Category: Compromise

When We See Samson And Lose Sight Of The Lord

DebbieLynne KespertLeave a comment

Hebrews 11:32 includes Samson in the “Hall of Faith,” implying that we can look to him as an example worth following. If you’ve read the history of Samson in Judges 13-16, you may feel somewhat puzzled by this apparent tribute to him. Throughout his adult life, this man repeatedly ignored the Lord’s claim on him (Judges 13:7, 13-14), by defiling himself with heathen women (Judges 14:1-3, 16:1, 4) and engaging in ceremonially unclean practices, (Judges 14:6-9, 15:15). The Lord used Samson’s rebellious behavior to accomplish His purpose of conquering the Philistines, certainly, but it remains that Samson was a disgusting man.

If you’re like me, you probably dislike Samson and scratch your head at his commendation in Hebrews 11:32. Furthermore, you wish you could just skip Judges 13-16 altogether. Many of the people in the book of Judges are distasteful, to be sure, but there’s something particularly annoying about Samson. As we read about his actions, our stomach turns in revulsion, Why did the Holy Spirit devote four chapters of His Holy Word to someone so despicable, and then centuries later inspire a New Testament writer to list him among the heroes of the faith?

As I came to this portion of God’s Word this past Saturday, I prayed that God would help me see Him in the passage. Maybe that sounds like a strange prayer, but I’m becoming increasingly convinced that it’s a necessary one.

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Could The Person Who Calls You A Pharisee Actually Be The Real Pharisee?

DebbieLynne Kespert1 Comment

Those of us who stand for the Word of God frequently get accused of being Pharisees, particularly by Charismatics, egalitarians and progressive evangelicals. The very thought that Scripture alone is authoritative and sufficient for directing our lives and our worship rankles their nerves so deeply that they scramble for a way to put us in our place. Thus, remembering the constant rebukes Jesus leveled against the Pharisees during His earthly ministry, they eagerly hurl this term at us. In doing so, they want us to bow in humble contrition, admitting that we’ve been too rigid in interpreting the Bible.

Occasionally, we deserve the accusation. None of us should allow pride to keep us from asking the Holy Spirit to examine our hearts to expose any self-righteousness we may harbor. Even when we proclaim all the right doctrine, we run the danger of proclaiming it with a sanctimonious attitude. So let’s not automatically dismiss an accusation without taking it to the Lord.

That said, the vast majority of our accusers have a simplistic understanding of who the First Century Pharisees were and why Jesus opposed them so fiercely. For the most part, people equate them with self-righteousness legalists who adhered so tightly to Scripture that they couldn’t (or wouldn’t) recognize God’s activity.

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Saying The Right Things Doesn’t Necessarily Prove Genuine Christianity

DebbieLynne KespertLeave a comment

How should we determine the authenticity of another person’s Christianity? If he or she rattles off a statement of faith that measures up to basic Christian orthodoxy, should that confession of faith be enough to satisfy us? I recently saw such a confession, written by someone known for open rebellion against certain portions of Scripture as well as for repeatedly slandering a Christian pastor over teachings that are unpopular with progressive evangelicals.

I affirm Jesus as the God-man, born of a virgin, who made atonement for sin, performed supernatural miracles to authenticate His claims, was crucified, died, was buried and rose again.

Okay, each of these affirmations is entirely Biblical. Every true Christian would agree wholeheartedly with each point. I’d venture to add that a denial of even one of these points would indicate that a person either doesn’t know Christ or is a very new convert. One cannot be a true Christian without believing all of these truths about Jesus.

At the same time, merely affirming these basic tenets of the faith doesn’t necessarily indicate genuine fidelity to the Lord. James, the half-brother of Jesus, stated in no uncertain terms that the ability to positively recite a Biblical affiliation of basic principles doesn’t always guarantee true Christianity.

