Click on the scripture reference and read these verses: Matthew 5:13-16
I believe that the Church is the greatest earthly hope that we have in existence. i don't mean buildings, I don't mean the Roman Catholic, or any other, denomination. I am simply referring to the people who have a relationship with Jesus Christ, God's Son, who died on a cross for our sins and came back to life three days later. For me, these are indisputable facts. Maybe science hasn't proven their validity, but neither has it disproven them. Besides, I have first-hand experience with a relationship with Jesus, through my faith and trust in Him, that would hold past any scientific challenge. "A man with an experience is never at the mercy of a man with an argument." (unknown)
Yet just as I believe that the Church is the greatest earthly hope, in that we are the tangible touch of Christ to the world around us as He is living through us, we also have developed some serious flaws through the years since our institution. In the verses we read at the beginning, which are in red and the actual words of Jesus, He calls us salt and light. I have been dwelling on these verses for a while now and want to share with you what I have learned. Though it will be in reverse order from what's listed, I'd first like to look at "light."
We, the Church, are light in this world. Darkness cannot hide from light when in the same room or space. The only way light can be kept from penetrating darkness is to be shut out in some way. Think of a dark room in a basement with no windows and only one door. If the door is sealed well, whatever light is on the outside of the door will never reach the inside of the room. However, open the door, and whatever light is shining just outside will flood the darkness and, depending on its brightness, illumine everything it touches to some degree. Darkness cannot stop it.
The light that is in us is the Light of Jesus Christ. It is the light of truth, justice, mercy, grace, love, forgiveness--all of the traits and characteristics of God; the fruit of the Spirit, if you will. Simply because Jesus, in the form of the Holy Spirit, resides in us, so does His light as even our sin nature cannot hide the glory of God. Darkness is powerless against such light. Just as God is eternal, so is the light of His glory within us. It will never be quenched. Stars that illumine our night skies are seen by the human eye thousands of years after they have been extinguished because of the time it takes for the light to reach the earth from its source. Yet this light, the light of His glory, will never be snuffed out. It is indeed eternal. It reaches past our bracketed existence on this planet.
Light is what we carry to the world. The very source of the light lives in us if we have chosen to believe in the work Jesus did on the cross and in His being who He said He was, the very Son of God. The closer we draw in relationship with Jesus, He also draws nearer to us and that light shines even the brighter. Our dark world needs light. Much of it maybe even craves light. Light is what we bring as the Church. We reflect it much in the same way the moon reflects the sun. When light is reflected, the brightness of the reflected light is dependent on the substance of the reflective material. For example, a white sheet will reflect light, but when foil is used, the reflected light is much brighter than what was elected off the sheet. The brightness of the light we reflect depends on our substance, and our substance depends on the depth of our relationship with Christ.
But just as light is what we bring, salt is how we bring it.
Let's look at just a couple of characteristics of salt. Salt makes things taste better. It seasons. When we sit down at the table, or cook food for others, we often season the food with salt to bring more flavor. Salt also preserves. You can salt meat and preserve it a little longer. However, unlike light, salt is temporary. Eventually, salt can and will lose its flavor.
As the Church, in my personal observation, we more often get the "light" part right than we do the "salt." After all, the light really isn't us, it's Jesus. We don't have to do much for light to come through. But salt? That requires much more effort. When we see evidence around us that "the world is going to hell in a hand basket," as we often put it, we normally get pretty self-righteous and feel the need to defend Jesus and/or our faith. We act surprised at what is going on.
Yet, have you ever noticed that God has never entered a day where He called Gabriel over and told him to go warm up the trumpet because God was surprised by something that a non-believer did the day before? Lost people act lost! God's not surprised by that, so why are we? When there is a Supreme Court decision, an act of terrorism, a school shooting, a video from Planned Parenthood, or some other social ill, we adopt a sudden sense of urgency to do something to stop it. Yet if we really felt that "urgent," we would've been doing something all along, right? But in our sudden urgency, we sit down the salt shaker and pick up the persimmon juice. What we offer to the world, while true, now tastes very bitter and unwelcoming. No wonder it gets rejected so often.
Salt is mined. It is in huge rocks or stones. Larger rocks of salt have their uses, but it looks much different than what we see in shakers on tables. Meat can be laid onto rocks of salt for seasoning or preservation. Unlike what is found in shakers, food must be brought to the salt, not the other way around. For salt to reach the food, it must first be crushed or ground. Could it be that this is true for us, as Christians, as well? Before we can be the most useful, there must be a season of crushing or breaking. It's not that we can't be used without being broken, but we depend on others to come to us. Our sense of urgency may be less. We still season. We still carry light. We just haven't been through a life event that has brought us to the point where we can be poured out before others as a drink offering to them.
Once salt is crushed, unless salt is poured out onto the food, it can't reach it's highest potential of seasoning the food. You can sit a salt shaker on the table. In that way, it can be among the food; it can be a part of the offering at every meal. Yet, until it is poured out, touches the food, covers the food, it cannot season the food. This is why I'm extremely apprehensive about religious freedom laws. It gives us Christians yet another excuse to not be poured out and serve in humility. It allows us to stay in the shaker and even attach a spiritual label to it so that our greed sounds legitimate. Not that everyone would do that, or be that way, but my experience has taught me that many look for just such excuses. It gives a voice that we can use to not be the tangible touch of Christ to someone who may be looking for hope, for light. Why would we ever want to do that?
We trade the seasoning power of salt to offer a "taste and see the Lord is good" opportunity to the world, and try to serve the light we carry in glasses of persimmon juice. For those who have never had persimmon juice, it is extremely bitter and makes the lips pucker. It is a very unpleasant experience. As believers, we hear or see truth and are drawn to it because the Truth lives in our hearts. The world around us is unfamiliar with Truth and that is why we are called to be salt (seasoning those around us in ways that we are pleasing to be around and deliver Truth in palatable ways) and light (also delivering truth that isn't watered down nor wavering). Why is it that we can't do both?
Be light today. Be salt today. Give truth, but only in a way that is pleasing and seasons those who need the truth. That is how we change the world starting with the one beside us.
Don't forget to use the social media just below here to share to your Facebook, Twitter, and Google+ accounts directly. I welcome your comments! PLEASE leave one!!! Here's how:
1. Click on the words "No Comment" or " (#) Comment" (whichever is listed just to the right of the posting time directly below this paragraph)
2. Write your comment in the box provided.
3. You must also choose a selection from the COMMENT AS drop down list. If you have a Google+ ID, AIM, or other you wish to use, choose that. Most of you should choose the NAME/URL option and leave your name in the space provided. You do NOT need to leave a URL unless you wish.
4. Click the PUBLISH button. THAT'S IT!!!
THANK YOU for stopping by! Till next time...
Showing posts with label God. Show all posts
Showing posts with label God. Show all posts
Monday, August 10, 2015
Saturday, August 16, 2014
My Answer: Is it ok for a Christian to get a tattoo?
Opening paragraph is at the beginning of every "My Answer" blog:
Growing up as the son of a preacher, I was never further than a question to my parents, as well as a variety of other Godly influences, from what I thought I was supposed to believe about any spiritual matter. But as time passed, I studied God's word for myself and was challenged by all of them to do so. On some questions, my personal study only reinforced what I'd heard as a child. On others, I found that I differed somewhat from what I'd been taught along the way and that my understanding of scripture lead me to a few different places. (I'm not going to tell you whether my parents and I disagree on any of these questions. If you want to know that, you've TOTALLY missed the reason for the blog series or the challenge to you behind it!) I read 1 Peter 3:15, which says, "But in your hearts revere Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect..." I felt that this directive was calling me farther past just my hope of salvation, but about anything for which I felt a conviction within my faith. So I posted a series of questions on Facebook recently, challenging Christians to not debate issues, but to search for the WHY behind their convictions to these answers. I purposefully never posted my answers till now. This blog is not THE answer. It is MY answer according to my personal Bible study. I challenge you to find yours.
I must say that I was VERY surprised when I posted this question! There were some very hard feelings on both sides of this issue! After the subject of a Christian drinking alcohol, I thought I would ask a relatively light question in theme. But there was nothing "light" about the responses that I read from those who answered. As a matter of fact, it was BY FAR the most debated topic of any question asked. Following this posted question, I actually had to list "NO DEBATING" as a "rule" for responding to the posts. Some didn't like that. That's fine with me. You have your own Facebook page and you can post anything you want. :-)
This also became the one exception when I actually posted an answer to my own question on my Facebook page. That was never my intention to do. However, given the heated discussion that had occurred, I felt that I needed to weigh in. I'm still not sure if that was the best thing to do, but it's what I did. What follows is the skeleton of the way I responded with a few added thoughts.
So here's my take on the whole tattoo thing. The only time I can find in scripture where tattoos are actually mentioned is here: Leviticus 19:28. Please understand that I am NOT one of those guys who claim that the Old Testament of the Bible is no longer valid because we are under grace now and not the old law. While there are parts of the old law that have gone the way of the Dodo Bird, there are still parts that are valid today. Let me explain briefly.
