I keep thinking about the law and how it points us to Jesus. You likely notice me use this phrase quite often, "those who are honest with themselves". I use that phrase, because the law doesn't point all people towards Jesus. Many people just get mad when they are told that their deeds aren't right in the sight of God.
There are many ways to deal with the law that I've already touched on. Here are a few;
1. Convince yourself that there is no God.
2. Convince yourself that He isn't all that serious about sin.
3. Convince yourself that He is referring to someone else. He doesn't mean your sin, He's talking about other people who are like that. You're above the law of God.
4. Remind yourself that it's in the past and that there is nothing you can do to fix it anyway.
5. Meditate often to clear your mind and forget your troubles.
6. Think about other people who sin more than you do and tell yourself that your sins aren't as bad as theirs.
7. Count up all of the selfless good deeds that you have done. There must be at least 6 or so. That must count for something right?
I think most people fall into one of the above. There are however a great number of people who refuse to embrace any of these trains of tought. Even though they might have tried to pretend it isn’t all that serious, even though they have tried to drown their misery, the shame remains. In my mind, these are able to recognize that the blood of Jesus really is the only sufficient solution and sacrifice for sin.
So if you find yourself in a place where you just can’t soothe your conscience, I have good news for you. You are in that place where Jesus can help. He can’t do a lot with a stubborn, rebellious, self righteous heart – but He is able to mend those who have hearts that are humble and contrite.
If you are honest in your dealings with your conscience, I’m confident that you’ll eventually find the way. When you do, you’ll understand that the Way doesn’t revolve around a code of ethics. The way has come to us in the form of a man; a man who was more than a man.
Jesus
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Saturday, July 31, 2010
Thursday, July 29, 2010
I don't know about you....
....but I spend much of my time feeling like a failure. This past weekend, one of the men in my life celebrated a birthday. His birthday was on the 24th of July.
He's the kind of guy that I'm told that we as Christians should spend much of our effort on. He is what you might refer to as on of those that society has cast aside. So, leading up to the 24th I planned on visiting him and bringing by a small gift. When the 24th came, I found myself short on funds and completely drained;both physically and emotionally. I don't know if you remember, but last week was quite hot and humid. After putting in a full week at the garage, I have to tell you that I was completely spent. So at the end of my week's work, I went home to heal.
I received a call from his this afternoon. The first thing that he said to me was, "Kevin. You forgot my birthday."
I know that some of you have in mind everything that a Christian should be. I just can't do it. I can't be all that.
He's the kind of guy that I'm told that we as Christians should spend much of our effort on. He is what you might refer to as on of those that society has cast aside. So, leading up to the 24th I planned on visiting him and bringing by a small gift. When the 24th came, I found myself short on funds and completely drained;both physically and emotionally. I don't know if you remember, but last week was quite hot and humid. After putting in a full week at the garage, I have to tell you that I was completely spent. So at the end of my week's work, I went home to heal.
I received a call from his this afternoon. The first thing that he said to me was, "Kevin. You forgot my birthday."
I know that some of you have in mind everything that a Christian should be. I just can't do it. I can't be all that.
Wednesday, July 28, 2010
Bad Sermon
Whenever I have the opportunity to speak, I usually have people who ask me, "So. How did it go?"
I never really know how to answer. To be honest, I really don't know how one guages such a thing. Last night, I read Act 7 where Stephen gives a sermon of his own. He was a very influential, motived Christian in the early church, holding a position in a front line evengelical ministry. He helped run a food program.
I'm being rather silly aren't I? We likely wouldn't have him at the front of the church to bring attention to his ministry. Would we? Living out his calling, he eventually gets into a debate with some local Jews, which lands him the opportunity to address the Jewish high council.
He gives a lengthy speech, walking through Israel's history, ending up with the death of Jesus. It must have been a bad sermon because in the end, this is how his audience responded,
"Then they put their hands over their ears and began shouting. They rushed at him and dragged him out of the city and began to stone him." Acts 7:57-58
It must have been a bad sermon. He likely didn't tell enough jokes or warm up to his audience very well.
How do you measure the weight of a message? Do you look at the response of those who listen? What if you sell a lot of books after the show? Is that how you tell? I don't think so. The more pressing issue at hand would be to ask the question, "Were you faithful in delivering what was given to you?"
Most of the time, when I speak publicly, I can look you in the eye and say with condfidence that I have said what had been laid on my heart. However, that hasn't been the case lately. Perhaps someday I will give you the specifics, but for now, if you consider yourself to be my brother or my sister, I merely ask that you would pray for me, that I would make it right.
My audience was fine with the message. They listened and they smiled. To be honest, that's exactly the problem.
I never really know how to answer. To be honest, I really don't know how one guages such a thing. Last night, I read Act 7 where Stephen gives a sermon of his own. He was a very influential, motived Christian in the early church, holding a position in a front line evengelical ministry. He helped run a food program.
I'm being rather silly aren't I? We likely wouldn't have him at the front of the church to bring attention to his ministry. Would we? Living out his calling, he eventually gets into a debate with some local Jews, which lands him the opportunity to address the Jewish high council.
He gives a lengthy speech, walking through Israel's history, ending up with the death of Jesus. It must have been a bad sermon because in the end, this is how his audience responded,
"Then they put their hands over their ears and began shouting. They rushed at him and dragged him out of the city and began to stone him." Acts 7:57-58
It must have been a bad sermon. He likely didn't tell enough jokes or warm up to his audience very well.
How do you measure the weight of a message? Do you look at the response of those who listen? What if you sell a lot of books after the show? Is that how you tell? I don't think so. The more pressing issue at hand would be to ask the question, "Were you faithful in delivering what was given to you?"
Most of the time, when I speak publicly, I can look you in the eye and say with condfidence that I have said what had been laid on my heart. However, that hasn't been the case lately. Perhaps someday I will give you the specifics, but for now, if you consider yourself to be my brother or my sister, I merely ask that you would pray for me, that I would make it right.
My audience was fine with the message. They listened and they smiled. To be honest, that's exactly the problem.
Tuesday, July 27, 2010
Stay Quiet, You'll Only Make It Worse
“Why are so many people in our churches just sitting in the pews and doing nothing for Jesus?”
As I continue to live out my calling within the church, I hear these kinds of questions on an ongoing basis. Rick Warren had similar words for his own congregation.
A non-ministering Christian is a contradiction is terms. However, what I never seem to get a clear answer for is this - "What counts as ministry?" Is it possible that some of the people we think to be inactive are quite involved behind the scenes? They might be more active than you or I know.
Whenever I hear questions like this or hear sermons about Christians who are doing nothing with their faith, I often wonder who they are referring to. I mean, I’m with them. Let’s get a list of names going, get the posse together and round up these vagrant Christians. Let’s flush them out and expose them for the dogs that they are.
As I walk through life however, I really can’t think on too many people that I would level such a charge against. So when I hear talk about non-ministering Christians, I wonder who they are in my life.
Is it the pharmacist? His work schedule varies a lot so he doesn’t help out regularly in the Sunday school program. He helps when he can, leads life group and spends a lot of time trying to walk with and mentor other men. Would he be on the list? Or the factory worker. Again, he only helps in Sunday school once in a while. Sometimes when he’s on a date with his wife he hands out a gospel tract. Does that count? Does it count when he spends time trying to be a big brother to a struggling student? Probably not. What counts?
I get the feeling sometimes, that in the eyes of other believers, I’m not ‘doing enough’ either. There are so many things being done in the name of Jesus with which I am not personally involved.
If we’re going to answer the question, ‘why are so many believers doing nothing?’, we need to begin by looking at the people we’re referring to. Maybe they really don’t know Jesus. If that is the case, are you really being the light that you are called to be in their lives? Have you clearly expressed the Gospel to them and done every reasonable thing in your power to introduce them to and counsel them in their walk with Jesus? How many years have you spent praying for them? Give me a number. 5? 10? 20 years? Have you even spent one solid week in prayer on their behalf, asking that God would cultivate their hearts and open their eyes? Or do you spend most of you time complaining about ‘them’?
Don’t brush me off. I expect solid, clear answers to my questions if you’re going to level charges against the people who bear God’s own image. I expect names.
So who are these non-ministering Christians anyway? Are they talking about you? If you aren’t about your Father’s business, why is that? I would like very much of you would consider the implications of this passage of scripture;
“In fact, some parts of the body that seem weakest and least important are actually the most necessary. And the parts we regard as less honourable are those we clothe with greatest care. So we carefully protect those parts that should not be seen” 1Corinthians 12:22-23
If we’re looking at the church as a body, please think on what it is saying about the body. There are parts of our bodies that we put clothing over, parts that should never be in sight of the public eye. I won’t mention these parts, because that would be rude. Most of these parts are our genitals. It’s almost comical in a way. Nobody ever calls a person a hand or a foot, but the people of this world are known to call each other by some of the ‘less honorable’ body parts. Don’t they? Perhaps some of us have done the same.
