While walking in the desert one day, John the Baptist unknowingly entered a rift in time. He felt something odd happen, but was basically unaware of what was occurring. He knew it wasn't the Holy Spirit moving, but he felt like the essence of who he was had began to be transformed in time and space.
As he continued to walk, he came upon some young men walking also. He noticed they were dressed oddly and had a different appearance than the Jews, Greeks, or Romans that he knew of. They carried bundles of goods on their backs, so he assumed them to be nomads. When he asked them who they were, they replied that they were hikers. John was not aware of the land of Hike, but he didn't doubt their testimony.
The hikers asked John some questions about his appearance and what he was doing in the desert. After answering as honestly as he could, one of the men from the land of Hike said he wished he had smoked some of what John had smoked, then the men offered to help John by taking him to a church not too far from where they were. Though they thought that John was crazy, they sensed a passion and an honesty in him. They had seen the movie "K Pax" and knew that you could never be too sure of things... They had little faith, but great imagination.
Soon they arrived at the church and the senior pastor began to talk with John the Baptist. And even though John was a little disoriented and not certain about what was happening around him, he did know that his mission was to prepare hearts for Jesus Christ. So John began to witness and share the purpose of his mission. He soon asked if he could go on about his way and tell the good news to the people in the land of Hike.
The senior pastor was amazed by John's passion and his zeal for Jesus. But he also had concerns about John's ministry. After all, one could not let just anyone go into the world and do ministry. There were criteria to meet. If John were to be an ambassador of this church there were some changes that needed to be made.
The senior pastor first told John the Baptist that he would have to change his name to something less political. The church was non-denominational and couldn't have anyone calling themselves a Baptist. This could deter people with a predisposed bias of denomination from joining the church. And membership was already down a little. And when membership is down, so are the finances. So a name change was to be in order.
Next was the clothing issue. The senior pastor noted that he was all for individuality, but camel skin was just a bit to much for the tithing members. The pastor explained that the members expected anyone doing ministry to dress a certain way and that this dress code was very important for the image of the church. We can't have all of us Christians looking like freaks or slobs. Jesus died for more than that, the pastor explained...All John the Baptist could think about were the flowing robes of the Pharisees.
The pastor then explained that John would certainly have to brush his teeth and chew some tic-tacs to get the locust smell off of his breath. People won't come to the altar if they are uncomfortable or inconvenienced he explained.
Next on the list one must do in order to perform ministry was to get out of the desert and into town. John would need to establish residency in a certain area of town. And even though the church is open to everyone, we want to focus on just those in our "district", so to speak. So the pastor told John that he could go to the desert twice a month, but that he needed to focus on people in the "right neighborhoods" the rest of the time.
The senior pastor went on to explain to John the Baptist that he would need to be better educated, learn more doctrine and dogma, become more of a conformist, meet with committees, take a few tests, so on and so forth. When the pastor asked if John would consider all of this, he thought John would be discouraged, thank the pastor for his time, then wander back into the desert. But instead, John said that he wasn't certain what all of this meant, but that he was willing to die for his ministry if need be, if God so asked him to do so.
The pastor told John that Jesus wouldn't ask anyone to die and that there was no need to be fanatical. God wants us to be comfortable, he told John. And certainly a little more "middle of the road", the pastor explained.
Well John wasn't sure about all of this, that's for certain. He looked at the pastor almost blankly. The pastor sensed John's uncertainty and handed him a Bible. He told John that he could find the answers to some of his questions in this Bible, and that the rest could be discovered through tradition and faith in the the senior pastor.
So John took the Bible from the pastors desk, blew off the dust, and went into a quiet place to begin to read.
A few hours later John came back into the pastor's office to speak with the pastor. Before John could get a complete sentence out, the pastor explained that it was 4:30 and that the office was closing for the day. Actually for the week; it was a holiday. The pastor then asked John what he would do in the meantime and told John that he would have him put on the prayer list for next week.
John looked at the senior pastor and told him that he believed the Bible was truly the inspired word of God and that it was the absolute truth. He told the pastor that he wasn't sure what book he had been reading and that he didn't think that the people in the land of Hike knew the same Jesus that he knew.
John became louder and louder as his voice trembled with great passion. The pastor tried to tell John that he was much more educated on church issues and that John meant well, but was a little naive. This frustrated John so greatly that he turned and walked out of the senior pastors office and right out of the door of the church.
"Where will you go, what will you do?" yelled the pastor from across the parking lot.
John stopped and calmly walked back to the pastor. He then told the pastor that he was going back to the serenity of the desert to pray. After that, he would try to find his way out of the land of Hike and back into Jerusalem. When he would arrive in Jerusalem, he would look for King Herod.
"The Bible said that I am to be beheaded. And after my visit here, I think the sooner may well be the better."
Tuesday, June 1, 2010
Monday, May 17, 2010
Are You A Follower?
As Christians, we call ourselves followers of Christ. But what does that mean, "to follow Christ?"
I count about twenty times that Jesus said, "follow me." I understand that some of these are the same occurrence and told in more than one gospel, but none the less, there are many times that Jesus has said, "follow me" to someone. In some instances He literally meant, to go to the same place as or walk the same footsteps as, but what about the other instances? What about when He told some fishermen that they would become fishers of men if they would, "follow Him?" What about when Jesus said the dead could bury the dead, it was more important to, "follow me." What about the time He simply told a tax collector, "follow me", saying nothing about the dead or fishing or anything else. Why was Jesus wanting everyone to follow Him?
Did Jesus like the attention? Was Jesus afraid of being alone? Did Jesus just think, "the more, the merrier?" Maybe Jesus was more of a political figure than we realize, and by having followers, He appeared to be more influential.
But Jesus popularity craze doesn't really fit His profile. Too many times He wandered off alone. Too often He was found alone praying or teaching. He exorcised demons and told them not to say who He was. He cured the sick and asked not to be recognized. He tried to get away from His disciples many times, like when He slipped away to a quiet corner of a boat; only to be disturbed due to a storm and His followers lack of faith. No, Jesus was no egomaniac. There was something important about this "follow me" business.
Jesus knew that He was the only way to the Father. He knew that only by admission of sin in our lives(not for Jesus, mind you), truly believing in who He is, and confessing that He is Christ to the world could the way to Father be found. Jesus was going to see the Father and he was taking along everyone who wanted to go! That is where Jesus was going and that is why he says,"to follow."
But the journey is not just a matter of literal footsteps. Mark 8:34 says"Then he called the crowd to him along with his disciples and said: "If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me." Jesus was telling those who would listen that the way to the Father was not an easy path. He said we must deny ourselves; doesn't sound very democratic, does it? Jesus said that we must take up our cross AND "follow me."
Jesus uses the term, "take up his cross" very precisely here. In that time period, cruifiction was a method of punishment used by the Romans. The Romans made those about to be executed to carry their own cross as a sign of submission. So Jesus is saying that we must deny ourselves; and to submit to Him. Not so that he can punish us as the Romans, but so that He can save us, give us eternal life with the God.
Jesus was saying that there would be tough times and that there would be times that things looked very bleak. By carrying our own cross, not only are we showing submission, but we also acknowledge that we are willing to give our lives up for the sake of God's work, just as Jesus did. By carrying our own cross, we are showing that we will "follow" Jesus regardless of the turmoil in our lives or the cruelty that we face.
This "follow me" stuff is a little different that the"feel good religion"we hear all too often, isn't it? I can't remember the last time I heard anyone speaking of taking up my own cross, at least other than using it as a dramatic term referring to perseverance. I can't recall anyone being bold enough to say what Jesus REALLY meant in Mark 8:34, at least not from the pulpit. Maybe that is one of the contributing factors in why so few people know what it really means to "follow Jesus". Maybe that is why we see so little REAL discipleship, because it's a tough sell having to tell people that there may not be instant gratification by serving God. I don't think your popularity will rise if you tell everyone that following Jesus may mean a rough road that may cost you your life.
My challenge today is for you to read Jesus words and dig deep into what He is saying. My challenge is for you to truly be a follower of Christ. Know that God may not ask you to surrender your life, but also know that He may. Think about Mark 8:34 Read it over and over, then decide if you are a TRUE follower or just a cheap, common imitation. I pray you discover what all of this "follow me" stuff means to you and your ministry. I hope that by becoming a true follower of God that you will make an impact on those around you, becoming more and more like Jesus.
I count about twenty times that Jesus said, "follow me." I understand that some of these are the same occurrence and told in more than one gospel, but none the less, there are many times that Jesus has said, "follow me" to someone. In some instances He literally meant, to go to the same place as or walk the same footsteps as, but what about the other instances? What about when He told some fishermen that they would become fishers of men if they would, "follow Him?" What about when Jesus said the dead could bury the dead, it was more important to, "follow me." What about the time He simply told a tax collector, "follow me", saying nothing about the dead or fishing or anything else. Why was Jesus wanting everyone to follow Him?
Did Jesus like the attention? Was Jesus afraid of being alone? Did Jesus just think, "the more, the merrier?" Maybe Jesus was more of a political figure than we realize, and by having followers, He appeared to be more influential.
But Jesus popularity craze doesn't really fit His profile. Too many times He wandered off alone. Too often He was found alone praying or teaching. He exorcised demons and told them not to say who He was. He cured the sick and asked not to be recognized. He tried to get away from His disciples many times, like when He slipped away to a quiet corner of a boat; only to be disturbed due to a storm and His followers lack of faith. No, Jesus was no egomaniac. There was something important about this "follow me" business.
Jesus knew that He was the only way to the Father. He knew that only by admission of sin in our lives(not for Jesus, mind you), truly believing in who He is, and confessing that He is Christ to the world could the way to Father be found. Jesus was going to see the Father and he was taking along everyone who wanted to go! That is where Jesus was going and that is why he says,"to follow."
But the journey is not just a matter of literal footsteps. Mark 8:34 says"Then he called the crowd to him along with his disciples and said: "If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me." Jesus was telling those who would listen that the way to the Father was not an easy path. He said we must deny ourselves; doesn't sound very democratic, does it? Jesus said that we must take up our cross AND "follow me."
Jesus uses the term, "take up his cross" very precisely here. In that time period, cruifiction was a method of punishment used by the Romans. The Romans made those about to be executed to carry their own cross as a sign of submission. So Jesus is saying that we must deny ourselves; and to submit to Him. Not so that he can punish us as the Romans, but so that He can save us, give us eternal life with the God.
Jesus was saying that there would be tough times and that there would be times that things looked very bleak. By carrying our own cross, not only are we showing submission, but we also acknowledge that we are willing to give our lives up for the sake of God's work, just as Jesus did. By carrying our own cross, we are showing that we will "follow" Jesus regardless of the turmoil in our lives or the cruelty that we face.
This "follow me" stuff is a little different that the"feel good religion"we hear all too often, isn't it? I can't remember the last time I heard anyone speaking of taking up my own cross, at least other than using it as a dramatic term referring to perseverance. I can't recall anyone being bold enough to say what Jesus REALLY meant in Mark 8:34, at least not from the pulpit. Maybe that is one of the contributing factors in why so few people know what it really means to "follow Jesus". Maybe that is why we see so little REAL discipleship, because it's a tough sell having to tell people that there may not be instant gratification by serving God. I don't think your popularity will rise if you tell everyone that following Jesus may mean a rough road that may cost you your life.
My challenge today is for you to read Jesus words and dig deep into what He is saying. My challenge is for you to truly be a follower of Christ. Know that God may not ask you to surrender your life, but also know that He may. Think about Mark 8:34 Read it over and over, then decide if you are a TRUE follower or just a cheap, common imitation. I pray you discover what all of this "follow me" stuff means to you and your ministry. I hope that by becoming a true follower of God that you will make an impact on those around you, becoming more and more like Jesus.
Thursday, May 13, 2010
Consuming Fire
Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us be thankful, and so worship God acceptably with reverence and awe, for our God is a consuming fire. Hebrews 12:28-29
This week we read about unshakable foundations in regards to our lives that are also considered houses. In this passage of scripture, we look at not only houses that are unshakable, but an entire kingdom! We will receive that kingdom if we know God with our hearts. We should worship and respect God for this. We should view God with awe!
That is because,"our God is a consuming fire." It doesn't say that God is a little warm or even that we serve a white-hot God, but that our God is a consuming fire.