There are three different types of law in our Old Testament canon that we use today. They are Cultural Law, Ceremonial Law, and Moral Law. Cultural and Ceremonial Laws are indeed no longer valid. Moral Law is still very much valid and is alive and well today. It transcends the Old and New Testaments. The Moral Law states that death is the only payment for sin. When Jesus died on the cross, He became that death payment for our sin: past, present, and future. By fulfilling the debt requirement for our sin, Jesus said, "I haven't come to abolish the Law, but to fulfill it." Moral Law still stands! It is the standard by which our actions are measured. It, along with the conviction of the Holy Spirit, is the main way that we know when we are in dangerous proximity to, or have committed a sin. And there was no angry God in the OT and a loving God in the NT. He says in Malachi 3, "I am the Lord, I do not change."
This passage in Leviticus is a part of Ceremonial or Cultural Law, not Moral. If you read the verses surrounding 28, you will see that in those days, tattoos were given to worshipers of pagan gods. Back then, they marked to which god they were loyal and gave them a form of identity in that regard. Today, that's not always the case. And besides, if we are going to use this verse, then that makes the verse about men shaving just as valid an issue with God! If you shaved today, guys, you're in trouble! Or look a few verses down where it talks about lying in reference to weight and measures. Some of us would be in BIG TIME trouble on Facebook lying about weight! No, this is not a valid argument, in my opinion, for not having a tattoo. It's fine to not like them! But don't start throwing God into the mix by making Him say something He didn't say by using verses out of context.
Next question deals with cremation. Later, guys.
Growing up as the son of a preacher, I was never further than a question to my parents, as well as a variety of other Godly influences, from what I thought I was supposed to believe about any spiritual matter. But as time passed, I studied God's word for myself and was challenged by all of them to do so. On some questions, my personal study only reinforced what I'd heard as a child. On others, I found that I differed somewhat from what I'd been taught along the way and that my understanding of scripture lead me to a few different places. (I'm not going to tell you whether my parents and I disagree on any of these questions. If you want to know that, you've TOTALLY missed the reason for the blog series or the challenge to you behind it!) I read 1 Peter 3:15, which says, "But in your hearts revere Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect..." I felt that this directive was calling me farther past just my hope of salvation, but about anything for which I felt a conviction within my faith. So I posted a series of questions on Facebook recently, challenging Christians to not debate issues, but to search for the WHY behind their convictions to these answers. I purposefully never posted my answers till now. This blog is not THE answer. It is MY answer according to my personal Bible study. I challenge you to find yours.
I must say that I was VERY surprised when I posted this question! There were some very hard feelings on both sides of this issue! After the subject of a Christian drinking alcohol, I thought I would ask a relatively light question in theme. But there was nothing "light" about the responses that I read from those who answered. As a matter of fact, it was BY FAR the most debated topic of any question asked. Following this posted question, I actually had to list "NO DEBATING" as a "rule" for responding to the posts. Some didn't like that. That's fine with me. You have your own Facebook page and you can post anything you want. :-)
This also became the one exception when I actually posted an answer to my own question on my Facebook page. That was never my intention to do. However, given the heated discussion that had occurred, I felt that I needed to weigh in. I'm still not sure if that was the best thing to do, but it's what I did. What follows is the skeleton of the way I responded with a few added thoughts.
So here's my take on the whole tattoo thing. The only time I can find in scripture where tattoos are actually mentioned is here: Leviticus 19:28. Please understand that I am NOT one of those guys who claim that the Old Testament of the Bible is no longer valid because we are under grace now and not the old law. While there are parts of the old law that have gone the way of the Dodo Bird, there are still parts that are valid today. Let me explain briefly.
There are three different types of law in our Old Testament canon that we use today. They are Cultural Law, Ceremonial Law, and Moral Law. Cultural and Ceremonial Laws are indeed no longer valid. Moral Law is still very much valid and is alive and well today. It transcends the Old and New Testaments. The Moral Law states that death is the only payment for sin. When Jesus died on the cross, He became that death payment for our sin: past, present, and future. By fulfilling the debt requirement for our sin, Jesus said, "I haven't come to abolish the Law, but to fulfill it." Moral Law still stands! It is the standard by which our actions are measured. It, along with the conviction of the Holy Spirit, is the main way that we know when we are in dangerous proximity to, or have committed a sin. And there was no angry God in the OT and a loving God in the NT. He says in Malachi 3, "I am the Lord, I do not change."
This passage in Leviticus is a part of Ceremonial or Cultural Law, not Moral. If you read the verses surrounding 28, you will see that in those days, tattoos were given to worshipers of pagan gods. Back then, they marked to which god they were loyal and gave them a form of identity in that regard. Today, that's not always the case. And besides, if we are going to use this verse, then that makes the verse about men shaving just as valid an issue with God! If you shaved today, guys, you're in trouble! Or look a few verses down where it talks about lying in reference to weight and measures. Some of us would be in BIG TIME trouble on Facebook lying about weight! No, this is not a valid argument, in my opinion, for not having a tattoo. It's fine to not like them! But don't start throwing God into the mix by making Him say something He didn't say by using verses out of context.
Next question deals with cremation. Later, guys.
Thursday, June 12, 2014
A Passed Past: Grace
It's been a little over a month since my last blog. For my regular readers, I'm sorry for the delay (I normally try to write one about every two weeks or so), but to say life has been interesting in this past month would be an understatement!
Some of you know that as I type this, I'm home recovering from foot reconstructive surgery on my left foot. Surgery was on June 5. I made the decision to go ahead and have the surgery about the time of my last blog near the end of April. Stress and worry have plagued me as the enemy has tried to attack both Michelle and I with not only our emotions, but our pursuits of our personal business successes as well.
Add to that the fact that a pastor that I served under in the recent past lost his job because of moral reasons. Now understand, this was a man that had abused me and every other member of his staff, had abused church members seeking to only have relationships with "friends" if he gained something from it, and had left hundreds of people in his wake! It was two years and two months of hell on earth and the worst season of 24 years of worship ministry! I had been praying ever since I left that God would intervene there, and He did.
For years I had carried anger and maybe even some forms of hatred toward this man. The very sight of anything that reminded me of him would stir those emotions deep within me! But then, I get this news. And after jumping up and down in my living room for about 20 minutes, which I had to repent of immediately after, God gave me a very sobering thought. See, I've been where he is now. I know the sting of coming face to face with my sin and the hurt that it caused to loved ones and the body of Christ. At that moment, a page turned and I was able to not only forgive him, but almost become a crusader for his restoration. His sin (as far as I know and based on my experience) was now in the past where my Father is concerned, thus it should be with me. Repentance sought. Forgiveness given. Grace in motion.
We all have a past. Technically speaking, you started reading this blog in the past. Every split second takes us further into the future and leaves a string of moments in its wake. For many of us, we have a past we're not proud of. The past consists of scenes that flash through our minds on a daily basis playing a film in high definition reminding us of our weakest moments, our times of which we are most ashamed, or seasons of searing hurt. For some of us, years separate the present from those moments. For others, only minutes. Some of you may find yourselves reading this in a desperate cry for hope because you're in one of those times right now!
Pasts are like fires. You can run or try to pull away from the sting when you feel it, but it's already on you, burning you. By the time you recognize the pain, the mistake is made. You can't take it back. You're on fire now. And the fire uses your mind and body for fuel. As long as there's a part of you left, it seems it will never stop. And if you do get the flames put out, you stand back up only to realize you don't look like you did "before." Your past has marked you. Grossly.
I remember looking in the mirror and not liking what I'd become. I remember the days begging God to take me out; to just kill me! I didn't want the suffering and pain and worst of all, I didn't want to see it in the faces of those for which I cared. And these things brought me face to face with that emotion that you always hear said, but until you've experienced it for yourself, you may think it to be hogwash: The hardest person to forgive is yourself. You think of yourself as a monster! Hope has faded as a single drop of water into a raging inferno.
But in that season of tremendous loss, God reminded me of something in His word about which I had written a song years earlier. Click on the following reference link to read Isaiah 43:1-3. It's not an "if," but "when" we walk through fire and deep water. And the deformity that we saw when we looked in the mirror is nothing more than seeing our sin in the light. However, we ARE NOT defined by our sin! Let me say that again, we ARE NOT defined by our sin! Make it personal and read this out loud: I AM NOT defined by my sin! If you are in Christ, a child of God is who you are. Again from Isaiah, "I have ransomed you. I have called you by name; you are mine."
Click here and read the story of the Prodigal Son. Jesus uses this illustration to give us a glimpse of the Father's heart. When the lost son was out doing his own thing, did the father get angry? Did he cut him out of the will? Did he renounce him from the family? No. He sat. Waiting. Knowing. One day, his son would be coming down the road back home. And the father wanted to be there to see him coming when the event came into play. Not to say, "I told you so," but to run and wrap his lost son in his arms and welcome him home! That's grace. That's what happened to me. The son's past was IMMEDIATELY just...passed. It was no longer relevant to the father.
Scripture says that upon repentance, God separates our sin as far away from Him as the east from the west. It says that our sin becomes white as snow when washed under the blood of Christ. That means that there is HOPE for us all! Thanks be to God, there's HOPE!!! There may be darkness for a time. But it doesn't last! Read here what the Bible says: 1 Peter 5:10.
