presence, all of the fruit described in Galatians 5 and elsewhere, will begin to flow from me as evidence of His presence in me. That alone is a death knell to the enemy. When the fruit of God’s Spirit pours from my life, it affects those around me, and ushers them into the presence of God Himself. In His presence, they will be free from the harassment the enemy uses to enslave and blind them to the love and mercy and grace so freely offered them. Therefore, let me resolve continually to be bold and courageous in battle, not because I am strong, but because I serve one who is strong. Let me remember who the real enemy is; it is not those around me. Rather, let me resolve to do battle for my Lord, under His command, in His power, and for His glory. Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen. (Ephesians 3:20-21)

For the Buddhist I want to look at “The Seen and Unseen World of Merit and Rebirth.” Rebirth and Merit are two important concepts in the Buddhist way of life. The two are intimately attached. Under Buddhism a person tries to end the suffering of rebirth by attaining merit through good works. In Buddhism merit is “the fruit of good actions which can be devoted to the welfare of other beings.” (1) As one accumulates merit he or she expects to attain a higher state of enlightenment through a more desirable rebirth that gets him or her closer to the goal of nirvana. This concept sounds simple enough. Do good works and be rewarded. Yet there is a catch that many Buddhist, perhaps even you have experienced. How do you know when your good thoughts, feelings, and actions outweigh your bad ones? How can you know if your merits toward rebirth really outweigh your demerits? Many Buddhists have great private struggles with their merit and demerit, and for very practical reasons. They simply cannot remember all of their good deeds and bad deeds. The answer for many Buddhists has been to dedicate themselves more fully to the Buddhist way of life—meditations, visiting monasteries, making gifts, attending teachings, and performing rituals. Out of a fear of suffering and imperfection they try to do more in hopes of earning a better rebirth. Rebirth, in this sense, is a form of punishment—in other words, a form of justice. But is the rebirth concept practical, possible, or even just? In looking for an answer let’s use an example from author M. Tsering, to illustrate the injustice of the Buddhist philosophy of karma (merit and rebirth). “Dawa is a Buddhist who is serious about her religious life. She tries to gain merit for her next rebirth by practicing meditation, giving generously to the local monks, and being kind to animals. But like all people, Dawa occasionally does things she knows aren’t right. How will the law of karma work in her life? First of all, Dawa’s good works will earn her a certain amount of merit., and her faults will earn a certain amount of demerit. But even Dawa’s slightest fault will earn far more demerit than her good works earn merit, because the system is set up to work that way. When Dawa takes tock of her merits and demerits, she finds that even though her good actions outnumber her bad ones, the demerit built up by her faults outweighs the merit built up by her good works. “Anxious about this, she tries to make more merit. Because Dawa can “sin” without knowing it, but can only make merit when she consciously tries to, her demerits accumulate at a faster rate than her merits. In this way Dawa accumulates a colossal load of karmic debt that she can never repay. Now suppose that Dawa dies. Because of her demerits, she is reborn as a beggar girl named Mingma who is abandoned in the street. But Mingma cannot remember her former life as Dawa. She has no idea why she is suffering from hunger, cold, and abuse. Even worse, in her unhappy new life as Mingma she accumulates new sins. Mingma’s poverty prevents her from making merit through religious ceremonies and expensive gifts to the monasteries. Awash in a sea of karmic debt, Mingma becomes a living illustration of Milarepa’s proverb, ‘Religion is forbidden to the poor.’ The story of Dawa and Mingma shows why rebirth and karma can never reward good actions or punish bad ones. Since people’s personalities perish at death and only an impersonal life force is reborn, no one ever suffers for their own sins. Mingma suffered because of the sins of Dawa, shom she had never met. This is not justice, but pointless misery.” (2) Is Rebirth Real? That is a question every Buddhist or Buddhist-leaning person should explore. After all, if you can’t substantiate that there is a significant chance rebirth is even real, then the whole Buddhist system would fall apart. Every religious system, even Buddhism, advances the idea that it holds the proper perspective on life, death, and eternity. So, is rebirth an actual fact? Does it happen? How can we know? In fact, not even the Buddha, the one who taught the concept of merit and rebirth, was even sure rebirth existed! A Buddhist may “have belief in these principles, [but] not direct knowledge of their reality…In one early text (M.I.403) the Buddha says that to believe in these principles, and so live a moral life, will lead to a good rebirth if rebirth exists.” (3) How could the Buddha say these things lead to a good rebirth if the existence of rebirth is not a surety? He can’t! Doing so would be nothing more than supposition, at best, a guess. It’s no wonder that many Buddhist struggle with the ideas of merit and rebirth when their efficacy and reality is so uncertain! Is rebirth real? In fact, there is no real world evidence that rebirth is a reality of existence. To be sure, there are some people who claim to remember past lives. However, claims are not evidences. The Buddhist system is, in point of fact, set up the way author M. Tsering claims. A person is not supposed to remember a so-called past life since the personality dies and only an impersonal life force is rebirthed. According to one Buddhist author, “Even the most accomplished lamas cannot remember their own past lives.” (4) Consider, from what you have just read, what the Buddhist practitioner puts his faith in: · An ethereal system its founder could not prove existed, · A system without evidence for its existence in the real world, and · A system designed to withdraw a person from the real world in favor of what is unproven. Where are you putting your faith? How Does One Break the Cycle of Suffering? The reality offered by Jesus Christ is far different than that which is taught by Buddhism. In contrast to the Buddhist concept of merit and rebirth, Jesus Christ taught redemption and resurrection. Contrary to Buddhism’s ideas of merit and demerit, Jesus presented a much simpler solution: redemption. Instead of having to worry about whether we have enough merits to outweigh our demerits (sin), the Bible teaches that Jesus’ death on our behalf paid for our demerits (sin), wiping our spiritual slate completely clean. The scripture notes that God, “Delivered us from darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of the Son he loves, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins” (Colossians 1:14). Elsewhere the Bible also notes: “God, in his gracious kindness, declares us not guilty. He has done this through Jesus Christ, who has freed us by taking away our sin” (Romans 3:24 New Living Translation). What a tremendous difference this is from the burden of having to make up for demerits by laboriously trying to gain good merit, never being sure of the outcome. Just as Buddhism makes (unverifiable) claims that karma is efficacious. So too the Bible makes claims—but with a significant difference. The Bible is a written record of eyewitness accounts that Jesus’ claims are true in the real world, as well as the one to come. The Apostle John said, “What we have heard, what we have seen with our eyes, what we have looked at and our hands have touched…and we have seen and testify and announce to you too…” (I John 1:1-2). What was announced? That Jesus’ death for us is sufficient to pay the debt of sin we have incurred. His resurrection is the evidence of payment for sin that is efficacious in a way that the karmic system is not. Jesus said of himself, “I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me will live, even if he dies” (John 11:25). Did Jesus really rise from the dead. What kind of real world evidence was there for such a claim? Resurrection, after all, is not a philosophy, point of view, or ritual. The claim of Jesus’ resurrection is based on evidences of eyewitnesses in the real world. “We did not follow cleverly invented stories when we told you about the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but we were eyewitnesses of His majesty” (II Peter 1:16). “Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures, and he was buried and he was raised on the third day according to the scriptures, and he appeared to Cephas then to the twelve. Then He appeared to more than 500 of the brothers and sisters at one time…” (I Corinthians 15:3-6). Under Jesus Christ you will not be held to account for the sin of another in some past life, for Jesus has paid the penalty for all of our sins, for all time, for all who believe in Him.