“That guy is a real _______.”
These parts are clothed for the sake of modesty for the body. In the context of the church, some believers are meant to stay under wraps in order to protect the reputation of the church. So if you are that non-ministering Christian, maybe you’re an embarrassment. For modesty’s sake, perhaps the most responsible things that you can do on a Sunday morning are to sit down, lean back, keep your mouth shut and enjoy the show. Please put as much as you can in the collection plate.
As an outsider, looking at these horrible non-ministering Christians, what do you expect them to do? Have you told them what you expect of them? Are the things that you want them to do the same as what the Spirit wants them to do?
Who are these unmentionable parts anyway? Why doesn’t Paul give us some names and tell us what they are doing or not doing? I often wonder if these are the kinds of people that some of us might label ‘marginal Christians.’ I mean, you’re pretty confident in your standing before God so it can’t possibly be you. I must be in because I write book and blogs. Your pastor is in right? But there are those people that you just aren’t sure about. Aren’t there?
Your friends ask you, “Is she saved?”
“I’m not sure. She goes to church sometimes. She says she believes, but I just don’t know....”
These parts (people) that Paul is referring to seem weak in our eyes, but we’re told that they are actually , “the most necessary”. Our churches are built on the backs of those who seem less than spiritual. Through our Christian Coloured Glasses, they hold down unimpressive jobs, give to the work of the church and show up on Sunday mornings. They interact with people on a daily basis that you and I never come in contact with. Their children come to our Sunday School programs, and go to youth group. They help pay the utilities and help keep the staff employed full time in the service of The King of Kings.
You’re right, they really haven’t come along the way that a follower of Christ should. Maybe their life’s purpose is to demonstrate what it looks like when someone only meets Jesus half way. Their life may be little more than an example of Christianity gone awry. Or perhaps it isn’t about ‘them’. We might just be saying these kinds of things about you.
As I continue to live out my calling within the church, I hear these kinds of questions on an ongoing basis. Rick Warren had similar words for his own congregation.
A non-ministering Christian is a contradiction is terms. However, what I never seem to get a clear answer for is this - "What counts as ministry?" Is it possible that some of the people we think to be inactive are quite involved behind the scenes? They might be more active than you or I know.
Whenever I hear questions like this or hear sermons about Christians who are doing nothing with their faith, I often wonder who they are referring to. I mean, I’m with them. Let’s get a list of names going, get the posse together and round up these vagrant Christians. Let’s flush them out and expose them for the dogs that they are.
As I walk through life however, I really can’t think on too many people that I would level such a charge against. So when I hear talk about non-ministering Christians, I wonder who they are in my life.
Is it the pharmacist? His work schedule varies a lot so he doesn’t help out regularly in the Sunday school program. He helps when he can, leads life group and spends a lot of time trying to walk with and mentor other men. Would he be on the list? Or the factory worker. Again, he only helps in Sunday school once in a while. Sometimes when he’s on a date with his wife he hands out a gospel tract. Does that count? Does it count when he spends time trying to be a big brother to a struggling student? Probably not. What counts?
I get the feeling sometimes, that in the eyes of other believers, I’m not ‘doing enough’ either. There are so many things being done in the name of Jesus with which I am not personally involved.
If we’re going to answer the question, ‘why are so many believers doing nothing?’, we need to begin by looking at the people we’re referring to. Maybe they really don’t know Jesus. If that is the case, are you really being the light that you are called to be in their lives? Have you clearly expressed the Gospel to them and done every reasonable thing in your power to introduce them to and counsel them in their walk with Jesus? How many years have you spent praying for them? Give me a number. 5? 10? 20 years? Have you even spent one solid week in prayer on their behalf, asking that God would cultivate their hearts and open their eyes? Or do you spend most of you time complaining about ‘them’?
Don’t brush me off. I expect solid, clear answers to my questions if you’re going to level charges against the people who bear God’s own image. I expect names.
So who are these non-ministering Christians anyway? Are they talking about you? If you aren’t about your Father’s business, why is that? I would like very much of you would consider the implications of this passage of scripture;
“In fact, some parts of the body that seem weakest and least important are actually the most necessary. And the parts we regard as less honourable are those we clothe with greatest care. So we carefully protect those parts that should not be seen” 1Corinthians 12:22-23
If we’re looking at the church as a body, please think on what it is saying about the body. There are parts of our bodies that we put clothing over, parts that should never be in sight of the public eye. I won’t mention these parts, because that would be rude. Most of these parts are our genitals. It’s almost comical in a way. Nobody ever calls a person a hand or a foot, but the people of this world are known to call each other by some of the ‘less honorable’ body parts. Don’t they? Perhaps some of us have done the same.
“That guy is a real _______.”
These parts are clothed for the sake of modesty for the body. In the context of the church, some believers are meant to stay under wraps in order to protect the reputation of the church. So if you are that non-ministering Christian, maybe you’re an embarrassment. For modesty’s sake, perhaps the most responsible things that you can do on a Sunday morning are to sit down, lean back, keep your mouth shut and enjoy the show. Please put as much as you can in the collection plate.
As an outsider, looking at these horrible non-ministering Christians, what do you expect them to do? Have you told them what you expect of them? Are the things that you want them to do the same as what the Spirit wants them to do?
Who are these unmentionable parts anyway? Why doesn’t Paul give us some names and tell us what they are doing or not doing? I often wonder if these are the kinds of people that some of us might label ‘marginal Christians.’ I mean, you’re pretty confident in your standing before God so it can’t possibly be you. I must be in because I write book and blogs. Your pastor is in right? But there are those people that you just aren’t sure about. Aren’t there?
Your friends ask you, “Is she saved?”
“I’m not sure. She goes to church sometimes. She says she believes, but I just don’t know....”
These parts (people) that Paul is referring to seem weak in our eyes, but we’re told that they are actually , “the most necessary”. Our churches are built on the backs of those who seem less than spiritual. Through our Christian Coloured Glasses, they hold down unimpressive jobs, give to the work of the church and show up on Sunday mornings. They interact with people on a daily basis that you and I never come in contact with. Their children come to our Sunday School programs, and go to youth group. They help pay the utilities and help keep the staff employed full time in the service of The King of Kings.
You’re right, they really haven’t come along the way that a follower of Christ should. Maybe their life’s purpose is to demonstrate what it looks like when someone only meets Jesus half way. Their life may be little more than an example of Christianity gone awry. Or perhaps it isn’t about ‘them’. We might just be saying these kinds of things about you.
I Haven't Learned Yet
There are many lessons in my walk which I keep forgetting on a regular basis. One of the big ones has to do with living out my callingg as I endeavour to point to Christ. Time and time again I succumb to the kind of thinking that tells me this;
'If you want to reach the world, you need to be like the world.'
In my days as a youth pastor wanna be, I'd often play videos. There is a place for technology and there is a place for using cultural references, but if it becomes integral to the message, it's dead isn't it?
The intro to my last post on Facebook read, "This Week on Tucker and Taz." For those of you who don't know, Tucker and Taz are two popular radio DJ's for a local rock radio station. In a way, when I chose that intro, I thought that it might compell some people to check out the link. So far, it's my least popular post. More people checked out the sports statistics for my children's soccer teams.
After all, my kids really do ROCK way more than Tucker and Taz. They've got nothing on my kids.
As a people who have been purchased out of this dying world, having discovered this pearl of greatest price, we each have the desire to see other's come to know Jesus. The more I write and speak, the more I ask myself how one can write and say things that nonbelievers will actually listen to. Having the desire for other to experience the depth of His love is part of the motivation behind what I do, but it seems that Christians are primarily the ones who read my stuff.
I mean, if you write a letter trying to tell nonbelievers about Jesus, where do you send it? Where do they gather? Do they have conventions where they sit down to discuss their doctrine and honestly consider teh life of Jesus? Or if you write a book, how do you paint the cover so that it will be picked up off of the Chapters Bookshhelf? OR when you write a blog, what can you do to draw them in?
Time and time again I discover that imbibing myself in popular culture and making reference to its fails to accomplish that purpose. As of yesterday, only one person had checked out, "This Week on Tucker and Taz". The funny thing is, I believe that the one who viewed the page may have done so accidenttally. It might have even been the Russian.
Why is that? I'm thinkig that for the most part, people who are fans of Tucker and Taz,or any other cultural icon really don't care about what a Christian blogger has to say. On the flip side, very few believers who are serious about their calling really care much about Tucker and Taz. So in the end, the whole thing is a dud. Noone from either side of the fence really cares.