Now let me take a moment to talk to the "saints" reading this. You may know someone who has fallen. Their sin may scare you. Really, it may damage your good standing in the community if you are seen associating with the likes of such sinners. They have damaged the name of Christ and the work of the church. The need to see if they are truly repentant wells up inside you because of those verses you've read about "wolves in sheep's clothing!" There's danger in the camp and you need to be the one to rid those you care about of that danger! Read this passage: Galatians 6:1-3.
Still think that way? Remember the pastor I mentioned earlier in this blog? I remember sitting in church and listening to one of his messages when he said, "Show me a man who's always talking about grace, and I'll show you a man who's looking to minimize or seek an excuse for his sin." I wonder if that's what he still believes? He now has a "past." One of those that have burned him like fire.
And remember how I said that I have almost become a crusader for his restoration? I haven't done that to earn a merit badge from Jesus! As a matter of fact, that could only happen because I had been - have been - the recipient of grace. It is impossible to give what you have never received. If you've never come to fact with the weight of your own sin and the fact that just yours would have still cost Jesus His life, then how can you expect to give it to anyone else? You can't. Impossible.
My pastor's poor statement was made with the thought that grace is an excuse to sin. That grace follows repentance. That grace is earned based on some sort of demonstration by the sinner. Maybe they haven't cried enough to suit you. Maybe you haven't seen them in the altar. So what?!? Did scripture say to make sure and look for those things, it just said to do it! The heart condition is up to God, not you! The repentance is because of Him, not you. But we are to have His heart. We are to act like the person we are - a child of God.
Grace comes before repentance! Grace begs repentance! It is not an excuse to sin, but the very reason to never sin again! When we become givers of grace because we have first been recipients; when we see others not as a danger to the cause of Christ, but as the HEART of the cause of Christ; when we stop looking for the faults of others because we can't face our own faults and make a bigger deal out of their sin in order to better hide our own, then we become bearers of HOPE!!! And hope is the one thing that every person on this planet needs every single day. Without Jesus, there is none. With Him, there's nothing else.
God told me something in a prayer time when I was being attacked by those who knew details about my past. He said to me, "Son, first know that I love you and am proud of you. Second, know that any time you are reminded of your past, it is never from my voice. It is always the voice of the enemy! How can I remind you of something that has been washed from your record by the blood of my Son and that I have since forgotten?" Grace is here. Your past is passed. Live in freedom of your future.
Don't forget to use the social media just below here to share to your Facebook, Twitter, and Google+ accounts directly. I welcome your comments! PLEASE leave one!!! Here's how:
1. Click on the words "No Comment" or " (#) Comment" (whichever is listed just to the right of the posting time directly below this paragraph)
2. Write your comment in the box provided.
3. You must also choose a selection from the COMMENT AS drop down list. If you have a Google+ ID, AIM, or other you wish to use, choose that. Most of you should choose the NAME/URL option and leave your name in the space provided. You do NOT need to leave a URL unless you wish.
4. Click the PUBLISH button. THAT'S IT!!!
THANK YOU for stopping by! Till next time...
Some of you know that as I type this, I'm home recovering from foot reconstructive surgery on my left foot. Surgery was on June 5. I made the decision to go ahead and have the surgery about the time of my last blog near the end of April. Stress and worry have plagued me as the enemy has tried to attack both Michelle and I with not only our emotions, but our pursuits of our personal business successes as well.
Add to that the fact that a pastor that I served under in the recent past lost his job because of moral reasons. Now understand, this was a man that had abused me and every other member of his staff, had abused church members seeking to only have relationships with "friends" if he gained something from it, and had left hundreds of people in his wake! It was two years and two months of hell on earth and the worst season of 24 years of worship ministry! I had been praying ever since I left that God would intervene there, and He did.
For years I had carried anger and maybe even some forms of hatred toward this man. The very sight of anything that reminded me of him would stir those emotions deep within me! But then, I get this news. And after jumping up and down in my living room for about 20 minutes, which I had to repent of immediately after, God gave me a very sobering thought. See, I've been where he is now. I know the sting of coming face to face with my sin and the hurt that it caused to loved ones and the body of Christ. At that moment, a page turned and I was able to not only forgive him, but almost become a crusader for his restoration. His sin (as far as I know and based on my experience) was now in the past where my Father is concerned, thus it should be with me. Repentance sought. Forgiveness given. Grace in motion.
We all have a past. Technically speaking, you started reading this blog in the past. Every split second takes us further into the future and leaves a string of moments in its wake. For many of us, we have a past we're not proud of. The past consists of scenes that flash through our minds on a daily basis playing a film in high definition reminding us of our weakest moments, our times of which we are most ashamed, or seasons of searing hurt. For some of us, years separate the present from those moments. For others, only minutes. Some of you may find yourselves reading this in a desperate cry for hope because you're in one of those times right now!
Pasts are like fires. You can run or try to pull away from the sting when you feel it, but it's already on you, burning you. By the time you recognize the pain, the mistake is made. You can't take it back. You're on fire now. And the fire uses your mind and body for fuel. As long as there's a part of you left, it seems it will never stop. And if you do get the flames put out, you stand back up only to realize you don't look like you did "before." Your past has marked you. Grossly.
I remember looking in the mirror and not liking what I'd become. I remember the days begging God to take me out; to just kill me! I didn't want the suffering and pain and worst of all, I didn't want to see it in the faces of those for which I cared. And these things brought me face to face with that emotion that you always hear said, but until you've experienced it for yourself, you may think it to be hogwash: The hardest person to forgive is yourself. You think of yourself as a monster! Hope has faded as a single drop of water into a raging inferno.
But in that season of tremendous loss, God reminded me of something in His word about which I had written a song years earlier. Click on the following reference link to read Isaiah 43:1-3. It's not an "if," but "when" we walk through fire and deep water. And the deformity that we saw when we looked in the mirror is nothing more than seeing our sin in the light. However, we ARE NOT defined by our sin! Let me say that again, we ARE NOT defined by our sin! Make it personal and read this out loud: I AM NOT defined by my sin! If you are in Christ, a child of God is who you are. Again from Isaiah, "I have ransomed you. I have called you by name; you are mine."
Click here and read the story of the Prodigal Son. Jesus uses this illustration to give us a glimpse of the Father's heart. When the lost son was out doing his own thing, did the father get angry? Did he cut him out of the will? Did he renounce him from the family? No. He sat. Waiting. Knowing. One day, his son would be coming down the road back home. And the father wanted to be there to see him coming when the event came into play. Not to say, "I told you so," but to run and wrap his lost son in his arms and welcome him home! That's grace. That's what happened to me. The son's past was IMMEDIATELY just...passed. It was no longer relevant to the father.
Scripture says that upon repentance, God separates our sin as far away from Him as the east from the west. It says that our sin becomes white as snow when washed under the blood of Christ. That means that there is HOPE for us all! Thanks be to God, there's HOPE!!! There may be darkness for a time. But it doesn't last! Read here what the Bible says: 1 Peter 5:10.
Now let me take a moment to talk to the "saints" reading this. You may know someone who has fallen. Their sin may scare you. Really, it may damage your good standing in the community if you are seen associating with the likes of such sinners. They have damaged the name of Christ and the work of the church. The need to see if they are truly repentant wells up inside you because of those verses you've read about "wolves in sheep's clothing!" There's danger in the camp and you need to be the one to rid those you care about of that danger! Read this passage: Galatians 6:1-3.
Still think that way? Remember the pastor I mentioned earlier in this blog? I remember sitting in church and listening to one of his messages when he said, "Show me a man who's always talking about grace, and I'll show you a man who's looking to minimize or seek an excuse for his sin." I wonder if that's what he still believes? He now has a "past." One of those that have burned him like fire.
And remember how I said that I have almost become a crusader for his restoration? I haven't done that to earn a merit badge from Jesus! As a matter of fact, that could only happen because I had been - have been - the recipient of grace. It is impossible to give what you have never received. If you've never come to fact with the weight of your own sin and the fact that just yours would have still cost Jesus His life, then how can you expect to give it to anyone else? You can't. Impossible.
My pastor's poor statement was made with the thought that grace is an excuse to sin. That grace follows repentance. That grace is earned based on some sort of demonstration by the sinner. Maybe they haven't cried enough to suit you. Maybe you haven't seen them in the altar. So what?!? Did scripture say to make sure and look for those things, it just said to do it! The heart condition is up to God, not you! The repentance is because of Him, not you. But we are to have His heart. We are to act like the person we are - a child of God.
Grace comes before repentance! Grace begs repentance! It is not an excuse to sin, but the very reason to never sin again! When we become givers of grace because we have first been recipients; when we see others not as a danger to the cause of Christ, but as the HEART of the cause of Christ; when we stop looking for the faults of others because we can't face our own faults and make a bigger deal out of their sin in order to better hide our own, then we become bearers of HOPE!!! And hope is the one thing that every person on this planet needs every single day. Without Jesus, there is none. With Him, there's nothing else.