t’s December. Perhaps you are scurrying around searching to find just the right Christmas gifts for loved ones. Do you find yourself so consumed with holiday preparations that you don’t have time to visit the elderly neighbor? Or play with your children? Do you know your child’s favorite game before she asks? Especially during hectic times, I like to remind myself that no other gift can match giving myself to others. Preferring one another is the foundation for all of the “one anothers” Christ lays out for us. If I am not willing to prefer you, I will be reluctant to encourage, support or comfort you because ministering the “one anothers” requires me to focus on others instead of myself. Selfishness undermines our ability to put others first. As long as we think trimming the designer Christmas tree, setting an elegant dinner table or taking the perfect family photo is more important, other people won’t be a priority. Before the celebrations begin, consider these practical ways to prefer one another. 1. Take the initiative to discover other people’s needs, interests and preferences. It is difficult to prefer others if we don’t know what they prefer. 2. Discern people’s skills, talents and gifts. Initiate opportunities for them to use these gifts. 3. Learn to prefer others in various ways – emotionally, physically, spiritually. 4. Try to include everyone in the conversation during gatherings. Especially during large holiday celebrations, extroverts can dominate the talk. Engage the reluctant participant, and you will both be blessed. 5. Look beyond self to become other-people-oriented. We often think the rest of the world revolves around us, our family, our church, our school, our business, our nation. Take some time to see the world through another person’s eyes. 6. Listen to others and encourage them to talk about themselves. Conversations that focus on the other person show our interest in them. My resolve for the New Year is to adopt the same attitude Christ has: “Each of you should look not only to your own interests but also to the interests of others.” (Phil. 2:4) May the celebration of Jesus’ birth remind us of His selfless sacrifice for our sins. He prefers us so that we can learn to prefer others.

Matthew Henry’s biblical commentary might be the most widely distributed commentary on the planet. Matthew Henry lived just around the turn of the 18th century and was an upstanding minister and preacher of the Word. His commentary reflects his deeply held piety and concern for the Word being made manifest in the entirety of the lives of the people of God. Few ministers have thought more clearly in applying the truths of God’s word to their times. But even Matthew Henry had his blind spots. In most eighteenth century English speaking churches it was commonplace to have the wealthy in the congregation purchase pews at the front of the church. The pews would be fitted with nameplates and these became their place of residence on Sunday mornings. Contrast this with the words of James 2 where James levels this critique of the first century church: “My brothers, show no partiality as you hold the faith in our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory. For if a man wearing a gold ring and fine clothing comes into your assembly, and a poor man in shabby clothing also comes in, and if you pay attention to the one who wears the fine clothing and say, “You sit here in a good place,” while you say to the poor man, “You stand over there,” or, “Sit down at my feet,” have you not then made distinctions among yourselves and become judges with evil thoughts? Listen, my beloved brothers, has not God chosen those who are poor in the world to be rich in faith and heirs of the kingdom, which he has promised to those who love him? But you have dishonored the poor man.” One couldn’t find or even create a passage that levels a clearer critique against the eighteenth century pew-purchasing system if one tried. But even the sensitive exegete Matthew Henry manages to explain it away. He says, “As places of worship cannot be built or maintained without expense, it may be proper that those who contribute thereto should be accommodated accordingly.” Accomodated accordingly??? How could one interpret James 2 to say that? But I don’t bring this up to attack Matthew Henry. Quite the opposite. I bring this to say: “Woe is me!” If Matthew Henry was this blind to such an obvious cultural flaw, how blind must I be? In how many ways does my own reading of the Bible and appropriation of the faith betray my feeble faith? Brothers and sisters, let us come to the word humbled and stripped of our own foolish assumptions and be remade by our Redeemer’s truth. Let us not be fooled. We have blind spots. Allow the Spirit to attune you to your blind spots and allow the power of the Word of God to make you see where you once were blind.

