So I've been pretty absent lately, for that I apologize. Life has its ways of pulling you under the current and opportunities to ascend for a breath can be infrequent. But I absolutely HAD to take a moment to share something that really hit me hard yesterday.
Last night, my wife and I started watching Django Unchained. I say started, because due to time constraints we weren't able to finish the movie, but got at least halfway through it. There are a lot of words to accurately describe this movie. Grim. Repulsive. Stomach-turning. The institution of slavery that existed in the old South is certainly not a bright spot in our country's history. And while it is just a movie, we can get an idea of how some human beings were treated at that time.
I think most of us could agree that such practices are unfathomable. I personally couldn't imagine standing by and watching such injustice happen. But it got me to thinking. I would assume that most of us would profess to be disgusted and possibly even driven to action by such mistreatment of fellow men and women. But I'd like to examine ways in which we have committed even more unthinkable atrocities.
Surely not! We could never be capable of such heinous acts. We could not inflict such physical and emotional harm on others, could we? We could not condemn other people to exhausting and hopeless lives, followed by an unimaginable death, could we? Or have we already done so?
We are surrounded by countless people living in just such hopelessness, slaves in the bondage of sin. They are living in real heartache and hopelessness because of it. We may not see it in their daily lives, but it is there. And they are not all as obvious as the drug addict or the victim of abuse. Such things are highly visible, but what about the person contemplating suicide because of the heartache of a failed marriage, a recently deceased son or daughter, unbearable financial stress, or even a more visible chemical dependence?
Such people may be well put-together on the outside, but they may be absolutely hopeless when no one can see it. They may be slaves to a sin that they admittedly may have walked into willingly, but cannot escape from on their own.
The most sobering thought of all? We have the answer to their problem. We stand by, in relative comfort while they endure their turmoil. In reality, how can we claim to be any better than the heartless slaver if we have the answer to the world's problems but refuse to share it? How many people have you shared Jesus with recently? I know my own answer to that question, and my heart is broken by it. I've allowed countless people pass my by in chains, flogged by the master they are serving and broken into submission, helpless to escape.
My friends, it is time we issue an emancipation proclamation of our own. It is time to search our hearts and have compassion for our fellow humans. We cannot stand idly by as we watch such injustice take place. Those of us who are Christians, it is time we stand up and be the church, and carry out the responsibility that is placed on our shoulders.
I do not wish to be a failure any longer. I do not wish others' pain and heartache to continue. I must personally step out of my bed of comfort and offer assistance where it is most desperately needed. May God move my heart to carry out the responsibility He has placed on me.
Sunday, August 4, 2013
Thursday, April 25, 2013
Dethroning God
So I've been a bit absent from this blog lately. I apologize. Please accept my apology by considering my most recent thoughts, which are sure to be more controversial than my last.
Let's begin with a few verses to consider:
Isaiah 55:9 For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts
Psalm 135:6 Whatever the Lord pleases, he does, in heaven and in earth, in the seas and in all deeps
Isaiah 46:10 I make known the end from the beginning, from ancient times, what is still to come. I say, "my purpose will stand, and I will do all that I please."
I was probably 17 years old. I was watching a documentary on Biblical miracles. I'll never forget it. On the show, there were experts explaining how a seasonal wind in the region causes water movement in the Red Sea. And they were pointing to this normal weather pattern as the factor that took God out of the equation, and instead made the Israelites' escape from the Egyptians just dumb luck.
I was absolutely astounded. They wanted to use science to downplay God? God INVENTED science, ya morons! Do they not know he is the author of it all? Do they not understand that if science is the means, God is the engineer that knew how to set the whole thing into motion?
The Bible was written in a time of ignorance and superstition in the history of mankind. People didn't want to know the details, they just wanted the assurance that it was in God's hands. God spoke the world into existence? Good enough for us.
We live in a different world today. People are curious. They prod into the inner workings of things. Mankind has made some AMAZING discoveries, that I could not even begin to comprehend. And, as a result of the advances we've made, people get a little big-headed. Look what we have done. Look how advanced a civilization we've become. People get the idea that we no longer need God, because he is precluded by science.
Well, if God set the gears to motion that we today call "science", we can hardly toss him aside just because we know how a few things work. Science can't disprove God. It can't throw a coup and remove him from his throne. Science cannot challenge God, because it is under the control of God. It is a creation of God, and we all know the created cannot be greater than the creation. If anything, discovery of how the world works should only bolster our faith and drive us to a new level of awe at how great God really is. This is all the work of his hand.
What an inspiring message, right? High-five, we showed those guys! ...well, I'm not done yet.
Here's where we get into the whole "cultural Christianity" thing. We are all about talking about God's sovereignty, as long as it benefits us and our collective creed. Outside of that, things get a little bit sticky. And I don't want my ego to put blinders on my eyes that potentially make me miss the larger picture.
So, here we are back to the relevance of the culture that was at the time the books of the Bible were penned. People didn't need to know all the details, because God was a spiritual being beyond their understanding. But we've got science now, so it's not that way anymore, right? Or is it? Can we really profess to understand God? Do we know his ways? Are we on the same level as him?
Even if you aren't a believer, or even a Theist at all, you have to admit that we couldn't hope to compare to the idea of an omniscient God. So why are we so quick to dismiss him?