To me that speaks of a fire that can destroy anything; a fire that can consume any matter that it comes into contact with. Hotter than molten rock or the surface of the sun, God is comparably that powerful. Actually even more powerful, our words are limited in our description, but His power is not!
I remember how hot the fire was that destroyed the Twin Towers on 9-11. I remember a fire so hot that it melted massive steel beams, glass, concrete, and various other materials. I remember the devastation from that consuming fire. But even that fire wasn't all consuming; it was eventually extinguished. But God's fire, His power, will never be extinguished.
And as mighty as the Twin Towers were, they were still laid to waste by heat;and so will everything that is not built on the foundation of God, an unshakable kingdom. Nothing will stop that. Our God is a consuming fire...
My challenge today is not to scare you into submission, but to really think about how powerful our God is. My hope is that this will inspire you to buid on solid rock in the neighborhood that is an unshakable kingdom. And I also want to challenge you to serve God with all that you have. Even in the small and seemingly insignificant ways. But serve a God that is a consuming fire with passion that is like-wise. Don't give a luke warm effort in service and worship to a God that has power to melt the sun. I challenge you to live as though you have the power, in God, to melt away any material that you come into contact with! Your ministries and communities will not be the same if you live your life with this philosophy. And even if your purpose seems small, it will be hot enough to burn away anything that opposes you, by the power of a consuming God who is treated with respect and awe; and one that has an unshakable kingdom.
This week we read about unshakable foundations in regards to our lives that are also considered houses. In this passage of scripture, we look at not only houses that are unshakable, but an entire kingdom! We will receive that kingdom if we know God with our hearts. We should worship and respect God for this. We should view God with awe!
That is because,"our God is a consuming fire." It doesn't say that God is a little warm or even that we serve a white-hot God, but that our God is a consuming fire.
To me that speaks of a fire that can destroy anything; a fire that can consume any matter that it comes into contact with. Hotter than molten rock or the surface of the sun, God is comparably that powerful. Actually even more powerful, our words are limited in our description, but His power is not!
I remember how hot the fire was that destroyed the Twin Towers on 9-11. I remember a fire so hot that it melted massive steel beams, glass, concrete, and various other materials. I remember the devastation from that consuming fire. But even that fire wasn't all consuming; it was eventually extinguished. But God's fire, His power, will never be extinguished.
And as mighty as the Twin Towers were, they were still laid to waste by heat;and so will everything that is not built on the foundation of God, an unshakable kingdom. Nothing will stop that. Our God is a consuming fire...
My challenge today is not to scare you into submission, but to really think about how powerful our God is. My hope is that this will inspire you to buid on solid rock in the neighborhood that is an unshakable kingdom. And I also want to challenge you to serve God with all that you have. Even in the small and seemingly insignificant ways. But serve a God that is a consuming fire with passion that is like-wise. Don't give a luke warm effort in service and worship to a God that has power to melt the sun. I challenge you to live as though you have the power, in God, to melt away any material that you come into contact with! Your ministries and communities will not be the same if you live your life with this philosophy. And even if your purpose seems small, it will be hot enough to burn away anything that opposes you, by the power of a consuming God who is treated with respect and awe; and one that has an unshakable kingdom.
Wednesday, May 12, 2010
What Have You Done For Me Lately?
What have you done for God lately?
"Well, I went to church Sunday. I even sang out loud during a couple of the praise songs. And even though it is good for me to go to church for the social aspect, not to mention the business connections, I think God is happy just that I was there. It's just a bonus that I benefit from going to church. So I guess in a round about way, I went to church for God; at least partially."
"And what about Easter? We just celebrated a holiday for Jesus. We celebrated His death and resurrection. We gave Him an entire day to commemorate His horrible death so that we can have salvation. I realize that we benefited from the celebration, but it was mostly for Jesus. It's not my fault that we got candy and presents, colored eggs, ham and mashed potatoes. I don't make the rules, I just follow them. And God doesn't want a non-conformist. It may make Him and His religion look bad. So I participated in Easter by eating; for Jesus sake. That's something for God."
"Christmas was another holiday that we celebrate God. Jesus Birthday! Again, not my fault that I received more than I gave on the twenty-fifth of December. I didn't design the holidays. Santa Claus is not my fault so I will count celebrating Christmas as something I did for God also."
"Two holidays a year and an hour most Sundays for God. Sounds like God gets quite a bit from me. And that's not counting when I say grace before meals; at least meals that involve my children. I feel that kids need to be raised to be thankful to God. Even if it isn't a fabulous meal, they should learn to be thankful. So that's something else that I do for God, teach my children to be thankful."
"So what more does God want from me?" I pray, go to church, celebrate holidays, encourage my children. Heck, I even stand up for Christianity when the conversations at work turn religious. And I sincerely do feel that Christianity is the best religion!"
"And I don't think God wants me to be a fanatic. The Bible teaches moderation, after all. If God wanted me to adhere to all of the strict, outdated rules and rituals then I would be considered a a fundamental extremist. Shoot, I may as well be a Muslim if that were the case, and I'm sure God doesn't want that. He needs all the Christians that he can get these days."
"So I think that the answer to the question of What have I done for God has been sufficiently answered. I think I do plenty, and that should be good enough to get me into Heaven. And I understand that is God's main objective."
...and God says, "Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. Many will say to me on that day, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and in your name drive out demons and perform many miracles?' Then I will tell them plainly, 'I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers. Matthew 7;21-23
"Well, I went to church Sunday. I even sang out loud during a couple of the praise songs. And even though it is good for me to go to church for the social aspect, not to mention the business connections, I think God is happy just that I was there. It's just a bonus that I benefit from going to church. So I guess in a round about way, I went to church for God; at least partially."
"And what about Easter? We just celebrated a holiday for Jesus. We celebrated His death and resurrection. We gave Him an entire day to commemorate His horrible death so that we can have salvation. I realize that we benefited from the celebration, but it was mostly for Jesus. It's not my fault that we got candy and presents, colored eggs, ham and mashed potatoes. I don't make the rules, I just follow them. And God doesn't want a non-conformist. It may make Him and His religion look bad. So I participated in Easter by eating; for Jesus sake. That's something for God."
"Christmas was another holiday that we celebrate God. Jesus Birthday! Again, not my fault that I received more than I gave on the twenty-fifth of December. I didn't design the holidays. Santa Claus is not my fault so I will count celebrating Christmas as something I did for God also."
"Two holidays a year and an hour most Sundays for God. Sounds like God gets quite a bit from me. And that's not counting when I say grace before meals; at least meals that involve my children. I feel that kids need to be raised to be thankful to God. Even if it isn't a fabulous meal, they should learn to be thankful. So that's something else that I do for God, teach my children to be thankful."
"So what more does God want from me?" I pray, go to church, celebrate holidays, encourage my children. Heck, I even stand up for Christianity when the conversations at work turn religious. And I sincerely do feel that Christianity is the best religion!"
"And I don't think God wants me to be a fanatic. The Bible teaches moderation, after all. If God wanted me to adhere to all of the strict, outdated rules and rituals then I would be considered a a fundamental extremist. Shoot, I may as well be a Muslim if that were the case, and I'm sure God doesn't want that. He needs all the Christians that he can get these days."
"So I think that the answer to the question of What have I done for God has been sufficiently answered. I think I do plenty, and that should be good enough to get me into Heaven. And I understand that is God's main objective."
...and God says, "Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. Many will say to me on that day, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and in your name drive out demons and perform many miracles?' Then I will tell them plainly, 'I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers. Matthew 7;21-23
Tuesday, May 11, 2010
The Wise Man Built His House Upon the Rock
Why do you call me,'Lord,Lord,'and do not do what I say? I will show you what he is like who comes to me and hears my words and puts them into practice. He is like a man building a house, who dug deep down and laid the foundation on rock. When a flood came, the torrent struck that house but could not shake it, because it was well built. But the one who hears my words and does not put them into practice is like a man who built his house on the ground without a foundation. The moment the torrent struck that house, it collapsed and its destruction was complete."
Luke 6:46-49
Yesterday we focused on the first part of this passage; about hearing God's word but not putting it into action. We focused on hearing and following with our hearts, not just our ears. We discussed the cost of discipleship, albeit briefly. What I want to focus on today is our relationship with Jesus.
We scratched the surface on this yesterday, and today we will look a little deeper. The scripture compares one who hears God's words with their heart, who has a relationship with Jesus, with one who hears God's words with only their ears. The comparison is that of a wise man who built his house upon the rock with the fool who built his house upon the sand; just like the song we learned as kids.
The wise man builds his house upon rock. Luke even writes that he dug down deep and placed his foundation upon rock. Then a storm came and his house withstood the torrent, because it was well built. It could not even be shaken!
Notice that the passage says WHEN the storm came, not IF the storm came. This leads me to believe that Jesus was telling those who may decide to follow Him that there will be struggles and trials and all will not always go smoothly. But we can persevere if He is our foundation, our rock to build our life upon.
But this requires digging deep down; requires work sometimes, just as the wise man dug down to the rock for his foundation. Our relationship with Jesus is not just a thing for appearance, not just a superficial thing. And if our relationship is to withstand trials and tribulations, then we need the foundation of Christ or we will be destroyed.
Just the the man who heard Jesus words and didn't put them into practice, we will be utterly destroyed. And Jesus used very straight language in this lesson. He said the man who didn't put His words into practice, the man who didn't have a relationship with Him, his house was met with COMPLETE destruction; nothing partial about it.
And so it goes with our relationship with God. We must have a real relationship in order to weather the storms in life. We must know Christ for our salvation. We may fool ourselves into thinking that we can do it some God's way and some our way, but that will lead to our destruction; and not partial destruction, but complete. Just because we do part of what God wants doesn't mean that we will be partially saved from destruction. Its an all or nothing deal; He is Lord of all or nothing at all.
So I ask that you examine your relationship with God. Then consider what your foundation is built on. Have you dug deep and found the rock that is to be your foundation or have you just built your relationship on the surface? Have you tried to take the easy way out like the man who built his house on top of the ground? After all a house is a house. No one sees the foundation anyway. And afterall, my house looks like everyone elses. Doesn't it count for something that you at least look like a Christian, just like a house on the ground looks like a house with a rock foundation? If you put in just a little effort shouldn't you get just a little something back?
God's grace is too great to dole out, and it is something that can never be earned. But this is a subject for another day; but something to consider in the price of discipleship.
Back to the subject of houses; where does all of this put you? Do you hear, accept, and practice the words of God? Do you have a solid foundation that will save you from complete destruction? Or do you still believe that Jesus teaches that you can have it some your way and some His way? Is your relationship with him superficial? Have you taken the time and effort to dig deep or is that just too high of a price for you? Is it just easier and more instantly gratifying to just have a house that looks like everyone elses in the neighborhood?
I pray that this will lead you to establish your foundation with Christ. And if you have that foundation, I pray that you will continue to put His words into action. I pray that when the storms pass that we will all be standing on solid ground, having endured through Jesus; not watching pieces of our house become carried away by the torrents of life, ending in complete destruction.
Luke 6:46-49
Yesterday we focused on the first part of this passage; about hearing God's word but not putting it into action. We focused on hearing and following with our hearts, not just our ears. We discussed the cost of discipleship, albeit briefly. What I want to focus on today is our relationship with Jesus.
We scratched the surface on this yesterday, and today we will look a little deeper. The scripture compares one who hears God's words with their heart, who has a relationship with Jesus, with one who hears God's words with only their ears. The comparison is that of a wise man who built his house upon the rock with the fool who built his house upon the sand; just like the song we learned as kids.
The wise man builds his house upon rock. Luke even writes that he dug down deep and placed his foundation upon rock. Then a storm came and his house withstood the torrent, because it was well built. It could not even be shaken!
Notice that the passage says WHEN the storm came, not IF the storm came. This leads me to believe that Jesus was telling those who may decide to follow Him that there will be struggles and trials and all will not always go smoothly. But we can persevere if He is our foundation, our rock to build our life upon.
But this requires digging deep down; requires work sometimes, just as the wise man dug down to the rock for his foundation. Our relationship with Jesus is not just a thing for appearance, not just a superficial thing. And if our relationship is to withstand trials and tribulations, then we need the foundation of Christ or we will be destroyed.