We’re starting Capital Stewardship Campaign soon. In process of starting the campaign up, I pulled together a Stewardship team. I intentionally tried to bring an eclectic group together: some with people skills, other with administrative skills, others with fundraising experience. The first meeting was fascinating. The few individuals I had invited because of their people skills (they had no fundraising background) were baffled as to why they were there. Over the course of the meeting, the three of them echoed the same sentiment, “Pastor, we trust you that you brought us here, but we’re not sure why. We don’t really have anything to offer the group.” Oh, but they did! Let me shove forward with a final set of suggestions for leading volunteers: 1) Hand-pick your volunteers: having people respond to announcements for volunteer opportunities is a necessary evil. Because of the sheer number of volunteers you require and the fact you won’t know everyone at your church, you need to get volunteers from these blanket announcements. But you won’t get any better volunteers than the ones you hand pick. It can take an inordinate amount of time to call and email people and ask them one-on-one to volunteer. However, you will be blessed many times over by doing so. Those folks on our Stewardship Team that I hand-picked because of their people and networking skills are really the heart and soul of the team. They may not have the know-how when it comes to the nuts and bolts of decision making, but they are, undoubtedly, the engine that makes the team run. I have no doubt you will find this to be the case time and time again in your ministries. 2) Construct teams: this is related to the first piece of advice. It is important that your volunteers aren’t on an island and that you don’t have to provide personal direction for each of your volunteers. Implement a team structure where volunteers can meet, share with one another, encourage one another, and mutually strengthen each other with their different spiritual gifts. 3) Provide care: don’t treat your volunteers like employees. They need and want your pastoral care. Take time to check in with them, encourage them through phone calls, emails, and hand-written letters of thanks. Pray with them. 4) Let them make mistakes: don’t micromanage your volunteers. Spend the time training your volunteers and then let loose to minister. One parting piece of advice for leaders: don’t ever be the reason that things don’t work. There will be ministries that run their course and will die. That is to be expected and natural in the life of any ministry. Just don’t be the reason that viable ministries die. There are innumerable reasons you can be the reason that ministries die: laziness, improper prioritization, or a lack of personal care. Don’t let that be the case.

Buddhism, as a system, requires its adherent to be devoted to exploring a set of principles that will earn him or her an enlightened state that they hope will lead to the end of suffering—a noble and worthwhile goal. Yet on a practical, day-to-day level, many Buddhists inwardly struggle. They feel spiritually empty, as if the practices they engage in provide some temporary satisfaction or guidance, but when over, the emptiness or futility remains. While they pursue the path they are taught the Buddha has lain out, they secretly wonder about the reality of the Buddha’s teachings. Being taught that they will experience many rebirths until finally reaching their objective, they cannot help but wonder, “Will this truly end my suffering? How can I know that what I am doing really works?” Our Buddhist neighbors can discover a different kind of enlightenment—one that can be fully experienced and realized in this life, right now, without the need for what may seem like a tumultuous cycle of rebirth. The World Around Us What is the nature of reality? How can we tell when what we experience is primarily an experience that comes from our own perceptions or is a part of true existence? If our reality is defined by our perceptions, how can we know when our perceptions give us accurate information about the world around us or even our own existence? If our perceptions of reality are problematic, then how do we address the even more important issues involving eternity? To its credit, Buddhism tries to address the questions of reality and perception. Many Buddhists have found meaning and solace in Buddhist teachings (or debate) about the nature of the world around us. At first a person who is unfamiliar with Buddhist concepts may struggle. In fact, many Buddhists themselves struggle with these ideas. Whole schools of competing Buddhist thought have arisen to address the nature of reality. What are the Buddhist ideas about the world around us? • The evidence of reality presented to us by our senses is faulty. Human perception of the world is mistaken,(1) • “Everything is part of an ultimate, impersonal ground of existence which is neither good nor evil,”(2) • Good, evil, truth, and falsehood are mistaken perceptions (or conventions), which have no absolute meaning. These ideas about reality are foundational to Buddhism’s attempt to address humanity’s ultimate problems. Let’s address these issues together and also discover how Jesus Christ addressed these issues in His teaching. First, let’s apply some common sense—and science—to the Buddhist teachings about reality and perception. Sense & Senses As I type these words I see them on my computer screen. By