I don’t know how I ever did it. I know that most people do it and they seem to get through life. I mean, live life without Jesus. How is life without Him anyway?
This past Sunday I met a lady who said that she would like to get together with me sometime. For those of you who know me, I don’t spend a lot of one on one time with women to begin with. I like the gender and all, it’s just safer keeping my distance. Call me ultra conservative if you want, but my marriage has been the better for it. Some of you are women and I don’t hang out with you either. I love you. You love me. We just don’t go out for coffee together.
Anyway, I responded to this lady by telling her that it sounded like a fine idea, but I am very busy in my life right now. She answered back saying, ‘Sometimes you just need to make time for things.’
She is absolutely right. Sometimes you do need to make time for things. I can’t argue that. The trouble is, I have MANY things in my life that I need to make time for, and I told her as much.
So I spent the remainder of my afternoon feeling rather bitter, wondering if I need to add this to the long list of other things that I NEED to make time for. I didn’t spend the whole night in prayer, but I reminded myself that I’m willing to do what God wants me to do, and I thought on the truth of His word. So I resolved that if He wants me to go there, that I’ll go. Issue resolved.
What other way is there to deal with life? I mean, there are so many voices in my life telling me what to do with my time. God is the only one who narrows the vision for me. I just have to take my direction from Him. Yes – He does direct me to listen to my wife and to respect the other governmental and workplace authorities in my life. Yes I remain sensitive to the needs of my children. No I do not have to listen to everyone who thinks that they know what’s best for my life’s course.
How do you do it without Jesus? Don’t you find that there is just so much to balance in life? Do you ever find yourself to be too busy? What do you do when those guilty voices come, telling you that you need to make time for something that you don’t have time for?
This is what Jesus promises and what He really has done for me,
“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” Matthew 11:28-20
As busy as my life can be, Jesus isn’t the one who packs the extra weight onto my back. Sure, I write a fair bit and I spend what time I can walking with other men in my life, but it’s not laboursome. Life only becomes tiresome when I listen to those who haven’t earned the privilege of speaking into it. The people who love me tend to care enough for my well being, my sanity and my family.
Jesus does give us a yoke and a load to carry, but it is far lighter than the yoke which the world places on our shoulders. Think about it. List all of the things that the world expects of us. Think about the things we’re supposed to buy. Think about everything we’re supposed to do for our children. Think about the ways that we try to keep up with the people in our lives. (The Jones’) You need to find time to workout, watch TV, play with your kids, keep up with current events and popular culture, work, eat, coach your kid’s soccer team, take them to piano lessons, join your own sports team and pack in a social life.
Following Jesus narrows the vision. He is humble and gentle. He doesn't nag at you, making you feel guilty that you couldn't afford that once in a lifetime trip to Disneyworld.
Many of you are parents. So I’ll look at this in light of parenthood. If you aren’t a mom or a dad, you’ll have to find your own parallels. Sorry.
What does the world expect from you as a parent? You need to be concerned with your child’s academics. If they don’t do well in school, it’s likely your fault. They should be athletic too shouldn’t they? Who wants a wimpy kid? So you should have them in sports. Maybe even enrol them in Karate. How about social skills? How well does your child interact with others? Is your kid socially inept? And everyone looks up to those musical kids. Better make sure they learn to play at least one instrument. What about a second language? Or even a third? And then there are girl scouts, boy scouts. What about fun? Are they having enough fun? Do you take them to the park enough? Do they have enough toys, spend enough time with their friends? Do you spend enough one on one time with them as individuals?
Is that enough? You’ll notice that I have listed things that are all truly admirable. I haven’t listed anything inherently sinful that you should get rid of. That’s just one area of your life and you’re likely overloaded already. We haven’t even started talking about your marriage or career.
If you simply ADD Jesus to the mix, it makes matters that much worse doesn’t it? Now you have to add on their Bible club, and teach their Sunday school class. So I can see if you think that Jesus would merely add to the guilt and the chaos. Sure, if you just add Him to the mix, it will get worse. However, it isn’t supposed to work that way.
What we are called to do is to drop the yoke of slavery that the world has placed on our shoulders. Just drop it. After we drop it, we begin to ask a different question. “What does Jesus want for my kids?” Do you know the answer to that question? Do you know what He wants from your
kids? Consider this passage;
In the book of Malachi, God is speaking about husbands and wives and Malachi asks this very simple question about God.
“What does He want?”
Without looking to find the answer, do you know what God wants? It isn’t complex....
“Godly children from your union.” Malachi 2:15
God is much more straight forward than many believe Him to be. Sure it’s great to have a superstar academic/social/athlete. I just want you to know that God isn’t the one who put that burden on you. Sure you can keep the piano lessons if you want. Soccer is great. But if your life is too busy trying to be everything to everyone, it’s ok to drop some of the baggage. As for our children, He’s primarily concerned with us living out and teaching our kids about him.
That’s all for now. Tomorrow night – I think I’ll tell you that God expects everyone of you to fly to Haiti and help with the recovery. Sorry....Pakistan. God says Pakistan.