God told me something in a prayer time when I was being attacked by those who knew details about my past. He said to me, "Son, first know that I love you and am proud of you. Second, know that any time you are reminded of your past, it is never from my voice. It is always the voice of the enemy! How can I remind you of something that has been washed from your record by the blood of my Son and that I have since forgotten?" Grace is here. Your past is passed. Live in freedom of your future.
Don't forget to use the social media just below here to share to your Facebook, Twitter, and Google+ accounts directly. I welcome your comments! PLEASE leave one!!! Here's how:
1. Click on the words "No Comment" or " (#) Comment" (whichever is listed just to the right of the posting time directly below this paragraph)
2. Write your comment in the box provided.
3. You must also choose a selection from the COMMENT AS drop down list. If you have a Google+ ID, AIM, or other you wish to use, choose that. Most of you should choose the NAME/URL option and leave your name in the space provided. You do NOT need to leave a URL unless you wish.
4. Click the PUBLISH button. THAT'S IT!!!
THANK YOU for stopping by! Till next time...
Friday, December 20, 2013
Phil Robertson & WWJS
The reason that people have their panties in a wad over this Phil Robertson thing is simply because the majority of humanity can accept the idea of a heaven where good people go who have lived good lives, but also lean toward rejecting the thought of an "eternal torment" place called hell. I happen to believe fully in both because the Bible teaches this truth. But for those who do believe in a hell, the begging question is how to avoid it.
Because of our laws, our views on karma, our reward systems, and every other part of culture, the logical accepted way to get into heaven is to be a "good person." If we've done enough right, and it outweighs our list of wrongs, then we must be going to heaven. Only "bad people" go to hell. But if THAT'S true, then the question begs, "How good is good ENOUGH?" "Good" to one may not be "good" to another. Hitler was someone's son. They may not have viewed him as evil, though the rest of us probably would.
So is it then a majority vote? If so, who casts the ballots? In the eyes of gay & lesbian groups, they have viewed Phil Robertson's quote as a "ballot" cast against them. Many gays & lesbians believe in heaven, God, and a moral code and attend churches weekly. So they are wondering how DARE someone cast that ballot against their ability to get into heaven?!?
But here's the truth that I know...that Phil Robertson knows, I believe. There isn't ONE of us worthy to cast a ballot, nor make a determination on what must be right and wrong, or dub someone "good enough" for heaven. THAT responsibility is God's and His alone! So if we don't determine who is or isn't good, and God does, then how does this standard leave His mouth to reach our ears so that we're not just left guessing? That would be the Bible. But the problem there is that NOBODY is good enough to live up to the standard set by this book! God knew that too. He didn't send a list of right and wrongs that He knew we couldn't uphold to simply laugh at us and scoff because of our failure at righteousness, tho. There was a plan. One that would pay the death sentence that is the ONLY payment for sin and satisfy the law that He, Himself, instituted. And that's why He sent Jesus. What we deserve, hell: eternal death and punishment, because of all the things HE listed as wrong in scripture (yes, homosexuality is one of those things along with lying, cheating, murder, adultery, coveting, putting anyone or anything as a priority in our lives over God, etc., etc.) was trumped by God's love for humanity in the death of Jesus Christ and is granted to ALL through an acceptance of this gift. It goes against everything we trust in in our merit based sociological systems, I know. But that's grace.
Phil didn't just come up with what he said. God did. Robertson may have stated it a little harshly, maybe. But it doesn't negate the truth of it. Nor the grace, love, and mercy God offers those who are caught up in ANY of the "sins" listed in scripture. I've not been a participant in that particular one (homosexuality), but there are certainly others that I have been. And what I deserve is no different whatsoever from anyone else. NONE of us are perfect! We are all sinners saved only by God's grace. We (including Phil) are ALL deserving of hell. None "good enough" to make it into heaven on the merit of our own spiritual report cards. Those of us who are assured that heaven will be our eternal home are only confident of that hope because we have accepted the gift of Jesus' death on the cross. We have no room for pointing fingers. Grace just changed everything.
So, WWJ...um...S: What Would Jesus Say? Let me be very clear, do NOT lump me in the crowd that looks at the Robertson issue with A&E and yells, "Christians need to stand up for what's right!" If we talk double standards, yes, I believe there is one in this nation on free speech when it comes to Christian beliefs and morals. But I don't believe that it is a battle won in the media, Facebook, pulpits, or especially the White House! This may shock some of you, but I don't think that's what's needed here!!! I don't think that would be advised by our Savior either.
I can here the collective, "HUH?!?" What would Jesus say? Well, let's see. I believe He's already said it. Fellow believers, people who choose not to follow Christ will not act as though they are Bible thumping believers and neither should they be EXPECTED to!!! Jesus said it on the cross, remember? "Father, forgive them. THEY DON'T KNOW WHAT THEY'RE DOING!" (emphasis mine) (Click here to read it for yourself.) How dare we argue something with the very people to whom we are trying to extend hope?!? That makes NO sense! Phil was asked a question. He answered it. Do I think he's being treated fairly? No. But he is not the first and will not be the last. So do we sit by and do nothing?!? Absolutely not. "Then what do we do?" you ask. I'm so glad you did. But let's start with what NOT to do from the words of scripture, the same source from which Phil drew his deductions shared with GQ.
Remind everyone about these things, and command them in God’s presence to stop fighting over words. Such arguments are useless, and they can ruin those who hear them. 2 Timothy 2:14 (NLT)
A gentle answer deflects anger, but harsh words make tempers flare. Proverbs 15:1 (NLT)
Dear friends, never take revenge. Leave that to the righteous anger of God. For the Scriptures say, “I will take revenge; I will pay them back,” says the Lord. Romans 12:19 (NLT)
Let's stop acting like spoiled brats and saying we gotta stand up for Jesus! Jesus can handle His own! He's waiting on us to stand up for the broken, the sick, the hurting, the needy, the hungry, the tired, the confused, the addicted, THAT'S who we need to stand up for! THAT'S who Jesus gave His life for!!! You can't make the change you want when you do it top down. Jesus knew that. That's why He never instructed us to "love thy President, Mayor, Governor, Congressman, King, Pastor, Elder or otherwise." He said, "love thy neighbor." Right before Jesus' ascension, He gave the instructions to start with those closest to them geographically and work outward from there! Click on this scripture reference and read Acts 1:8 (NLT). This was God's plan all along! Christians have been acting like we can save God time by forgetting our neighbor and trying for the big fish! That's never worked! So what can we do that WILL make a difference?
“The most important commandment is this: ‘Listen, O Israel! The Lord our God is the one and only Lord. 30And you must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, all your mind, and all your strength.’ 31The second is equally important: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ No other commandment is greater than these.” Mark 12:29-31 (NLT)
You know that guy standing on the exit ramp begging for a dollar? Stop, get out, and give him $5 and pray for him while you're there. "But he might be running a scam!" Click on the scripture reference and look back at Romans 12:19. That's not your call or your problem. You know the single Mom who checks you out at the grocery store or serves you in your favorite restaurant? Cook her a meal to feed her family because when she gets home, she's probably too tired and would enjoy a night to concentrate on her kids. You know the college students in your town that may be staying over Christmas because they can't afford to go home? Buy one of them a gift and invite them to your home to spend it with your family. Give your sales clerk a friendly smile and understand that they are just as stressed as you and that their day would be better if they could make yours better as well. Pay for the person's coffee behind you at Starbucks just because. Give toys to a family in your community who you know needs them. Act like you're a child of God and that you believe what you claim! Watch your attitude. If you know Jesus, all of the fruit of the Spirit (click the underlined part to read the list) are in you and at your disposal. LIVE IT!!! Be hope. Be grace. Be mercy. Be the Church. Be Jesus. Err on the side of grace. Love the unloveable. Forgive the unforgivable. Don't think you can do that? That's exactly what Jesus did for you! Who do we blame for the mess the world is in? Go look in the mirror! No, you didn't do it alone. Neither did I. At some point the collective Church forgot her mission and her call to obedience. We devised our own plan and thought we could do better. We didn't. We can't. Get back to basics. Love because your are loved. Serve because you have been served. Give because you have been given to. And one by one by one by one, we will see the change we seek in our communities, our nation, and our world.
I welcome your comments! PLEASE click on the words "No Comment" or "Comment" (whichever is listed just to the right of the posting time directly below this paragraph) and post a comment of your own. You must also choose a profile from the drop down list, or just choose "anonymous" from the list and type your name at the end of your comment in the actual comment box. Clicking the PUBLISH button posts your comment and you're good to go! Use the social media links there to share to your Facebook, Twitter, and Google+ accounts directly. THANK YOU for stopping by! Till next time...
Because of our laws, our views on karma, our reward systems, and every other part of culture, the logical accepted way to get into heaven is to be a "good person." If we've done enough right, and it outweighs our list of wrongs, then we must be going to heaven. Only "bad people" go to hell. But if THAT'S true, then the question begs, "How good is good ENOUGH?" "Good" to one may not be "good" to another. Hitler was someone's son. They may not have viewed him as evil, though the rest of us probably would.