"Whatever do you mean?" I know that's what you're asking me. To which I can only reply that I have thoughts, but I can't claim to know it all. I want to make it clear that the point of this post is not to enlighten you and show you the error of your ways. I simply want it to open your mind to all the possibilities of who God could be, and what he could have done, because outside of that which is clearly defined in the Bible, we couldn't possibly know for sure. Not in this life, anyway.
Let me test the waters very quickly.
EVOLUTION.
What sort of response does that spark in you? Disgust? Interest? Indifference?
Well, the point of today's blog is to, without questioning God or who he is, discover what exactly it is about this idea that polarizes our society.
There are two scriptures I'd like to consider relating to this topic. First, Genesis 3:19
From the sweat of your brow you will eat your food until you return to the ground, since from it you were taken; for dust you are and to dust you will return
Second, Genesis 1:27
So God created mankind in his own image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them.
So God created man from dust? Is that figuratively speaking, or literal? Did he just speak and create man by the power of his voice? Did he have to wave his hand? Did he swirl literal dust into the form of a man? The truth is, we don't really know the HOW. Science, no matter its motive, has tried to explain the formation of our world and how the human race came to be. Science is not greater than God, God is in control. And no matter how much we want it to be one way or the other, WE are also not greater than God, God is in control. Ultimately whether God spoke us into existence, or if we are the product of a Godly magic trick, or even if we are the product of a God-designed evolution process, it really makes no difference. God is in control.
I know the standard argument: But we are created in God's image. We are special. We are different.
Yes, we are created in God's image. There are different camps for what exactly that means. Personally, I'm of the persuasion that we are eternal beings, with a "soul", as you might call it. You may not agree. That's fine. Like I said, I am not declaring rights and wrongs here, I just want an honest evaluation.
Most who oppose the very thought of evolution typically recite the "made in God's image" scripture. And I understand why. But I'd like to stop for a moment and make a few considerations on that.
The passage I want to look at next is a bit too long for me to copy and paste here, so here's a link to Exodus 33:
http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Exodus+33&version=NIV
It's generally accepted as fact, and Jesus even states it himself in John 1:18 that no man has physically seen God. Moses was the closest there was to actually seeing God, but he didn't see him. It's been explained in a lot of different ways - that he saw God's back, that he saw God's glory or shadow as he passed by, etc. So how do we know what God looks like? Do we really think we look physically just like him, and that it's beneath us to have any other origin? Read Revelation. Tell me that John's vision of heaven is of God and his creations making up a sea of White Anglo-Saxon Protestants. Yes, there's a lot of imagery in this book of the Bible, and we would do well not to take every detail of it literally - God is making a lot of representations and abstract ideas rather than pinning down details. But to tell the truth, we can't know whether we look just like God. And I would argue that there is no way we COULD, and to think we are a carbon copy of such splendor and glory is just plain ARROGANT.
So what business of ours is it? Who are WE to declare what we are better than? Are we to play God? Are we to limit him by saying he is not allowed to use such a process? And if we can do that, is he still omniscient? Would he still be God?
Look, I'm not telling you to get over it because you might share a common ancestor with monkeys. (Note the phrasing - a lot of folks don't get the whole evolution idea exactly right) I can't say that with 100% certainty. I wasn't there, maybe it happened, and maybe it didn't. If it did, then it's just a piece of knowledge that exists, but cannot exist outside of God. But I must make my peace with it, no matter what, because it is not my place but God's to decide that.
Either way, WHO CARES? Galatians 6:14 says, May I never boast except in the cross of our Lord Christ Jesus, through which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world. WHAT A BOLD STATEMENT! Our identity lies in our God through the sacrifice of Jesus Christ! We have nothing we can claim for ourselves, only that which was given to us freely through Jesus. And note the second part: that the world has no meaning to us outside of him. So what does our physical composition or origin matter?
The point here is, no matter our origin, we were created by God, FOR God, and we have no say in the matter. The world-engineering we call science was created by God, FOR God, and it has no say in the matter either. We are all subject to his will - which, remember, is his own, and is not known to us.
So, does evolution explain our origin? WHO CARES? It is neither here nor there, we are who we are because of Jesus' sacrifice. (Let me stop here and mention if you don't know about Jesus and what he did, or do not already KNOW that his sacrifice covers you, PLEASE ask me about him) Even if current scientific research is right, and we are products of evolution, it does not preclude God because he is above it all. I would recommend we move past dwelling on it. We are in no position to dwell on it, in any case. If the schools teach it to our children, so be it. The concept does not and CANNOT challenge God because it is ultimately under his control. Like any other matter, it is our responsibility as parents (if you have children) to teach our children how it all relates to God. The rest is just details. God-ordained, God-planned details.
Let's begin with a few verses to consider:
Isaiah 55:9 For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts
Psalm 135:6 Whatever the Lord pleases, he does, in heaven and in earth, in the seas and in all deeps
Isaiah 46:10 I make known the end from the beginning, from ancient times, what is still to come. I say, "my purpose will stand, and I will do all that I please."
I was probably 17 years old. I was watching a documentary on Biblical miracles. I'll never forget it. On the show, there were experts explaining how a seasonal wind in the region causes water movement in the Red Sea. And they were pointing to this normal weather pattern as the factor that took God out of the equation, and instead made the Israelites' escape from the Egyptians just dumb luck.