Subscribe To
Posts
All Comments
Tuesday, August 31, 2010
Monday, August 30, 2010
Who Wants to be a Christian Anyway?
If you really don’t love Jesus, I want you to know something. I understand. I get it. I really do. A friend of mine commented on my Facebook post today and it took me back to the man I used to be. My friend said that they couldn’t imagine me wearing Alice Cooper facial makeup. That’s the thing isn’t it? I really am a new creation and she never knew the man who used to be Kevin Abell.
I've spent part of my evening going through my high school yearbook looking at my Alice Cooper getup. Wow. I used to have hair. That is about the only thing I miss about that young man. This picture was taken during our high school lip sync competition when I was in grade 11. I was performing Alice Cooper’s ‘He’s Back. (The Man Behind the Mask)’ It's a nice little diddy about a mass murderer named Jason. If you've watched any of the Friday The 13th movies, you're likely familiar with the character. Some of you were with me then. Perhaps you remember the young man I was. Or maybe you never really knew what was inside of me.
I had grown up believing that Santa Claus was real. I was told that milk did the body good, that people are really just a bunch of monkeys and that the universe was billions of years old. My first contact with a Christian was young lady named Melissa Milmine. Funny. As I flip through my old yearbook, she was in my grade 11 homeroom.
I went to church once in a while, but she was still the first Christian I knew of. Pastors don’t count as being Christians. It’s their job. Youth pastors aren't really Christians either. That’s just what they do. I remember Melissa talking to me in English class, asking about the kind of music that I listened to. Knowing what I know now, sitting on this side of life, I wonder what was going through her mind. Was she intentionally ‘witnessing’ to me? Did she know how lost I really was and did she hope that I would come into a personal relationship with Jesus? Probably.
I don’t remember everything about the conversation. I probably told her about Alice Cooper, Motley Crue and Anthrax. Then she asked me this weird question. “If I gave you some Christian music, would you listen to it?” What a silly thought. ‘What was Christian music anyway?’, I wondered. I really didn’t know what to say. What could a bunch of Christians possibly sing about that I would want to listen to? What do Christians do? What do they talk about? As far as I was concerened, I couldn't imagine that they would have sang about anything that would have interested me.
So I asked. “What do they sing about in Christian music? Sure, I guess I’d listen to it, as long as there are some love songs. I don’t mind slow music as long as it’s in a love song.”
I had listened to hymns in church before, but that wasn’t Christian music. That was church stuff. And it had to be played on an organ. That was the rule.
Whatever these Christians were, I really had no intention of becoming one. Even though I had no intellectual idea of what it meant to be a believer, something inside of me knew. There was a voice inside my head telling me that the life I was living really wasn’t consistent with being a follower of Jesus Christ, in spite of the fact that I had no idea of what that entailed.
Now that I am ‘one of them’, it’s as if I’m stuck between two worlds. The people in my life now find it odd to see the person that I was. While some of the people who knew me before say things like, “Man...Abell has gone off of the deep end.”
So if you aren’t a believer, I really don’t expect you to want your life to count for Jesus. Why would you? I don’t expect you to give up your personal crutch. Maybe it's something as simple as beer or food. After all, what else do you have to fall back on? Maybe you just need a holiday. You're right. I really haven't walked in your shoes, nor you mine. Why would you want to be a new creation? I mean, if living life to the fullest is your gig, then Jesus really isn’t for you anyway. Is He?
I don’t think that many nonbelievers read my blog anyway, so I’m probably speaking to myself. If this does make it in front of you, do you believe that I love you? Do you think I’m trying to mess with your head or ruin your fun? If you are anything like the man I used to be, you probably do think those things. Everything that Melissa said to me sounded like nonsense. Do my words not sound the same?
By the way Melissa, if you ever find this – let this be a thank you. Knowing what I know now, you likely did a bit of praying for me. When you listened to a sermon about reaching out to the lost, I likely came to mind. You likely had me on your heart and you were probably a bit apprehensive, if not afraid to do your best to share your faith with me, but thank you. Even though I never liked your music at the time, thanks for being willing to listen to The Lord’s prompting. If you like the kind of believer that I have become, maybe it had something to do with you being willing to do what you could to reach into my Alice Cooper world.
And since Alice Cooper is a "Christian" now, maybe I should start buying back my old cd's.
I've spent part of my evening going through my high school yearbook looking at my Alice Cooper getup. Wow. I used to have hair. That is about the only thing I miss about that young man. This picture was taken during our high school lip sync competition when I was in grade 11. I was performing Alice Cooper’s ‘He’s Back. (The Man Behind the Mask)’ It's a nice little diddy about a mass murderer named Jason. If you've watched any of the Friday The 13th movies, you're likely familiar with the character. Some of you were with me then. Perhaps you remember the young man I was. Or maybe you never really knew what was inside of me.
I had grown up believing that Santa Claus was real. I was told that milk did the body good, that people are really just a bunch of monkeys and that the universe was billions of years old. My first contact with a Christian was young lady named Melissa Milmine. Funny. As I flip through my old yearbook, she was in my grade 11 homeroom.