So is it then a majority vote? If so, who casts the ballots? In the eyes of gay & lesbian groups, they have viewed Phil Robertson's quote as a "ballot" cast against them. Many gays & lesbians believe in heaven, God, and a moral code and attend churches weekly. So they are wondering how DARE someone cast that ballot against their ability to get into heaven?!?
But here's the truth that I know...that Phil Robertson knows, I believe. There isn't ONE of us worthy to cast a ballot, nor make a determination on what must be right and wrong, or dub someone "good enough" for heaven. THAT responsibility is God's and His alone! So if we don't determine who is or isn't good, and God does, then how does this standard leave His mouth to reach our ears so that we're not just left guessing? That would be the Bible. But the problem there is that NOBODY is good enough to live up to the standard set by this book! God knew that too. He didn't send a list of right and wrongs that He knew we couldn't uphold to simply laugh at us and scoff because of our failure at righteousness, tho. There was a plan. One that would pay the death sentence that is the ONLY payment for sin and satisfy the law that He, Himself, instituted. And that's why He sent Jesus. What we deserve, hell: eternal death and punishment, because of all the things HE listed as wrong in scripture (yes, homosexuality is one of those things along with lying, cheating, murder, adultery, coveting, putting anyone or anything as a priority in our lives over God, etc., etc.) was trumped by God's love for humanity in the death of Jesus Christ and is granted to ALL through an acceptance of this gift. It goes against everything we trust in in our merit based sociological systems, I know. But that's grace.
Phil didn't just come up with what he said. God did. Robertson may have stated it a little harshly, maybe. But it doesn't negate the truth of it. Nor the grace, love, and mercy God offers those who are caught up in ANY of the "sins" listed in scripture. I've not been a participant in that particular one (homosexuality), but there are certainly others that I have been. And what I deserve is no different whatsoever from anyone else. NONE of us are perfect! We are all sinners saved only by God's grace. We (including Phil) are ALL deserving of hell. None "good enough" to make it into heaven on the merit of our own spiritual report cards. Those of us who are assured that heaven will be our eternal home are only confident of that hope because we have accepted the gift of Jesus' death on the cross. We have no room for pointing fingers. Grace just changed everything.
So, WWJ...um...S: What Would Jesus Say? Let me be very clear, do NOT lump me in the crowd that looks at the Robertson issue with A&E and yells, "Christians need to stand up for what's right!" If we talk double standards, yes, I believe there is one in this nation on free speech when it comes to Christian beliefs and morals. But I don't believe that it is a battle won in the media, Facebook, pulpits, or especially the White House! This may shock some of you, but I don't think that's what's needed here!!! I don't think that would be advised by our Savior either.
I can here the collective, "HUH?!?" What would Jesus say? Well, let's see. I believe He's already said it. Fellow believers, people who choose not to follow Christ will not act as though they are Bible thumping believers and neither should they be EXPECTED to!!! Jesus said it on the cross, remember? "Father, forgive them. THEY DON'T KNOW WHAT THEY'RE DOING!" (emphasis mine) (Click here to read it for yourself.) How dare we argue something with the very people to whom we are trying to extend hope?!? That makes NO sense! Phil was asked a question. He answered it. Do I think he's being treated fairly? No. But he is not the first and will not be the last. So do we sit by and do nothing?!? Absolutely not. "Then what do we do?" you ask. I'm so glad you did. But let's start with what NOT to do from the words of scripture, the same source from which Phil drew his deductions shared with GQ.
Remind everyone about these things, and command them in God’s presence to stop fighting over words. Such arguments are useless, and they can ruin those who hear them. 2 Timothy 2:14 (NLT)
A gentle answer deflects anger, but harsh words make tempers flare. Proverbs 15:1 (NLT)
Dear friends, never take revenge. Leave that to the righteous anger of God. For the Scriptures say, “I will take revenge; I will pay them back,” says the Lord. Romans 12:19 (NLT)
Let's stop acting like spoiled brats and saying we gotta stand up for Jesus! Jesus can handle His own! He's waiting on us to stand up for the broken, the sick, the hurting, the needy, the hungry, the tired, the confused, the addicted, THAT'S who we need to stand up for! THAT'S who Jesus gave His life for!!! You can't make the change you want when you do it top down. Jesus knew that. That's why He never instructed us to "love thy President, Mayor, Governor, Congressman, King, Pastor, Elder or otherwise." He said, "love thy neighbor." Right before Jesus' ascension, He gave the instructions to start with those closest to them geographically and work outward from there! Click on this scripture reference and read Acts 1:8 (NLT). This was God's plan all along! Christians have been acting like we can save God time by forgetting our neighbor and trying for the big fish! That's never worked! So what can we do that WILL make a difference?
“The most important commandment is this: ‘Listen, O Israel! The Lord our God is the one and only Lord. 30And you must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, all your mind, and all your strength.’ 31The second is equally important: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ No other commandment is greater than these.” Mark 12:29-31 (NLT)
You know that guy standing on the exit ramp begging for a dollar? Stop, get out, and give him $5 and pray for him while you're there. "But he might be running a scam!" Click on the scripture reference and look back at Romans 12:19. That's not your call or your problem. You know the single Mom who checks you out at the grocery store or serves you in your favorite restaurant? Cook her a meal to feed her family because when she gets home, she's probably too tired and would enjoy a night to concentrate on her kids. You know the college students in your town that may be staying over Christmas because they can't afford to go home? Buy one of them a gift and invite them to your home to spend it with your family. Give your sales clerk a friendly smile and understand that they are just as stressed as you and that their day would be better if they could make yours better as well. Pay for the person's coffee behind you at Starbucks just because. Give toys to a family in your community who you know needs them. Act like you're a child of God and that you believe what you claim! Watch your attitude. If you know Jesus, all of the fruit of the Spirit (click the underlined part to read the list) are in you and at your disposal. LIVE IT!!! Be hope. Be grace. Be mercy. Be the Church. Be Jesus. Err on the side of grace. Love the unloveable. Forgive the unforgivable. Don't think you can do that? That's exactly what Jesus did for you! Who do we blame for the mess the world is in? Go look in the mirror! No, you didn't do it alone. Neither did I. At some point the collective Church forgot her mission and her call to obedience. We devised our own plan and thought we could do better. We didn't. We can't. Get back to basics. Love because your are loved. Serve because you have been served. Give because you have been given to. And one by one by one by one, we will see the change we seek in our communities, our nation, and our world.
I welcome your comments! PLEASE click on the words "No Comment" or "Comment" (whichever is listed just to the right of the posting time directly below this paragraph) and post a comment of your own. You must also choose a profile from the drop down list, or just choose "anonymous" from the list and type your name at the end of your comment in the actual comment box. Clicking the PUBLISH button posts your comment and you're good to go! Use the social media links there to share to your Facebook, Twitter, and Google+ accounts directly. THANK YOU for stopping by! Till next time...
Saturday, November 2, 2013
"They will act religious..."
As we were closing tonight, I was talking with a coworker about today's church. We were speaking about the authenticity of the average modern day Christian. Understand, we weren't passing judgement and stating that anyone wouldn't deserve heaven or anything of the sort! It was simply a discussion on whether most of today's church-going Christians "get it."
I can already hear someone from the back row stating piously in his best religious tone, "Son, we're not going to 'get it' till we get to heaven one day and see God for all that He is in all His glory." You know, you're right. We won't. But see, Jesus didn't come to tell us what we had to wait for so much as He came to redeem us to Himself and bring His kingdom to us so and establish His kingdom NOW! I don't mean the environment of the place called heaven that we will occupy for eternity, but I speak of the relationship with/to the God of heaven, Jehovah. In relationship TO God, means to be children OF God and therefore be WITH God in His kingdom.
Take a moment to read John 14:9-14 (NLT) (click on the scripture reference to the left and you will be directed to the passage). Jesus says that if we have seen and know Him, we have seen and know the Father. He also says that we will do "greater works" that what HE did!!! He even ends that paragraph by telling us that we can ask for things in His name, and it will be granted to us! Now please note that I don't believe that means asking for a Mercedes, unless somehow that car would glorify God and not YOU! The "yes" to these asks come with a expectation that the affirmative answers bring glory to the Father. How do we know what brings glory to Him? We know Him. How do we know Him? According to John14, we get to know His Son, Jesus. We get to know Jesus by surrendering our lives to Him, believing in His work on the cross to take our place for our sin. When we do that, we are adopted into the family (kingdom) now, and immediately become heirs to the throne of, and friends with God, and brothers and sisters to Jesus Christ. Jesus said that all that His Father has given Him, He gives to us. God's kingdom - here and now.
Let's read one more passage (you can click on this reference too to be taken directly to it) and then we will get straight to the point. Read 2 Timothy 3:1-5. Pay close attention to verse 5. All through this passage, Paul is talking about church-going people! He's not talking about the crowds that we're needing to tell about Jesus, he's talking about the ones who should know better! Me and you!!! Look around you. Close your eyes and imagine you are where you normally sit on Sunday (yes, I know you have "your seat" in church). See those people around you in your mind. You think they "get it?" Do YOU?!? Are we living lives of authenticity?