I often wonder who I appeal to. When I write, I like to think that I'm speaking to a people who are sick and tired of contributing to the decay of this world, whether you have been united with Jesus yet or not. If you're a serioius lover of this world, then go do that. There are a whole lot of things to spend your time and effort on in this life other than your Father's business.
If by chance, you have clicked on this and you haven't heard - I want you to know that you have a REAL Father in Heaven, who sent His one and only Son to bring you home. His name is Jesus. Lay down your life and receive Him. If you don't know what that looks like, let me know. I hope I can help.
'If you want to reach the world, you need to be like the world.'
In my days as a youth pastor wanna be, I'd often play videos. There is a place for technology and there is a place for using cultural references, but if it becomes integral to the message, it's dead isn't it?
The intro to my last post on Facebook read, "This Week on Tucker and Taz." For those of you who don't know, Tucker and Taz are two popular radio DJ's for a local rock radio station. In a way, when I chose that intro, I thought that it might compell some people to check out the link. So far, it's my least popular post. More people checked out the sports statistics for my children's soccer teams.
After all, my kids really do ROCK way more than Tucker and Taz. They've got nothing on my kids.
As a people who have been purchased out of this dying world, having discovered this pearl of greatest price, we each have the desire to see other's come to know Jesus. The more I write and speak, the more I ask myself how one can write and say things that nonbelievers will actually listen to. Having the desire for other to experience the depth of His love is part of the motivation behind what I do, but it seems that Christians are primarily the ones who read my stuff.
I mean, if you write a letter trying to tell nonbelievers about Jesus, where do you send it? Where do they gather? Do they have conventions where they sit down to discuss their doctrine and honestly consider teh life of Jesus? Or if you write a book, how do you paint the cover so that it will be picked up off of the Chapters Bookshhelf? OR when you write a blog, what can you do to draw them in?
Time and time again I discover that imbibing myself in popular culture and making reference to its fails to accomplish that purpose. As of yesterday, only one person had checked out, "This Week on Tucker and Taz". The funny thing is, I believe that the one who viewed the page may have done so accidenttally. It might have even been the Russian.
Why is that? I'm thinkig that for the most part, people who are fans of Tucker and Taz,or any other cultural icon really don't care about what a Christian blogger has to say. On the flip side, very few believers who are serious about their calling really care much about Tucker and Taz. So in the end, the whole thing is a dud. Noone from either side of the fence really cares.
I often wonder who I appeal to. When I write, I like to think that I'm speaking to a people who are sick and tired of contributing to the decay of this world, whether you have been united with Jesus yet or not. If you're a serioius lover of this world, then go do that. There are a whole lot of things to spend your time and effort on in this life other than your Father's business.
If by chance, you have clicked on this and you haven't heard - I want you to know that you have a REAL Father in Heaven, who sent His one and only Son to bring you home. His name is Jesus. Lay down your life and receive Him. If you don't know what that looks like, let me know. I hope I can help.
Sunday, July 25, 2010
FM96 Theology
This week on FM 96, Tucker and Taz spent some time talking about the Ingersoll warden who used his credit card at a strip club in North Myrtle Beach amounting to nearly $800. In his defence, the warden claimed that the charges weren’t all his.
I don’t listen to Tucker and Taz very often and I forget which one took the time to share his personal wisdom on the matter, but I do remember quite clearly two rules that were given for men who just want to enjoy a similar night on the town.
Firstly – Do not use your credit card at a strip club, because the statement reveals where the money was spent.
Secondly – Don’t rat on your buddies, because they have wives and families.
I’m pretty sure that neither Tucker nor Taz read my blog, and even if they did, they probably wouldn’t find it very encouraging. Or maybe they would.
I really have a difficult time understanding much of what happens in this world. I’m told that there is nothing wrong with a lot of things, but at the same time people try to hide the things that they say are perfectly fine.
Something is amiss in my mind with the whole strip club charges. Either going to a strip club is a perfectly acceptable thing to do or it is not. If it’s fine for a man to spend his money on alcohol and naked girls, then there is no reason why a credit card couldn’t be used for that legitimate and noble purpose. In that case, there is no such thing as ratting someone out. Nothing was wrong with it right? If nothing was wrong, then your buddies should have no problem with their wives and children knowing what they were up to. Isn’t it a good thing to be truthful?
It isn’t Tucker and Taz’s fault and I’m not bashing them. They’re just part of the human race and they wouldn’t have their jobs if they actually encouraged their listeners to be honest about the life they are living. They have to tell their listeners to keep lying in order to ‘protect their buddies’. We all know that we all do things that we aren’t supposed to do and instead of confessing and turning from it, we are programmed to hide and cover up. That’s just the human way.
Where are you in that? Do we all do that? Is the case of the Ingersoll Warden an isolated incident? Or does that sort of thing happen very often in our culture? I’m led to believe that this kind of life isn’t isolated in the least. About half of the marriages in our culture end in divorce. Is it any surprise? If husbands and wives continue doing things that alienate one another, how could the story possibly have a happy ending?
I realize that I talk about sin a lot and maybe I seem hard. I’m sorry if it bothers you, but if you are honest with yourself as you process life, haven’t you noticed? Very few things destroy relationships in the same way as old fashioned sin. Nothing alienates a husband or wife, friend or sibling quite so much as when you sin against them.
Do you intentionally do the things that you know will upset your husband or wife? Even if we don’t get ‘caught’, what happens to the relationship when you continue to live in hiding? Can you be completely intimate with someone you are hiding from?
If you aren’t a believer, do you even know what sin is? Do you want to know the ways in which you are destroying some of the best relationships in your life? If you are a follower of Jesus, are you living as a person of the light, or do you still have to hide?
Maybe you can’t reveal everything to the whole world, but where there are still areas of hiding in your life, I urge you to find someone with whom you can confide in; someone who will call it what it is and encourage you towards Christ.
For the record, I see nothing noble or right about spending one’s time or money at a strip club, even though I have frequented those kinds of establishments myself. Did you hear that? I said I’ve been there, done that and I’m not pretending that it was ok. I’m not Mr. Self Righteous trying to justify my actions or to hide them. Maybe my thoughts are bad advice, but it’s much more liberating than living a life in isolation from the ones who love me most.
And if Tucker or Taz ever do read this – I want you to know that if you ever get tired of living life the way the world lives, I’ll be your brother. You’re funny guys.
I don’t listen to Tucker and Taz very often and I forget which one took the time to share his personal wisdom on the matter, but I do remember quite clearly two rules that were given for men who just want to enjoy a similar night on the town.
Firstly – Do not use your credit card at a strip club, because the statement reveals where the money was spent.
Secondly – Don’t rat on your buddies, because they have wives and families.
I’m pretty sure that neither Tucker nor Taz read my blog, and even if they did, they probably wouldn’t find it very encouraging. Or maybe they would.
I really have a difficult time understanding much of what happens in this world. I’m told that there is nothing wrong with a lot of things, but at the same time people try to hide the things that they say are perfectly fine.
Something is amiss in my mind with the whole strip club charges. Either going to a strip club is a perfectly acceptable thing to do or it is not. If it’s fine for a man to spend his money on alcohol and naked girls, then there is no reason why a credit card couldn’t be used for that legitimate and noble purpose. In that case, there is no such thing as ratting someone out. Nothing was wrong with it right? If nothing was wrong, then your buddies should have no problem with their wives and children knowing what they were up to. Isn’t it a good thing to be truthful?
It isn’t Tucker and Taz’s fault and I’m not bashing them. They’re just part of the human race and they wouldn’t have their jobs if they actually encouraged their listeners to be honest about the life they are living. They have to tell their listeners to keep lying in order to ‘protect their buddies’. We all know that we all do things that we aren’t supposed to do and instead of confessing and turning from it, we are programmed to hide and cover up. That’s just the human way.
Where are you in that? Do we all do that? Is the case of the Ingersoll Warden an isolated incident? Or does that sort of thing happen very often in our culture? I’m led to believe that this kind of life isn’t isolated in the least. About half of the marriages in our culture end in divorce. Is it any surprise? If husbands and wives continue doing things that alienate one another, how could the story possibly have a happy ending?
I realize that I talk about sin a lot and maybe I seem hard. I’m sorry if it bothers you, but if you are honest with yourself as you process life, haven’t you noticed? Very few things destroy relationships in the same way as old fashioned sin. Nothing alienates a husband or wife, friend or sibling quite so much as when you sin against them.
Do you intentionally do the things that you know will upset your husband or wife? Even if we don’t get ‘caught’, what happens to the relationship when you continue to live in hiding? Can you be completely intimate with someone you are hiding from?