I went to church once in a while, but she was still the first Christian I knew of. Pastors don’t count as being Christians. It’s their job. Youth pastors aren't really Christians either. That’s just what they do. I remember Melissa talking to me in English class, asking about the kind of music that I listened to. Knowing what I know now, sitting on this side of life, I wonder what was going through her mind. Was she intentionally ‘witnessing’ to me? Did she know how lost I really was and did she hope that I would come into a personal relationship with Jesus? Probably.
I don’t remember everything about the conversation. I probably told her about Alice Cooper, Motley Crue and Anthrax. Then she asked me this weird question. “If I gave you some Christian music, would you listen to it?” What a silly thought. ‘What was Christian music anyway?’, I wondered. I really didn’t know what to say. What could a bunch of Christians possibly sing about that I would want to listen to? What do Christians do? What do they talk about? As far as I was concerened, I couldn't imagine that they would have sang about anything that would have interested me.
So I asked. “What do they sing about in Christian music? Sure, I guess I’d listen to it, as long as there are some love songs. I don’t mind slow music as long as it’s in a love song.”
I had listened to hymns in church before, but that wasn’t Christian music. That was church stuff. And it had to be played on an organ. That was the rule.
Whatever these Christians were, I really had no intention of becoming one. Even though I had no intellectual idea of what it meant to be a believer, something inside of me knew. There was a voice inside my head telling me that the life I was living really wasn’t consistent with being a follower of Jesus Christ, in spite of the fact that I had no idea of what that entailed.
Now that I am ‘one of them’, it’s as if I’m stuck between two worlds. The people in my life now find it odd to see the person that I was. While some of the people who knew me before say things like, “Man...Abell has gone off of the deep end.”
So if you aren’t a believer, I really don’t expect you to want your life to count for Jesus. Why would you? I don’t expect you to give up your personal crutch. Maybe it's something as simple as beer or food. After all, what else do you have to fall back on? Maybe you just need a holiday. You're right. I really haven't walked in your shoes, nor you mine. Why would you want to be a new creation? I mean, if living life to the fullest is your gig, then Jesus really isn’t for you anyway. Is He?
I don’t think that many nonbelievers read my blog anyway, so I’m probably speaking to myself. If this does make it in front of you, do you believe that I love you? Do you think I’m trying to mess with your head or ruin your fun? If you are anything like the man I used to be, you probably do think those things. Everything that Melissa said to me sounded like nonsense. Do my words not sound the same?
By the way Melissa, if you ever find this – let this be a thank you. Knowing what I know now, you likely did a bit of praying for me. When you listened to a sermon about reaching out to the lost, I likely came to mind. You likely had me on your heart and you were probably a bit apprehensive, if not afraid to do your best to share your faith with me, but thank you. Even though I never liked your music at the time, thanks for being willing to listen to The Lord’s prompting. If you like the kind of believer that I have become, maybe it had something to do with you being willing to do what you could to reach into my Alice Cooper world.
And since Alice Cooper is a "Christian" now, maybe I should start buying back my old cd's.
Sunday, August 29, 2010
Kevin Slams Slamming
“Fox News Slams Obama”
“Vatican Slams Avatar”
“Donald Trump Slams Rosie O’Donnell”
“Lindsay Lohan Slams Her Father”
“Pink Slams Britney Spears”
“British Paper Slams Canada”
Is that enough? I’m having a difficult time on the internet finding any celebrity who hasn’t been ‘slammed’, or slammed someone else.
“Their talk is foul, like the stench from an open grave.
Their tongues are filled with lies.
Snake Venom drips from their lips.
Their mouths are full of cursing and bitterness.
They rush to commit murder.” Romans 3:13-15
I understand that I might be accused of looking at the negative aspects of human activity, but it just seems so obvious to me that the Bible paints a completely accurate and timeless portrait of the human condition. Really now. Do we live in a world where people treat each other with humility and compassion? Is your school or workplace a place where everybody looks out for the interests of each other?
When something goes wrong, do people line up in order to take the fall? The things that I read in the scriptures line up with both the things that I see in the world and in my own personal life. It’s as if we’re living out our own version of Survivor, forming alliances and strategically voting others off of the island.
If you work with an alcoholic who frequently ‘calls in sick’, what kinds of things are said about the man when he isn’t around? Are you and your coworkers more than happy to pull up the slack while the guy lies at home nursing a hangover? Or is there a certain amount of complaining that goes on? What if Sheila in sales makes some really bad decisions? She maxes out her credit card and has her car repossessed. Do you and your team talk about how you can help or do you talk about how dumb she was? Have you ever made jokes about the failure of another?
I’ve only been in the workforce for about 20 years, but my experience thus far has been quite consistent. In the places where I have worked, it’s as if we work amongst a team of cannibalistic sharks. Whenever we see the other shedding blood, we’re quick to add to the putdown or make jokes at the expense of the other. We’re watching and waiting to exploit the weaknesses of those around us as some means of personal survival.
I met a man this week who is a police officer. His work experience lines up completely with that of my own. He told me that, ‘As long as everything goes fine, the team works well together. But if anything goes wrong, don’t expect anyone to put their life on the line for you. You’re on your own.’