I was absolutely astounded. They wanted to use science to downplay God? God INVENTED science, ya morons! Do they not know he is the author of it all? Do they not understand that if science is the means, God is the engineer that knew how to set the whole thing into motion?
The Bible was written in a time of ignorance and superstition in the history of mankind. People didn't want to know the details, they just wanted the assurance that it was in God's hands. God spoke the world into existence? Good enough for us.
We live in a different world today. People are curious. They prod into the inner workings of things. Mankind has made some AMAZING discoveries, that I could not even begin to comprehend. And, as a result of the advances we've made, people get a little big-headed. Look what we have done. Look how advanced a civilization we've become. People get the idea that we no longer need God, because he is precluded by science.
Well, if God set the gears to motion that we today call "science", we can hardly toss him aside just because we know how a few things work. Science can't disprove God. It can't throw a coup and remove him from his throne. Science cannot challenge God, because it is under the control of God. It is a creation of God, and we all know the created cannot be greater than the creation. If anything, discovery of how the world works should only bolster our faith and drive us to a new level of awe at how great God really is. This is all the work of his hand.
What an inspiring message, right? High-five, we showed those guys! ...well, I'm not done yet.
Here's where we get into the whole "cultural Christianity" thing. We are all about talking about God's sovereignty, as long as it benefits us and our collective creed. Outside of that, things get a little bit sticky. And I don't want my ego to put blinders on my eyes that potentially make me miss the larger picture.
So, here we are back to the relevance of the culture that was at the time the books of the Bible were penned. People didn't need to know all the details, because God was a spiritual being beyond their understanding. But we've got science now, so it's not that way anymore, right? Or is it? Can we really profess to understand God? Do we know his ways? Are we on the same level as him?
Even if you aren't a believer, or even a Theist at all, you have to admit that we couldn't hope to compare to the idea of an omniscient God. So why are we so quick to dismiss him?
"Whatever do you mean?" I know that's what you're asking me. To which I can only reply that I have thoughts, but I can't claim to know it all. I want to make it clear that the point of this post is not to enlighten you and show you the error of your ways. I simply want it to open your mind to all the possibilities of who God could be, and what he could have done, because outside of that which is clearly defined in the Bible, we couldn't possibly know for sure. Not in this life, anyway.
Let me test the waters very quickly.
EVOLUTION.
What sort of response does that spark in you? Disgust? Interest? Indifference?
Well, the point of today's blog is to, without questioning God or who he is, discover what exactly it is about this idea that polarizes our society.
There are two scriptures I'd like to consider relating to this topic. First, Genesis 3:19
From the sweat of your brow you will eat your food until you return to the ground, since from it you were taken; for dust you are and to dust you will return
Second, Genesis 1:27
So God created mankind in his own image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them.
So God created man from dust? Is that figuratively speaking, or literal? Did he just speak and create man by the power of his voice? Did he have to wave his hand? Did he swirl literal dust into the form of a man? The truth is, we don't really know the HOW. Science, no matter its motive, has tried to explain the formation of our world and how the human race came to be. Science is not greater than God, God is in control. And no matter how much we want it to be one way or the other, WE are also not greater than God, God is in control. Ultimately whether God spoke us into existence, or if we are the product of a Godly magic trick, or even if we are the product of a God-designed evolution process, it really makes no difference. God is in control.
I know the standard argument: But we are created in God's image. We are special. We are different.
Yes, we are created in God's image. There are different camps for what exactly that means. Personally, I'm of the persuasion that we are eternal beings, with a "soul", as you might call it. You may not agree. That's fine. Like I said, I am not declaring rights and wrongs here, I just want an honest evaluation.
Most who oppose the very thought of evolution typically recite the "made in God's image" scripture. And I understand why. But I'd like to stop for a moment and make a few considerations on that.
The passage I want to look at next is a bit too long for me to copy and paste here, so here's a link to Exodus 33:
http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Exodus+33&version=NIV
It's generally accepted as fact, and Jesus even states it himself in John 1:18 that no man has physically seen God. Moses was the closest there was to actually seeing God, but he didn't see him. It's been explained in a lot of different ways - that he saw God's back, that he saw God's glory or shadow as he passed by, etc. So how do we know what God looks like? Do we really think we look physically just like him, and that it's beneath us to have any other origin? Read Revelation. Tell me that John's vision of heaven is of God and his creations making up a sea of White Anglo-Saxon Protestants. Yes, there's a lot of imagery in this book of the Bible, and we would do well not to take every detail of it literally - God is making a lot of representations and abstract ideas rather than pinning down details. But to tell the truth, we can't know whether we look just like God. And I would argue that there is no way we COULD, and to think we are a carbon copy of such splendor and glory is just plain ARROGANT.
So what business of ours is it? Who are WE to declare what we are better than? Are we to play God? Are we to limit him by saying he is not allowed to use such a process? And if we can do that, is he still omniscient? Would he still be God?
Look, I'm not telling you to get over it because you might share a common ancestor with monkeys. (Note the phrasing - a lot of folks don't get the whole evolution idea exactly right) I can't say that with 100% certainty. I wasn't there, maybe it happened, and maybe it didn't. If it did, then it's just a piece of knowledge that exists, but cannot exist outside of God. But I must make my peace with it, no matter what, because it is not my place but God's to decide that.
