Green is a nice colour

I sat in George Square watching the sky. The sun had been shining for more than an hour, but now the clouds were beginning to roll in. Soon it would be raining. This was not unusual in Glasgow, Scotland.

I had lived in the Glasgow area for most of eight years, and all the memories were flooding through my mind as I thought of the fact that I would soon be leaving this land I had come to call home. I had memories of summer barbecues at which we had to wear waterproof jackets, late nights talking and drinking coffee with friends, fascinating lectures and discussions at college, and long walks in the hills. I also had memories of difficult days and painful hurts. A lot had happened in eight years, and I definitely had a love-hate relationship with Glasgow. Yet, most of all, I remembered how those eight years had changed my life for the better.

In the past, my favorite colours had always been blue, red and black. I had never particularly loved green. However, Scotland had changed my whole perspective on green. Filled with rolling green hills and covered with lush, healthy green grass, it was without a doubt one of the most beautiful places in the world; especially on those rare occasions when the sun shone and brightened the incredible landscape that had been so well-watered by the country’s constant rain.

In George Square, I looked up at the 80-foot column upon which Sir Walter Scott had stood looking over the city since 1837. This square changed character during the different seasons of the year, but the famous author of Ivanhoe and Rob Roy continued to stand guard over the city… rain, shine, and more rain. In the summer, the square was often filled with concerts and other events, including the occasional political event or protest. During the annual Jazz Festival each June, various kinds of jazz could be heard rising from the square as live bands graced the venue with their talents. This was always a favorite time for me in the square. Then it would be converted into a mini-carnival at Christmastime, filled with rides, ice-skating and lights. On Valentine’s Day, a Ferris Wheel would take people high above the city and, every New Year’s Eve, the square would be filled with people for the annual Hogmanay celebration.

This day, however, was just a normal day. There were some people bustling about the square as the first drops of rain began to fall and my mind continued to drift through eight years of memories. My greatest memories, of course, were of the girl I met while in Scotland and married last year in January. Though I was soon to say goodbye, I would always carry a part of Scotland with me in Karen.

I now sit in my room in Rosarito Beach, México. Karen and I have started a new life here, and we are very happy. Great things are happening, and we’ve met a lot of wonderful people.

My memories of Scotland are always present for it was there my life changed forever in so many ways. I am so grateful for the years God gave me there. I am also grateful that I met some of the best friends anyone could ever have while in Scotland. That wonderful land will always be a part of me and, from time to time, I will feel homesick for the green land that stole a piece of my heart.

I feel at home in México now and know without a doubt that this is where God wants Karen and me to be. However, I look forward to visiting Scotland again; hopefully, one day soon. When I go, I will visit wonderful friends, walk through some green hills and most probably also find an opportunity to sit under Walter Scott’s gaze in George Square and let great memories run through the theatre of my mind. Here’s a tribute to you, dear Scotland, and to all that you’ve given me. You’ve given me Karen, good friends, life-lessons and many other things — and you’ve taught me that green is a good colour indeed.

Counterfeit spirituality

The other day, a friend of mine was given a counterfeit twenty-dollar bill. It looked like real money, but he knew the feel of the real thing well enough to know instantly that it was not real.

The counterfeiting of money is a criminal endeavor that is practiced all over the world, and when counterfeit notes find their way into circulation they actually have the potential of crippling whole economies. How? If enough counterfeits get into circulation before being discovered, soon people and businesses all over the nation find themselves with money that is useless and cannot be spent once the world is aware of their existence. This has resulted in several cases around the world of real money’s value being decreased and businesses suffering greatly due to not being reimbursed for the fake money they were left with.

This problem in the economic world reminds me of a similar problem in the spiritual world. The problem in that case is the problem of counterfeit spirituality. Some of the greatest damage that has been done to Christian churches is the damage that has been done by people who claim to be followers of Christ but spread poison throughout the church with their un-Christlike attitudes. They know how to “talk the talk” and look like the real thing, but they are not what they seem to be.

One of the most common examples I’ve seen is the example of counterfeit spiritual gifts. I’ve met people who claim to have the gift of prophesy for example, but their character doesn’t match. They prophesy grand things during the church meeting, but during the week they live loveless lives. They treat their neighbors disrespectfully, display dishonesty in their workplaces and judge one another harshly.

For every spiritual gift listed in the Bible, I’ve seen its clever and dangerous counterfeit.

In particular, I have often seen the counterfeit’s clever use of the gift of “discernment.”

Imagine this scene:

A woman comes up to her pastor and says, “I have the gift of discernment.”

The pastor thinks to himself, “Oh no! Here we go…”

Then, for the next hour, he listens as she tells him everything that is wrong with everyone else in the church.

I have talked to so many pastors who have had to deal with this issue! Someone comes into their church who claims to have a spirit of discernment, but their spirit is exposed as one of criticism.

Oswald Chambers was well aware of this counterfeit, which is why he so aptly clarified what the real thing looks like. He said, “Discernment is God’s call to intercession, never to fault-finding.”

Here’s the thing: If you have a spiritual gift, it is there for the building up of the church and never for the tearing down of your brothers. One of the greatest dangers to the Christian church is a judgmental spirit and, sadly, it is often disguised as “spirituality.”