If your life is filled with stories of how people say nice things behind the backs of their coworkers, let me know. Perhaps the Bible really is outdated and the ‘slamming’ is just reserved for the celebrities of our time.
“Vatican Slams Avatar”
“Donald Trump Slams Rosie O’Donnell”
“Lindsay Lohan Slams Her Father”
“Pink Slams Britney Spears”
“British Paper Slams Canada”
Is that enough? I’m having a difficult time on the internet finding any celebrity who hasn’t been ‘slammed’, or slammed someone else.
“Their talk is foul, like the stench from an open grave.
Their tongues are filled with lies.
Snake Venom drips from their lips.
Their mouths are full of cursing and bitterness.
They rush to commit murder.” Romans 3:13-15
I understand that I might be accused of looking at the negative aspects of human activity, but it just seems so obvious to me that the Bible paints a completely accurate and timeless portrait of the human condition. Really now. Do we live in a world where people treat each other with humility and compassion? Is your school or workplace a place where everybody looks out for the interests of each other?
When something goes wrong, do people line up in order to take the fall? The things that I read in the scriptures line up with both the things that I see in the world and in my own personal life. It’s as if we’re living out our own version of Survivor, forming alliances and strategically voting others off of the island.
If you work with an alcoholic who frequently ‘calls in sick’, what kinds of things are said about the man when he isn’t around? Are you and your coworkers more than happy to pull up the slack while the guy lies at home nursing a hangover? Or is there a certain amount of complaining that goes on? What if Sheila in sales makes some really bad decisions? She maxes out her credit card and has her car repossessed. Do you and your team talk about how you can help or do you talk about how dumb she was? Have you ever made jokes about the failure of another?
I’ve only been in the workforce for about 20 years, but my experience thus far has been quite consistent. In the places where I have worked, it’s as if we work amongst a team of cannibalistic sharks. Whenever we see the other shedding blood, we’re quick to add to the putdown or make jokes at the expense of the other. We’re watching and waiting to exploit the weaknesses of those around us as some means of personal survival.
I met a man this week who is a police officer. His work experience lines up completely with that of my own. He told me that, ‘As long as everything goes fine, the team works well together. But if anything goes wrong, don’t expect anyone to put their life on the line for you. You’re on your own.’
If your life is filled with stories of how people say nice things behind the backs of their coworkers, let me know. Perhaps the Bible really is outdated and the ‘slamming’ is just reserved for the celebrities of our time.
Wednesday, August 25, 2010
Who Is Surprised?
The Cover of last weeks Macleans magazine read,"Outraged moms, trashy daughters
How did those steeped in the women’s lib movement produce girls who think being a sex object is powerful?"
My question is this - How in the world does anyone have the nerve to pretend to be astonished?
I didn't pay a lot of attention to my high school history, but I do remember a few tidbits. I do remember looking at North American history in regards to the invention of the birth control pill. I was told that it was a great accomplishment for the equality of women in North America. The pill allowed women to have the same kind of 'sexual freedom' that men enjoyed. No longer were they tied to that loathsome task of childbearing.
Being a 15 year old young man, I figured that it was good news myself. Is your imagination big enough to be able to deduce WHY I might have liked the idea?
Of course, now that I've turned into one of 'those Christians', my opinion doesn't count anymore since they are influenced by my beliefs. Go figure.
How did those steeped in the women’s lib movement produce girls who think being a sex object is powerful?"
My question is this - How in the world does anyone have the nerve to pretend to be astonished?
I didn't pay a lot of attention to my high school history, but I do remember a few tidbits. I do remember looking at North American history in regards to the invention of the birth control pill. I was told that it was a great accomplishment for the equality of women in North America. The pill allowed women to have the same kind of 'sexual freedom' that men enjoyed. No longer were they tied to that loathsome task of childbearing.
Being a 15 year old young man, I figured that it was good news myself. Is your imagination big enough to be able to deduce WHY I might have liked the idea?
Of course, now that I've turned into one of 'those Christians', my opinion doesn't count anymore since they are influenced by my beliefs. Go figure.
Tuesday, August 24, 2010
Saturday August 28th
Hello everyone in the internet world!
This coming Saturday I'll be speaking at Aylmer's EMMC at 6:30pm. I'll be double teaming with Michael Krahn as we look at the parable of the prodigal son.
Actually, it really isn't the parable of the prodigal son. It's a story about a man who had two sons. I'll be looking at the life of the son who spent his money on alcohol and promiscuous women. Michael gave me that assignment because he said that my life had strong parallels to this rebelious younger brother. How dare he imply such a thing?
Ok. So he was right...exept for the prostitutes.
As I prepare, I'm struck by the spiritual marurity of the brother who wasted his money on beer and whores. To begin with, he knew that he had a father. The story isn't really about a boy and his dad. It's about us as people and our Heavenly Father. Most of you who read this blog have at least some sense of the reality of the One True Father in Heaven, but how many in this world have that awareness?
Or do you know? Could it be that the things which enslave some of us stem from the fact that we live life on this world having a twisted notion of our True Father? Have you ever read or heard stories about adopted children who found out that they were adopted? There is an entire industry in place which sets out to connect adopted children with their birth parents.