If you aren’t a believer, do you even know what sin is? Do you want to know the ways in which you are destroying some of the best relationships in your life? If you are a follower of Jesus, are you living as a person of the light, or do you still have to hide?
Maybe you can’t reveal everything to the whole world, but where there are still areas of hiding in your life, I urge you to find someone with whom you can confide in; someone who will call it what it is and encourage you towards Christ.
For the record, I see nothing noble or right about spending one’s time or money at a strip club, even though I have frequented those kinds of establishments myself. Did you hear that? I said I’ve been there, done that and I’m not pretending that it was ok. I’m not Mr. Self Righteous trying to justify my actions or to hide them. Maybe my thoughts are bad advice, but it’s much more liberating than living a life in isolation from the ones who love me most.
And if Tucker or Taz ever do read this – I want you to know that if you ever get tired of living life the way the world lives, I’ll be your brother. You’re funny guys.
Saturday, July 24, 2010
No Such Thing
This has been an alarming week for me. I have discovered that a close personal friend of mine has listened to Michelle Branch. After the original shock wore off, I began thinking on how the role of music has changed in my life as I have grown in Christ.
Without making any new Christian laws, I will say that I now listen very little to what is often referred to as secular music. To be honest however, I really don’t know what secular music is. Some people say that Thousand Foot Krutch and POD are “Christian” bands. I personally beg to differ, because to me, they seem to have very little to do with Jesus.
In truth, is there such a thing as secular music or a secular life for that matter? What is secular anyway? My dictionary defines ‘secular’ as pertaining to this world or this present life, in contrast with the religious or spiritual. In its purest sense, being secular merely describes life in this world.
We all live life in this world, so in a literal sense, we are all secular creatures. Whether you like it or not, there is a physicality to our nature that has its feet firmly planted on this profane earth.
The way that I understand it, it isn’t possible to separate our lives in the physical world from the spiritual world. We live out the truth of our spiritual nature in the secular realm. If I am completely and thoroughly a part of this dying world, then my life will demonstrate that underlying fact. So we see people who live lives the way that this world lives. (Sexual immorality, drunkenness, jealousy – that sort of thing)
Those who have been purchased out of this world continue to live in it, but over time grow to live lives that reveal the inner working of the Spirit of God. (Love, Joy, Peace, Patience…that kind of stuff.) Our secular actions reveal to us the authenticity of our spiritual nature.
What many Christians abhor and demonize as being ‘secular’ isn’t so much about life in this physical world, but about a life that intentionally wants nothing to do with God. With regards to music, most of the music of this world intentionally excludes God from the dialogue.
If we live lives that want nothing to do with God, then it should come as no surprise if we perish when this world perishes. If on the other hand we have been joined to Christ, then we have been purchased out of this decaying world.
Is it wrong then to listen to music that doesn’t mention Jesus? I won’t give you a yes or no to that. You can answer it for yourself. Living in this physical world, there are some songs that I continue to like that don’t specifically mention or proclaim some spiritual truth. Perhaps my favorite is a song by Three Doors Down and it’s called Away From The Sun.
I know it isn’t a Christian song, but I often receive it as if could be. (With minor tweaking of course.) It wouldn’t take much work for it to be Away From The Son. You might not like the music, but my heart breaks when I watch the video. It makes me think on the people in my life who are away from The Son. They continue to struggle through life being weighed down by the burden of their own sins, all the while being tormented by the people who cross their life’s path. I realize that some people really want to live in their disobedience, but many or most are just trying to get out from under the burden, but just haven’t found The Way. Life on the outside is often all smiles, but it doesn’t take much digging to uncover the hurt.
If you’ve watched the video, maybe you have just committed some great crime against Christianity. In my opinion however, if you can watch that young man in his struggle and still have no heart for his pain, then I was wrong. You are completely secular.
Without making any new Christian laws, I will say that I now listen very little to what is often referred to as secular music. To be honest however, I really don’t know what secular music is. Some people say that Thousand Foot Krutch and POD are “Christian” bands. I personally beg to differ, because to me, they seem to have very little to do with Jesus.
In truth, is there such a thing as secular music or a secular life for that matter? What is secular anyway? My dictionary defines ‘secular’ as pertaining to this world or this present life, in contrast with the religious or spiritual. In its purest sense, being secular merely describes life in this world.
We all live life in this world, so in a literal sense, we are all secular creatures. Whether you like it or not, there is a physicality to our nature that has its feet firmly planted on this profane earth.
The way that I understand it, it isn’t possible to separate our lives in the physical world from the spiritual world. We live out the truth of our spiritual nature in the secular realm. If I am completely and thoroughly a part of this dying world, then my life will demonstrate that underlying fact. So we see people who live lives the way that this world lives. (Sexual immorality, drunkenness, jealousy – that sort of thing)
Those who have been purchased out of this world continue to live in it, but over time grow to live lives that reveal the inner working of the Spirit of God. (Love, Joy, Peace, Patience…that kind of stuff.) Our secular actions reveal to us the authenticity of our spiritual nature.
What many Christians abhor and demonize as being ‘secular’ isn’t so much about life in this physical world, but about a life that intentionally wants nothing to do with God. With regards to music, most of the music of this world intentionally excludes God from the dialogue.
If we live lives that want nothing to do with God, then it should come as no surprise if we perish when this world perishes. If on the other hand we have been joined to Christ, then we have been purchased out of this decaying world.
Is it wrong then to listen to music that doesn’t mention Jesus? I won’t give you a yes or no to that. You can answer it for yourself. Living in this physical world, there are some songs that I continue to like that don’t specifically mention or proclaim some spiritual truth. Perhaps my favorite is a song by Three Doors Down and it’s called Away From The Sun.
I know it isn’t a Christian song, but I often receive it as if could be. (With minor tweaking of course.) It wouldn’t take much work for it to be Away From The Son. You might not like the music, but my heart breaks when I watch the video. It makes me think on the people in my life who are away from The Son. They continue to struggle through life being weighed down by the burden of their own sins, all the while being tormented by the people who cross their life’s path. I realize that some people really want to live in their disobedience, but many or most are just trying to get out from under the burden, but just haven’t found The Way. Life on the outside is often all smiles, but it doesn’t take much digging to uncover the hurt.
If you’ve watched the video, maybe you have just committed some great crime against Christianity. In my opinion however, if you can watch that young man in his struggle and still have no heart for his pain, then I was wrong. You are completely secular.
Thursday, July 22, 2010
To God be The Glory!
Imagine. Imagine that I ask you for a breadbasket. I ask you and I tell absolutely no one else about it. If a breadbasket shows up on my doorstep, would it be out of line for me to think that you had something to do with it? Assuming that I hadn’t talked to anyone else about it, would that be way out there?
There is a friend of mine who has a daughter that is ill. She has been ill for several months. I call him my friend, but I’m not certain that he calls me the same. Regardless of what he thinks of me, my family and I have been praying for his daughter for some time now. My daughter has taken on a personal burden for his little girl. She asks me once in a while if the little girl is any better and how she is progressing.
My friend has had his little girl to different doctors but nothing seems to help. Her pains keep coming back. They weren’t supposed to be able to get in to see the specialist until September/October, but apparently there has been a last minute cancelation.
What are the odds that God had anything to do with it? We’ve been asking Him repeatedly for help, and the funny thing is, help has seemed to have arrived.
If you give me the breadbasket but I thank someone else, how would you feel? Would you be inclined to help me further in life? What if you leave the breadbasket on my doorstep and I just chalk it up to circumstance?
I’m giving God the credit for this one. Call me a religious nut if you want. We asked Him for help, and help has come. The thing for which we have been asking, has happened.
For the record, if I’m lying on my deathbed and if I want to live – I want my daughter on my prayer team. The girl keeps praying for stuff and for some strange reason, the stuff she asks for often ends up happening.
So if you are reading this and have the inclination, call her Marcy. It isn’t her real name, but God can figure it out. Thank God for the canceled appointment. Ask Him to grant wisdom to the doctor and ask that His involvement would be noticeable to my friend and his family.
If you are that friend and you are reading this – I hope you are encouraged.
There is a friend of mine who has a daughter that is ill. She has been ill for several months. I call him my friend, but I’m not certain that he calls me the same. Regardless of what he thinks of me, my family and I have been praying for his daughter for some time now. My daughter has taken on a personal burden for his little girl. She asks me once in a while if the little girl is any better and how she is progressing.
My friend has had his little girl to different doctors but nothing seems to help. Her pains keep coming back. They weren’t supposed to be able to get in to see the specialist until September/October, but apparently there has been a last minute cancelation.
What are the odds that God had anything to do with it? We’ve been asking Him repeatedly for help, and the funny thing is, help has seemed to have arrived.