Just the the man who heard Jesus words and didn't put them into practice, we will be utterly destroyed. And Jesus used very straight language in this lesson. He said the man who didn't put His words into practice, the man who didn't have a relationship with Him, his house was met with COMPLETE destruction; nothing partial about it.
And so it goes with our relationship with God. We must have a real relationship in order to weather the storms in life. We must know Christ for our salvation. We may fool ourselves into thinking that we can do it some God's way and some our way, but that will lead to our destruction; and not partial destruction, but complete. Just because we do part of what God wants doesn't mean that we will be partially saved from destruction. Its an all or nothing deal; He is Lord of all or nothing at all.
So I ask that you examine your relationship with God. Then consider what your foundation is built on. Have you dug deep and found the rock that is to be your foundation or have you just built your relationship on the surface? Have you tried to take the easy way out like the man who built his house on top of the ground? After all a house is a house. No one sees the foundation anyway. And afterall, my house looks like everyone elses. Doesn't it count for something that you at least look like a Christian, just like a house on the ground looks like a house with a rock foundation? If you put in just a little effort shouldn't you get just a little something back?
God's grace is too great to dole out, and it is something that can never be earned. But this is a subject for another day; but something to consider in the price of discipleship.
Back to the subject of houses; where does all of this put you? Do you hear, accept, and practice the words of God? Do you have a solid foundation that will save you from complete destruction? Or do you still believe that Jesus teaches that you can have it some your way and some His way? Is your relationship with him superficial? Have you taken the time and effort to dig deep or is that just too high of a price for you? Is it just easier and more instantly gratifying to just have a house that looks like everyone elses in the neighborhood?
I pray that this will lead you to establish your foundation with Christ. And if you have that foundation, I pray that you will continue to put His words into action. I pray that when the storms pass that we will all be standing on solid ground, having endured through Jesus; not watching pieces of our house become carried away by the torrents of life, ending in complete destruction.
Monday, May 10, 2010
Lord, Lord
"Why do you call me,'Lord,Lord,'and do not do what I say? I will show you what he is like who comes to me and hears my words and puts them into practice. He is like a man building a house, who dug deep down and laid the foundation on rock. When a flood came, the torrent struck that house but could not shake it, because it was well built. But the one who hears my words and does not put them into practice is like a man who built his house on the ground without a foundation. The moment the torrent struck that house, it collapsed and its destruction was complete."
Luke 6:46-49
I don't know about you, but when I read the first part of this passage, it causes me to cringe. I think of the times I pray and the times I read my Bible and the times I try to share the good news about Jesus; then I consider all of the times that I lose my temper, say too much, use bad language, judge others, criticize those around me, neglect those with real needs, so on and so forth. It reminds me that when I do those things that I am ignoring the word of God; that I am being contrary, rebellious, and stubborn, regardless of how I rationalize things. I know the word of God yet I am quick to allow it to go by the wayside in my heart; the difference between just hearing the words or understanding the words to be the truth.
And what Jesus is saying is that we should follow Him all of the way or none of the way. He is not talking about making a mistake or sinning in as much as He is talking about being a real disciple, a real follow who has made Him Lord of our life.
And that causes me to think about how it would be if I called my wife, wife; because we have a marriage certificate. Yet I would still keep a girlfriend or two. I may or may not come home to eat my supper. She would still be my wife, technically, but we would share no hopes or ideas. We would not build a future together nor support the other in our time of need. But we would have a piece of paper that says that we are married, so she would be by spouse, if not but technically.
And while I am not talking about fidelity, but rather about relationships, I am referring to infidelity in the fact that we are not faithful to God when we hear the words of Jesus, yet ignore their meaning and application. We cannot serve two masters, God and ourselves. He cannot be Lord of our lives if we try to be our own lords in our own lives. If we call to Him as Lord, then we must make Him Lord...
all the time...
Another explanation comes to my mind; If I say that Tom is my friend, even my best friend, yet we spend little time together, we wouldn't have much of a relationship. If I didn't trust Tom and make him look like less than he is, I wouldn't be much of a friend. If Tom offers me more than just words in our friendship, yet I continue to behave in the opposite manner, how can we co0nsider ourselves as friends?
We could make more analogies, but I am certain that you understand the point being made here. Whether it is our children, our family, our spouses, our friends, or our co-workers we need to tend to our relationships in order for the relationship to be genuine and real. More importantly, we need to tend to our relationship with Jesus; not just in words, but in our hearts and in our actions.
Jesus goes on to tell of how a relationship with Him leads to actions, such as building a house. He goes on to warn about those who fool themselves into thinking that they have a relationship and have a false sense of security. We will focus on that aspect of this passage in tomorrows blog. Today, I challenge you to focus first on your relationship with God. Are you hearing His words with your ears or with your heart? I also want to challenge you to make God Lord of all or nothing at all. Consider the cost of your discipleship first, then make a decision and stand firm on it. If you call yourself a Christian and claim to have a relationship with Him, then be certain to act like it all of the time, regardless of circumstance. If you cannot afford the cost of discipleship and decide not to make Jesus Lord of all, then never let the words, "Lord, Lord" exit your mouth; unless you become ready to make Him Lord of all that you are...the world will be better with one less hypocrite and at least everyone will know where you stand. If you want to do things a little God's way and a little your own way, then I must tell you that you have already decided that God cannot be Lord of all in your life. There is no need in pretending any longer, you have heard the words with your ears but they have not penetrated your heart. Your relationship with Jesus is a fraud.
Pray on these words and take time to listen. Then put what you hear into action...and my prayer is that your action will be to accept Christ and follow Him where he leads.
Luke 6:46-49
I don't know about you, but when I read the first part of this passage, it causes me to cringe. I think of the times I pray and the times I read my Bible and the times I try to share the good news about Jesus; then I consider all of the times that I lose my temper, say too much, use bad language, judge others, criticize those around me, neglect those with real needs, so on and so forth. It reminds me that when I do those things that I am ignoring the word of God; that I am being contrary, rebellious, and stubborn, regardless of how I rationalize things. I know the word of God yet I am quick to allow it to go by the wayside in my heart; the difference between just hearing the words or understanding the words to be the truth.
And what Jesus is saying is that we should follow Him all of the way or none of the way. He is not talking about making a mistake or sinning in as much as He is talking about being a real disciple, a real follow who has made Him Lord of our life.
And that causes me to think about how it would be if I called my wife, wife; because we have a marriage certificate. Yet I would still keep a girlfriend or two. I may or may not come home to eat my supper. She would still be my wife, technically, but we would share no hopes or ideas. We would not build a future together nor support the other in our time of need. But we would have a piece of paper that says that we are married, so she would be by spouse, if not but technically.
And while I am not talking about fidelity, but rather about relationships, I am referring to infidelity in the fact that we are not faithful to God when we hear the words of Jesus, yet ignore their meaning and application. We cannot serve two masters, God and ourselves. He cannot be Lord of our lives if we try to be our own lords in our own lives. If we call to Him as Lord, then we must make Him Lord...
all the time...
Another explanation comes to my mind; If I say that Tom is my friend, even my best friend, yet we spend little time together, we wouldn't have much of a relationship. If I didn't trust Tom and make him look like less than he is, I wouldn't be much of a friend. If Tom offers me more than just words in our friendship, yet I continue to behave in the opposite manner, how can we co0nsider ourselves as friends?
We could make more analogies, but I am certain that you understand the point being made here. Whether it is our children, our family, our spouses, our friends, or our co-workers we need to tend to our relationships in order for the relationship to be genuine and real. More importantly, we need to tend to our relationship with Jesus; not just in words, but in our hearts and in our actions.
Jesus goes on to tell of how a relationship with Him leads to actions, such as building a house. He goes on to warn about those who fool themselves into thinking that they have a relationship and have a false sense of security. We will focus on that aspect of this passage in tomorrows blog. Today, I challenge you to focus first on your relationship with God. Are you hearing His words with your ears or with your heart? I also want to challenge you to make God Lord of all or nothing at all. Consider the cost of your discipleship first, then make a decision and stand firm on it. If you call yourself a Christian and claim to have a relationship with Him, then be certain to act like it all of the time, regardless of circumstance. If you cannot afford the cost of discipleship and decide not to make Jesus Lord of all, then never let the words, "Lord, Lord" exit your mouth; unless you become ready to make Him Lord of all that you are...the world will be better with one less hypocrite and at least everyone will know where you stand. If you want to do things a little God's way and a little your own way, then I must tell you that you have already decided that God cannot be Lord of all in your life. There is no need in pretending any longer, you have heard the words with your ears but they have not penetrated your heart. Your relationship with Jesus is a fraud.
Pray on these words and take time to listen. Then put what you hear into action...and my prayer is that your action will be to accept Christ and follow Him where he leads.
Friday, May 7, 2010
We Are The Salt
"You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses it's saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled by men." Matthew 5:13
As Christians, we are to be the salt of the world. We are to melt the ice, preserve the vitality of nourishing foods, and add flavor to what is drab.
We should strive to melt the ice of the cold, frozen hearts in the world. We are to display God's love and bring warmth by sharing the truth; by giving hope to what seems dead. When we do our best to develop and nurture our relationships with those around us, we are being the salt and keeping the ice at bay.
As Christians, we can help preserve what is nourishing by sharing the truth and spreading the gospel of Jesus. And just as salt cures meat, God's love can cure our human flesh; keeping it from spoiling or going bad. The love of Christ, or the salt,can prevent decay in the world around us.
And finally, as Christians we should add flavor to what is less tasty. Just as sin can be unsavory, we should counter that with faith, hope, and love. Too often we feel that our relationship with God is more of a list of "thou shalt nots" rather than being a lifestyle full of freedom and excitement. If we are to add flavor, we need to have a little "gusto", for lack of a better word. Mousy little attitudes and long, sullen faces won't bring much flavor to that which is dull and unsavory.
If we fail to fulfill our purpose and our missions through our relationships and our ministries, then we are not of much good; and as salt that loses it's essence and has no meaningful usage, so we become in our own lives. And as the unsalty substance has no purpose except to be trampled by man, our lives will have no purpose; and all we know and see will have become trampled on, cold, spoiled rotten, and unsavory.
Pray that God will reveal how you can maintain your saltiness. Ask what relationships in your life need tending to. Ask how you can personally help nourish and preserve that which is good. Pray for strength to add flavor to the world around you.
As Christians, we are to be the salt of the world. We are to melt the ice, preserve the vitality of nourishing foods, and add flavor to what is drab.
We should strive to melt the ice of the cold, frozen hearts in the world. We are to display God's love and bring warmth by sharing the truth; by giving hope to what seems dead. When we do our best to develop and nurture our relationships with those around us, we are being the salt and keeping the ice at bay.
As Christians, we can help preserve what is nourishing by sharing the truth and spreading the gospel of Jesus. And just as salt cures meat, God's love can cure our human flesh; keeping it from spoiling or going bad. The love of Christ, or the salt,can prevent decay in the world around us.
And finally, as Christians we should add flavor to what is less tasty. Just as sin can be unsavory, we should counter that with faith, hope, and love. Too often we feel that our relationship with God is more of a list of "thou shalt nots" rather than being a lifestyle full of freedom and excitement. If we are to add flavor, we need to have a little "gusto", for lack of a better word. Mousy little attitudes and long, sullen faces won't bring much flavor to that which is dull and unsavory.
If we fail to fulfill our purpose and our missions through our relationships and our ministries, then we are not of much good; and as salt that loses it's essence and has no meaningful usage, so we become in our own lives. And as the unsalty substance has no purpose except to be trampled by man, our lives will have no purpose; and all we know and see will have become trampled on, cold, spoiled rotten, and unsavory.
Pray that God will reveal how you can maintain your saltiness. Ask what relationships in your life need tending to. Ask how you can personally help nourish and preserve that which is good. Pray for strength to add flavor to the world around you.
Thursday, May 6, 2010
The Desert
I have to admit, I didn't feel like I had much to write today. I am so busy with work and the kids, all their activities and all of my duties, that I feel like I haven't had time to hear what God wants to tell me. I have tried to listen, even think about, what I should write for today's blog but I continue to come up empty, due to distractions.