Whether you know it or not, you have a Father in heaven and He didn't give you up for adoption. Instead, we, like sheep have gones astray. He isn't like a birth parent who is dufficult to find. He has made Himself plain to us. We, "know the truth about God because He has made it obvious to us. For ever since the world was created, people have seen the earth and sky. Through everything God made, we can clearly see His invisible qualitites - His eternal power and divine nature." Romans 1:19-20
He knew he had a father. Could it be that the prodigal, even in his rebellion, is farther along in his faith than some of us?
Hope to see you there.
Kevin
This coming Saturday I'll be speaking at Aylmer's EMMC at 6:30pm. I'll be double teaming with Michael Krahn as we look at the parable of the prodigal son.
Actually, it really isn't the parable of the prodigal son. It's a story about a man who had two sons. I'll be looking at the life of the son who spent his money on alcohol and promiscuous women. Michael gave me that assignment because he said that my life had strong parallels to this rebelious younger brother. How dare he imply such a thing?
Ok. So he was right...exept for the prostitutes.
As I prepare, I'm struck by the spiritual marurity of the brother who wasted his money on beer and whores. To begin with, he knew that he had a father. The story isn't really about a boy and his dad. It's about us as people and our Heavenly Father. Most of you who read this blog have at least some sense of the reality of the One True Father in Heaven, but how many in this world have that awareness?
Or do you know? Could it be that the things which enslave some of us stem from the fact that we live life on this world having a twisted notion of our True Father? Have you ever read or heard stories about adopted children who found out that they were adopted? There is an entire industry in place which sets out to connect adopted children with their birth parents.
Whether you know it or not, you have a Father in heaven and He didn't give you up for adoption. Instead, we, like sheep have gones astray. He isn't like a birth parent who is dufficult to find. He has made Himself plain to us. We, "know the truth about God because He has made it obvious to us. For ever since the world was created, people have seen the earth and sky. Through everything God made, we can clearly see His invisible qualitites - His eternal power and divine nature." Romans 1:19-20
He knew he had a father. Could it be that the prodigal, even in his rebellion, is farther along in his faith than some of us?
Hope to see you there.
Kevin
Sunday, August 22, 2010
Good Haters
Not only are we an unrighteous creature, we live in a world that is opposed to that which is truly good. Have you ever heard the phrase, ‘goody two shoes’? You may have worked with or went to school with people who were known to be a ‘goody goody’. They didn’t smoke. They didn’t drink. They didn’t look at dirty magazines or flirt with the opposite sex. How do most people view individuals such as these?
The world doesn’t embrace individuals who have the reputation of being a prude. Those who are known the be a ‘goody goody’ are looked upon with a glare of disdain. Don’t you find that to be odd? We complain that we can’t trust anybody. We complain that the world is falling to pieces. Simple Plan told us to open up our eyes, but we throw darts at anyone who makes any effort in trying to live right. We mock them. We look for some fatal flaw with which to bring them down.
400 years before Christ, the Greek philosopher Plato addressed this issue within the context of human government in his work, The Republic.
“Suppose, he said, that a perfectly just man came into the world. He must not merely seem just, but be just. However, it’s important that he not be viewed as just. If he were, he would be honoured and rewarded, “and then we shall not know whether he is just for the sake of justice, or for the sake of honors and rewards. Therefore let him be clothed in justice only, and have no other covering...Let him be the best of men, and let him be thought the worst. Then he will have been put to the proof, and we shall see whether he will be affected by the fear of infamy. And let him continue thus to the hour of his death, being just and seeming unjust.”
Plato asked what the fate of such a man would be, and he answered his own question: “He will be scourged, racked, bound. He will have his eyes burned out. And at last, after suffering every kind of evil, he will be impaled.”” The Christians: The Veil Is Torn. Christian History Project, (C) 2002. Page 26.
It’s acceptable to pick one or two decent causes and to work for those causes. We look favourably upon individuals who advocate for world peace, the environment or helping the poor. We look unfavourably upon anything or anyone which makes any attempt to be good through and through.
The world doesn’t embrace individuals who have the reputation of being a prude. Those who are known the be a ‘goody goody’ are looked upon with a glare of disdain. Don’t you find that to be odd? We complain that we can’t trust anybody. We complain that the world is falling to pieces. Simple Plan told us to open up our eyes, but we throw darts at anyone who makes any effort in trying to live right. We mock them. We look for some fatal flaw with which to bring them down.
400 years before Christ, the Greek philosopher Plato addressed this issue within the context of human government in his work, The Republic.
“Suppose, he said, that a perfectly just man came into the world. He must not merely seem just, but be just. However, it’s important that he not be viewed as just. If he were, he would be honoured and rewarded, “and then we shall not know whether he is just for the sake of justice, or for the sake of honors and rewards. Therefore let him be clothed in justice only, and have no other covering...Let him be the best of men, and let him be thought the worst. Then he will have been put to the proof, and we shall see whether he will be affected by the fear of infamy. And let him continue thus to the hour of his death, being just and seeming unjust.”