If you give me the breadbasket but I thank someone else, how would you feel? Would you be inclined to help me further in life? What if you leave the breadbasket on my doorstep and I just chalk it up to circumstance?
I’m giving God the credit for this one. Call me a religious nut if you want. We asked Him for help, and help has come. The thing for which we have been asking, has happened.
For the record, if I’m lying on my deathbed and if I want to live – I want my daughter on my prayer team. The girl keeps praying for stuff and for some strange reason, the stuff she asks for often ends up happening.
So if you are reading this and have the inclination, call her Marcy. It isn’t her real name, but God can figure it out. Thank God for the canceled appointment. Ask Him to grant wisdom to the doctor and ask that His involvement would be noticeable to my friend and his family.
If you are that friend and you are reading this – I hope you are encouraged.
Wednesday, July 21, 2010
I can be your hero baby!
For better or for worse, I'm developing a serious dislike for most love songs. Working at The Mufflerman I hear them all day long. Songs like this one....
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nt2kM0TsubU
If you don't want to watch it, allow me to spare you the trouble. This particular number is performed by a group named Nickelback and it's the kind of music that I used to devour. So I assume that many other people eat it up too, since the video has had about 5 million views.
"You're never gonna be alone.
From this moment on
If you ever fell like letting go
I won't let you fall.
When all hope is gone
I know that you can carry on...."
Stuff like that. I asked Barb this question the other day, "Do you know even one woman whose husband has been able to be everything for them?" In romantic love, we are told and tell so many lies. I used to say the same lies to my highschool girlfriend...
"I'll always love you. I'll always be there because love is forever..."
Then I dropped her like a stone when I met Barb. Poor girl. I probably owe her an apology. We are so used to hearing and believeing the lies, to the point where we are genuinely suprised in the moment of truth.
But I really thought she was the one. I really thought this was it. This was what all of those love songs were singing about. Am I talking about an uncommon occurrence? Boy meets girl. Girl meets boy. Boy thinks this is the girl. Girl thinks that this is the boy. Boy dumps girl, even though boy said he would always be there. He held her hand and sang, "I will be your hero baby! I will kiss away your pain."
Girl dumps boy even though boy is a decent fellow. Boy is hurt.
Oddly enough, Barb doesn't even know one other woman who has been competely satisfied by the man in her life. Imagine if I fixed cars the way Nickelback sing songs.
"Never gonna break down again,
from this moment on."
I can't back it up and I should not ever make such a claim.
Nobody can make those kinds of claims. Well, there is One who can. There is someone who really can say that He will never leave nor forsake us and Who is able to back it up, but we really don't trust Him do we? Why is that? I think part of the reason is because we've had other people in our lives make similar claims and they let us down. How can God be any diferent? In our culture, we're accustomed to being lied to in our popular music and in the way companies try to manipulate us to buy their products, so it really is a tough thing to trust a God we cannot see.
How about it guys? Remeber Michelle Branch? Is she really able to save you and take you away from here?
How about it girls? Do you really believe the Nickelbacks in your life?
For those of you who are married, you still feel alone sometimes don't you? Well, maybe not my newlyweds. You might still be enthralled with each other. I suppose I'm a bit too cynical to be a believer, but I'm convinced that we as a culture prefer to live lives that are hurt, broken and jaded, because we eat this stuff right up. We sing to it, we dance to it, we play it on our ipods and in our cars. We make celebrities out of the people who feed us the most garbage.
So read my blog. I'll always be there for you. I'll be your personal Jesus Superhero Connection.
Whatever....
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nt2kM0TsubU
If you don't want to watch it, allow me to spare you the trouble. This particular number is performed by a group named Nickelback and it's the kind of music that I used to devour. So I assume that many other people eat it up too, since the video has had about 5 million views.
"You're never gonna be alone.
From this moment on
If you ever fell like letting go
I won't let you fall.
When all hope is gone
I know that you can carry on...."
Stuff like that. I asked Barb this question the other day, "Do you know even one woman whose husband has been able to be everything for them?" In romantic love, we are told and tell so many lies. I used to say the same lies to my highschool girlfriend...
"I'll always love you. I'll always be there because love is forever..."
Then I dropped her like a stone when I met Barb. Poor girl. I probably owe her an apology. We are so used to hearing and believeing the lies, to the point where we are genuinely suprised in the moment of truth.
But I really thought she was the one. I really thought this was it. This was what all of those love songs were singing about. Am I talking about an uncommon occurrence? Boy meets girl. Girl meets boy. Boy thinks this is the girl. Girl thinks that this is the boy. Boy dumps girl, even though boy said he would always be there. He held her hand and sang, "I will be your hero baby! I will kiss away your pain."
Girl dumps boy even though boy is a decent fellow. Boy is hurt.
Oddly enough, Barb doesn't even know one other woman who has been competely satisfied by the man in her life. Imagine if I fixed cars the way Nickelback sing songs.
"Never gonna break down again,
from this moment on."
I can't back it up and I should not ever make such a claim.
Nobody can make those kinds of claims. Well, there is One who can. There is someone who really can say that He will never leave nor forsake us and Who is able to back it up, but we really don't trust Him do we? Why is that? I think part of the reason is because we've had other people in our lives make similar claims and they let us down. How can God be any diferent? In our culture, we're accustomed to being lied to in our popular music and in the way companies try to manipulate us to buy their products, so it really is a tough thing to trust a God we cannot see.
How about it guys? Remeber Michelle Branch? Is she really able to save you and take you away from here?
How about it girls? Do you really believe the Nickelbacks in your life?
For those of you who are married, you still feel alone sometimes don't you? Well, maybe not my newlyweds. You might still be enthralled with each other. I suppose I'm a bit too cynical to be a believer, but I'm convinced that we as a culture prefer to live lives that are hurt, broken and jaded, because we eat this stuff right up. We sing to it, we dance to it, we play it on our ipods and in our cars. We make celebrities out of the people who feed us the most garbage.
So read my blog. I'll always be there for you. I'll be your personal Jesus Superhero Connection.
Whatever....
Tuesday, July 20, 2010
You need to do this.....
There is a letter sitting on my desk. The letter is requesting that I consider becoming an ambassador for home education.
How do you feel about that sort of thing? I don’t mean homeschooling. I mean, how do you feel about being an advocate for a specific cause? The letter takes some time in proclaiming some of the benefits of homeschooling, highlighting the fact that home schooled children are, “5 times as likely to become Christians as their publicly schooled peers who are raised in a Christian home.”
Wonderful.
I’m happy with our decision and quite pleased with what I see coming out of our children, but I really don’t feel called to champion the cause. To be honest, I’m really not led to campaign for any cause but the cause of Christ Himself.
I often have mixed feelings for activists of any flavour, be it Christian or otherwise. I’m often thankful for their efforts, but find that when I don’t put my name along with their cause they seem to think less of me. If you are speaking with an environmentalist, how does the conversation go if you tell them that you aren’t going to participate in Earth Hour?
What about in Christian circles? How do you feel about the following statements?
All believers need to go on at least one mission trip to the developing world.
All believers need to evangelise door to door.
All believers should be actively involved in street ministry.
All believers should home school their children.
All believers should send their children to Christian School.
All believers should send their children to Public School. (Being the light in a dark world)
All preachers should sound like Paul Washer.
All preachers should preach like Charles Stanley.
All Christians need to be focussed on fighting child poverty.
All Christians should boycott products sold by companies that sin. (Child labour, racism, slavery)
Believers should live downtown.
Believers should live in suburbia.
All believers need to make and baptize disciples.
All believers need to be actively serving others in need.
All believers need to attend weekly Bible study meetings.
All believers should attend the weekly prayer meeting.
All believers should be actively involved in ministry and outreach.
All believers should be an active part of a life group.
All Christians should have some kind of leadership role within the church.
Believers who live in the country love Jesus more than those who live in urban areas because they are closer to God out in the open spaces. (That one must be true!)
What do all believers need to be concerned about? Are The Gideons better or worse than The Canadian Bible Society? Is World Vision more or less worthy than Compassion? Does a missionary in Morocco deserve our support, but the one in Pakistan does not? If I want to live and give the way that God wants me to, where does it begin and where does it end?
Do what you want with this topic. For me, although I am involved in a few different Christian ministries, I don’t intend to advocate any of them. If you want to know more about home schooling, here is a neat study that you can check out.
http://www.hslda.ca/cche_research/2009StudySynopsis.pdf
How do you feel about that sort of thing? I don’t mean homeschooling. I mean, how do you feel about being an advocate for a specific cause? The letter takes some time in proclaiming some of the benefits of homeschooling, highlighting the fact that home schooled children are, “5 times as likely to become Christians as their publicly schooled peers who are raised in a Christian home.”