Then it hit me; sometimes God leads us to the desert so that we are removed from distractions and so that we can focus on Him. Sometimes we feel like we are led to the desert and abandoned, only to dry up; like our lives sometimes, even our blogs to a lesser degree. But if we look at scripture and think about our desert situation, we could find that we are led to a place that we can focus on God and what He is trying to tell us.
So my challenge today is for us to not be frustrated when we hear nothing, but to take time to hear deeper, so to speak. Think about what we are filling our lives wiuth and where we place our relationship with God. Take time from our busy schedules and duties and really listen to God and place Him first in our lives; then, just maybe, God won't have to lead us into the desert in order for us to hear what His mission, ministry, and purpose in our lives can be.
Then it hit me; sometimes God leads us to the desert so that we are removed from distractions and so that we can focus on Him. Sometimes we feel like we are led to the desert and abandoned, only to dry up; like our lives sometimes, even our blogs to a lesser degree. But if we look at scripture and think about our desert situation, we could find that we are led to a place that we can focus on God and what He is trying to tell us.
So my challenge today is for us to not be frustrated when we hear nothing, but to take time to hear deeper, so to speak. Think about what we are filling our lives wiuth and where we place our relationship with God. Take time from our busy schedules and duties and really listen to God and place Him first in our lives; then, just maybe, God won't have to lead us into the desert in order for us to hear what His mission, ministry, and purpose in our lives can be.
Wednesday, May 5, 2010
Doubting Thomas Gives His Life
Has anyone,besides me,ever thought that maybe "Doubting Thomas" received a bad rap? When his name is mentioned to kids in Sunday School, it is usually used with a negative connotation. we somehow feel that Thomas didn't have any faith. Thomas is treated as being wishy-washy. He is called a skeptic; and not the good kind, at that. Even today, two thousand years later, we call people who don't believe what we believe,a "Doubting Thomas". The stigma remains.
But let's examine what Thomas really did when he asked for proof that Jesus was who He said He was. Did Thomas show a lack of faith or a sense of curiosity? Was Thomas being disrespectful by not eating what may have been spoon-fed to him by the other disciples or was he just wanting to use his own intellect to decide if Jesus had came back? Was Thomas turning His back on Jesus because he wasn't the first one to see Him and renew his relationship with Christ, or was he just not willing to have a relationship with Jesus by proxy; did Thomas want the experience the REAL Jesus personally?
And what was, or is, wrong with having questions about Jesus? I am not talking about not believing that Jesus is not who He said He was, nor not believing in who He is today. But questions about trying to understand Jesus and His role in our lives. What is wrong with some healthy curiosity? And if Jesus is who He says He is, which I whole-heartily believe, then I think that He can hold His own when some honest questions come His way.
After all, Jesus had told the disciples to consider the cost before becoming disciples. He never promised worldly riches or popularity; actually offering the opposite, generally speaking. Maybe Thomas was the only one who took Jesus words to heart; maybe he was the only one paying attention to the lesson Jesus taught about considering the cost. And God had been known to tell some of His followers to try Him and test Him. Maybe Thomas was the only one who remember the Old Testament scriptures...
So where does all of this testing put us? Where does it put you? As for me, I found that when I examine what has been spoon-fed to me, and tried to discover God and His ways, so to speak, on my own that I have found that Igrow more closer to Him; that my healthy skepticism and curiosity, and my desire for the TRUTH, leads me to always find that not only Jesus who He says He is, but that He is more. From my examining many different aspects of Christianity, I find it to be the only truth, the only thing real and worthwhile, like Solomon discovers in the book of Ecclesiastes.
I have found that my relationship with God grows stronger when I face my doubts and uncertainties and that God can easily handle any real questions that I have. I have also found that many good skeptics have made some great apologists and Christian writers, thinkers, and philosophers.
So my challenge is for you to find out more about Jesus today than you knew yesterday. My hope is that you will respectfully take your doubts to Jesus. And as He revealed His scars to Thomas, he will reveal His wounds to you, so to speak.
Those wounds were enough proof for Thomas that he ended up giving his literal life for Jesus. "Doubting" Thomas remained faithful in a ministry that cost him his life; and he never looked back after placing his hands in the nail scarred hands of Jesus.
May we be as diligent in our own ministries and search for the truth. May we be forever changed by those same scars.
But let's examine what Thomas really did when he asked for proof that Jesus was who He said He was. Did Thomas show a lack of faith or a sense of curiosity? Was Thomas being disrespectful by not eating what may have been spoon-fed to him by the other disciples or was he just wanting to use his own intellect to decide if Jesus had came back? Was Thomas turning His back on Jesus because he wasn't the first one to see Him and renew his relationship with Christ, or was he just not willing to have a relationship with Jesus by proxy; did Thomas want the experience the REAL Jesus personally?
And what was, or is, wrong with having questions about Jesus? I am not talking about not believing that Jesus is not who He said He was, nor not believing in who He is today. But questions about trying to understand Jesus and His role in our lives. What is wrong with some healthy curiosity? And if Jesus is who He says He is, which I whole-heartily believe, then I think that He can hold His own when some honest questions come His way.
After all, Jesus had told the disciples to consider the cost before becoming disciples. He never promised worldly riches or popularity; actually offering the opposite, generally speaking. Maybe Thomas was the only one who took Jesus words to heart; maybe he was the only one paying attention to the lesson Jesus taught about considering the cost. And God had been known to tell some of His followers to try Him and test Him. Maybe Thomas was the only one who remember the Old Testament scriptures...
So where does all of this testing put us? Where does it put you? As for me, I found that when I examine what has been spoon-fed to me, and tried to discover God and His ways, so to speak, on my own that I have found that Igrow more closer to Him; that my healthy skepticism and curiosity, and my desire for the TRUTH, leads me to always find that not only Jesus who He says He is, but that He is more. From my examining many different aspects of Christianity, I find it to be the only truth, the only thing real and worthwhile, like Solomon discovers in the book of Ecclesiastes.
I have found that my relationship with God grows stronger when I face my doubts and uncertainties and that God can easily handle any real questions that I have. I have also found that many good skeptics have made some great apologists and Christian writers, thinkers, and philosophers.
So my challenge is for you to find out more about Jesus today than you knew yesterday. My hope is that you will respectfully take your doubts to Jesus. And as He revealed His scars to Thomas, he will reveal His wounds to you, so to speak.
Those wounds were enough proof for Thomas that he ended up giving his literal life for Jesus. "Doubting" Thomas remained faithful in a ministry that cost him his life; and he never looked back after placing his hands in the nail scarred hands of Jesus.
May we be as diligent in our own ministries and search for the truth. May we be forever changed by those same scars.
Tuesday, May 4, 2010
The Hitcher
As I was driving home from work yesterday, I saw a man thumbing a ride into town and I stopped to give him a lift. I have to admit that I was hoping that he would have to get in the back of my truck so I didn't have to really mess with him, but he hopped right into the cab with me.
And he didn't smell too good. He didn't look good. I was tired from work and didn't feel much like talking, so I explained that I wasn't going far but that I could save him a few miles of walking and maybe help home beat the rain.
I am not writing this so anyone can say how nice of me or to get any kind of medal for being a super humanitarian. Believe me, I didn't really want to be bothered by a smelly stranger who most likely had issues or else he would have a job and a ride and a bath, so on and so forth. And while this is not the first hitch-hiker that I have picked up, I do not usually make as frequent occurrence of such as when I was younger.
But every now and again I think of the verse in the Bible that says that you never know when you are entertaining angels. And if he was an angel, about 30 cars ahead of me passed this angel right by; not exactly great hosts sometimes, are we?
And this not being my first experience with hitch-hikers, like usual they open their mouth and say something not very angelic and I realize that I am not entertaining a spirit, but just giving another bum of a human a ride.
But that is ok by me also, because I figure that an even greater reason to help someone who is temporarily less fortunate than myself is a good lesson in grace. And by the thinnest strand, I hang on to my own life at times; by nothing except the overwhelming grace of God was that not me thumbing a ride. By the very grace of God I was in a more fortunate place than my passenger yesterday. Of course I could pat myself on the back and tell myself that I work hard and that I have made better decisions than my unfortunate tag-a-long, and maybe even be accurate in doing such; but ultimately that is not only arrogant and unkind, but it is the thought of an absolute fool.
And more than the rationalization and realization of God's grace in my life, I felt the Holy Spirit compelling me to stop and offer a ride to my fellow traveler in this world. That is why, although it was a little less than enthusiastic, I stopped and offered a ride.
Now I'm not saying that we should all pick up every hitch-hiker that we come across. And I would go as far to say that I would kill my wife dead if she ever picked up a stranger! I do not believe that the Holy Spirit asks us all to do the same things, or that He asks the same people to do the same things all times. I'm merely submitting that we should be sensitive to the Spirit of God. I felt Him say to give this guy a ride and I did. I'm not good at it and I usually do it kicking and screaming, but I was very compelled to be obedient yesterday and on this occasion.
Getting back to the story, My hitch-hiker was not as interesting as most passengers that I have picked up before. There was no scheme of getting to Illinois to form his own country, due to a loophole in Illinois law. And yes, one hitcher actually told me that; he was my personal favorite. My brief passenger yesterday had no luster or charisma as some of the others I have offered rides to. He didn't smell like carnival hotdogs or talk about the glory days or spin yarns about how much money he was about to make when he got to his final destination or patent his idea for a revolutionary new light bulb. He was a a regular smelly guy with a slight speech problem and a mild personality disorder. And I have to sadly admit, that I was mildly disappointed. I at least hoped for some excitement and entertainment for my act of obedience.
But like most hitchers, he hadn't eaten in two days and only had $2 left to get four states away. And like most hitchers, he didn't want my granola bar or my box of raisins left over from my lunch. They didn't agree with him, even though he hadn't eaten in days. But I'm sure he would have taken a $10 to buy something to eat if I would have offered, but I knew better.
But unlike any other hitcher that I have met, he did say something that really stayed with me. His words were even more profound than the former rock stars, C.E.O.s, or the guy who was forming the new nation of Illinois. In his broken speech and nervousness, he opened my eyes to how the world sees God; albeit by no fault of His own.
You see, I knew that we would pass a few churches on our route, and I am embarrassed to admit it, but I was ready for him to get out of my truck. I was hoping to pawn him off on someone paid to do this kind of work and get busy patting myself on the back for how nice of a guy that I was. But my passenger gave me a shock when I asked him if I could drop him off at a church for some help. He told me, in a very nice manner, "No thank you." He said that the churches are good about helping the people that they know, but that they didn't seem care to much too much about helping out strangers. He then offered me his "last two dollars" if I would just get him as far as WalMart; and that his hope was to find some rest and help there.
That blew my mind! And I could get into a rant about churches and politics and so on, but that is not necessary here. But I what I do want to reiterate is what this man, who was very down and out, said to me. What his words said, even unknown to himself, was that he has no hope in the church, but his hope is in the people of WalMart. He told me that he saw more of God in the aisles of Wal Mart than behind all of the stained glass windows in town. His words unknowingly said that people are good and helpful, just as long as they are not at church.
I was really taken back. I showed no surprise, I just headed toward Wal Mart. But I have thought about that hitch-hiker's words most of the day. And I have wondered about how many people in my community feel the same way about church as he does.
And even now as I reflect back on yesterday while I write, I remember the shame and the sorrow I felt as I hurried home to spray Febreze in my truck. I still think of how humbled I was as I hoped to get any remnants of my passenger out of my truck. I think about how God can use many means and many people, even without them knowing it, to teach important lessons. Lessons on arrogance and ignorance. Lessons about patting myself on my back for being such a great guy. Lessons about being Christ-like and simply meeting needs regardless of situation or person. Lessons about humility. But mostly, lessons about grace; grace that comes from Him. Even if He delivers it in a plain, smelly, speech impeded hitch-hiker whom He died for, just the same as He died for a disgruntled and inconvenienced man driving home from work, patting himself on the back for being a great human being.
I want to end by saying that I am not saying that we should be more more aware of hitch-hikers or angels. But I do feel we should all be more sensitive to God's Spirit. We never know when he is going to teach a very important lesson. And we never know who He will decide to deliver such message. I was taught and reminded of so many things, on so many levels, by two minutes of conversation during a ten minute ride to Wal Mart... by a man I arrogantly pre-determined myself to be so much better than. And all the soap in the world can't change that. I bet my hitch-hiker has long forgot about me and my great act of humanity, but I doubt that I will forget, for a long time, the lesson God sent to me through a smelly, anxious, tongue-tied, and simple hitch-hiker.