doing this I am making the assumption that you who are reading it are also seeing the same words that I typed. In fact I’m also assuming you have access to a computer, the Internet, can input a website address, find this page, and read this article. You are doing the same thing that thousands of people have done before you, and will after you. All of us share a common set of perceptions that allows us to have a certain degree of unity in our experience of writing and reading—or any other experience. Let’s call this our unity of perception. Sight in an important part of our perceptive abilities. What we see can be pleasurable or frightening. It can foster longing or fear. What we see is also an important part of our learning process and contributes heavily to the assumptions we make together. And—together—is the point I’d like to make. If you sit in a group with a printed version and all read together from the page, you will all read the same thing. Your perception about what words are written, are the same. It is this unity of perception that encourages us that what we are reading really exists, and that by implication, it has a writer who also exists. The same may be said of the world. We have a unity of perception about the world around us. We do not all experience different realities generated by our minds like hallucinations—”self generated sensory experiences.”(3) Nor are our perceptions, illusions. “Cognitive illusions come about because the brain is full of prejudices: habits of thought, knee-jerk emotional reactions and automatic orders of perception.(4) “Ah, but wait,” you might say. “Isn’t that part of what Buddhism refers to, cognitive prejudices, etc.?” In some ways, yes. But the idea that our perceptions create an illusion of what the nature of the world is like, must disregard the unity of perception that we all share. This leaves us with one of two choices: Humanity’s unity of perception is itself, illusionary, or our unity of perception provides evidence that our experiences and the world around us are real. Which is the case? Saying that our perception of the shared unity of perception is illusionary is the same as saying our illusion is illusionary—i.e. our we do not experience illusion. It is self-defeating and leaves us only with our second option. Our perceptions are real. In fact, our perceptions are not only real, but our brains naturally anticipate the reality around us allowing us to experience it according to reality. Our brains know that what our senses deliver to it is real. “An act of perception is a lot more than capturing an act of incoming stimulus. It requires a form of expectation, of knowing what is about to confront us, and preparing for it. Without expectations, or constructs through which we perceive our world, our surroundings would be…confusion. Each experience would truly be a new one, rapidly overwhelming us.”(5) Where do those “constructs” come from? From the previous real-world experiences we have had! This does not mean that we do not sometimes have faulty perceptions about the world around us, or our nature. In fact, the very thrust of the argument presented here is that Buddhism is a perceptive filter that presents an illusion about the nature of existence. The Nature of Existence If our perceptions about the world around us are faulty, and there is another truth underneath what we perceive, then, our perceptions about how to live in the world are also colored by our misperceptions. Could this be true? Let’s turn again to our unity of perception. Everyone has some kind of concept of right and wrong, good and evil. We all share common perceptions, that there are certain things that are good, and certain things that are evil. Personal preference and culture permit varying degrees in our agreement over what is right and wrong. But the fact stands that there still remains the concept of good and evil, right and wrong. According to Buddhist thought the issue of what is right and wrong is nothing more than a convention without absolute authority or substance. This teaching, in point of fact, leaves the adherent with the idea that what is good and evil cannot be ultimately defined since good and evil are illisionary. Let’s present it this way: Is a belief in absolute good and evil, a right belief or a wrong belief? If you are under the Buddhist way of thinking that last sentence is a trap in both its construct and its implication. For the Buddhist the question is unanswerable without causing a new set of philosophical problems. If you declare it a “wrong belief,” you are left with a moral dilemma. Under Buddhism, wrong beliefs or perceptions lead to suffering. If this wrong belief leads to suffering, then is not the belief itself evil (morally wrong and not just factually wrong)? Could it not be argued that Siddhartha perceptually recognized the existence of evil when he saw the sick man, poor man, beggar, and the corpse? He lamented the suffering of humanity because he recognized the evil of what he saw. These arguments would seem to indicate the existence of evil, which would be a right belief, meaning that there is something more significantly wrong with humanity than perceptions, ignorance, and suffering.