Wonderful.
I’m happy with our decision and quite pleased with what I see coming out of our children, but I really don’t feel called to champion the cause. To be honest, I’m really not led to campaign for any cause but the cause of Christ Himself.
I often have mixed feelings for activists of any flavour, be it Christian or otherwise. I’m often thankful for their efforts, but find that when I don’t put my name along with their cause they seem to think less of me. If you are speaking with an environmentalist, how does the conversation go if you tell them that you aren’t going to participate in Earth Hour?
What about in Christian circles? How do you feel about the following statements?
All believers need to go on at least one mission trip to the developing world.
All believers need to evangelise door to door.
All believers should be actively involved in street ministry.
All believers should home school their children.
All believers should send their children to Christian School.
All believers should send their children to Public School. (Being the light in a dark world)
All preachers should sound like Paul Washer.
All preachers should preach like Charles Stanley.
All Christians need to be focussed on fighting child poverty.
All Christians should boycott products sold by companies that sin. (Child labour, racism, slavery)
Believers should live downtown.
Believers should live in suburbia.
All believers need to make and baptize disciples.
All believers need to be actively serving others in need.
All believers need to attend weekly Bible study meetings.
All believers should attend the weekly prayer meeting.
All believers should be actively involved in ministry and outreach.
All believers should be an active part of a life group.
All Christians should have some kind of leadership role within the church.
Believers who live in the country love Jesus more than those who live in urban areas because they are closer to God out in the open spaces. (That one must be true!)
What do all believers need to be concerned about? Are The Gideons better or worse than The Canadian Bible Society? Is World Vision more or less worthy than Compassion? Does a missionary in Morocco deserve our support, but the one in Pakistan does not? If I want to live and give the way that God wants me to, where does it begin and where does it end?
Do what you want with this topic. For me, although I am involved in a few different Christian ministries, I don’t intend to advocate any of them. If you want to know more about home schooling, here is a neat study that you can check out.
http://www.hslda.ca/cche_research/2009StudySynopsis.pdf
Saturday, July 17, 2010
My Harshest Post Yet?
The whole balance theory has really been staying with me.
There is a certain pop star that died about a year ago. I'm not naming names out of respect for the deceased. This pop star had been accused of committing several sexual offenses against children. At the time of his death, I heard a significant amount of talk in the media and on street level to this effect;
'We shouldn't judge him for the things that he has done. We should remember him for his music and his contribution to our culture'
To be honest, I don't know for sure if the allegations were true. I'm not really speaking about what really went on. I'm speaking on how we as a people come to terms with having a 'balance' between good and evil in our lives
Am I alone? I mean, when a priest or pastor has sexual charges laid against them, I don't hear the same kind of commentary, either in the news or at work. Do you ever hear, 'Well at least he helped a lot of people.'?
I guess it's ok to molest children as long as you make really cool music videos.
Wrong is wrong and it doesn't matter if you are a rock star, truck driver or pastor.
There is a certain pop star that died about a year ago. I'm not naming names out of respect for the deceased. This pop star had been accused of committing several sexual offenses against children. At the time of his death, I heard a significant amount of talk in the media and on street level to this effect;
'We shouldn't judge him for the things that he has done. We should remember him for his music and his contribution to our culture'
To be honest, I don't know for sure if the allegations were true. I'm not really speaking about what really went on. I'm speaking on how we as a people come to terms with having a 'balance' between good and evil in our lives
Am I alone? I mean, when a priest or pastor has sexual charges laid against them, I don't hear the same kind of commentary, either in the news or at work. Do you ever hear, 'Well at least he helped a lot of people.'?
I guess it's ok to molest children as long as you make really cool music videos.
Wrong is wrong and it doesn't matter if you are a rock star, truck driver or pastor.
Thursday, July 15, 2010
Yin and Yang
There is more to God’s standard for human sexuality, but this should be a decent start. Suppose you haven’t come to Christ yet, how do you respond to the law? Have you done any of these?
(See last post.)
As for me, I have. Please don’t ask me to tell you which one(s) I’ve violated. I hope that it is sufficient for me to be honest enough in saying that I have violated one (or more) of these laws found in Leviticus 18. Would you like a number? If I said, “Three”, would you look through the list again wondering which three I have broken? The law was intended to reveal our sin and to point us to Christ, but that isn’t how everyone responds.
The easy route is to tell ourselves that this God is little more than a spooky fairy tale. However, I’m convinced that for anyone who is honest with their conscience, that this doesn’t really seem to settle one’s heart. Many or most atheists seem to spend much of their lives fighting against a God they claim doesn’t exist. That's Wierd.
http://kevinabell.blogspot.com/2010/05/what-lies-beneath-part-iii.html
The good old fashioned ‘balance’ theory is a good one too. It’s okay for me to do things that are vile, as long as I do enough good things to counteract the bad. How does that really work in real life? Suppose someone kills your son, but they do a lot of charitable work. Would that wash with you? If I beat my wife and children, but I help at a soup kitchen on weekends, does that really make it all better? To me, that kind of thinking is just dumb. Sorry if you disagree with me, but I can’t yield on this one. Even if it did work, how do you know what the score is?
There is a place for balance in life. It’s not good for me to spend every waking hour at work. It isn’t good to choose not to work so that I can live an impoverished life and stay at home with my family. I shouldn’t spend all of my evening hours out with the guys. We do need to balance work and family life. What I’m saying, is that as far as good and evil are concerned, embracing evil isn’t right, even if we do give to the food bank.
Doing nice stuff doesn’t erase the evil we have done in this life. If we see our sin as sin and if we are honest with ourselves, no Boy Scout good deed actually erases it.
Tuesday, July 13, 2010
Killjoy.....
Leviticus 18
Forbidden Sexual Practices
1 Then the Lord said to Moses, 2 “Give the following instructions to the people of Israel. I am the Lord your God. 3 So do not act like the people in Egypt, where you used to live, or like the people of Canaan, where I am taking you. You must not imitate their way of life.
Remember...People were actually doing these things. Nothing is new.
4 You must obey all my regulations and be careful to obey my decrees, for I am the Lord your God. 5 If you obey my decrees and my regulations, you will find life through them. I am the Lord.
6 “You must never have sexual relations with a close relative, for I am the Lord.
I suppose verse 6 wasn't clear enough, because he had to elaborate further......
7 “Do not violate your father by having sexual relations with your mother. She is your mother; you must not have sexual relations with her.
8 “Do not have sexual relations with any of your father’s wives, for this would violate your father.
9 “Do not have sexual relations with your sister or half sister, whether she is your father’s daughter or your mother’s daughter, whether she was born into your household or someone else’s.
10 “Do not have sexual relations with your granddaughter, whether she is your son’s daughter or your daughter’s daughter, for this would violate yourself.
11 “Do not have sexual relations with your stepsister, the daughter of any of your father’s wives, for she is your sister.
12 “Do not have sexual relations with your father’s sister, for she is your father’s close relative.
13 “Do not have sexual relations with your mother’s sister, for she is your mother’s close relative.
14 “Do not violate your uncle, your father’s brother, by having sexual relations with his wife, for she is your aunt.
15 “Do not have sexual relations with your daughter-in-law; she is your son’s wife, so you must not have sexual relations with her.
16 “Do not have sexual relations with your brother’s wife, for this would violate your brother.
17 “Do not have sexual relations with both a woman and her daughter. And do not take[a] her granddaughter, whether her son’s daughter or her daughter’s daughter, and have sexual relations with her. They are close relatives, and this would be a wicked act.
18 “While your wife is living, do not marry her sister and have sexual relations with her, for they would be rivals.
Now that God has covered most of the specific family relationships, it's time to get to some particulars.....
19 “Do not have sexual relations with a woman during her period of menstrual impurity.
20 “Do not defile yourself by having sexual intercourse with your neighbor’s wife.
21 “Do not permit any of your children to be offered as a sacrifice to Molech, for you must not bring shame on the name of your God. I am the Lord.
Ok. Don't kill my kids. Got it.
22 “Do not practice homosexuality, having sex with another man as with a woman. It is a detestable sin.
You mean there were people who did that back then? It isn't new?
23 “A man must not defile himself by having sex with an animal. And a woman must not offer herself to a male animal to have intercourse with it. This is a perverse act.
Animals are off limits too?
24 “Do not defile yourselves in any of these ways, for the people I am driving out before you have defiled themselves in all these ways.
I left verse 24 in there for you just so we all know that any kind of deviant sexual behaviour in our day really isn't a new concept. The people living in Canaan had been doing these things. There you have it folks. This is one part of the law that we still need to take serious. There is more, but this chapter summarizes much of the dirty specifics.