This story is borrowed from, "The Self-Inflicted Blog".
And he didn't smell too good. He didn't look good. I was tired from work and didn't feel much like talking, so I explained that I wasn't going far but that I could save him a few miles of walking and maybe help home beat the rain.
I am not writing this so anyone can say how nice of me or to get any kind of medal for being a super humanitarian. Believe me, I didn't really want to be bothered by a smelly stranger who most likely had issues or else he would have a job and a ride and a bath, so on and so forth. And while this is not the first hitch-hiker that I have picked up, I do not usually make as frequent occurrence of such as when I was younger.
But every now and again I think of the verse in the Bible that says that you never know when you are entertaining angels. And if he was an angel, about 30 cars ahead of me passed this angel right by; not exactly great hosts sometimes, are we?
And this not being my first experience with hitch-hikers, like usual they open their mouth and say something not very angelic and I realize that I am not entertaining a spirit, but just giving another bum of a human a ride.
But that is ok by me also, because I figure that an even greater reason to help someone who is temporarily less fortunate than myself is a good lesson in grace. And by the thinnest strand, I hang on to my own life at times; by nothing except the overwhelming grace of God was that not me thumbing a ride. By the very grace of God I was in a more fortunate place than my passenger yesterday. Of course I could pat myself on the back and tell myself that I work hard and that I have made better decisions than my unfortunate tag-a-long, and maybe even be accurate in doing such; but ultimately that is not only arrogant and unkind, but it is the thought of an absolute fool.
And more than the rationalization and realization of God's grace in my life, I felt the Holy Spirit compelling me to stop and offer a ride to my fellow traveler in this world. That is why, although it was a little less than enthusiastic, I stopped and offered a ride.
Now I'm not saying that we should all pick up every hitch-hiker that we come across. And I would go as far to say that I would kill my wife dead if she ever picked up a stranger! I do not believe that the Holy Spirit asks us all to do the same things, or that He asks the same people to do the same things all times. I'm merely submitting that we should be sensitive to the Spirit of God. I felt Him say to give this guy a ride and I did. I'm not good at it and I usually do it kicking and screaming, but I was very compelled to be obedient yesterday and on this occasion.
Getting back to the story, My hitch-hiker was not as interesting as most passengers that I have picked up before. There was no scheme of getting to Illinois to form his own country, due to a loophole in Illinois law. And yes, one hitcher actually told me that; he was my personal favorite. My brief passenger yesterday had no luster or charisma as some of the others I have offered rides to. He didn't smell like carnival hotdogs or talk about the glory days or spin yarns about how much money he was about to make when he got to his final destination or patent his idea for a revolutionary new light bulb. He was a a regular smelly guy with a slight speech problem and a mild personality disorder. And I have to sadly admit, that I was mildly disappointed. I at least hoped for some excitement and entertainment for my act of obedience.
But like most hitchers, he hadn't eaten in two days and only had $2 left to get four states away. And like most hitchers, he didn't want my granola bar or my box of raisins left over from my lunch. They didn't agree with him, even though he hadn't eaten in days. But I'm sure he would have taken a $10 to buy something to eat if I would have offered, but I knew better.
But unlike any other hitcher that I have met, he did say something that really stayed with me. His words were even more profound than the former rock stars, C.E.O.s, or the guy who was forming the new nation of Illinois. In his broken speech and nervousness, he opened my eyes to how the world sees God; albeit by no fault of His own.
You see, I knew that we would pass a few churches on our route, and I am embarrassed to admit it, but I was ready for him to get out of my truck. I was hoping to pawn him off on someone paid to do this kind of work and get busy patting myself on the back for how nice of a guy that I was. But my passenger gave me a shock when I asked him if I could drop him off at a church for some help. He told me, in a very nice manner, "No thank you." He said that the churches are good about helping the people that they know, but that they didn't seem care to much too much about helping out strangers. He then offered me his "last two dollars" if I would just get him as far as WalMart; and that his hope was to find some rest and help there.
That blew my mind! And I could get into a rant about churches and politics and so on, but that is not necessary here. But I what I do want to reiterate is what this man, who was very down and out, said to me. What his words said, even unknown to himself, was that he has no hope in the church, but his hope is in the people of WalMart. He told me that he saw more of God in the aisles of Wal Mart than behind all of the stained glass windows in town. His words unknowingly said that people are good and helpful, just as long as they are not at church.
I was really taken back. I showed no surprise, I just headed toward Wal Mart. But I have thought about that hitch-hiker's words most of the day. And I have wondered about how many people in my community feel the same way about church as he does.
And even now as I reflect back on yesterday while I write, I remember the shame and the sorrow I felt as I hurried home to spray Febreze in my truck. I still think of how humbled I was as I hoped to get any remnants of my passenger out of my truck. I think about how God can use many means and many people, even without them knowing it, to teach important lessons. Lessons on arrogance and ignorance. Lessons about patting myself on my back for being such a great guy. Lessons about being Christ-like and simply meeting needs regardless of situation or person. Lessons about humility. But mostly, lessons about grace; grace that comes from Him. Even if He delivers it in a plain, smelly, speech impeded hitch-hiker whom He died for, just the same as He died for a disgruntled and inconvenienced man driving home from work, patting himself on the back for being a great human being.
I want to end by saying that I am not saying that we should be more more aware of hitch-hikers or angels. But I do feel we should all be more sensitive to God's Spirit. We never know when he is going to teach a very important lesson. And we never know who He will decide to deliver such message. I was taught and reminded of so many things, on so many levels, by two minutes of conversation during a ten minute ride to Wal Mart... by a man I arrogantly pre-determined myself to be so much better than. And all the soap in the world can't change that. I bet my hitch-hiker has long forgot about me and my great act of humanity, but I doubt that I will forget, for a long time, the lesson God sent to me through a smelly, anxious, tongue-tied, and simple hitch-hiker.
This story is borrowed from, "The Self-Inflicted Blog".
Monday, May 3, 2010
No Excuse
It is said that silence can speak volumes, and I suppose that those are very true words given the correct circumstance. And in my mind, I can see that what the Bible DOESN'T say can speak volumes as well. Now don't get me wrong, I'm not one of those people who think that if Jesus didn't directly address an issue then such issue must be permissible. For instance, Jesus didn't directly address homosexuality, but I do not believe that it is a permissible lifestyle, as some churches have now adopted. The Bible is plain on this issue, as it can be found in several scriptures. And I also believe murder to be wrong, even though Jesus doesn't directly address murder. But I do believe that God loves all of us despite what sin is in our lives, whether we call it sin or a lifestyle, or if it's just a bad decision.
But lifestyle is not the direction of this blog, but rather the volume of what the Bible DOESN'T say; and how that affects our lifestyles. We should do our best to follow God's word and the Bible has given us wisdom, good news, and hope as it provides guidance on how we should live our lives. We can search through the Bible and find answers to our problems and how to behave in the face of our problems.
But what we will not find are excuses. We will not find a verse that tells us that God's words are conditional, even though our circumstances are. On the contrary, I can recall some scripture that says all men are without excuse. The only "exceptions" seem to be a verse in Proverbs, I think, that says to leave a man who is in despair to his drink, and that divorce is unacceptable, except in the case of infidelity; a lesson that we probably need a refresher course on in our society. Other than that, I can think of no excuses, exceptions, or any amendments to God's guidelines for our lives. Granted, we dilute God's word and His plans by adding our own amendments, as if the Bible is a constitution or some kind of parliamentary procedure; but no such provisions exist other than in our own corrupt minds and our own rebellious hearts.
And maybe you think it is harsh to use words such as "corrupt" or "rebellious", but they are accurate words and the sooner we learn this, the better we will be.
No excuses.
Slaves are not told to revolt against their master because their rights are being violated. They are actually told to obey their masters; regardless of their circumstance. A person is not told to take a person to the cleaners in a court of law if they are harmed, hurt, or mistreated. On the flip side, they are said to give more to the one who opposes them than what is asked for. Enemies are not taught to be treated using Machiavellian code of ethics, but are taugth to be be prayed for and to be kind to. Someone wants you to walk a mile, go two. Render unto Cesar what is Cesar's, even if you are cheated, mistreated, or unrepresented in congress. Love your enemies.
But I try to get back to the point again; and more importantly are not the words that are written, but the words that aren't.
Consider the situation of a bad co-worker, someone who lies and hurts you. Are you entitled to payback an eye for an eye by, in turn, becoming harsh and dishonest towards the one who initially hurt you? Someone back stabs you at church and harms the ministry, are you entitled to sling mud in order to clear your name? SHouldn't you be entitled to do such?
"Treat your neighbor as yourself"; as long as they behave in a manner that agrees with you. The amendment after the semicolon is human, a worldly inspired reaction, the first part is Godly. "Do good to those who wish to harm you"; unless you just can't take it anymore." Pray for others;unless you think they never will change.Then don't waste your time." "Do the best you can, considering..."
Even go further than the "action/reaction" scenarios we encounter in life. Think about situations that are not in our control; situations that we could never control. Consider "No Win" situations and situations where hope is seemingly impossible to find. Think about diseases and disorders. Surely there are some exceptions as to how we should behave that would be acceptable to God if we consider cancer or depression. "After all, I have a condition so God must understand why I am mean-spirited or surly. God surely would alter His word for me since I am so hindered in my thoughts and my body." "Surely the mental anguish that I encounter must give me an excuse to not behave as those more fortunate than myself conduct their lives; afterall they are able and I am not." Our society may tell us that this philosophy is acceptable, but God's word does no such thing.
On the contrary, I see where people with depression and affliction are not only NOT excused, but asked to do more than a "regular" person. My Bible tells about depressed and hindered people leading an exodus into a desert, men thrown into lion's den, imprisoned in Rome, crying for the nation of Israel, and so on and so forth. I can find nowhere that a man is excused from living by the guidelines that God has layed down for us; regardless of situation, circumstance, or facilities.
So I submit that the words that are NOT written in the Bible, are just as important as the words that ARE written, and that all men are without excuse not only deals with salvation and life after death, but the manner by which we live our lives now.
Try to rise above the common, "This is how God made me and it is all I can do" mentality. Try to rise above the arrogant mindset that we can bend God's rules and still not be rebellious; in certain circumstances that WE deem acceptable. It is time to stop using our flaws and our situations as excuses to live our lives as WE see fit; then trying to fold God into OUR emotional mixture of half-truth and deceit. It is time to stop rationalizing away our sins and time to begin moving forward. A more clear-minded person could probably patch these thoughts together better than I can today, But I hope you can understand what I am trying to say. I hope that you understand that we are without excuse and God DOES know what is best, that we do all things through God and He can accomplish great things through us; despite physical or mental circumstances. I hope that all of these thoughts combine to help you, and myself also, to find our purpose so that we can change not only our communities, but our world.
And this will only be done when we understand what is NOT written in the Bible and when we begin to live our lives as though we have no excuse.
But lifestyle is not the direction of this blog, but rather the volume of what the Bible DOESN'T say; and how that affects our lifestyles. We should do our best to follow God's word and the Bible has given us wisdom, good news, and hope as it provides guidance on how we should live our lives. We can search through the Bible and find answers to our problems and how to behave in the face of our problems.
But what we will not find are excuses. We will not find a verse that tells us that God's words are conditional, even though our circumstances are. On the contrary, I can recall some scripture that says all men are without excuse. The only "exceptions" seem to be a verse in Proverbs, I think, that says to leave a man who is in despair to his drink, and that divorce is unacceptable, except in the case of infidelity; a lesson that we probably need a refresher course on in our society. Other than that, I can think of no excuses, exceptions, or any amendments to God's guidelines for our lives. Granted, we dilute God's word and His plans by adding our own amendments, as if the Bible is a constitution or some kind of parliamentary procedure; but no such provisions exist other than in our own corrupt minds and our own rebellious hearts.
And maybe you think it is harsh to use words such as "corrupt" or "rebellious", but they are accurate words and the sooner we learn this, the better we will be.
No excuses.