Either way, WHO CARES? Galatians 6:14 says, May I never boast except in the cross of our Lord Christ Jesus, through which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world. WHAT A BOLD STATEMENT! Our identity lies in our God through the sacrifice of Jesus Christ! We have nothing we can claim for ourselves, only that which was given to us freely through Jesus. And note the second part: that the world has no meaning to us outside of him. So what does our physical composition or origin matter?
The point here is, no matter our origin, we were created by God, FOR God, and we have no say in the matter. The world-engineering we call science was created by God, FOR God, and it has no say in the matter either. We are all subject to his will - which, remember, is his own, and is not known to us.
So, does evolution explain our origin? WHO CARES? It is neither here nor there, we are who we are because of Jesus' sacrifice. (Let me stop here and mention if you don't know about Jesus and what he did, or do not already KNOW that his sacrifice covers you, PLEASE ask me about him) Even if current scientific research is right, and we are products of evolution, it does not preclude God because he is above it all. I would recommend we move past dwelling on it. We are in no position to dwell on it, in any case. If the schools teach it to our children, so be it. The concept does not and CANNOT challenge God because it is ultimately under his control. Like any other matter, it is our responsibility as parents (if you have children) to teach our children how it all relates to God. The rest is just details. God-ordained, God-planned details.
Thursday, April 11, 2013
First Things First...NO MATTER WHAT!
"Be wise in the way you act toward outsiders [non-believers]; make the most of every opportunity. Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone."Colossians 4:5-6
So in my last blog, the focus was addressing our own issues in the proper order. Today, I want to talk about the same subject, only in relation to OTHER people. This blog will undoubtedly be very controversial with some of the folks who I know will be reading it - if you're a bit squeamish, or don't want to have your long-held beliefs challenges, stop reading now. However, I hope you don't stop here. Why? Because this also relates to one of those issues that really made me re-examine my faith. Let me clarify: It didn't make me question Jesus or his significance in my life. But it DID make me re-think what part of my faith is truly faith, and what part of it was merely cultural. I want to discuss the matter of homosexual marriage, and our reaction to it as Christians.
Let me be clear about one thing. Even though I know some people who would push back on this point, I am operating under the assumption that homosexuality is a sin. In no way do I intend this post to be taken as an endorsement of homosexuality as an acceptable practice in God's eyes. And before I go ANY further, I would like to remind anyone who might be cheering on such a public confession that YOU sir, and YOU ma'am will be equally judged. Maybe your sin is instead gluttony. Or greed. Or idolatry. Or adultery. How many obese Christians do we have out there with no self-control? How many Christians obsessed with money and possessions, who put twice as much thought into those things any given day than as they do about Jesus? How many of us, Christians, have committed adultery? Oh, you haven't actually done so? Don't forget Jesus's words: 28 but I say to you that everyone who looks at a woman with lust for her has already committed adultery with her in his heart. I very well doubt that any of us can honestly say we're not guilty there. So don't be so quick to publicly champion the cause of hitting the streets and publicly calling homosexuals sinners, because NONE of us are innocent of our own accord, ALL of us need to rely on Jesus for that.
With that said, I want to go back to the passage of scripture examined in my last post:
13 “But woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites, because you shut off the kingdom of heaven [c]from [d]people; for you do not enter in yourselves, nor do you allow those who are entering to go in...
25 “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you clean the outside of the cup and of the dish, but inside they are full [w]of robbery and self-indulgence. 26 You blind Pharisee, first clean the inside of the cup and of the dish, so that the outside of it may become clean also.
The passage in its entirety is in my last post - I snipped a bit just to focus on the parts of it which are relevant to today's post. Jesus actually accused the Pharisees of SHUTTING OFF the Kingdom of Heaven to others. Because of their focus on appearances, they missed what they had been tasked with: tending to the hearts of their people.
Look at that. Jesus was presented with a woman guilty of sexual sin. Remember, I mentioned earlier that we are also assuming it to be true that homosexuality is a sin - obviously, a sexual sin. Just like this woman. What did Jesus do? Did he call her out for it? Did he take her to the Roman court and demand her actions be made illegal? Did he call her actions an abomination? Did he make Facebook posts about it?
The answer, of course, is no. Christians, we have so obviously missed the boat on this one. Why are we storming the ballots and Supreme Court demanding "justice"? That affair is every bit as much a challenge to the "sanctity of marriage", as popular Christian culture has us term it. Or maybe the way you mistreat your spouse. Or the fact that you had sex with SOMEONE ELSE before you were married.
Look, I'm not trying to beat anyone down on any of that. Hopefully, it's all in the past, and Jesus's grace is there to give you freedom from it. But let's be real. All of those things are HAPPENING in today's world. And they do every bit as much as homosexuality to degrade and erode the institution of marriage. But Christians aren't out there lobbying and protesting and shouting about them. No one wants to make them illegal. Anyone guilty of any of those sins are just as much broken creatures who need Jesus as any one of us. Should we offer them that grace or drive wedges between us? Is our political battle, as Colossians 4 says, "full of grace"? Are we being wise in the way we interact with non-believers?
Folks, this is one of those situations where it just doesn't matter one iota what our INTENT is. Do we realize what other people are hearing us say when we lobby against homosexual marriage?