Plato asked what the fate of such a man would be, and he answered his own question: “He will be scourged, racked, bound. He will have his eyes burned out. And at last, after suffering every kind of evil, he will be impaled.”” The Christians: The Veil Is Torn. Christian History Project, (C) 2002. Page 26.
It’s acceptable to pick one or two decent causes and to work for those causes. We look favourably upon individuals who advocate for world peace, the environment or helping the poor. We look unfavourably upon anything or anyone which makes any attempt to be good through and through.
Saturday, August 21, 2010
Even Nickelback Gets It...
‘No one is righteous- not even one…..No one does good, not a single one.’ Romans 3:10,12
Christians seem to have a bad rap for saying things like that. We’re always telling people that they sin and we’re told that we’re hateful for doing so. That is the predominant thinking of our time is it not? Isn’t it hateful to tell someone that what they are doing is wrong? Very few people are able to recognize the difference between hate and calling the darkness for what it is.
Yet, if you are honest with yourself, when I say that no one does good, it really isn’t a foreign concept. I am going to give you some quotations from a couple of nonbelievers in my life, and tell me if you have either heard or thought of something similar.
“You just can’t trust anybody these days.”
“Nobody helps anybody anymore.”
Neither of these men are Christians, so don’t get all offended thinking that I’m spewing out some hate filled Christian rhetoric. You’d have to have your head in the sand to not notice how the world is going to hell. Even the Godless musicians of our day know what I’m talking about if they do a small amount of reflecting on what they actually sing about in their songs. You hear it in words such as this, “If everyone cared and nobody cried. If everyone loved and nobody lied.” There is so much about our world that isn’t right, and I am convinced that we really don’t intend to do anything about it.
Very few people are surprised to know that there is a whole lot which is wrong about the world. What we find offensive, is the notion that it has anything to do with us personally. Sin tends to be somebody else’s problem. We make ourselves to be gods in our own eyes, being deceived into thinking that we have it together and if everyone just listened to us, the world would be such a better place. Those words are also present in the Nickelback song. You may have missed them. Here they are, just in case you didn’t notice.
“We’ll show the world that they were wrong.”
I once heard a pastor say that, ‘the best sermon is the one that flies just over your head and hits the person behind you.’ I’ve been there. I remember listening to messages thinking, “My friend really needs to hear this one.”
Unless God is working on your heart, your sin likely doesn’t bother you. The same can be said for me. As we contribute our part to the decay of our world, we’re surprisingly fine with it. It tends to be the people around us who aren’t all that thrilled with our action or inaction. We lie, but strangely enough, we don’t like being lied to. Isn’t that weird?
Perhaps you have heard stories such as these. Have you ever known children who didn’t like their mom leaving their dad for another man? I forgot. The kids just need to adjust. Right? Or have your known women who got upset when their husband came home drunk? I know it hardly ever happens, but you might have friends of friends who have done that type of thing. Have you heard of husbands who lied to their wife about what they were doing online, because the wife ‘just wouldn’t understand’.
I’ve got to be honest with you. I’m not the one to show the world how they were wrong. No one is righteous. That would include me. No matter how sanctified you think you are, it also includes you. It’s ironic in a way. It was before I came to know Christ that I used to think that I had that special knowledge and if everyone just followed my example, the world would be a better place.
So if I sound like I’m being all judgmental and setting myself us as some kind of oracle, you really don’t understand these pages that you are reading. You’re probably much more of a Nickelback fan.
Christians seem to have a bad rap for saying things like that. We’re always telling people that they sin and we’re told that we’re hateful for doing so. That is the predominant thinking of our time is it not? Isn’t it hateful to tell someone that what they are doing is wrong? Very few people are able to recognize the difference between hate and calling the darkness for what it is.
Yet, if you are honest with yourself, when I say that no one does good, it really isn’t a foreign concept. I am going to give you some quotations from a couple of nonbelievers in my life, and tell me if you have either heard or thought of something similar.
“You just can’t trust anybody these days.”
“Nobody helps anybody anymore.”
Neither of these men are Christians, so don’t get all offended thinking that I’m spewing out some hate filled Christian rhetoric. You’d have to have your head in the sand to not notice how the world is going to hell. Even the Godless musicians of our day know what I’m talking about if they do a small amount of reflecting on what they actually sing about in their songs. You hear it in words such as this, “If everyone cared and nobody cried. If everyone loved and nobody lied.” There is so much about our world that isn’t right, and I am convinced that we really don’t intend to do anything about it.
Very few people are surprised to know that there is a whole lot which is wrong about the world. What we find offensive, is the notion that it has anything to do with us personally. Sin tends to be somebody else’s problem. We make ourselves to be gods in our own eyes, being deceived into thinking that we have it together and if everyone just listened to us, the world would be such a better place. Those words are also present in the Nickelback song. You may have missed them. Here they are, just in case you didn’t notice.
“We’ll show the world that they were wrong.”
I once heard a pastor say that, ‘the best sermon is the one that flies just over your head and hits the person behind you.’ I’ve been there. I remember listening to messages thinking, “My friend really needs to hear this one.”