Slaves are not told to revolt against their master because their rights are being violated. They are actually told to obey their masters; regardless of their circumstance. A person is not told to take a person to the cleaners in a court of law if they are harmed, hurt, or mistreated. On the flip side, they are said to give more to the one who opposes them than what is asked for. Enemies are not taught to be treated using Machiavellian code of ethics, but are taugth to be be prayed for and to be kind to. Someone wants you to walk a mile, go two. Render unto Cesar what is Cesar's, even if you are cheated, mistreated, or unrepresented in congress. Love your enemies.
But I try to get back to the point again; and more importantly are not the words that are written, but the words that aren't.
Consider the situation of a bad co-worker, someone who lies and hurts you. Are you entitled to payback an eye for an eye by, in turn, becoming harsh and dishonest towards the one who initially hurt you? Someone back stabs you at church and harms the ministry, are you entitled to sling mud in order to clear your name? SHouldn't you be entitled to do such?
"Treat your neighbor as yourself"; as long as they behave in a manner that agrees with you. The amendment after the semicolon is human, a worldly inspired reaction, the first part is Godly. "Do good to those who wish to harm you"; unless you just can't take it anymore." Pray for others;unless you think they never will change.Then don't waste your time." "Do the best you can, considering..."
Even go further than the "action/reaction" scenarios we encounter in life. Think about situations that are not in our control; situations that we could never control. Consider "No Win" situations and situations where hope is seemingly impossible to find. Think about diseases and disorders. Surely there are some exceptions as to how we should behave that would be acceptable to God if we consider cancer or depression. "After all, I have a condition so God must understand why I am mean-spirited or surly. God surely would alter His word for me since I am so hindered in my thoughts and my body." "Surely the mental anguish that I encounter must give me an excuse to not behave as those more fortunate than myself conduct their lives; afterall they are able and I am not." Our society may tell us that this philosophy is acceptable, but God's word does no such thing.
On the contrary, I see where people with depression and affliction are not only NOT excused, but asked to do more than a "regular" person. My Bible tells about depressed and hindered people leading an exodus into a desert, men thrown into lion's den, imprisoned in Rome, crying for the nation of Israel, and so on and so forth. I can find nowhere that a man is excused from living by the guidelines that God has layed down for us; regardless of situation, circumstance, or facilities.
So I submit that the words that are NOT written in the Bible, are just as important as the words that ARE written, and that all men are without excuse not only deals with salvation and life after death, but the manner by which we live our lives now.
Try to rise above the common, "This is how God made me and it is all I can do" mentality. Try to rise above the arrogant mindset that we can bend God's rules and still not be rebellious; in certain circumstances that WE deem acceptable. It is time to stop using our flaws and our situations as excuses to live our lives as WE see fit; then trying to fold God into OUR emotional mixture of half-truth and deceit. It is time to stop rationalizing away our sins and time to begin moving forward. A more clear-minded person could probably patch these thoughts together better than I can today, But I hope you can understand what I am trying to say. I hope that you understand that we are without excuse and God DOES know what is best, that we do all things through God and He can accomplish great things through us; despite physical or mental circumstances. I hope that all of these thoughts combine to help you, and myself also, to find our purpose so that we can change not only our communities, but our world.
And this will only be done when we understand what is NOT written in the Bible and when we begin to live our lives as though we have no excuse.
Friday, April 30, 2010
Without Ceasing
"Pray without ceasing" 1 Thessalonians 5:17
Another easy verse to memorize, as well as another easy verse to understand. Pray continually, as the NIV version of the Bible reads. And there is no more direct way to state two or three words.
Look past the two or three words though. Think about what it means to pray without ceasing. Paul doesn't mention anything about praying on Sundays or before meals, at least not in this passage. The Holy Spirit did not inspire Paul to place anything circumstantial to this verse.
Pray without ceasing. That tells me that I should always be aware of God's presence and that I should always keep an open channel to His Spirit. Always. No coffee breaks or earned time off.
But it also tells me that God will always hear me. This verse tells me that God is always there; otherwise He would have guided Paul to write about praying around God's busy schedule. "Pray between the hours of eight and five, Monday through Friday." But He didn't impress that upon Paul.
Because God always hears us, is always there, and never takes a day off to play golf. God is more faithful than we are and I don't know about you, but I sure am glad to know that. Sometimes I need Him at some inconvenient times.
So as I take a break from the blog until Monday, and we take breaks from work or our busy weeks, let's try to do our best to not take time off away from God. Let's not take spiritual breaks just because we are on "our time" over the weekend. Let's remember to pray without ceasing; to be in the constant awareness of God's presence all week long, twenty four hours a day.
Another easy verse to memorize, as well as another easy verse to understand. Pray continually, as the NIV version of the Bible reads. And there is no more direct way to state two or three words.
Look past the two or three words though. Think about what it means to pray without ceasing. Paul doesn't mention anything about praying on Sundays or before meals, at least not in this passage. The Holy Spirit did not inspire Paul to place anything circumstantial to this verse.
Pray without ceasing. That tells me that I should always be aware of God's presence and that I should always keep an open channel to His Spirit. Always. No coffee breaks or earned time off.
But it also tells me that God will always hear me. This verse tells me that God is always there; otherwise He would have guided Paul to write about praying around God's busy schedule. "Pray between the hours of eight and five, Monday through Friday." But He didn't impress that upon Paul.
Because God always hears us, is always there, and never takes a day off to play golf. God is more faithful than we are and I don't know about you, but I sure am glad to know that. Sometimes I need Him at some inconvenient times.
So as I take a break from the blog until Monday, and we take breaks from work or our busy weeks, let's try to do our best to not take time off away from God. Let's not take spiritual breaks just because we are on "our time" over the weekend. Let's remember to pray without ceasing; to be in the constant awareness of God's presence all week long, twenty four hours a day.
Thursday, April 29, 2010
Forest Fires, Sinking Vessels, and Hope
After considering yesterday's blog about a fool and his folly, I feel compelled to write about the vomit in my life that I continually return to. Not that this is my only struggle, but it is the area of my life that needs the most work; at least that is how the Spirit convicts me the most these days. But despite the continual conviction, I continue to continue on this hurtful pathway of not watching what I say. Actually it is more along the lines of talking when I know that I should just remain quiet; I watch what I say most of the time, I just ignore the Spirit when he tells me to just be quiet because my silence would do much more for the Kingdom of God, rather than my words doing much to aid the work of Satan.
And I realize that it sounds dramatic and maybe exaggerated when I say,"aid in the work of Satan", but when I really think about it, that is sadly what I am doing.
James writes much about the tongue. He writes about it being difficult to tame. He writes about big ships being steered by a small rudder just as a small amount of flesh in our mouths guiding our larger bodies. And fewer words seem more true. We may not often think of it in these terms, but the things we say are reflections of our heart.
We can rationalize it, as I do too often. We can consider ourselves to be so complex that mere words are only small mirrors of our psyche and our being, and attempt to lessen the degree of damage caused by our tongue. But these courses of action eventually end in aiding the work of Satan, rather than edifying the body of Christ.
There is no other way to consider it.
Even if we do consider what we say to be trivial and "for the most part" harmless, James has an answer. He writes that a great forest fire is started by a small spark, just as a small word can cause great damage. "The tongue also is a fire, a world of evil among the parts of the body. It corrupts the whole person, sets the whole course of his life on fire, and is itself set on fire by hell", James writes in chapter 3, verse 6. Pretty strong words for a little white lie or just some harmless gossip.
James continue to write in chapter three, verses thirteen through eighteen, Who is wise and understanding among you? Let him show it by his good life, by deeds done in the humility that comes from wisdom. But if you harbor bitter envy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not boast about it or deny the truth. Such "wisdom" does not come down from heaven but is earthly, unspiritual, of the devil. For where you have envy and selfish ambition, there you find disorder and every evil practice. But the wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure; then peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere. Peacemakers who sow in peace raise a harvest of righteousness.
Do you find any of these words to be interesting when considering the tongue? Words such as wisdom, envy, selfish ambition, heart, boast, deny, earthly, spiritual, disorder, evil practice, and the like. Do we consider all of this when we flap our gums about a lazy coworker? Or is it ok to say what we feel just as long as we don't use profanity? Is just a little gossip ok as long as it is not a lie? After all, we are repeating the facts. When we agree with others as they vent about frustrations with their spouses, coworkers, siblings, etc. are we sincerely trying to do God's work and aid a brother, or just rationalizing away our own sin? We are suppose to help those in need and if their need is to vent, shouldn't we facilitate and help them air it all out?
...most of the time I am guilty of these things. And I am not proud to admit it. But in a response to honest and direct words written by James, I feel compelled to do such. He leaves little wiggle room as he writes these Spirit inspired words about the tongue and it's evil. He says what he means and means what he says. He doesn't mention technicalities or gray areas. He doesn't even mention profanity, which is the sole guideline for how many Christians gage the wholesomeness of their speech.
But what he does mention hits me hard; because even though I may not technically use profane language ot intend to spread idle gossip, I still aid in that that is earthly, unspiritual, and of the devil. Regardless of how I rationalize it.
I am guilty of selfish ambition and empty boastfulness. Pride too often dictates my words. I cannot pass up an opportunity to be funny or make myself part of the crowd. I want people to realize the extent of my intellect and I overcompensate for my shortcomings with long words and fluffy thoughts. I joke about being grumpy to soften the reality of the bitterness and selfishness that lives in my heart. I do all of this in the name of humanity and self-preservation. With every small, empty word I set the great forest on fire with a small spark.
Like a dog to his vomit...I just can't seem to stop.
But I do find solace in this passage as well. This is not a passage to condemn or leave without hope. In the last couple of verses James writes, "But the wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure; then peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere. Peacemakers who sow in peace raise a harvest of righteousness."
That tells me that I have a choice in the matter, that the wisdom of heaven is attainable; and that it is pure and peace-loving. The verses talk of good fruit and mercy and sincerity. Good stuff! Not just fires and envy and hurt.
To begin to wrap this up, I want to point out that James does here what most Jewish teachers did, give a point and counterpoint. He makes his words real by showing the contrast in good and evil, black and white.The style he uses here places us in a position to choose how we use our tongue and how we guide the vessel that is our body. Again I write, James leaves no wiggle room, and after reading these verses it is time to decide our own pathway.
I would like to think that this is the part where I write that these words have changed my life and that these words inspire me to never return to my folly. But I know that most likely I will be found guilty of running my mouth again. But I can honestly say that I am getting better and that God is working in my life in this area. I can say that I realize that I may err again, but that I have real hope in heavenly wisdom. I can also honestly say that my heart's desire is to have purpose and to seek truth and peace.
I ask that we all pray for each other in this area. I pray that as Christians, we can stop the fires and right the vessels. I pray that together, we can all make a difference in our communities; just as we can spark a great fire with an evil word, we can spark peace and lovingkindness with a syllable of heavenly wisdom.
And I realize that it sounds dramatic and maybe exaggerated when I say,"aid in the work of Satan", but when I really think about it, that is sadly what I am doing.
James writes much about the tongue. He writes about it being difficult to tame. He writes about big ships being steered by a small rudder just as a small amount of flesh in our mouths guiding our larger bodies. And fewer words seem more true. We may not often think of it in these terms, but the things we say are reflections of our heart.
We can rationalize it, as I do too often. We can consider ourselves to be so complex that mere words are only small mirrors of our psyche and our being, and attempt to lessen the degree of damage caused by our tongue. But these courses of action eventually end in aiding the work of Satan, rather than edifying the body of Christ.
There is no other way to consider it.
Even if we do consider what we say to be trivial and "for the most part" harmless, James has an answer. He writes that a great forest fire is started by a small spark, just as a small word can cause great damage. "The tongue also is a fire, a world of evil among the parts of the body. It corrupts the whole person, sets the whole course of his life on fire, and is itself set on fire by hell", James writes in chapter 3, verse 6. Pretty strong words for a little white lie or just some harmless gossip.
James continue to write in chapter three, verses thirteen through eighteen, Who is wise and understanding among you? Let him show it by his good life, by deeds done in the humility that comes from wisdom. But if you harbor bitter envy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not boast about it or deny the truth. Such "wisdom" does not come down from heaven but is earthly, unspiritual, of the devil. For where you have envy and selfish ambition, there you find disorder and every evil practice. But the wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure; then peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere. Peacemakers who sow in peace raise a harvest of righteousness.