(6) There is More Wrong with Us Than Our Ignorance Buddhism has gotten something right about our existence. We do have a problem with perception. But according to Jesus Christ, our problem is not ignorance about the human condition. Our problem is denial. Christians interpret everything around us through perceptual filters like greed, envy, jealousy, selfishness and so on, then we should ask the question: Where do these come from? Jesus taught that such things come from within the human heart. “The good man brings out of his good treasure what is good; and the evil man brings out of his evil treasure what is evil.”(7) But who is an evil man? What constitutes a person who is evil? During a conversation with a devoutly religious man, Jesus made a surprising statement. While asking about how to attain eternal life, a man called out to Jesus, calling him, “Good teacher.” Jesus responded: “‘No one is good except God alone. You know the commandments, do not commit adultery, do not murder, do not steal, do not bear false witness, honor your father and mother.’ ‘And he said, “All these things I have kept from my youth.” ‘When Jesus heard this, He said to him, “One thing you still lack; sell all that you possess and distribute it to the poor, and you shall have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me.’”(8) Jesus had two criteria for evil. First, a person who is evil is a person who obeys evil. He or she is a person who engages in morally wrong thoughts, feelings, and actions. The commandments Jesus referred to were Laws given to Israel by God. Engaging in these behaviors, like all behaviors, starts from the heart or mind, and ends with the actual doing of the evil. A person who obeys evil is evil. Second, Jesus provided a criteria for evil that was highly personal and surprising to the man who heard it. “…and come, follow Me.” Jesus regarded the person who willfully rejected him as evil. Why would He do this? Why did Jesus’ criteria for right and wrong have to be so relational? Unlike Buddhism, which presents everything as an “impersonal ground of existence, which is neither good nor evil,” Jesus Christ presented himself as the ultimate standard of personal existence that is, inherently, good. He recognized that in order for man to deal with suffering, he had to deal with his relationships. Notice the commandments that Jesus mentioned. All are committed in relationship with, or to, another person. In fact, all evil is committed within the context of relationship. The same is true about good. There can be no good and no evil without relationship. Under Buddhism the adherent attempts to either remove himself from the world through monasticism, or minimize his attachments. In other words, the devout Buddhist must minimize relationships. Yet doing so will not mitigate evil, because love is only expressed in relationships and only love can conqueror evil. Suffering is therefore, not the real problem for Buddhism, denial is. Because Buddhism is a philosophy of the impersonal, it is only natural that it would deny concepts of good and evil beyond their use as mere conventions. Yet Jesus Christ defined good and evil only in terms of relationship—relationship to others and relationship to Himself. In Buddhism one does not have a relationship with the reality around him since his reality is considered to be an illusion of mistaken perceptions. In comparison, the Bible teaches us that we have not only a relationship with the world around us, but also the people in it, and the God who created it. Our perceptions are real, and given to us by God so that we might “seek him with all our heart.”(9) If God has enabled us to seek Him, then surely He has given us the perceptive ability to recognize His reality. ________________________________________________________________________ 1. Dalai Lama XIV, The Dalai Lama at Harvard, page 36. 2. M. Tsering, Jesus in a New Age, Dalai Lama World, page 153. 3. Ibid, page 131. 4. John J. Ratey, M.D., A User’s Guide to the Brain: Perception, Attention, and the Four Theaters of the Brain, page 56. 5. What if you argue that the belief itself is not right or wrong? Doing so would imply the nonexistence of the belief, and perhaps even the question. For an argument against such a point, read two paragraphs above. If in doubt, read it with a friend using unity of perception. 😉 6. Matthew 12:35. 7. Luke 18:19-22. 8. Psalm 119:2.

Since moving to Mongolia six years ago I’ve had to give a great deal of though to the issue of Christian unity. In Mongolian culture the idea of unity is very important. In fact, unity if one of Mongolia’s most important value (just behind power). For a society to be healthy it must be unified around a set of principles or a history that defines what that unity looks like. Most importantly, unity is often seen as agreement on important issues—especially controversial ones. However, the idea of Christian unity as presented in the Bible is different from the secular unity that is promoted in culture and politics. This is true not just in Mongolia but also worldwide. Most secular unity is achieved by reaching agreement on common ideas. Those who are not in agreement on those ideas are not unified, or perhaps even viewed as divisive. For some nations, such as those of the Islamic world, a common religious heritage is the driving force for perceived unity. For many in Mongolia unity often revolves around a history—Chinggis Khan, and the unity of the Mongolian tribes into one nation. These are examples of a secular-focused unity. The unity that the Bible prescribes for Christians is very different. It is a unity that transcends ideas and opinions in pursuit of something far greater. The idea of unity in Christ, as presented in the Bible has very