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So That The Word Of God Won’t Be Dishonored

DebbieLynne KespertLeave a comment

Blasphemy is a rather archaic word in 21st Century society, perhaps because we’ve lost the sense that God deserves honor and reverence. I once had a conversation with an obvious non-Christian who said quite flippantly, “Oh yes, Jesus is my Buddy!” (Happily, this woman has since come to Christ.) Her remark reminded me of how little people regard the Lord as Someone worthy of reverence.

Even more disturbing, many evangelicals lack reverence for the Lord. Hymns that exalt Him as the Sovereign Ruler of all creation have been replaced by soft rock songs focused on self, often depicting Jesus as a cosmic Boyfriend or a Butler poised to fulfill our slightest wish. We quote Scripture out of context to assure ourselves that God exists to ensure our happiness and to give us abundant lives. Like the non-Christian woman I spoke with. most of us demote the King of kings down to the level of being our Buddy.

I bring this matter up as I conclude my loosely organized series working through Titus 2:3-5. We’ve discussed the various attributes that God commands of older and younger women, and now we arrive at the purpose of those commands.

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Blogging Fatigue: Why Christian Bloggers Can’t Give Up

DebbieLynne Kespert4 Comments

A few of the bloggers I read regularly have been reposting old articles — as have I. Some of us are posting less often. Many have abandoned blogging altogether.

For some of us, health concerns and schedule changes have played a major role in this decreased productivity. That’s largely why I’ve been less active in the last few years. Like it or not (and I definitely don’t like it), we’re getting older and slowing down, therefore we just don’t have the energy we had a few years ago. As a result, we see how much energy maintaining a blog really takes. In our younger days, we may not have realized how hard we worked, but now we understand the toll of cranking out posts five to seven days a week. For several of us, our poor bodies can’t handle the workload anymore.

In my case, however, the fatigue has another layer that I wonder if my fellow bloggers also feel. I began this blog with a zeal for hunting out false teachers and exposing them. That purpose has merit, certainly, and I still see a need for that type of ministry. But that type of ministry takes a lot of time and effort, especially if a blogger wants to report with integrity.

A few days ago, as I scrolled through Facebook, my heart sank as a friend excitedly reported having gone to hear Joyce Meyer preach. It made me start mentally planning a blog post comparing one of Joyce Meyer’s better-known teachings to Scripture in a way that would help readers evaluate teaching for themselves. Sounds good, right?

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The Unpopular Thing That Older Women Must Teach Younger Women

DebbieLynne Kespert1 Comment

We all cringe at the idea of wives submitting to husbands, don’t we? Even those of us who know what the Bible says and wholeheartedly believe that the Holy Spirit inspired it to be written should honestly admit that we wish He had not included that instruction. It doesn’t do any good to pretend that we’re always delighted to let our husbands have the final say in making decisions. God knows our hearts, so He’s well aware that there are times when we’d rather have our husbands submit to us.

Yet Paul told Titus to have the older women encourage younger women to submit to their own husbands.

3 Older women likewise are to be reverent in their behavior, not malicious gossips nor enslaved to much wine, teaching what is good, 4 so that they may encourage the young women to love their husbands, to love their children, 5 to be sensible, pure, workers at home, kind, being subject to their own husbands, so that the word of God will not be dishonored. ~~Titus 2:3-5 (NASB95)

Rather than write an article detailing the mechanics of wifely submission today, I think I want to circle back to the responsibility older women have to encourage this attitude in younger women. Future articles may address the topic of submission itself. Indeed, as an older woman, I must deal with the matter, and deal with it more than once. But it occurs to me that the mandate to teach and encourage younger women to submit to their husbands poses a threat to older women. Teaching submission goes against so many aspects of our culture that most of us simply don’t want to do it!

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The Tragedy Of The Entertaining Church

DebbieLynne KespertLeave a comment

This week just doesn’t allow me to produce fresh content, but I published an article on March 26, 2018 that fits several conversations I’ve heard on Christian podcasts lately. I believe this article will benefit all of us.

Powerful Word


“Show people that Christians are just like  everyone else.”