Remember, the law has its purpose - to tell us what sin is and to point us to Christ. Any objections before I move on?
Forbidden Sexual Practices
1 Then the Lord said to Moses, 2 “Give the following instructions to the people of Israel. I am the Lord your God. 3 So do not act like the people in Egypt, where you used to live, or like the people of Canaan, where I am taking you. You must not imitate their way of life.
Remember...People were actually doing these things. Nothing is new.
4 You must obey all my regulations and be careful to obey my decrees, for I am the Lord your God. 5 If you obey my decrees and my regulations, you will find life through them. I am the Lord.
6 “You must never have sexual relations with a close relative, for I am the Lord.
I suppose verse 6 wasn't clear enough, because he had to elaborate further......
7 “Do not violate your father by having sexual relations with your mother. She is your mother; you must not have sexual relations with her.
8 “Do not have sexual relations with any of your father’s wives, for this would violate your father.
9 “Do not have sexual relations with your sister or half sister, whether she is your father’s daughter or your mother’s daughter, whether she was born into your household or someone else’s.
10 “Do not have sexual relations with your granddaughter, whether she is your son’s daughter or your daughter’s daughter, for this would violate yourself.
11 “Do not have sexual relations with your stepsister, the daughter of any of your father’s wives, for she is your sister.
12 “Do not have sexual relations with your father’s sister, for she is your father’s close relative.
13 “Do not have sexual relations with your mother’s sister, for she is your mother’s close relative.
14 “Do not violate your uncle, your father’s brother, by having sexual relations with his wife, for she is your aunt.
15 “Do not have sexual relations with your daughter-in-law; she is your son’s wife, so you must not have sexual relations with her.
16 “Do not have sexual relations with your brother’s wife, for this would violate your brother.
17 “Do not have sexual relations with both a woman and her daughter. And do not take[a] her granddaughter, whether her son’s daughter or her daughter’s daughter, and have sexual relations with her. They are close relatives, and this would be a wicked act.
18 “While your wife is living, do not marry her sister and have sexual relations with her, for they would be rivals.
Now that God has covered most of the specific family relationships, it's time to get to some particulars.....
19 “Do not have sexual relations with a woman during her period of menstrual impurity.
20 “Do not defile yourself by having sexual intercourse with your neighbor’s wife.
21 “Do not permit any of your children to be offered as a sacrifice to Molech, for you must not bring shame on the name of your God. I am the Lord.
Ok. Don't kill my kids. Got it.
22 “Do not practice homosexuality, having sex with another man as with a woman. It is a detestable sin.
You mean there were people who did that back then? It isn't new?
23 “A man must not defile himself by having sex with an animal. And a woman must not offer herself to a male animal to have intercourse with it. This is a perverse act.
Animals are off limits too?
24 “Do not defile yourselves in any of these ways, for the people I am driving out before you have defiled themselves in all these ways.
I left verse 24 in there for you just so we all know that any kind of deviant sexual behaviour in our day really isn't a new concept. The people living in Canaan had been doing these things. There you have it folks. This is one part of the law that we still need to take serious. There is more, but this chapter summarizes much of the dirty specifics.
Remember, the law has its purpose - to tell us what sin is and to point us to Christ. Any objections before I move on?
Sunday, July 11, 2010
Got Purity?
Well, I went, I talked and I walked out alive. I guess all went well enough. No decision cards were handed in so depending on your flavour of the faith, maybe you wouldn’t call Saturday night a success.
Having had a wonderful evening with the believers at Aylmer’s Evengelical Mennonite Church, my thoughts return here to cyberspace and back to working through ‘The Law’ in the life of a believer. I hope this isn’t being drawn out too long, but I feel led to linger here for a while. I really don’t see a need to talk about eating strangled animals, drinking blood or eating food which has knowingly been offered to an idol. The sexual sin thing remains with me though.
I mean, since it is named among the 4 non-negotiables for a follower of Christ and since we’re told that no other sin so clearly affects the body as this one, I believe it deserves a little more thought, time and study.
Before I continue however, I want to set up the playing field. I want to make sure that this is a fair game where everybody gets to participate. So I’m asking for your input. Here is the question at hand....
Have any of you lived lives that are completely sexually pure?
I’m taking Jesus’ standard here. In other words, you have never lusted after someone who is not married to you. You have never had sexual intercourse out of marriage. You have never flipped through a nudy book. You are completely clean with regards to God’s standards for human sexuality. Can any of us claim that?
I ask this question in order to make sure the playing field really is level. So often, when church people like me talk about sexual sin, we’re accused of demonizing one particular group or another. Many of us don’t mind acknowledging that we are sinners in a general sense. However, when it comes down to specifics where our sin is labelled as it is, our human nature tends to be both offensive and offended.
So – in my next post, if I speak on a few particulars of God’s sexual standards, don’t get all offended unless there is such a thing as being completely without fault before God in this area. If we really are sinners then it should be no surprise to find out that we have actually sinned.
If on the other hand you believe yourself to be above reproach and are completely self righteous, then I probably will offend you. In that case, please don’t bother reading my next post on this issue.
Having had a wonderful evening with the believers at Aylmer’s Evengelical Mennonite Church, my thoughts return here to cyberspace and back to working through ‘The Law’ in the life of a believer. I hope this isn’t being drawn out too long, but I feel led to linger here for a while. I really don’t see a need to talk about eating strangled animals, drinking blood or eating food which has knowingly been offered to an idol. The sexual sin thing remains with me though.
I mean, since it is named among the 4 non-negotiables for a follower of Christ and since we’re told that no other sin so clearly affects the body as this one, I believe it deserves a little more thought, time and study.
Before I continue however, I want to set up the playing field. I want to make sure that this is a fair game where everybody gets to participate. So I’m asking for your input. Here is the question at hand....
Have any of you lived lives that are completely sexually pure?
I’m taking Jesus’ standard here. In other words, you have never lusted after someone who is not married to you. You have never had sexual intercourse out of marriage. You have never flipped through a nudy book. You are completely clean with regards to God’s standards for human sexuality. Can any of us claim that?
I ask this question in order to make sure the playing field really is level. So often, when church people like me talk about sexual sin, we’re accused of demonizing one particular group or another. Many of us don’t mind acknowledging that we are sinners in a general sense. However, when it comes down to specifics where our sin is labelled as it is, our human nature tends to be both offensive and offended.
So – in my next post, if I speak on a few particulars of God’s sexual standards, don’t get all offended unless there is such a thing as being completely without fault before God in this area. If we really are sinners then it should be no surprise to find out that we have actually sinned.
If on the other hand you believe yourself to be above reproach and are completely self righteous, then I probably will offend you. In that case, please don’t bother reading my next post on this issue.
Monday, July 5, 2010
Abell Sportsnet.
Going into the final week of soccer this summer, here are the standings;
Win Loss Tie
My Daughter's Team: Peloquin Promotions 2 - 7 - 1
The Twins: Aylmer Kinsmen 6 - 1 - 3
Jeremy's Team :Brown Timbits 3 - 7 - 0
Nathaniel 2 goal and 3 assists so far this season
Jeremy - 16 goals so far this season and one assist.
With one game left to go in the season, Matthew and Nathaniel's team suffered their first loss. They are in first place by 2 points. So it comes down to one game. If they win and the second place teams wins....my boy's won't have the red ribbons.
It's been fun, but I'll be thankful to get back to living a boring life.
Win Loss Tie
My Daughter's Team: Peloquin Promotions 2 - 7 - 1
The Twins: Aylmer Kinsmen 6 - 1 - 3
Jeremy's Team :Brown Timbits 3 - 7 - 0
Nathaniel 2 goal and 3 assists so far this season
Jeremy - 16 goals so far this season and one assist.
With one game left to go in the season, Matthew and Nathaniel's team suffered their first loss. They are in first place by 2 points. So it comes down to one game. If they win and the second place teams wins....my boy's won't have the red ribbons.
It's been fun, but I'll be thankful to get back to living a boring life.
Thursday, July 1, 2010
Busy
If I don't have any new posts in the next week, it's because I'm putting the bulk of my time into preparing to speak next Saturday. I had my message 'all planned out', until my friend Michael asked me some questions. How dare he?
If you have the time and are interested, I'll be speaking at the Aylmer Evangelical Mennonite Church across from Summers Corners on July 10th. I think it's around 6:30. Like I said, I'm rethinking a lot of it so I have not idea what it will be about. It could be good. It could be really bad. Time will tell.
Love Kevin
If you have the time and are interested, I'll be speaking at the Aylmer Evangelical Mennonite Church across from Summers Corners on July 10th. I think it's around 6:30. Like I said, I'm rethinking a lot of it so I have not idea what it will be about. It could be good. It could be really bad. Time will tell.