Unless God is working on your heart, your sin likely doesn’t bother you. The same can be said for me. As we contribute our part to the decay of our world, we’re surprisingly fine with it. It tends to be the people around us who aren’t all that thrilled with our action or inaction. We lie, but strangely enough, we don’t like being lied to. Isn’t that weird?
Perhaps you have heard stories such as these. Have you ever known children who didn’t like their mom leaving their dad for another man? I forgot. The kids just need to adjust. Right? Or have your known women who got upset when their husband came home drunk? I know it hardly ever happens, but you might have friends of friends who have done that type of thing. Have you heard of husbands who lied to their wife about what they were doing online, because the wife ‘just wouldn’t understand’.
I’ve got to be honest with you. I’m not the one to show the world how they were wrong. No one is righteous. That would include me. No matter how sanctified you think you are, it also includes you. It’s ironic in a way. It was before I came to know Christ that I used to think that I had that special knowledge and if everyone just followed my example, the world would be a better place.
So if I sound like I’m being all judgmental and setting myself us as some kind of oracle, you really don’t understand these pages that you are reading. You’re probably much more of a Nickelback fan.
Thursday, August 19, 2010
Lawyers, Politicians and Thieves
Bob had been a pastor for his entire working career. His request seemed rather strange as he asked his wife to call Frank Smith and Bill Manly. Frank and Bill had been members of his congregation for the past 20 years. They were faithful in their attendance and had both been active in the leadership throughout their time at Frankford Community Church where Bob had pastured.
Bill and Frank wondered why Bob would call them in to share his final hour in this life. Was Bob intending to thank them for being such an encouragement during his ministry? Maybe he had some final words of advice, guidance or a commission to faithfully shepherd the flock after Bob’s departure. Little was said in the first hour as Bill and Frank
merely sat beside their minister; one on Bob’s right, and one on his left.
After an hour and a half, Frank finally asked Bob why he had called them in. Mustering all of the strength that he could, Bob replied saying, “When Jesus died, he left having a thief on his right and on his left. I wanted to die the same way.”
It’s an old joke for some of you and you might not find it very funny. I don’t tell many jokes in my writings or my speaking do I? Maybe I should do more of that. (not) Over and over I have conversations where people make statements like, “Politicians are liars. Lawyers are blood sucking vampires.” Don’t tell me that you have never heard similar comments.
Fortunately, politicians and lawyers aren’t the only vagrants of society. What about auto repair? Have you ever heard a story where a garage sold parts that someone didn’t need? They’re crooks too right? And contractors. Which ones can you trust in your home? The cover of the current issue of Macleans says that we don’t trust our doctors.
Politicians, bad. I get that. Every time a politician breaks a promise or gets caught in a lie, we see it in our headlines and listen to it on the six o’clock news. The CBC chatrooms fill up with political commentary by people who are either upset, shocked or offended. I really don’t think that we have the right to be shocked or upset when our leaders lie. It's old news. So very old.
I had a conversation with a co-worker of mine during the last election. He said that he wasn’t going to vote because politicians lie. I think he has a good point. I don’t think that I’ll buy my groceries from anyone who lies. I don’t think that I’ll go to a dentist that tells lies. I won’t buy clothing, cars, cheeseburgers, movie passes or toothpaste from people who lie either. How long do you think that would work?
What do mechanics, politicians and lawyers all have in common?
They all pull their staff from the same cesspool. You may have heard of it. It’s called the human race. If you aren’t too busy being all self righteous, maybe you’re recognized your place in it. Politicians lie because people lie. Mechanics take advantage of some of their customers, because people take advantage of other people. Lawyers charge exorbitant fees because they can and they like money just as much as you do.
Seriously now. Have you ever met a politicians who wasn't a person? I'm being very serious. They are all people. People lie. Politicians are people. Therefore, politicians lie. It's that simple. I'm sorry if these concepts are too difficult to follow. I know I'm using big words.
I was talking with one of my friends at work this past week. We were discussing the kind of man that we would like to see our daughters marry. I asked him a simple question. “Out of all the guys that you knew during public school, is there anyone that you would trust with your little girl?” He looked at me, thought for a bit and replied, “No. Not one.”
I’ve heard women say that you can’t trust men. On the flip side, I’ve heard men say that women are the spawn of Satan. To be honest, I wouldn’t have trusted any of my friends with my little girl either. Fortunately, some of the men in my life have recently had their hearts ripped out by the women on their lives. I guess it’s good that women do bad stuff too because we have to make sure that they have the same opportunities as men.
It really isn’t about politicians, lawyers, men or women. The ground we’re walking on is level in God’s eyes,
“No one is righteous – not even one.
No one is truly wise; no one is seeking God.
All have turned away; all have become useless.
No one does good, not a single one.
Their talk is foul, like the stench from an open grave.
Their tongues are filled with lies.
Snake venom drips from their lips.
Their mouths are full of cursing and bitterness.
They rush to commit murder.
Destruction and misery follow them.
They don’t know where to find peace.
They have no fear of God at all.” Romans 3:10-18
Does that not describe us well as a creature? These are blanket statements for all people No one does good. How do you feel about that? ‘They don’t know where to find peace’. Do you know where to find peace?