“If we have non-threatening activities like movie nights, people will get comfortable enough with us that they’ll want to come to church.”

“Unless we have games and refreshments, kids won’t come to youth group.”

I heard all these comments, and more, from a church I used to attend, usually in connection with evangelism and church growth strategies.  We want to attract people to the Lord, not scare them away from Him, the leadership of the church reasoned. For a while, they even made sense. Why not make visitors comfortable before hitting them with the Bible?

Sometimes the promoters of such ideas supported them with 1 Corinthians 9:19-23. Never mind that this passage, in context, refers to restricting one’s Christian liberties to avoid offending people with anything but the Gospel. But in his next epistle to that same church, Paul made it clear that presenting the Gospel would, in fact, offend those who would not receive salvation.

15 For we are the aroma of Christ to God among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing, 16 to one a fragrance from death to death, to the other a fragrance from life to life. Who is sufficient for these things? 17 For we are not, like so many, peddlers of God’s word, but as men of sincerity, as commissioned by God, in the sight of God we speak in Christ. ~~2 Corinthians 2:15-17 (ESV)

Churches, including youth groups, act deceptively when they advertise themselves as being cool, hip and in touch with the world, only to slip Jesus in there when they can do it inconspicuously. They know that a blatant bait-and-switch will expose them, so they have to continue making Scripture palatable. Sermons include stand-up comedy, movie clips and props rather than verse-by-verse exposition of the text, knowing that the folks they attract through entertainment require continuing entertainment in order to keep them coming.

Contrast that mindset with Paul’s command to Timothy.

I charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who is to judge the living and the dead, and by his appearing and his kingdom: 2 preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, and exhort, with complete patience and teaching. 3 For the time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching, but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions, 4 and will turn away from listening to the truth and wander off into myths. 5 As for you, always be sober-minded, endure suffering, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry. ~~2 Timothy 4:1-5 (ESV)

God’s church can, and should, be overflowing with joy. Fellowship halls should ring with laughter, and youth groups should include extra activities outside of Bible Study hours. As someone known for practical jokes, I’m hardly adverse to having fun at appropriate moments.

But when we use fun as an evangelism tool, and especially when we blur the lines between Christians and the world, we tend to obscure the Gospel. After all, the call to repentance can’t be slipped in between funny stories or during a game of Pictionary if we expect non-Christians to take their sin seriously.

Churches must preach the Word, even if so doing makes people uncomfortable. In fact, we want people to feel uncomfortable about their sin in hopes that they will then desire the Savior. Preaching a compromised gospel that elevates human comfort over the glory of the Lord Jesus Christ may fill churches, but it won’t save souls.

How Influential Are You?

DebbieLynne KespertLeave a comment

A reader on The Outspoken TULIP Facebook page suggested an article on how we might influence the church culture, especially when so many are compromising God’s Word. Her suggestions intrigued me. I also see declining fidelity to Scripture in most churches as well as among Christians on social media, and catch myself thinking that, if only this blog would go viral, evangelicals would straighten up and fly right.

It’s easy to imagine ourselves as modern day reformers, isn’t it? Initially, those imaginings come from right motives. Most of the work by Luther, Calvin and Zwingli (as well as lesser known 16th Century Reformers) to restore Scripture as the authority for everything in Christian life has long since been corrupted by worldly philosophies and practices. As we look at the way God worked through them, we find ourselves thinking that perhaps He’ll do similar things through us. We hate seeing people fall into deception, and we hate the deceptions that pull them away from pure devotion to Christ. Naturally we long for God to use us in restoring people to Himself.

But frequently our zeal for purity within His church lulls us into believing that we have the ability to influence our local churches and/or the evangelical world at large, If discernment bloggers would just give us the magic key, we could unlock the Spirit’s power and transform Christian culture. Or so we think.

So John and I once thought.