Let's look at some of the works that Jesus did: healed the sick, made the lame to walk, made the blind to see, brought back Lazarus from the dead, fed 5,000 men and their families from a few fish and a couple loaves of bread, calmed stormy seas, walked on water, and the list goes on. Now Jesus said that we would do even greater works than HE! What have you done? Made the toast without burning it? Got the kids to soccer only ten minutes late this time rather than the normal fifteen? Fixed the broken windshield wiper on your own? NOW go back and read 2 Timothy 3:5. What if we were so busy with verses 2-4, that we ended up like verse 5? The great toast, the lack of tardiness, the working wiper while all good, mean nothing to eternity! God takes more care of us than just providing a close parking space at Walmart!!! There is POWER given to us!!!
I don't believe that it will be long till Jesus returns. And when He does, I think there are going to be many of us Christians who look at Him and say, "Whoa! Preacher wasn't kiddin'!" We will be caught off guard at the fact that being godly is more than a good idea or a mantra by which to live. The Bible, Jesus, our Heavenly Father - are all more than a good idea!!! They are REAL! Yet we treat it like we've joined a fraternity or a sorority, learned the secret handshake, the code words, the key gestures, and now we're part of the club! All that religious hokey pokey stuff will work it's way out, we just want to go to heaven and be a part of something and this is an easy one to join! We use the stuff we've learned when appropriate, but never tap into the full power that lives inside of us. We are living 2 Timothy 3:5!!!
Then on top of all that, we spend so much effort every four years trying to push for the "right man" in the White House. BTW, if you're just joining us, "right man" means Christian man. It's Christianese. But can I actually get someone out there to agree that the Christian one isn't always the best LEADER?!? We need BOTH. We need a Christian who is also a good leader. Not one or the other! Yet seemingly we need that person (President) to blame when things don't go as they should. "Well, if the 'right man' had been elected, it wouldn't have been like this!" Can I just throw the BS flag right there?!? I firmly believe that Jesus isn't as concerned with having a Godly leader in the White House as he is having a Godly leader in YOUR house!!! Let's stop blaming others for our lack of faith and courage!!! If it's not the President, it's someBODY or someTHING else! The real reason that things are the way they are looks back at you with a haunting stare every time you face a mirror. The church hasn't been the Church for years now!
I believe God is looking for His children to RISE UP! We wear HIS name! We are HIS people! We carry HIS power, HIS love, HIS salvation, HIS hope to a hopeless world. Let's quit GOING to church and let's BE the church. Let's no longer deny the power of the God whom we declare we believe in and worship. Our enemy is playing for keeps! It's real!!! Let's get real ourselves.
I'm going to pray here. Feel free to make this prayer your own.
Jesus, I'm sorry for making Christianity more of a good idea than a reality. I'm sorry for not acting like the child you chose to make a part of Your eternity by sending your Son to die in my place. Prompt me with the Holy Spirit to act when I should act, listen when I should listen, and fill me with wisdom for every decision I make every day I live, starting right now. Empower me and help me to act in that power with FULL FAITH!!! Knowing that Your promises are true and that whatever I ask in Your name, if I am in line with Your will, it will be given to me so that You alone may receive glory! Thank you for Your forgiveness and Your promises. In Jesus' name, amen.
Please leave comments below! Ask questions! Tell your friends by clicking on the social media links and posting on your Facebook or Twitter or Google + accounts. It helps to know that these are being read and even helping YOU! I never know that unless you're doing these things and ESPECIALLY leaving comments!!! Thanks for sharing a few moments with me!
I can already hear someone from the back row stating piously in his best religious tone, "Son, we're not going to 'get it' till we get to heaven one day and see God for all that He is in all His glory." You know, you're right. We won't. But see, Jesus didn't come to tell us what we had to wait for so much as He came to redeem us to Himself and bring His kingdom to us so and establish His kingdom NOW! I don't mean the environment of the place called heaven that we will occupy for eternity, but I speak of the relationship with/to the God of heaven, Jehovah. In relationship TO God, means to be children OF God and therefore be WITH God in His kingdom.
Take a moment to read John 14:9-14 (NLT) (click on the scripture reference to the left and you will be directed to the passage). Jesus says that if we have seen and know Him, we have seen and know the Father. He also says that we will do "greater works" that what HE did!!! He even ends that paragraph by telling us that we can ask for things in His name, and it will be granted to us! Now please note that I don't believe that means asking for a Mercedes, unless somehow that car would glorify God and not YOU! The "yes" to these asks come with a expectation that the affirmative answers bring glory to the Father. How do we know what brings glory to Him? We know Him. How do we know Him? According to John14, we get to know His Son, Jesus. We get to know Jesus by surrendering our lives to Him, believing in His work on the cross to take our place for our sin. When we do that, we are adopted into the family (kingdom) now, and immediately become heirs to the throne of, and friends with God, and brothers and sisters to Jesus Christ. Jesus said that all that His Father has given Him, He gives to us. God's kingdom - here and now.
Let's read one more passage (you can click on this reference too to be taken directly to it) and then we will get straight to the point. Read 2 Timothy 3:1-5. Pay close attention to verse 5. All through this passage, Paul is talking about church-going people! He's not talking about the crowds that we're needing to tell about Jesus, he's talking about the ones who should know better! Me and you!!! Look around you. Close your eyes and imagine you are where you normally sit on Sunday (yes, I know you have "your seat" in church). See those people around you in your mind. You think they "get it?" Do YOU?!? Are we living lives of authenticity?
Let's look at some of the works that Jesus did: healed the sick, made the lame to walk, made the blind to see, brought back Lazarus from the dead, fed 5,000 men and their families from a few fish and a couple loaves of bread, calmed stormy seas, walked on water, and the list goes on. Now Jesus said that we would do even greater works than HE! What have you done? Made the toast without burning it? Got the kids to soccer only ten minutes late this time rather than the normal fifteen? Fixed the broken windshield wiper on your own? NOW go back and read 2 Timothy 3:5. What if we were so busy with verses 2-4, that we ended up like verse 5? The great toast, the lack of tardiness, the working wiper while all good, mean nothing to eternity! God takes more care of us than just providing a close parking space at Walmart!!! There is POWER given to us!!!
I don't believe that it will be long till Jesus returns. And when He does, I think there are going to be many of us Christians who look at Him and say, "Whoa! Preacher wasn't kiddin'!" We will be caught off guard at the fact that being godly is more than a good idea or a mantra by which to live. The Bible, Jesus, our Heavenly Father - are all more than a good idea!!! They are REAL! Yet we treat it like we've joined a fraternity or a sorority, learned the secret handshake, the code words, the key gestures, and now we're part of the club! All that religious hokey pokey stuff will work it's way out, we just want to go to heaven and be a part of something and this is an easy one to join! We use the stuff we've learned when appropriate, but never tap into the full power that lives inside of us. We are living 2 Timothy 3:5!!!
Then on top of all that, we spend so much effort every four years trying to push for the "right man" in the White House. BTW, if you're just joining us, "right man" means Christian man. It's Christianese. But can I actually get someone out there to agree that the Christian one isn't always the best LEADER?!? We need BOTH. We need a Christian who is also a good leader. Not one or the other! Yet seemingly we need that person (President) to blame when things don't go as they should. "Well, if the 'right man' had been elected, it wouldn't have been like this!" Can I just throw the BS flag right there?!? I firmly believe that Jesus isn't as concerned with having a Godly leader in the White House as he is having a Godly leader in YOUR house!!! Let's stop blaming others for our lack of faith and courage!!! If it's not the President, it's someBODY or someTHING else! The real reason that things are the way they are looks back at you with a haunting stare every time you face a mirror. The church hasn't been the Church for years now!
I believe God is looking for His children to RISE UP! We wear HIS name! We are HIS people! We carry HIS power, HIS love, HIS salvation, HIS hope to a hopeless world. Let's quit GOING to church and let's BE the church. Let's no longer deny the power of the God whom we declare we believe in and worship. Our enemy is playing for keeps! It's real!!! Let's get real ourselves.
I'm going to pray here. Feel free to make this prayer your own.
Jesus, I'm sorry for making Christianity more of a good idea than a reality. I'm sorry for not acting like the child you chose to make a part of Your eternity by sending your Son to die in my place. Prompt me with the Holy Spirit to act when I should act, listen when I should listen, and fill me with wisdom for every decision I make every day I live, starting right now. Empower me and help me to act in that power with FULL FAITH!!! Knowing that Your promises are true and that whatever I ask in Your name, if I am in line with Your will, it will be given to me so that You alone may receive glory! Thank you for Your forgiveness and Your promises. In Jesus' name, amen.
Please leave comments below! Ask questions! Tell your friends by clicking on the social media links and posting on your Facebook or Twitter or Google + accounts. It helps to know that these are being read and even helping YOU! I never know that unless you're doing these things and ESPECIALLY leaving comments!!! Thanks for sharing a few moments with me!
Monday, September 23, 2013
Discouragement
One of my pastors at Oasis Church of Nashville, Adonis Lenzy, spoke this past Sunday on being stretched in times of discouragement. I, myself, have found that I have been on polar ends of the courage spectrum in recent days, and all depending on the day.