"You don't matter"
I KNOW that's not the message that Christians want to get across. At least, I know that's not what most of us intend. But let's not get so wrapped up in one detail that we miss the larger picture. This is what people are hearing us say. Can you imagine Jesus responding to the woman in John 8 like we do today? Just imagine that scene in your head. OH MY GOD! It absolutely breaks my heart. How can we have gotten to a point that this is the message of today's Christianity? Do you see what Jesus does in this passage? He is extending his grace to her FIRST. Yes, he commands her to go and sin no more, but not until AFTER she has met him; AFTER he has captured her heart. I don't know of a single example of Jesus using politics to go on a crusade against sin. He took that fight to the CROSS. And that, friends, is where our fight against sin belongs. Not in a courtroom.
And let me clarify once more. I am not saying anything about a homosexual lifestyle being acceptable to God. But we have GOT to remember, God cannot coexist with ANY kind of sin, not just homosexuality. No matter what kind of sin is in our lives, it separates us from God and only by Christ's sacrifice are we redeemed to him. What comes immediately after the world-renowned verse John 3:16? For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. Let's not be involved in condemning the world. Let's simply offer them the grace Jesus offered them, in the way he offered it to him. And once that is accomplished, then we can "counsel" one another, as Paul encourages us to do. We've got that in the right order when it comes to most other matters. I don't know why we've got it mixed up with this one.
Christians, I'll say it again. We are MISSING the boat. Our calling is not to make non-Christian people act like Christian people. We are after their hearts. We need to get them captivated with Jesus. And then and ONLY then, we guide them in leaving their past life behind. Done in any other order, we are engaged in busywork. Dare I say we would be wasting our lives.
Let's get this right. Let's make first things first. Let's follow Jesus, not culture. Introduce Jesus into the hearts of those you know. The rest will follow.
So in my last blog, the focus was addressing our own issues in the proper order. Today, I want to talk about the same subject, only in relation to OTHER people. This blog will undoubtedly be very controversial with some of the folks who I know will be reading it - if you're a bit squeamish, or don't want to have your long-held beliefs challenges, stop reading now. However, I hope you don't stop here. Why? Because this also relates to one of those issues that really made me re-examine my faith. Let me clarify: It didn't make me question Jesus or his significance in my life. But it DID make me re-think what part of my faith is truly faith, and what part of it was merely cultural. I want to discuss the matter of homosexual marriage, and our reaction to it as Christians.
Let me be clear about one thing. Even though I know some people who would push back on this point, I am operating under the assumption that homosexuality is a sin. In no way do I intend this post to be taken as an endorsement of homosexuality as an acceptable practice in God's eyes. And before I go ANY further, I would like to remind anyone who might be cheering on such a public confession that YOU sir, and YOU ma'am will be equally judged. Maybe your sin is instead gluttony. Or greed. Or idolatry. Or adultery. How many obese Christians do we have out there with no self-control? How many Christians obsessed with money and possessions, who put twice as much thought into those things any given day than as they do about Jesus? How many of us, Christians, have committed adultery? Oh, you haven't actually done so? Don't forget Jesus's words: 28 but I say to you that everyone who looks at a woman with lust for her has already committed adultery with her in his heart. I very well doubt that any of us can honestly say we're not guilty there. So don't be so quick to publicly champion the cause of hitting the streets and publicly calling homosexuals sinners, because NONE of us are innocent of our own accord, ALL of us need to rely on Jesus for that.
With that said, I want to go back to the passage of scripture examined in my last post:
13 “But woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites, because you shut off the kingdom of heaven [c]from [d]people; for you do not enter in yourselves, nor do you allow those who are entering to go in...
25 “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you clean the outside of the cup and of the dish, but inside they are full [w]of robbery and self-indulgence. 26 You blind Pharisee, first clean the inside of the cup and of the dish, so that the outside of it may become clean also.
27 “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed tombs which on the outside appear beautiful, but inside they are full of dead men’s bones and all uncleanness. 28 So you, too, outwardly appear righteous to men, but inwardly you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness.
The passage in its entirety is in my last post - I snipped a bit just to focus on the parts of it which are relevant to today's post. Jesus actually accused the Pharisees of SHUTTING OFF the Kingdom of Heaven to others. Because of their focus on appearances, they missed what they had been tasked with: tending to the hearts of their people.
It's easy for us to shake our heads and point our fingers at those Pharisees, but I want to make sure we aren't repeating their mistakes in our own time. I think we could all agree (From Ezekiel 3: 17 “Son of man, I have made you a watchman for the people of Israel; so hear the word I speak and give them warning from me. 18 When I say to a wicked person, ‘You will surely die,’ and you do not warn them or speak out to dissuade them from their evil ways in order to save their life, that wicked person will die for[b] their sin, and I will hold you accountable for their blood.) that as Christians, we have a call on our lives to IN SOME WAY share the news of Jesus Christ with others. So we are, in a way, in the same position of responsibility as those Pharisees.
So how do we live up to our duty? Every person is so different, every circumstance so unique that there's no possible way to get it right every time. Why not follow the best example there is?