What happens when counterfeit spirituality is allowed to run rampant in the church? It devalues the real thing in the eyes of the world and often leaves churches to suffer once the real thing has been pushed out of the church and only the judgmental spirit remains, feeling itself too good to welcome anybody else into its midst.

I’m really enjoying living in Rosarito and working with Baja Christian Church because I’ve seen so much of the REAL thing here. My only warning is that we not allow ourselves to be lured into the trap of counterfeit spirituality. It’s subtle and can easily find its way into any of our hearts if we do not guard ourselves against it.

The real thing shows itself in character. Galatians 5:22-23 says that “the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.” These are things that can’t be successfully counterfeited. Anyone knows when they are really being loved and not just treated like a project, and anyone can tell when people are truly good, faithful and kind.

I would suggest that everyone who claims to be a follower of Christ take a moment to ask God to examine their hearts and to show them if there is a trace of counterfeit spirituality anywhere in them. It’s like a leaven that soon finds its way into the whole loaf if it isn’t stopped or, perhaps even more to the point, a cancer that spreads to the whole body if it’s not cut out.

What are some of the symptoms to look out for in ourselves? Well, one obvious symptom is if you are reading this right now and your first and only thought is, “I sure wish so-and-so could read this so that he could get straightened out!” Judgmentalism and a critical spirit are two of the main symptoms of false spirituality. True spirituality never leads to these things. Rather, it leads to grace.

Oswald Chambers spoke wisely when he said of the gift of discernment that, if its real, it will lead you to pray for the other person rather than to start “fault-finding.” This holds true for all the spiritual gifts that God gives His children. He has gifted us all as unique individuals with special, unique gifts to be used for Him. However, those gifts are never rightly used when used AGAINST other people. They are only rightly used when used to build one another up and to demonstrate God’s love to the world around us.

A new start at Rosarito Beach

We’ve been very busy getting started here in México so the blog went on an unplanned hiatus; thank you for your patience! There will once again be a new post every Wednesday..

Karen and I are amazed at the turn our lives have taken lately. We expected to be living in Chapala, near Guadalajara, but we’ve been moved to Rosarito Beach in Baja California instead.

We are now leading a church here called Baja Christian Church. It is a very young church that meets at the Rosarito Beach Hotel, a historic hotel that was first opened in 1925. The hotel used to be a favorite hangout spot for Frank Sinatra and the Rat Pack, as well as many of the Hollywood favorites. Rita Hayworth and the Shah of Iran rented a whole floor of the hotel during their stay in 1954, and a sign over the entrance says, “Through this door pass the most beautiful women of the world.”

Now the hotel is the base of our operations as we reach out to this growing community. Since the room where we meet is right on the main street, new people come in every week and share their stories with us. The people who come have as rich and varied histories as the hotel itself does. We have people in our church from Australia, Jamaica, Alaska, the Deep South, various parts of México and, now, even Scotland. Some of our people are deportees who spent most of their lives in the US but are currently stuck south of the border against their will, and others are people from America and other countries who are here by choice.

There is a great liveliness amongst the people as this church is already growing and experiencing vibrant new beginnings. Not only have the Sunday services experienced significant growth in our first four months here, we’ve also started Tuesday Bible studies in Spanish, 12-step recovery groups for people dealing with addictions, a food-bank program to help provide food for people who are hungry, and exciting classes for new and growing believers on Sunday mornings and nights. The church’s Wednesday night Bible study has grown so much that it’s already outgrowing the smaller Activity Center where it has been meeting.

Of course, the most exciting thing is not simply the growth in numbers. The most exciting thing is that we are seeing dramatic changes already happening in people’s lives right before our eyes. People who had all but given up on life have found new hope, and we can hardly wait to see what happens next as more and more people are finding that hope in Christ! One woman’s father experienced a dramatic healing in response to the people’s prayers, and his doctors are baffled by his recovery; other people who had spent their lives bound by the mistakes of their pasts are finding new starts; and even the mayor, Hugo Torres, has taken notice and come to speak to the church and express his support and gratitude for what is happening through this group that meets at the Rosarito Beach Hotel.

Karen and I will also still be involved in important work throughout México as we pursue various opportunities for evangelism, church planting, and the training of leaders and evangelists across the country. But, in addition to that, we’ve found a home in Rosarito where the potential for the miraculous is being converted into reality day after day before our eyes.

Thank you to all of you who are supporting this ministry both with your prayers and financial support! There is no doubt that God is blessing the part you are playing in the work here. Please continue to remember us in your prayers as we continue serving the Lord here and across México!

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If you are interested in visiting Baja Christian Church, our services are at the following times:

• In the Salon Las Americas at Rosarito Beach Hotel:
  Sunday Service in English — 11am
• In the Baja Christian Church Activity Center, Rosarito Beach Hotel:
  Christianity 201 — Sundays at 9:00am
• Christianity 101 (the basics of the Christian faith) — Sundays at 6:30pm
• 12 Steps Recovery Groups — Tuesdays at 2:00pm & Thursdays at 6:30pm
• Spanish Bible Study — Tuesdays at 6:30pm
• English Bible Study — Wednesdays at 6:30pm