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Flashback Friday: Look At What You Say

DebbieLynne Kespert1 Comment

I’d hoped to publish an original article today, knowing that people generally prefer not to read recycled posts. But I am still working on my latest piece, and I haven’t as yet figured out what to do for its graphic. I came across the following blog post, which I wrote on July 21, 2016. It doesn’t say exactly what the post I’m currently writing says, but it might be serve as a helpful introduction to that post. It’s interesting to see God’s providence in little things.

Psalm 19V14_02


Your conduct online, particularly over a long period of time, generally exposes your true nature. I don’t doubt the possibility of hypocrites, just as people in other arenas can effectively hide ugly truths about themselves.  I well remember being speechless for an entire day after learning that a pastor whom I’d deeply respected had been committing adultery even as he preached on the importance of sexual purity.  So okay, some people can maintain a facade for years.

Note, however, that even this pastor eventually got caught.

Regardless of the situation, then, we can pretty much say that most people can’t keep up an act for very long, even online. Sooner or later their blogs, Tweets or Facebook posts will give readers a sense of a person’s true values, temperament or priorities.

If we claim to be Christian women while making angry posts and using unladylike language, we give our readers good reason to question the genuineness of our professions.  I am ashamed to say that I’ve made reckless posts, both on my last blog and on Facebook, that exposed blatant hypocrisy in my life. Some friends who had admired me for many years lost respect for me, as well they should have. My words, rather than reflecting godly attributes, betrayed my selfish anger and pride.

Don’t worry that I’m still browbeating myself for those sinful posts.  Christ has brought me to repentance and has given me the grace to change my attitudes and behavior.  But I tell my story to illustrate the principle that, whether online or in face-to-face interactions, the time always comes when our words open windows to show what really lurks in our hearts.

When the Pharisees accused Jesus of demon possession, He confronted their blasphemy of the Holy Spirit. Then He warned them about saying things without first thinking them through:

33 “Either make the tree good and its fruit good, or make the tree bad and its fruit bad, for the tree is known by its fruit. 34 You brood of vipers! How can you speak good, when you are evil? For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks. 35 The good person out of his good treasure brings forth good, and the evil person out of his evil treasure brings forth evil. 36 I tell you, on the day of judgment people will give account for every careless word they speak, 37 for by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned.” ~~Matthew 12:33-37 (ESV)

Our tongues and keyboards may initially allow us to fool people (as my hypocritical pastor fooled me), but those same tongues and keyboards,  given enough time, will tell the truth. Consequently, we must constantly submit ourselves to the Lord, desiring that our hearts and minds stay saturated with His values.

I often pray Psalm 19:14, which I’ve quoted in the graphic at the top of this essay. This verse reminds me to  carefully watch what I speak, type and even what I think. I want my thoughts and words to please the Lord.

This verse challenges me to honor the Lord with my thoughts and words, but it also puts the focus on Him. He strengthens me to obey Him with my thoughts and the written or spoken words that my thoughts produce. And when my thoughts and words result in sin, He redeems me because of Christ’s shed blood on the cross.

Dear sisters in Christ, be aware of what you post online. Those words speak volumes about your spiritual condition, both to Christians and to those who seek opportunity to discredit the Lord. You, once you declare yourselves to be Christians, automatically become His representatives. Please make Psalm 19:14 your prayer.

And Forgive Us Our Debts As We Forgive Our Debtors

DebbieLynne KespertLeave a comment

Most of us have recited The Lord’s Prayer since childhood. We’ve memorized it, aided perhaps by its poetic cadences and by reciting it Sunday after Sunday in church and as part of our bedtime prayers. Matthew quotes Jesus as He teaches this model for prayer during the Sermon on the Mount:

9 “Pray, then, in this way:

‘Our Father who is in heaven,
Hallowed be Your name.
10 ‘Your kingdom come.
Your will be done,
On earth as it is in heaven.
11 ‘Give us this day our daily bread.
12 ‘And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors.
13 ‘And do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from evil. [For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.’] ~~Matthew 6:9-13 (NASB95)

For all the times you’ve prayed this beloved prayer, do you remember what Jesus said immediately afterwards?

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