From John 8:
2 Early in the morning He came again into the temple, and all the people were coming to Him; and He sat down and began to teach them. 3 The scribes and the Pharisees *brought a woman caught in adultery, and having set her in the center of the court, 4 they *said to Him, “Teacher, this woman has been caught in adultery, in the very act. 5 Now in the Law Moses commanded us to stone such women; what then do You say?” 6 They were saying this, testing Him, so that they might have grounds for accusing Him. But Jesus stooped down and with His finger wrote on the ground. 7 But when they persisted in asking Him, He straightened up, and said to them, “He who is without sin among you, let him be the first to throw a stone at her.” 8 Again He stooped down and wrote on the ground. 9 When they heard it, they began to go out one by one, beginning with the older ones, and He was left alone, and the woman, where she was, in the center of the court. 10 Straightening up, Jesus said to her,“Woman, where are they? Did no one condemn you?” 11 She said, “No one, [a]Lord.” And Jesus said, “I do not condemn you, either. Go. From now on sin no more.”
Look at that. Jesus was presented with a woman guilty of sexual sin. Remember, I mentioned earlier that we are also assuming it to be true that homosexuality is a sin - obviously, a sexual sin. Just like this woman. What did Jesus do? Did he call her out for it? Did he take her to the Roman court and demand her actions be made illegal? Did he call her actions an abomination? Did he make Facebook posts about it?
The answer, of course, is no. Christians, we have so obviously missed the boat on this one. Why are we storming the ballots and Supreme Court demanding "justice"? That affair is every bit as much a challenge to the "sanctity of marriage", as popular Christian culture has us term it. Or maybe the way you mistreat your spouse. Or the fact that you had sex with SOMEONE ELSE before you were married.
Look, I'm not trying to beat anyone down on any of that. Hopefully, it's all in the past, and Jesus's grace is there to give you freedom from it. But let's be real. All of those things are HAPPENING in today's world. And they do every bit as much as homosexuality to degrade and erode the institution of marriage. But Christians aren't out there lobbying and protesting and shouting about them. No one wants to make them illegal. Anyone guilty of any of those sins are just as much broken creatures who need Jesus as any one of us. Should we offer them that grace or drive wedges between us? Is our political battle, as Colossians 4 says, "full of grace"? Are we being wise in the way we interact with non-believers?
Folks, this is one of those situations where it just doesn't matter one iota what our INTENT is. Do we realize what other people are hearing us say when we lobby against homosexual marriage?
"You don't matter"
"You're not important"
"Jesus loves everyone BUT you"
"Jesus loves everyone BUT you"
"You are a second-rate person"
I KNOW that's not the message that Christians want to get across. At least, I know that's not what most of us intend. But let's not get so wrapped up in one detail that we miss the larger picture. This is what people are hearing us say. Can you imagine Jesus responding to the woman in John 8 like we do today? Just imagine that scene in your head. OH MY GOD! It absolutely breaks my heart. How can we have gotten to a point that this is the message of today's Christianity? Do you see what Jesus does in this passage? He is extending his grace to her FIRST. Yes, he commands her to go and sin no more, but not until AFTER she has met him; AFTER he has captured her heart. I don't know of a single example of Jesus using politics to go on a crusade against sin. He took that fight to the CROSS. And that, friends, is where our fight against sin belongs. Not in a courtroom.
Christians, I'll say it again. We are MISSING the boat. Our calling is not to make non-Christian people act like Christian people. We are after their hearts. We need to get them captivated with Jesus. And then and ONLY then, we guide them in leaving their past life behind. Done in any other order, we are engaged in busywork. Dare I say we would be wasting our lives.
Let's get this right. Let's make first things first. Let's follow Jesus, not culture. Introduce Jesus into the hearts of those you know. The rest will follow.
Monday, April 8, 2013
First Things First
From Matthew 23:
13 “But woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites, because you shut off the kingdom of heaven [c]from [d]people; for you do not enter in yourselves, nor do you allow those who are entering to go in. 14 [[e]Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites, because you devour widows’ houses, and for a pretense you make long prayers; therefore you will receive greater condemnation.]
15 “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites, because you travel around on sea and land to make one [f]proselyte; and when he becomes one, you make him twice as much a son of [g]hell as yourselves.
16 “Woe to you, blind guides, who say, ‘Whoever swears by the [h]temple, that is nothing; but whoever swears by the gold of the [i]temple is obligated.’ 17 You fools and blind men! Which is [j]more important, the gold or the [k]temple that sanctified the gold? 18 And, ‘Whoever swears by the altar, that is nothing, but whoever swears by the [l]offering on it, he is obligated.’ 19 You blind men, which is [m]more important, the [n]offering, or the altar that sanctifies the [o]offering?20 Therefore, [p]whoever swears by the altar, swears both by [q]the altar and by everything on it. 21 And [r]whoever swears by the [s]temple, swears both by [t]the temple and by Him who dwells within it. 22 And [u]whoever swears by heaven, swears both by the throne of God and by Him who sits upon it.
23 “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you tithe mint and dill and [v]cummin, and have neglected the weightier provisions of the law: justice and mercy and faithfulness; but these are the things you should have done without neglecting the others. 24 You blind guides, who strain out a gnat and swallow a camel!
25 “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you clean the outside of the cup and of the dish, but inside they are full [w]of robbery and self-indulgence. 26 You blind Pharisee, first clean the inside of the cup and of the dish, so that the outside of it may become clean also.
27 “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed tombs which on the outside appear beautiful, but inside they are full of dead men’s bones and all uncleanness. 28 So you, too, outwardly appear righteous to men, but inwardly you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness.