Love Kevin
XXX
“HeyKev! Did you hear that they managed to stop the well in the gulf from spewing oil?”
“Really?” I asked.
Immediately my boss replied, “Yeah. They put a wedding ring around it and it stopped pumping right away.”
I smiled and put on a timid chuckle, even though I hadn’t really found it to be all that humorous. It was a joke which was told to him by one of the guys from St. Thomas Ford. It was a joke that many people found to be rather hilarious. I’m thinking that it’s funny to a lot of people, because behind that joke lies a certain truth for those who enjoy the jest.
I am led to believe, that for many couples, the wedding ring does reduce the pumping. I say that because of the many jokes that I hear to that effect. Other conversations come to mind as well. I remember past coworkers saying, “Once I put that wedding ring on her finger, the door slammed shut.” In popular culture I have watched sitcom episodes where the romance dries up. Last year while in Niagara Falls with my family I remember seeing this young man wearing a red T-Shirt. On his shirt were a picture of a bride and a groom, holding hands. Under their picture read this caption, “Game Over!”
I have done a lot of things wrong in my life, so don’t allow this to lead you to believe me any better than I am. For me however, my experience has been quite different. Although far from perfection, when Barb and I put on our respective rings, that’s when our lives of intimacy began. Among my many regrets in life, waiting for each other isn’t among them.
Wondering if my experience in unique, I have asked a couple of godly men in my life if their experience has been the same. Tuesday evening I asked one in particular and his experience has been much like my own. “Kevin. It’s funny. Even after 14 years, you continue to learn new things about each other.” That’s when I cut him off. I really didn’t want him to elaborate. I really don't want to know what kind of 'new things' he's been learning in bed. As I am certain that you don’t want me to elaborate either.
I wonder if this is part of the reason why marriage in the heterosexual realm is viewed as being little more than a piece of paper. For many, marriage is the end of the story. In fact, is that not how many story books find their conclusion? ‘And they lived happily ever after’. Nothing important happens after that. The story is over. The game is over. The glory days are behind you. You have nothing left to do but to drink yourself silly, mourning on how your best days are left behind you in college or in high school. Your life is over, and the best that you can do is to raise kids, coach their soccer team and hope that they can grasp the life that you have left behind.
If you are a young couple who is getting married, or has just tied that knot, I want you to know that everything you’ve went through has been to prepare you for the life that you will forge as one. The life that you live together will determine the legacy that you leave behind. As I have said before; This isn’t game over, it’s game on. Your story book is just beginning; Opening with the words, “I do.”
For those of you who are single, I know it’s a meat grinder out there. I really wouldn’t want to be in your shoes these days. I know it’s tough and you might be tempted to think of giving up on striving for any kind of sexual purity. I want to remind you, that living like the world really isn’t all that glamorous. For many (not all), the well does stop pumping once the ring is slipped on. I’ve never promised you an easy road, in fact, it is supposed to be narrow and it is supposed to be tough. I pray that you are tough enough and patient enough to endure.
For those of you who are married, I hope that you have found it to be one of the most rewarding relationships in your life, second only to your relationship with the Saviour. If it isn’t, I want you to know that there is a way to overcome your past, and I’m certain that it can only be found through Jesus Himself. I am thinking of one of you in particular and even though your mistakes have carried their issues into your married life, you seem to be discovering how He really can erase the sins of your past when you recognize them and allow His power to have His way. I am so happy for you and your husband and the new life that you are forging together once more.
Sexual sin is a serious thing. Serious enough that God used to have people killed for it. We don’t kill fornicators or adulterers anymore, but if we have no intention of dealing with the sexual immorality in our lives, we don’t belong in the church. You might as well drink blood. I like the way Paul put it to the people in Corinth, “Run from sexual sin! No other sin so clearly affects the body as this one does. For sexual immorality is a sin against your own body.” 1Corinthians 6:18
Run! When I think of those of you who are married, one of my greatest hopes is that you would be faithful to each other. I like when our families get together as families. If there are situations in your life that draw you away from your spouse, run away. Run as if it were a snake or something scurrying under the cupboard. Run to Jesus and run to the one who shares your bed.
If I could summarize my hope for those who are married, it would be this;
“Let your wife be a fountain of blessing for you.
Rejoice in the wife of your youth.
She is a loving deer, a graceful doe.
Let her breasts satisfy you always.
May you always be captivated by her love.” Proverbs 5:18-19
“Really?” I asked.
Immediately my boss replied, “Yeah. They put a wedding ring around it and it stopped pumping right away.”
I smiled and put on a timid chuckle, even though I hadn’t really found it to be all that humorous. It was a joke which was told to him by one of the guys from St. Thomas Ford. It was a joke that many people found to be rather hilarious. I’m thinking that it’s funny to a lot of people, because behind that joke lies a certain truth for those who enjoy the jest.
I am led to believe, that for many couples, the wedding ring does reduce the pumping. I say that because of the many jokes that I hear to that effect. Other conversations come to mind as well. I remember past coworkers saying, “Once I put that wedding ring on her finger, the door slammed shut.” In popular culture I have watched sitcom episodes where the romance dries up. Last year while in Niagara Falls with my family I remember seeing this young man wearing a red T-Shirt. On his shirt were a picture of a bride and a groom, holding hands. Under their picture read this caption, “Game Over!”
I have done a lot of things wrong in my life, so don’t allow this to lead you to believe me any better than I am. For me however, my experience has been quite different. Although far from perfection, when Barb and I put on our respective rings, that’s when our lives of intimacy began. Among my many regrets in life, waiting for each other isn’t among them.
Wondering if my experience in unique, I have asked a couple of godly men in my life if their experience has been the same. Tuesday evening I asked one in particular and his experience has been much like my own. “Kevin. It’s funny. Even after 14 years, you continue to learn new things about each other.” That’s when I cut him off. I really didn’t want him to elaborate. I really don't want to know what kind of 'new things' he's been learning in bed. As I am certain that you don’t want me to elaborate either.
I wonder if this is part of the reason why marriage in the heterosexual realm is viewed as being little more than a piece of paper. For many, marriage is the end of the story. In fact, is that not how many story books find their conclusion? ‘And they lived happily ever after’. Nothing important happens after that. The story is over. The game is over. The glory days are behind you. You have nothing left to do but to drink yourself silly, mourning on how your best days are left behind you in college or in high school. Your life is over, and the best that you can do is to raise kids, coach their soccer team and hope that they can grasp the life that you have left behind.
If you are a young couple who is getting married, or has just tied that knot, I want you to know that everything you’ve went through has been to prepare you for the life that you will forge as one. The life that you live together will determine the legacy that you leave behind. As I have said before; This isn’t game over, it’s game on. Your story book is just beginning; Opening with the words, “I do.”
For those of you who are single, I know it’s a meat grinder out there. I really wouldn’t want to be in your shoes these days. I know it’s tough and you might be tempted to think of giving up on striving for any kind of sexual purity. I want to remind you, that living like the world really isn’t all that glamorous. For many (not all), the well does stop pumping once the ring is slipped on. I’ve never promised you an easy road, in fact, it is supposed to be narrow and it is supposed to be tough. I pray that you are tough enough and patient enough to endure.
For those of you who are married, I hope that you have found it to be one of the most rewarding relationships in your life, second only to your relationship with the Saviour. If it isn’t, I want you to know that there is a way to overcome your past, and I’m certain that it can only be found through Jesus Himself. I am thinking of one of you in particular and even though your mistakes have carried their issues into your married life, you seem to be discovering how He really can erase the sins of your past when you recognize them and allow His power to have His way. I am so happy for you and your husband and the new life that you are forging together once more.
Sexual sin is a serious thing. Serious enough that God used to have people killed for it. We don’t kill fornicators or adulterers anymore, but if we have no intention of dealing with the sexual immorality in our lives, we don’t belong in the church. You might as well drink blood. I like the way Paul put it to the people in Corinth, “Run from sexual sin! No other sin so clearly affects the body as this one does. For sexual immorality is a sin against your own body.” 1Corinthians 6:18
Run! When I think of those of you who are married, one of my greatest hopes is that you would be faithful to each other. I like when our families get together as families. If there are situations in your life that draw you away from your spouse, run away. Run as if it were a snake or something scurrying under the cupboard. Run to Jesus and run to the one who shares your bed.
If I could summarize my hope for those who are married, it would be this;
“Let your wife be a fountain of blessing for you.
Rejoice in the wife of your youth.
She is a loving deer, a graceful doe.
Let her breasts satisfy you always.
May you always be captivated by her love.” Proverbs 5:18-19
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