little to do with a common set of ideas, and almost nothing to do with agreement on controversial issues. Rather, biblical unity always centers on behavior. Psalm 133:1 declares: “Behold how good and how pleasant it is for brothers to dwell together in unity.” Conspicuously absent from Psalm 133 is any reference to philosophical agreement. In fact, I believe it is absent on purpose. The Bible provides the authoritative model of unity for Christians. While many passages touch on the subject, I find it is best modeled in Ephesians 4:2-3 when the Apostle Paul says: “With all humility and gentleness, with patience, showing forgiveness to one another in love, being diligent to preserve the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.” It is no coincidence that the idea of unity is tied to the Holy Spirit and issues of behavior. In fact, in most New Testament passages a Christian’s behavior and the Holy Spirit are linked whenever the topic of unity is approached. And there is another subject not far behind: Truth. Continuing on his theme of unity, Paul later says in Ephesians 4:13-15: “…until we all attain to the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a mature man, which belongs to the fullness of Christ. As a result, we are no longer to be children, tossed here and there by waves, and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, by craftiness in deceitful scheming; but speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in all aspects into Him, who is the Head, even Christ.” Biblical unity always looks like this: TRUTH + LOVE = UNITY. Where else does the Scripture provide this model? One book earlier in Galatians 5:22-26 Paul ties the “Fruit of the Spirit” with a life empowered by the Holy Spirit. But earlier in the chapter as he prepares to touch the topic Paul rebukes the Galatians for abandoning the purity of the Gospel message in Galatians 5:7 by saying: “You were running well; who hindered you from obeying the truth?” What “truth” is Paul referring to? He reveals it in Galatians 5:1: “It was for freedom that Christ set you free.” Paul also makes these connections in his famous love chapter in I Corinthians 13 when in verse 6 he notes that love “does not rejoice in unrighteousness, but rejoices with the truth.” The entire chapter is part of a much larger context from chapters 12 through 14 about how the Holy Spirit expresses Himself through the life of the believer and the church at large. Paul’s focus in these chapters is spiritual unity among people of different motivations, gifts, and talents, based upon the simplicity of Christ’s identity (truth) and expressions of love. The model presented in Colossians 3 is the same, with a much heavier emphasis on personal behavior along with Paul’s note that in Christ there is “no distinction between Greek and Jew, circumcised and uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave and freeman, but Christ is all, and in all” (Colossians 3:11). The implication, and application, for our modern times is that it doesn’t matter if you are Mongolian, or American, or Chinese, or Russian, Korean, or any other nationality. In Christ such temporary distinctions are to be washed away in favor of a much higher citizenship in the Kingdom of God. Jesus Himself also tied together this notion that TRUTH + LOVE = UNITY. In John 16:13-14 Jesus revealed: “When He, the Spirit of Truth comes He will guide you into all the truth; for He will not speak on His own initiative, but whatever he hears He will speak; and He will disclose to you what is to come. He shall glorify Me; for He shall take of Mine, and shall disclose it to you.” With this important background on the Holy Spirit’s role in revealing truth, Jesus then prays for unity and truth in the very next chapter! “Holy Father keep them in your name, the name which You have given Me, that they may be one, even as We are,” (John 17:11) Then in verse 17 he prays, “Sanctify them in truth, your word is truth.” Just before speaking of unity and truth Jesus said in John 16:8-9: “And He, when He comes, will convict the world concerning sin, and righteousness, and judgment, concerning sin, because they do not believe in Me.” What is the first truth we must recognize? That we are sinners in need of a Savor—the Lord Jesus. Even the passages in Galatians 5, Colossians 3, and I Corinthians 12-14 demonstrate that we are sinners in need of unity with Christ that comes first by recognizing our sin and embracing Jesus as the only solution to our sin. So while the secular model of unity is based upon heritage, or philosophy, political principles, or some other set of ideas, the biblical model is different—so different as to be foreign to the way the world works. Biblical unity is not a unity of ideas, but a unity of behavior based upon the identity and work of Jesus Christ. Even Paul’s example of marriage in Ephesians 5 and 6 reveals this, as the husband and wife are different, having different motivations and relational desires, but their behavior toward one another unifies them as a family. Christians can have many different ideas and disagree on a wide range of issues. Jesus didn’t say people would know we are His disciples because we agree, rather because of our love for one another. Disagreements don’t need to be wiped away to unify the church—only the sinful behavior that elevates personal opinion to the status of godly conviction and thus dishonors the brother or sister for whom Christ died. TRUTH + LOVE = UNITY.