God has taken me to this verse. "So be strong and courageous, all you who put your hope in the Lord!" (Psalms 31:24 NLT) This verse lets me know that my God is a God of courage!!! He is a God that WANTS me FILLED with courage!!!
I've come to recognize the power of discouragement. I've faced it's power over a recent season of my life. I've made choices I've wished I had not made. I've been rejected, abandoned, and had my "wilderness" (for those of you Bible peeps who know what I'm talking about!). I can't measure what I've been through, neither do I want to! I'll only say that I've faced enough to know I don't want to face it at a deeper level.
Look here: "Be on guard. Stand firm in the faith. Be courageous. Be strong. And do everything with love." (1 Corinthians 16:13, 14 NLT) These verses are not exhaustive in scripture. They are just a couple of examples. But how many of you know that God will not ask of you that which He will not empower you to do?!? So when you face a moment or a season which causes your head to bow, your shoulders to slump, your eyes to droop, your pace to slow, or your morale to dip, KNOW that it is NOT of God!!!
Will God allow moments or seasons that are hard to go through? Absolutely. Sometimes discipline is necessary. So is "stretching," to use a term from Pastor Adonis. Our faith, our resolve, our TESTIMONY can not strengthen without first being tested. "Testing" means it is being exercised, worked out. Ever lift weights? When you do it the first time, or the first time in a long time, what happens the next day? You're SORE!!! It hurts to wash your hair!!! You try to think of more than one reason to put one foot in front of the other because it hurts to even IMAGINE it!!! But, what happens when we work out on a regular regimen?the resistance is still there, but not the every moment soreness. So it is with our lives in Christ.
Our faith must be exercised. God knows this. He is our "coach," if you will. A good coach not only sees your talent, but your potential. And he or she will push you to help you see it in yourself! God does this in our Spiritual lives. And when He does have to discipline us, as mentioned earlier, He has even given us encouragement through those times as well!!! "For the Lord disciplines those he loves, and he punishes each one he accepts as his child.” (Hebrews 12:6 NLT) You are LOVED!!! You are HIS CHILD!!! Be ENCOURAGED!!! What a coach!!!
Have an awesome day today!!!
Monday, September 16, 2013
BIBLE: Love Is A Choice
First, read Luke 10:25-37.
As a Worship Pastor, I have sat down with many of the artists I've had the privilege of pastoring, and I've heard them say something like this, "You can't help who you love." Or, "It just happened! I didn't WANT to love that person!" If you're like me, you've probably even said something like that YOURSELF! It's on television, in the movies, printed in books and magazines, and all across social media. We're told that we need to find our own truth. That our purpose depends on what is best for us.
I will agree that each of us are made as individuals. We are made uniquely with diversity in mind. That was always the intent. We are "fearfully and wonderfully made" according to Luke 139:13-14. We have a purpose and a calling that we are each supposed to fulfill. BUT! There is a commonality that binds us all. There is a foundation on which our diversity and uniqueness is to be built. Isaiah 64:6 tells us that any purpose, and calling, any "righteousness" is like a filthy rag without Christ. So in order for anything we do, our works, to make any difference at all to God, there must first be the common foundation of a relationship with Christ.
In the scripture I asked you to read, the expert in religious law asked Jesus what he must do to have eternal life. Look again here at verse 27 as the expert recounts what we now call the Old Testament law. And he was right, according to Jesus! In order for everything to make sense, for all our works to be counted, we must FIRST love God, then love others!!!
But now let's stop right there! How is that possible? If we are to find our own truth, according to the media and what's popular, and if we can't help who we love, then how can we CHOOSE to love God and love others?!? AND, that last part actually says to love neighbors as MYSELF, so I have to love ME too!!!
Michelle and I were watching a Podcast of Bishop TD Jakes tonight on TV. He said something that just HIT me!!! He said, "Love is controllable. God could not be considered to be a just God were He to command us to do something we can not do." Oh WOW!!! Bishop Jakes woke up a whole new thing within me as God used him to speak into my own heart. Do you understand what God is implying here by His command to us to love?!? He is saying that we CHOOSE who we love!!! If we choose to love Him, we choose to love others. We choose who our mates will be. We choose our friends. Love is a CHOICE!!!
And did you see how cool Jesus answers the question in our main scripture passage? When the expert recounted to love God and love our neighbor, the lawyer wanted to know who was classified as our "neighbor?" That's when Jesus delivers the story of the Good Samaritan. Samaritans and Jews didn't talk to each other! Ancestors of the Hatfields and McCoy's, these two nations!!! Yet Jesus showed a CHOICE by the Samaritan to have compassion on this hurt Jew and care for him. This was the kind of choice on whose shoulders could ride the reconciliation of two peoples. Remember at the end of ROCKY IV when Rocky was being interviewed by the Russian announcer after just knocking out Ivan Drago? He said, "If I can change, and you can change, then maybe we ALL can change!" It's a choice.
And the part that I only touched on earlier isn't by any means the lesser of the lessons here. We are to choose to love ourselves. According to this scripture, we can't love others until we love ourselves first! Otherwise, who are we going to love our neighbors AS? Just to get you thinking.
I'm reminded of ol' Joshua in the Old Testament telling his people to choose that day who they would serve, but, he said, "as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord." So who you gonna love today? Choose now. :-)
As a Worship Pastor, I have sat down with many of the artists I've had the privilege of pastoring, and I've heard them say something like this, "You can't help who you love." Or, "It just happened! I didn't WANT to love that person!" If you're like me, you've probably even said something like that YOURSELF! It's on television, in the movies, printed in books and magazines, and all across social media. We're told that we need to find our own truth. That our purpose depends on what is best for us.
I will agree that each of us are made as individuals. We are made uniquely with diversity in mind. That was always the intent. We are "fearfully and wonderfully made" according to Luke 139:13-14. We have a purpose and a calling that we are each supposed to fulfill. BUT! There is a commonality that binds us all. There is a foundation on which our diversity and uniqueness is to be built. Isaiah 64:6 tells us that any purpose, and calling, any "righteousness" is like a filthy rag without Christ. So in order for anything we do, our works, to make any difference at all to God, there must first be the common foundation of a relationship with Christ.
In the scripture I asked you to read, the expert in religious law asked Jesus what he must do to have eternal life. Look again here at verse 27 as the expert recounts what we now call the Old Testament law. And he was right, according to Jesus! In order for everything to make sense, for all our works to be counted, we must FIRST love God, then love others!!!
But now let's stop right there! How is that possible? If we are to find our own truth, according to the media and what's popular, and if we can't help who we love, then how can we CHOOSE to love God and love others?!? AND, that last part actually says to love neighbors as MYSELF, so I have to love ME too!!!
Michelle and I were watching a Podcast of Bishop TD Jakes tonight on TV. He said something that just HIT me!!! He said, "Love is controllable. God could not be considered to be a just God were He to command us to do something we can not do." Oh WOW!!! Bishop Jakes woke up a whole new thing within me as God used him to speak into my own heart. Do you understand what God is implying here by His command to us to love?!? He is saying that we CHOOSE who we love!!! If we choose to love Him, we choose to love others. We choose who our mates will be. We choose our friends. Love is a CHOICE!!!
And did you see how cool Jesus answers the question in our main scripture passage? When the expert recounted to love God and love our neighbor, the lawyer wanted to know who was classified as our "neighbor?" That's when Jesus delivers the story of the Good Samaritan. Samaritans and Jews didn't talk to each other! Ancestors of the Hatfields and McCoy's, these two nations!!! Yet Jesus showed a CHOICE by the Samaritan to have compassion on this hurt Jew and care for him. This was the kind of choice on whose shoulders could ride the reconciliation of two peoples. Remember at the end of ROCKY IV when Rocky was being interviewed by the Russian announcer after just knocking out Ivan Drago? He said, "If I can change, and you can change, then maybe we ALL can change!" It's a choice.
And the part that I only touched on earlier isn't by any means the lesser of the lessons here. We are to choose to love ourselves. According to this scripture, we can't love others until we love ourselves first! Otherwise, who are we going to love our neighbors AS? Just to get you thinking.
I'm reminded of ol' Joshua in the Old Testament telling his people to choose that day who they would serve, but, he said, "as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord." So who you gonna love today? Choose now. :-)
Friday, September 6, 2013
BIBLE: How To Win Back A "Fallen" Christian
BEFORE READING THIS BLOG, IT IS IMPERATIVE THAT YOU READ MY BLOG FROM A FEW DAYS AGO, LEAVE 99 AND GO FOR 1. IT SETS UP THE ATTITUDE AND SOME OF THE LANGUAGE I WILL BE USING HERE IN THIS BLOG.
I'm not speaking to this question having gone through some kind of seminary class on the theology of rescuing wayward Christians. Neither have I been to some psychology classes that gives me some kind of degree to hang out a shingle and start a counseling firm. I have a Spiritual Gift of counseling, but no degree.