29 “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you build the tombs of the prophets and adorn the monuments of the righteous, 30 and say, ‘If we had been living in the days of our fathers, we would not have been partners with them in shedding the blood of the prophets.’ 31 So you testify against yourselves, that you are [x]sons of those who murdered the prophets. 32 Fill up, then, the measure of the guilt of your fathers. 33 You serpents, you brood of vipers, how [y]will you escape the [z]sentence of [aa]hell?
So, here's a passage that really gets to me. Especially in light of current world events. Here we have Jesus talking to these religious leaders, and calling them out because they've been entrusted with the spiritual well-being of their people, but instead they're all about their image, how people perceive them. Sounds kind of familiar, doesn't it?
So where is our focus? Sure, we are all imperfect and will mess up, but we are supposed to be striving to become MORE Christ-like, right? So maybe we've got ourselves all "cleaned up" on the outside. No rated R movies? No secular music? No cursing? No alcohol? It all looks just fine to the outsider. But they don't see the grudge. The secret lust. The hate. The prejudice. The unwillingness to answer God's call in our own lives, if we even hear it anymore.
True Christianity is more than trying to appear to the world as if we have it all together. None of us do, so what's the point in trying? In fact, we would probably do well to be honest about it, because how are we supposed to model Christ-like living to others when they think it is an unachievable thing?
Once we can get ourselves cleaned up on the inside, the rest will follow. It takes no effort to maintain a very "Christian"-looking presence when we've weeded anger or doubt or even shame out of our hearts. When we become more like Jesus in our secret lives that no one else sees, it's no longer an act if we appear blameless to the rest of the world. It's an outward manifestation of having accepted Jesus's grace and removed our guilt. We're no longer fooling anyone, we are being real. And THAT is what God is after. Not our good behavior, even though our behavior will follow our heart. When He has our heart, he knows he has the rest of us!
See, cultural Christianity is after our outward actions. Perform well! Meet our expectations! Be "one of us"! Our traditions demand us to step into line with the norm. Our best efforts may come close, but they'll never fall in line entirely. True Christianity deals with our heart. Jesus guides us into step with him, and as a result we become more like him. We'll never be perfect, but we don't have to be. Jesus's sacrifice covers that. And it's a fantastic reward to no longer be troubled with the worry of conforming. We are TRANSformed.
So, keep trying to be that perfect Christian everyone wants you to be. Let me know how that works out for you. I hope anyone still trying to achieve that will wake up and realize that glass display case they think they are in is actually the terrarium that's holding all the snakes. But the good news is Jesus offers a way out, and it's a lot easier than the do-it-yourself route.
Thursday, April 4, 2013
An introduction
So, here we are. Another in an endless sea of blogs. One more in a stream of opinions and thought loops that are likely all wrong. I'll be blunt. I don't expect to be 100% right about everything I blog about. That's kind of the point of this whole thing. We are constantly learning, and if we are to lend any credit to the fully developed minds we've been given, and the source of our knowledge, such new information should lead to changed worldviews.
Let me stop right there. I am NOT advocating that we should compromise our core values on any whim. Some things shouldn't change. But, those things that don't change should have nothing to do with ourselves, our ego, or even our culture. And with that, we scratch the surface of the subject of this blog.
I AM TIRED OF SEEING CULTURE BEING DRESSED UP, PARADED IN THE STREETS, AND CALLED CHRISTIANITY.
And in a nutshell, that's the gist of this whole blog. If you just wanted the cliff notes, you're done. TL/DR. I'm tired of seeing this happen, and more importantly, I'm tired of seeing what it does to the reputation of a Christian. I'm tired of there being this barrier people build up when someone says the name "Jesus". Because it's kind of an important subject. (Obvious understatement). And I know I'm not the only Christian who wants to more closely follow the example of Jesus. And I intend to call myself and others out when we aren't doing that. Not to be mean or arrogant, but so we can reach a common goal.
Look, maybe you're a Christian. This blog WILL offend you. Maybe you're not a Christian. This blog WILL also offend you. For the Christian, I will be challenging the ideals that our cultural groupthink (especially in the South, thus the title of this blog) has ingrained in all of us. For the non-Christian, I will be quoting scripture and talking ALL ABOUT this guy named Jesus. I hope both groups of people will read this. I hope it challenges you. I hope it stirs you to action. I hope it makes you disagree with me, and I will do my very best to be gracious and treat everyone in a civil manner. I hope it makes you take the next step in your walk with Jesus if you're a Christian - and if you aren't, I hope it brings you one step closer to this Jesus guy.
So let me start with a little background. Though I was not born in the south, I've lived here long enough that that doesn't matter. Southern culture is part of my life and part of me, permanently. I met Jesus at the age of 16, went to church religiously (see what I did there?), and began my training as the "good southern church guy". Everything that was told me by "more mature" Christians, I believed without question. I'd never done this whole "being a Christian" thing before. Even if it didn't necessarily line up with what I read in the Bible. And thus our problem. I needed to follow what the Bible told me, not a Sunday school teacher, no matter how well-intentioned they were.
I'm not pointing fingers here. That's really not my goal. We are all taught things by people who really want the best for us. We cling to those "truths" without question, because that's just how we're wired. I'm not interested in explaining the science of it, that's all way over my head. But it's the simple truth. You can't blame someone for believing something they were told by a person they trust. The problem begins when we refuse to see the obvious because it conflicts with something we thought to be true.