Do you find any of these words to be interesting when considering the tongue? Words such as wisdom, envy, selfish ambition, heart, boast, deny, earthly, spiritual, disorder, evil practice, and the like. Do we consider all of this when we flap our gums about a lazy coworker? Or is it ok to say what we feel just as long as we don't use profanity? Is just a little gossip ok as long as it is not a lie? After all, we are repeating the facts. When we agree with others as they vent about frustrations with their spouses, coworkers, siblings, etc. are we sincerely trying to do God's work and aid a brother, or just rationalizing away our own sin? We are suppose to help those in need and if their need is to vent, shouldn't we facilitate and help them air it all out?
...most of the time I am guilty of these things. And I am not proud to admit it. But in a response to honest and direct words written by James, I feel compelled to do such. He leaves little wiggle room as he writes these Spirit inspired words about the tongue and it's evil. He says what he means and means what he says. He doesn't mention technicalities or gray areas. He doesn't even mention profanity, which is the sole guideline for how many Christians gage the wholesomeness of their speech.
But what he does mention hits me hard; because even though I may not technically use profane language ot intend to spread idle gossip, I still aid in that that is earthly, unspiritual, and of the devil. Regardless of how I rationalize it.
I am guilty of selfish ambition and empty boastfulness. Pride too often dictates my words. I cannot pass up an opportunity to be funny or make myself part of the crowd. I want people to realize the extent of my intellect and I overcompensate for my shortcomings with long words and fluffy thoughts. I joke about being grumpy to soften the reality of the bitterness and selfishness that lives in my heart. I do all of this in the name of humanity and self-preservation. With every small, empty word I set the great forest on fire with a small spark.
Like a dog to his vomit...I just can't seem to stop.
But I do find solace in this passage as well. This is not a passage to condemn or leave without hope. In the last couple of verses James writes, "But the wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure; then peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere. Peacemakers who sow in peace raise a harvest of righteousness."
That tells me that I have a choice in the matter, that the wisdom of heaven is attainable; and that it is pure and peace-loving. The verses talk of good fruit and mercy and sincerity. Good stuff! Not just fires and envy and hurt.
To begin to wrap this up, I want to point out that James does here what most Jewish teachers did, give a point and counterpoint. He makes his words real by showing the contrast in good and evil, black and white.The style he uses here places us in a position to choose how we use our tongue and how we guide the vessel that is our body. Again I write, James leaves no wiggle room, and after reading these verses it is time to decide our own pathway.
I would like to think that this is the part where I write that these words have changed my life and that these words inspire me to never return to my folly. But I know that most likely I will be found guilty of running my mouth again. But I can honestly say that I am getting better and that God is working in my life in this area. I can say that I realize that I may err again, but that I have real hope in heavenly wisdom. I can also honestly say that my heart's desire is to have purpose and to seek truth and peace.
I ask that we all pray for each other in this area. I pray that as Christians, we can stop the fires and right the vessels. I pray that together, we can all make a difference in our communities; just as we can spark a great fire with an evil word, we can spark peace and lovingkindness with a syllable of heavenly wisdom.
Wednesday, April 28, 2010
What's For Supper?
"As a dog returns to its vomit, so a fool repeats his folly." Proverbs 26:11
I love this verse for many reasons. I like that you can shock and surprise people who think the Bible is drab and full of, "How art thou brethren" stuff. I'm not good at remembering verses sometimes, so this verse helps boost my "esteem", for lack of a better word. When people try to show off their prowess at memorizing Bible verses, I can always whip out this little chestnut.
The main thing I like this verse is that it is straight to the point and it is very practical. It means what it says with few words; and those few words are chock full of common sense and perspective that Mark Twain or Will Rogers would be proud of.
This verse simply tells us that it is foolish to continue to do things that are lacking purpose. This verse tells us that it is foolish to continue to do something that can be harmful. This verse tells us that it just isn't smart to do the same old foolish thing over and over.
I realize that vomit isn't exactly a wholesome topic to discuss; and that it is actually rather repulsive. But what is the motivating force behind vomit, so to speak? What causes us to vomit?
And the answer to that is that vomiting is our body's way of ridding itself of something harmful or hurtful. It is a reaction to something that has entered our bodies that should not be in there, something that make us sick or even be fatal. And while it is not fun or pleasant, how much better do we feel after we vomit; after we expel the toxin, poison, bacteria or virus. As gross as it is, it is not only necessary, but comforting in an odd sort of way.
Now let's look at sin in our life, not as the actual vomit but as what is causing us to vomit. Just as a virus or food poisoning can harm us and make us physically sick, sin can make us equally sick spiritually. And just as eating a bad egg or catching the flu from someone, or swallowing toxic chemicals can be harmful and hurtful physically, pornography, foul language, gossip, favoritism, pride, so on and so forth, can harm us spiritually. And unlike a bacteria or virus, much of the sin in our life is the consequence of a deliberate action, not just a happenstance.
And just as it is foolish for a dog to continue to eat something that it's body has expelled in order to begin healing, it is foolish for us to continue to repeat the same sin over and over. But how often do we ask God for forgiveness and a chance to begin spiritual healing in our own bodies, then the first opportunity we get, we do the same thing over and over again. Not to be crude, but it may be smarter to eat vomit than to continue living a life in a pattern of sinful decisions over and over.
So think of the things in your life that are spiritually harmful and hurtful. And as vomit is void of nutrients, think of things in your life that are without purpose. Now think about how often you expose yourself to these empty, harmful aspects in your life. Think about how often you expel these things spiritually, only to turn around and find yourself in the same situation again and again. Now tell me if you really feel any smarter than a dog on his third helping of vomit.
So the challenge of this devotional is for each of us to put an end to the foolish, empty practices in our life and to ask God for healing and for purpose; and for us to never return to the place of our individually specific sins. I challenge you, as well as myself, to rise above the status of a foolish dog eating vomit and to begin feasting on the spiritual nutrients that God can feed us; never to return to the dinner plate full of the same old, same old sin that only harms, hinders, and hurts.
I love this verse for many reasons. I like that you can shock and surprise people who think the Bible is drab and full of, "How art thou brethren" stuff. I'm not good at remembering verses sometimes, so this verse helps boost my "esteem", for lack of a better word. When people try to show off their prowess at memorizing Bible verses, I can always whip out this little chestnut.
The main thing I like this verse is that it is straight to the point and it is very practical. It means what it says with few words; and those few words are chock full of common sense and perspective that Mark Twain or Will Rogers would be proud of.
This verse simply tells us that it is foolish to continue to do things that are lacking purpose. This verse tells us that it is foolish to continue to do something that can be harmful. This verse tells us that it just isn't smart to do the same old foolish thing over and over.
I realize that vomit isn't exactly a wholesome topic to discuss; and that it is actually rather repulsive. But what is the motivating force behind vomit, so to speak? What causes us to vomit?
And the answer to that is that vomiting is our body's way of ridding itself of something harmful or hurtful. It is a reaction to something that has entered our bodies that should not be in there, something that make us sick or even be fatal. And while it is not fun or pleasant, how much better do we feel after we vomit; after we expel the toxin, poison, bacteria or virus. As gross as it is, it is not only necessary, but comforting in an odd sort of way.
Now let's look at sin in our life, not as the actual vomit but as what is causing us to vomit. Just as a virus or food poisoning can harm us and make us physically sick, sin can make us equally sick spiritually. And just as eating a bad egg or catching the flu from someone, or swallowing toxic chemicals can be harmful and hurtful physically, pornography, foul language, gossip, favoritism, pride, so on and so forth, can harm us spiritually. And unlike a bacteria or virus, much of the sin in our life is the consequence of a deliberate action, not just a happenstance.
And just as it is foolish for a dog to continue to eat something that it's body has expelled in order to begin healing, it is foolish for us to continue to repeat the same sin over and over. But how often do we ask God for forgiveness and a chance to begin spiritual healing in our own bodies, then the first opportunity we get, we do the same thing over and over again. Not to be crude, but it may be smarter to eat vomit than to continue living a life in a pattern of sinful decisions over and over.
So think of the things in your life that are spiritually harmful and hurtful. And as vomit is void of nutrients, think of things in your life that are without purpose. Now think about how often you expose yourself to these empty, harmful aspects in your life. Think about how often you expel these things spiritually, only to turn around and find yourself in the same situation again and again. Now tell me if you really feel any smarter than a dog on his third helping of vomit.
So the challenge of this devotional is for each of us to put an end to the foolish, empty practices in our life and to ask God for healing and for purpose; and for us to never return to the place of our individually specific sins. I challenge you, as well as myself, to rise above the status of a foolish dog eating vomit and to begin feasting on the spiritual nutrients that God can feed us; never to return to the dinner plate full of the same old, same old sin that only harms, hinders, and hurts.
Tuesday, April 27, 2010
Who Makes Who?
Yet, O Lord, you are our Father. We are the clay, you are the potter; we are all the work of your hand. Isiah 64:8
Many of us are familiar with this verse. Many of us have heard sermons, messages, children's stories so on and so forth dealing with this simple verse. God is the potter, we are the clay.
But how many of us forget that God is our potter about ten minutes after our prayers or just a few minutes after reading this in a devotional? How many of us begin to let God shape us and mold us into useful vessels but quit as we barely get into the process. We too often find the kneading process too painful or rough. Even if we are strong enough to endure the initial twisting and pressing, we find ourselves unhappy with the shape God is molding us into; then the struggle begins. Too often we think we know more than God; know what type of vessel we should be much more than our creator. Our lives shift from being clay shaped by a master artisan, to a self-molding lump of dirt and water that lays on a table and does nothing of any importance or purpose. Isiah 29:16 says, "You turn things upside down, as if the potter were thought to be like the clay! Shall what is formed say to him who formed it, "He did not make me"? Can the pot say of the potter, "He knows nothing"? How many of us are guilty of this day after day?
I must admit that I am the one who needs the first dose of medicine in the case of being reminded that I am the clay and God is the potter. So as I challenge myself, I ask that you also challenge yourself to become like clay; allowing God to use people and situations in your life to mold you into the vessel He wants you to be. Regardless of whether you are to become a vase, a coffee mug, or an ashtray, I challenge you to allow God to work in your life, stop fighting the shape He has for you, stop telling God that you know better what you should be, and allow Him to give you purpose and function so that you may serve Him and those around you.
Many of us are familiar with this verse. Many of us have heard sermons, messages, children's stories so on and so forth dealing with this simple verse. God is the potter, we are the clay.
But how many of us forget that God is our potter about ten minutes after our prayers or just a few minutes after reading this in a devotional? How many of us begin to let God shape us and mold us into useful vessels but quit as we barely get into the process. We too often find the kneading process too painful or rough. Even if we are strong enough to endure the initial twisting and pressing, we find ourselves unhappy with the shape God is molding us into; then the struggle begins. Too often we think we know more than God; know what type of vessel we should be much more than our creator. Our lives shift from being clay shaped by a master artisan, to a self-molding lump of dirt and water that lays on a table and does nothing of any importance or purpose. Isiah 29:16 says, "You turn things upside down, as if the potter were thought to be like the clay! Shall what is formed say to him who formed it, "He did not make me"? Can the pot say of the potter, "He knows nothing"? How many of us are guilty of this day after day?
I must admit that I am the one who needs the first dose of medicine in the case of being reminded that I am the clay and God is the potter. So as I challenge myself, I ask that you also challenge yourself to become like clay; allowing God to use people and situations in your life to mold you into the vessel He wants you to be. Regardless of whether you are to become a vase, a coffee mug, or an ashtray, I challenge you to allow God to work in your life, stop fighting the shape He has for you, stop telling God that you know better what you should be, and allow Him to give you purpose and function so that you may serve Him and those around you.
Monday, April 26, 2010
Preface Four Hundred and Twelve
A more skilled and cognitive writer could probably come up with a nice introduction and segue to the main point of some collected thoughts on the subject of "church, but the best I can muster today is to just jump right in:
And as I jump right in, I find my thoughts dealing with "church". Even as I type the word, I feel my body and spirit cringe. If we were to play the word association game and you said, "church", my initial response would be, "jaded". Then "apathy" would probably follow, and next would be, "hypocrites". "Painful" enters my mind as well as "hurt, neglect, betrayal, and ignorance."