So what are my credentials? I have only one. I'm one of the wayward Christians who have been rescued...on more than one occasion. A "success story" type description would be a bit of a stretch. I made it through once, only to do again what I swore would NEVER happen again! But I'm also one of the fortunate ones. I'm in love with Jesus today and I'm learning more and more about Him every day. There's hope for those like me. Maybe you know someone like me and you want more than anything to see them in a better place. Read on. There's no formula, but here, you'll get a little advice, a few guidelines, and, I pray, a lot of hope!!!
First and foremost, YOU need to realize that you're no different. Name the sin. Whatever it is that someone else has done, it's no worse than anything you've done! The moment you think yourself better, in any way, than the person you want to help, you give the enemy a foothold in the outcome. The devil will consistently spin the conversations with that attitude unless you first surrender that spirit of superiority to Christ, repent of it, and be a conduit of grace because you fully understand that it took the same Spotless Lamb's blood to save YOUR sin as it will theirs. If you can't reach this place, let someone else handle it. But this is important for ALL Christians to realize, not just a few. It's the recognition of the power of the grace and forgiveness in our own lives that supercharges the effectiveness of our testimonies and counsel to others. It's "Being A Christian 101!"
Second, you need to realize that tough love and scare tactics rarely work. It's not something you see in scripture either. Giving your life for someone else's is one thing, if you want to call that a form of tough love. But there's no greater love than that. THAT kind of love is not only in scripture, it is what Jesus did for us all!!! Discipline is in scripture. It even says that God chastises those whom He loves. So I'm not saying there should not be discipline. But Jesus never exercised, endorsed, or encouraged any form of tough love! It causes resentment in the one you're trying to help. Resentment causes a desire for separation. The moment you further separate the person any more than what they already are, that is the moment you turn them over to that "roaring lion seeking whom he may devour." The devil WANTS them alone! Without protection, they're easy prey. It's the 1 who has left the 99. Yet this seems to be the FIRST thing that many Christians do! We feel like we can't handle it or don't want to, so we take a hands off approach. We look at them and say, "I'm not sure you're even a sheep. And if you ARE one, you're not like us and we don't want you or to be associated with you." But in doing this, we remove the protection of the influence of other Christians in their lives. We paint a target on the back of the sheep and say, "Here you go, devil. You can have this one. He's not worthy to be in our group!"
I can hear your thoughts, "So then are you saying to CONDONE the sin and act like nothing is wrong?" ABSOLUTELY NOT!!! Scripture doesn't do that either!!! Sin is sin and it cost Jesus His life!!! We need to, again, FULLY understand of what Jesus has forgiven us, before we EVER start trying to point out the ins of others! We're quick to go to Matthew 18 and say that we should consider them o be like tax collectors and other sinners. But did we do what Matthew 18 pointed out before it ever got to that point?!? It lists a step by step process! But read what happens we choose not to forgive someone who asks for it in Matthew 18:21-35. It doesn't do well to withhold forgiveness.
So then, WHAT IS THE ANSWER?!? It's simple. Love. That's it. A simple four letter word. Love in SPITE of the sin, not because of it. Love the SINNER, not the sin. Remember the shepherd going out to find the 1 and leaving the 99? Remember what his staff is for? NEVER use the pointy end on the sheep!!! That is for the enemy, the devourer, not the one you wish to protect. Guard your words carefully. Be transparent about your own failures. Take responsibility for any part you played, even if you don't think you did!!! This can't be about you. It's about them. It is reducing yourself below your rights and what or who you believe you are to reach out to someone who doesn't DESERVE your rescue attempt, but you love them or Jesus or both enough to try.
Now let me say a word about counseling. I've been through counseling. I went through about 3 years of it a number of years ago. It worked some wonders in my life at the time. I identified a lot of things that helped me to watch out for pitfalls in the future. But it did not keep me from making the same mistake again! There are all kinds of great programs out there for all kinds of different problems. But an alcoholic will always be tempted by alcohol. A drug addict by drugs. A porn addict by porn. These things are readily accessible by anyone who wants to try hard enough. But NOTHING out there works as well as the move of God in a person's life! I don't care how many programs you send someone to, Jesus is still better than any doctor or counselor. I believe in the work of doctors and counselors! I DO!!! But Jesus is making the lasting difference!!!
Read Romans 6:23. Notice the use of the words "is death." Friends, when Christians sin, there is still DEATH!!! Hear me? Let me repeat that. When Christians sin, there is STILL DEATH!!! When I sinned, I had all kinds of friends - CHRISTIAN friends - dessert me! They all told me, "That's the consequences of your sin." WHAT?!? No. See, we don't get to sentence our brothers and sisters to any kind of consequence. They're dying inside!!! If they truly know Jesus, there is conviction, there is grief, there is mourning, and yes, there is a part of them that has died. It is the part called "a right relationship with God." And that part is the very heartbeat and breath - the LIFE - of a believer in Jesus. There is NOTHING you or anyone else on this earth can say or do that will cause more death in a person's life that being outside that right relationship! They may not realize it. They may deny it. They may reject a belief in it. But that's not THEIR choice either!!! That's Bible. Death is the payment - the wages - of sin. God said that would happen. And our belief as far as what treatment sinners need doesn't mean a hill of beans to God! He's got this. He doesn't need our help. GOD is the Judge. God is the Jury. And HE will pronounce sentence. He has given us two commands, basically. They are NOT, "watch and see how many tears they cry at the altar, I need to know if they are REALLY sorry! I can't tell from up here." He's never deferred and said, "Pastor, how many years of counseling do you think he needs before I let him serve Me again? Now I know I can't let him back in the capacity he was because you people won't accept him that way." Sounds ridiculous, almost blasphemous, doesn't it? But that is the attitude we take. That's the way we expect God to act. When He has told us our two responsibilities: love Him with all our heart, soul, and mind, and love our neighbor as ourselves. Period. We love them. We ache with them when we see the sentence (if He chooses to pronounce one) on their lives. Because we know that but for the grace of God, there go I!
People have looked at Jimmy Swaggart, Jim Bakker, Ted Haggard, Michael English, and the like, and have shamed them and shunned them and refused to listen to them because they have sin in their past. Well SO DO YOU!!! The ONLY difference between them and you is that everybody knows what THEY did!!! What would happen if someone were to read your most private sins that you hope nobody ever finds out about in a public arena? THEN how would you feel about grace?!? You'd want a little, wouldn't you? But we need PROOF that they've repented!!! NO YOU DON'T!!! God's a big boy. He said He would handle that part. LET HIM!!! Personally, I think that is a total blatant display of a lack of faith in God! When Christians do that, it is a window into their own relationship with God that says, "I really don't believe it when I say that God can handle anything, even that which He has promised to handle." In that situation, YOU are the problem, not the one who is wayward and crying out on the inside for someone to help and listen.
Understand, I'm not trying to get any kind of sympathy or "preach" to friends who turned their backs on me. I left that to Jesus. All but 1 has allowed me to restore my relationships with them through Christ. Thank You, Lord, for that!!! And I have left the 1 in the hands of Jesus and have accepted his decision not to have any further contact with me. He has that right. As far as I know, he will never see this blog.
Understand, I'm not trying to get any kind of sympathy or "preach" to friends who turned their backs on me. I left that to Jesus. All but 1 has allowed me to restore my relationships with them through Christ. Thank You, Lord, for that!!! And I have left the 1 in the hands of Jesus and have accepted his decision not to have any further contact with me. He has that right. As far as I know, he will never see this blog.
Truth be told, people who have experienced public sin, people such as those listed above, probably have a closer walk with Jesus than any of you! WHY?!? Because HE is the "Great Shepherd" who left the 99 and went after them and now holds them close to His chest! HE is the "Great Physician." HE is the "Wonderful Counselor." Not YOU! Not Dr. Phil!!! No Dr. Drew!!! JESUS!!!!
Let me tell you, friends, I have learned more about the power of God in my life (thus the lives of others since He loves us all) after my "fall" than I ever did before!!! I'm closer to God now. I have a renewed sense of purpose. I have a renewed calling, even though His first call on my life has never been revoked according to Romans 11:29.
I also believe that the closer a person is to a wayward Christian, the more responsibility they have. Parents, siblings, aunts, uncles, grandparents, best friends, spouses, children, whatever - we have the responsibility of getting our hands dirty. Scripture makes it VERY clear what our responsibilities are in Galatians 6:1-3. Pay strong and close attention to the words "GENTLY" and "HUMBLY." Plus God says in James 5:19-20 that those who bring them back - those who embark on a rescue mission - end up saving a life and a multitude of sins! The question to you is, "Do you mean what you say?" Do you really LOVE that person?
There are many out there who have children, parents, friends, etc who have "gone off the deep end." I'm no pro. I have no shingle and no degree. There are no formulas. But if you need to ask a question, I would love to help if I can. Feel free to write me. You can use the link on the right of this blog under the ABOUT ME section. I will write you back. And PLEASE take time to comment below!!! Share this blog on YOUR Facebook page so that your friends can read what's here. I believe this information to be so very important. Just click on the Facebook and Twitter links that are somewhat grayed out below this blog near the "Comments" section and you can share to either one you wish.
Thanks for taking time with me. I hope and pray this helps you and many others. Till next time...
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