Back to the Bible. Let's be honest. The Bible is a big, long, confusing, and sometimes boring book. It does offer us hope, don't get me wrong. But anyone who tells you it just always radiates rainbows and puppies is straight up telling you a LIE. Don't miss this: I'm not trying to subvert the Bible. It guides me, it teaches me, and sometimes, it speaks to me. I don't profess to understand it perfectly. I will misinterpret it at times. I don't want to give the impression that what I type in this blog is infallible truth. But there are some things that TRULY BOTHER me, that I just can't stay quiet about.
What made me finally take this step and start this blog was hearing that there are people in my life who, due to some of my political beliefs, made the assumption that I couldn't know Jesus. I was dumbfounded. Dare I say, I was PISSED. How DARE they look at Jesus on the cross and tell him, "come on down Jesus, your sacrifice in this guy's life is meaningless because HE DOESN'T AGREE WITH ME."
I wanted to tell them off. I didn't. I calmed down and decided instead, I would simply start this blog, present scripture in it, and share how it applies in my life. Like I said, you may not agree with me, and YOU DON'T HAVE TO. I haven't arrived, and I don't expect anyone else has, either. However, I refuse to conduct myself in a manner inconsistent with what I read in the Bible, just because of societal norms.
I realized at this point I've crossed the line from blog to tirade. I'll try to keep my posts simple, though brevity is not my gift. Thanks for visiting, and hope to see you soon!
Let me stop right there. I am NOT advocating that we should compromise our core values on any whim. Some things shouldn't change. But, those things that don't change should have nothing to do with ourselves, our ego, or even our culture. And with that, we scratch the surface of the subject of this blog.
I AM TIRED OF SEEING CULTURE BEING DRESSED UP, PARADED IN THE STREETS, AND CALLED CHRISTIANITY.
And in a nutshell, that's the gist of this whole blog. If you just wanted the cliff notes, you're done. TL/DR. I'm tired of seeing this happen, and more importantly, I'm tired of seeing what it does to the reputation of a Christian. I'm tired of there being this barrier people build up when someone says the name "Jesus". Because it's kind of an important subject. (Obvious understatement). And I know I'm not the only Christian who wants to more closely follow the example of Jesus. And I intend to call myself and others out when we aren't doing that. Not to be mean or arrogant, but so we can reach a common goal.
Look, maybe you're a Christian. This blog WILL offend you. Maybe you're not a Christian. This blog WILL also offend you. For the Christian, I will be challenging the ideals that our cultural groupthink (especially in the South, thus the title of this blog) has ingrained in all of us. For the non-Christian, I will be quoting scripture and talking ALL ABOUT this guy named Jesus. I hope both groups of people will read this. I hope it challenges you. I hope it stirs you to action. I hope it makes you disagree with me, and I will do my very best to be gracious and treat everyone in a civil manner. I hope it makes you take the next step in your walk with Jesus if you're a Christian - and if you aren't, I hope it brings you one step closer to this Jesus guy.
So let me start with a little background. Though I was not born in the south, I've lived here long enough that that doesn't matter. Southern culture is part of my life and part of me, permanently. I met Jesus at the age of 16, went to church religiously (see what I did there?), and began my training as the "good southern church guy". Everything that was told me by "more mature" Christians, I believed without question. I'd never done this whole "being a Christian" thing before. Even if it didn't necessarily line up with what I read in the Bible. And thus our problem. I needed to follow what the Bible told me, not a Sunday school teacher, no matter how well-intentioned they were.
I'm not pointing fingers here. That's really not my goal. We are all taught things by people who really want the best for us. We cling to those "truths" without question, because that's just how we're wired. I'm not interested in explaining the science of it, that's all way over my head. But it's the simple truth. You can't blame someone for believing something they were told by a person they trust. The problem begins when we refuse to see the obvious because it conflicts with something we thought to be true.
Back to the Bible. Let's be honest. The Bible is a big, long, confusing, and sometimes boring book. It does offer us hope, don't get me wrong. But anyone who tells you it just always radiates rainbows and puppies is straight up telling you a LIE. Don't miss this: I'm not trying to subvert the Bible. It guides me, it teaches me, and sometimes, it speaks to me. I don't profess to understand it perfectly. I will misinterpret it at times. I don't want to give the impression that what I type in this blog is infallible truth. But there are some things that TRULY BOTHER me, that I just can't stay quiet about.
What made me finally take this step and start this blog was hearing that there are people in my life who, due to some of my political beliefs, made the assumption that I couldn't know Jesus. I was dumbfounded. Dare I say, I was PISSED. How DARE they look at Jesus on the cross and tell him, "come on down Jesus, your sacrifice in this guy's life is meaningless because HE DOESN'T AGREE WITH ME."
I wanted to tell them off. I didn't. I calmed down and decided instead, I would simply start this blog, present scripture in it, and share how it applies in my life. Like I said, you may not agree with me, and YOU DON'T HAVE TO. I haven't arrived, and I don't expect anyone else has, either. However, I refuse to conduct myself in a manner inconsistent with what I read in the Bible, just because of societal norms.
I realized at this point I've crossed the line from blog to tirade. I'll try to keep my posts simple, though brevity is not my gift. Thanks for visiting, and hope to see you soon!
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