Harsh words I must admit; but honest, none the less. Granted, this would not be the words I would associate with specific church bodies, because there are some wonderful "churches" that I have only kind memories of; places and people that have healed wounds inflicted by other people and places. There are some bodies of believers that truly are trying to seek the lost and help those who are most unfortunate. But as I have matured in Christ (not become mature, mind you) I have experiences that cause me to initially be jaded as to the word, "church". But enough about me...
...but what about you? What do you think of when you see me type, "church"? Do you think of a body of believers or a brick building with a steeple, a logo, and a cross? And if you do think of a building, do you see the facility as means to feed the hungry and shelter the needy? Is the building used to reach people who don't know God and need Jesus? Do you see the building full of angry teens, neglected children, drug-users, prostitutes, and the dregs of society or is is a grand building, mostly empty, used only on Sundays and Wednesday nights; with a couple of secretaries and a lone janitor walking the empty hallways?
And if you think past the building aspect and focus on the people, do you think of a body of believers that are trying to reach a dying world? Or do you see a handful of people concerned with by-laws and procedure? Do you see a handful of people who would rather keep the building clean and tidy, yet empty rather than dirty and used by wild children and cast-a-ways of society? After all, if you let just anyone into the church, it could get holes in the walls and dirt on the floors and then what would we do for our Sunday ceremony? Why, there would be no reason to wear a suit and a tie if the pews smelled of smoke and alcohol and the hallways were unkempt. How could we praise God in this mess? How can we pray for Sister Sally who has a bad cold? Or Brother Tom who has to drive fifty miles to pick up his grandchildren? Sister Joan had someone mistreat her at work this week and Brother Jack got diarrhea from the buffet after church Sunday; how can we pray for them if there is dirt on the floor? Did Jesus die so we could pray in filth? Of course we should worry about those dying with disease, unemployed, or starving, but we also have a duty to be concerned with our own, like Sister Sally or Brother Tom or Sister Joan. After all, they contribute to the potluck meals, help keep the building painted and the landscape clean, and rotate in helping the secretaries with the church bulletin. What kind of ministry would we have without them? We will pray about helping outsiders after our next business meeting...
Does that sound familiar to you? When is the last time that someone in your "church" felt the need to pray for the lost instead of those already saved? When is the last time that your "church" cried for the uncomforted instead of shedding crocodile tears for the already comfortable? What are the real needs in the community, even counting those who don't attend or tithe? When is the last time anyone wanted to open up the building to those less fortunate? Can you recall it ever being an issue? Has anyone even considered the building to be used to host those less fortunate; or do we only want clean, tithing, moderate, able bodied citizens in our church? Let someone else die for those who are undesirable, they can go to the "church" on the poor side of town, they are more accustomed to the dirt. Besides, the building will lose value if it is not kept in good condition, and we have fifteen years of mortgage payments left.
Hopefully that doesn't sound familiar to you, but it does to me. Ugly, yes. Embellished,just barely. Honest, absolutely...
...back to the word association; Maybe you look past the building and the congregation, and you see a preacher. I say, "church" and you say, "Pastor Joe", or ,"Reverend Smith" or ,"Brother John". What is your next reaction? Do you think of that leader of the congregation as Spirit led or University taught? Does this person want true peace, or the road of least resistance? Is it a merely a decent paying job for this person, or is it a calling? And do they show Godly leadership or are they just good at local politics? Does this person challenge believers to think outside of the box or do they teach that God only works in certain ways? Does leadership desire to make a difference in the community or just business as usual for the believers? Is it taught to reach out to the world and give hope and meet needs, or is it taught that it's acceptable to hide behind the walls on Sundays?
And maybe when the word, "church" is typed, you think of the day, Sunday. Church is for Sundays. Remember the Sabbath, keep it holy. But technically it says nothing about the rest of the week. I can put on church clothes and a church face and use some church jargon one day a week; after all Jesus did die for me. But I will be me the rest of the week. Except when it interferes with my job. Or my being popular around town. Or when I let my hair down on Saturday night, after all, I deserve it; I have worked hard and have many responsibilities...
I know these are harsh words. I admit that it is not something that I want to write about. But I feel it is something that I should write about. This probably isn't the best way to begin a new blog; especially one that is intended to be a daily devotional. I may have lost my targeted demographics right out of the gate. None the less, it is what it is; an attempt by an imperfect man to be obedient and be used to make a change in the community, then the world.
I hope my point has been made and more importantly understood. I know that my experience is not unique but that my perspective may be. I hope that whatever you take from this will not be the acerbic words but the heart behind them. I am not perfect and I do not for a minute want to pretend that I am blameless in areas of ministry or caring for the needy. I am just as self-absorbed and centered as any person on this planet. But I want to change; want to allow God to mold me into a useful vessel. I make no apologies for growing tired of spending forty minutes out of an hour praying for hang-nails and chest colds, and only 10 minutes on learning about God's word. I feel no remorse at feeling jaded that a family with a full cupboard and an overflowing refrigerator receives covered dishes when someone is sick or has a minor operation; while someone on the other side of town sends their kids to bed sick and hungry again because they don't have food or a job, much less health insurance. I am not sorry that I think "church" people should behave like the church who Jesus loves, seven days a week and twenty four hours a day. And that ministry doesn't take time off for hard work or good behavior.
So I make no apologies. And I'm only pessimistic because I am an optimist. I do hope this step on some toes, so to speak. But only so that a difference can be made in people's lives. I hope that this makes you uncomfortable when you read this, as it makes me as I type; but only so it will be a catalyst for real hope and change. I hope that this is pleasing to God and will further the Gospel. And I hope that it helps lead you who read this, to become who God wants you to become. I pray that this doesn't lead to self-righteous thoughts or any inclination that leads anyone to believe they have cornered the market on morality. I hope that this will encourage those who feel left behind by the church to get back on board and help make a difference.
Think about these words and then think about your "church". Then put those thoughts into action. Pray for God's guidance and listen for the Holy Spirit...Jesus died for nothing less.
And as I jump right in, I find my thoughts dealing with "church". Even as I type the word, I feel my body and spirit cringe. If we were to play the word association game and you said, "church", my initial response would be, "jaded". Then "apathy" would probably follow, and next would be, "hypocrites". "Painful" enters my mind as well as "hurt, neglect, betrayal, and ignorance."
Harsh words I must admit; but honest, none the less. Granted, this would not be the words I would associate with specific church bodies, because there are some wonderful "churches" that I have only kind memories of; places and people that have healed wounds inflicted by other people and places. There are some bodies of believers that truly are trying to seek the lost and help those who are most unfortunate. But as I have matured in Christ (not become mature, mind you) I have experiences that cause me to initially be jaded as to the word, "church". But enough about me...
...but what about you? What do you think of when you see me type, "church"? Do you think of a body of believers or a brick building with a steeple, a logo, and a cross? And if you do think of a building, do you see the facility as means to feed the hungry and shelter the needy? Is the building used to reach people who don't know God and need Jesus? Do you see the building full of angry teens, neglected children, drug-users, prostitutes, and the dregs of society or is is a grand building, mostly empty, used only on Sundays and Wednesday nights; with a couple of secretaries and a lone janitor walking the empty hallways?
And if you think past the building aspect and focus on the people, do you think of a body of believers that are trying to reach a dying world? Or do you see a handful of people concerned with by-laws and procedure? Do you see a handful of people who would rather keep the building clean and tidy, yet empty rather than dirty and used by wild children and cast-a-ways of society? After all, if you let just anyone into the church, it could get holes in the walls and dirt on the floors and then what would we do for our Sunday ceremony? Why, there would be no reason to wear a suit and a tie if the pews smelled of smoke and alcohol and the hallways were unkempt. How could we praise God in this mess? How can we pray for Sister Sally who has a bad cold? Or Brother Tom who has to drive fifty miles to pick up his grandchildren? Sister Joan had someone mistreat her at work this week and Brother Jack got diarrhea from the buffet after church Sunday; how can we pray for them if there is dirt on the floor? Did Jesus die so we could pray in filth? Of course we should worry about those dying with disease, unemployed, or starving, but we also have a duty to be concerned with our own, like Sister Sally or Brother Tom or Sister Joan. After all, they contribute to the potluck meals, help keep the building painted and the landscape clean, and rotate in helping the secretaries with the church bulletin. What kind of ministry would we have without them? We will pray about helping outsiders after our next business meeting...
Does that sound familiar to you? When is the last time that someone in your "church" felt the need to pray for the lost instead of those already saved? When is the last time that your "church" cried for the uncomforted instead of shedding crocodile tears for the already comfortable? What are the real needs in the community, even counting those who don't attend or tithe? When is the last time anyone wanted to open up the building to those less fortunate? Can you recall it ever being an issue? Has anyone even considered the building to be used to host those less fortunate; or do we only want clean, tithing, moderate, able bodied citizens in our church? Let someone else die for those who are undesirable, they can go to the "church" on the poor side of town, they are more accustomed to the dirt. Besides, the building will lose value if it is not kept in good condition, and we have fifteen years of mortgage payments left.
Hopefully that doesn't sound familiar to you, but it does to me. Ugly, yes. Embellished,just barely. Honest, absolutely...
...back to the word association; Maybe you look past the building and the congregation, and you see a preacher. I say, "church" and you say, "Pastor Joe", or ,"Reverend Smith" or ,"Brother John". What is your next reaction? Do you think of that leader of the congregation as Spirit led or University taught? Does this person want true peace, or the road of least resistance? Is it a merely a decent paying job for this person, or is it a calling? And do they show Godly leadership or are they just good at local politics? Does this person challenge believers to think outside of the box or do they teach that God only works in certain ways? Does leadership desire to make a difference in the community or just business as usual for the believers? Is it taught to reach out to the world and give hope and meet needs, or is it taught that it's acceptable to hide behind the walls on Sundays?
And maybe when the word, "church" is typed, you think of the day, Sunday. Church is for Sundays. Remember the Sabbath, keep it holy. But technically it says nothing about the rest of the week. I can put on church clothes and a church face and use some church jargon one day a week; after all Jesus did die for me. But I will be me the rest of the week. Except when it interferes with my job. Or my being popular around town. Or when I let my hair down on Saturday night, after all, I deserve it; I have worked hard and have many responsibilities...
I know these are harsh words. I admit that it is not something that I want to write about. But I feel it is something that I should write about. This probably isn't the best way to begin a new blog; especially one that is intended to be a daily devotional. I may have lost my targeted demographics right out of the gate. None the less, it is what it is; an attempt by an imperfect man to be obedient and be used to make a change in the community, then the world.
I hope my point has been made and more importantly understood. I know that my experience is not unique but that my perspective may be. I hope that whatever you take from this will not be the acerbic words but the heart behind them. I am not perfect and I do not for a minute want to pretend that I am blameless in areas of ministry or caring for the needy. I am just as self-absorbed and centered as any person on this planet. But I want to change; want to allow God to mold me into a useful vessel. I make no apologies for growing tired of spending forty minutes out of an hour praying for hang-nails and chest colds, and only 10 minutes on learning about God's word. I feel no remorse at feeling jaded that a family with a full cupboard and an overflowing refrigerator receives covered dishes when someone is sick or has a minor operation; while someone on the other side of town sends their kids to bed sick and hungry again because they don't have food or a job, much less health insurance. I am not sorry that I think "church" people should behave like the church who Jesus loves, seven days a week and twenty four hours a day. And that ministry doesn't take time off for hard work or good behavior.
So I make no apologies. And I'm only pessimistic because I am an optimist. I do hope this step on some toes, so to speak. But only so that a difference can be made in people's lives. I hope that this makes you uncomfortable when you read this, as it makes me as I type; but only so it will be a catalyst for real hope and change. I hope that this is pleasing to God and will further the Gospel. And I hope that it helps lead you who read this, to become who God wants you to become. I pray that this doesn't lead to self-righteous thoughts or any inclination that leads anyone to believe they have cornered the market on morality. I hope that this will encourage those who feel left behind by the church to get back on board and help make a difference.
Think about these words and then think about your "church". Then put those thoughts into action. Pray for God's guidance and listen for the Holy Spirit...Jesus died for nothing less.
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