PS - If you tell me that you've never lied, I think you're a liar.
Bill and Frank wondered why Bob would call them in to share his final hour in this life. Was Bob intending to thank them for being such an encouragement during his ministry? Maybe he had some final words of advice, guidance or a commission to faithfully shepherd the flock after Bob’s departure. Little was said in the first hour as Bill and Frank
merely sat beside their minister; one on Bob’s right, and one on his left.
After an hour and a half, Frank finally asked Bob why he had called them in. Mustering all of the strength that he could, Bob replied saying, “When Jesus died, he left having a thief on his right and on his left. I wanted to die the same way.”
It’s an old joke for some of you and you might not find it very funny. I don’t tell many jokes in my writings or my speaking do I? Maybe I should do more of that. (not) Over and over I have conversations where people make statements like, “Politicians are liars. Lawyers are blood sucking vampires.” Don’t tell me that you have never heard similar comments.
Fortunately, politicians and lawyers aren’t the only vagrants of society. What about auto repair? Have you ever heard a story where a garage sold parts that someone didn’t need? They’re crooks too right? And contractors. Which ones can you trust in your home? The cover of the current issue of Macleans says that we don’t trust our doctors.
Politicians, bad. I get that. Every time a politician breaks a promise or gets caught in a lie, we see it in our headlines and listen to it on the six o’clock news. The CBC chatrooms fill up with political commentary by people who are either upset, shocked or offended. I really don’t think that we have the right to be shocked or upset when our leaders lie. It's old news. So very old.
I had a conversation with a co-worker of mine during the last election. He said that he wasn’t going to vote because politicians lie. I think he has a good point. I don’t think that I’ll buy my groceries from anyone who lies. I don’t think that I’ll go to a dentist that tells lies. I won’t buy clothing, cars, cheeseburgers, movie passes or toothpaste from people who lie either. How long do you think that would work?
What do mechanics, politicians and lawyers all have in common?
They all pull their staff from the same cesspool. You may have heard of it. It’s called the human race. If you aren’t too busy being all self righteous, maybe you’re recognized your place in it. Politicians lie because people lie. Mechanics take advantage of some of their customers, because people take advantage of other people. Lawyers charge exorbitant fees because they can and they like money just as much as you do.
Seriously now. Have you ever met a politicians who wasn't a person? I'm being very serious. They are all people. People lie. Politicians are people. Therefore, politicians lie. It's that simple. I'm sorry if these concepts are too difficult to follow. I know I'm using big words.
I was talking with one of my friends at work this past week. We were discussing the kind of man that we would like to see our daughters marry. I asked him a simple question. “Out of all the guys that you knew during public school, is there anyone that you would trust with your little girl?” He looked at me, thought for a bit and replied, “No. Not one.”
I’ve heard women say that you can’t trust men. On the flip side, I’ve heard men say that women are the spawn of Satan. To be honest, I wouldn’t have trusted any of my friends with my little girl either. Fortunately, some of the men in my life have recently had their hearts ripped out by the women on their lives. I guess it’s good that women do bad stuff too because we have to make sure that they have the same opportunities as men.
It really isn’t about politicians, lawyers, men or women. The ground we’re walking on is level in God’s eyes,
“No one is righteous – not even one.
No one is truly wise; no one is seeking God.
All have turned away; all have become useless.
No one does good, not a single one.
Their talk is foul, like the stench from an open grave.
Their tongues are filled with lies.
Snake venom drips from their lips.
Their mouths are full of cursing and bitterness.
They rush to commit murder.
Destruction and misery follow them.
They don’t know where to find peace.
They have no fear of God at all.” Romans 3:10-18
Does that not describe us well as a creature? These are blanket statements for all people No one does good. How do you feel about that? ‘They don’t know where to find peace’. Do you know where to find peace?
PS - If you tell me that you've never lied, I think you're a liar.
Tuesday, August 17, 2010
Thank You
It's not that I don't have problems. I do. Really. It's just that God has blessed me with so many amazing people. Much of my time in refelction as of late had brought to mind how blessed and grateful I am for the people who have crossed my life's path.
My week started out on Sunday with a few of our friends from the University of Guelph. It has been 14 years since we were in school together, but I really believe that our relationship with each other is much more intimate than it was when we were together on a daily basis.
On Sunday afternoon, we spent our time sharing the trials of life and praying through them together. I realize that many people have friends from school, but how many of you out there have school buddies who will listen to your deepest pains, share theirs with you and pray through these trials along with you?
It wasn't always like that. Call me a nut, but I really think that what we have is rare, if not unique. I understand if that way of living life doesn't appeal to you. Praying through your struggles is much different than drowning your sorrows. I've done that too. In fact, I used to do that sort of thing with the very people who were at my side in prayer this past Sunday.
If you prefer the bottle, knock yourself out. You can't blame me for trying to control your life. I'm just saying, I don't intend to go back.
Today was an awesome day as well. We held Jeremy's 5th birthday party at Pinafore park in St. Thomas. I was fortunate to run into a guy at the park whom I have wanted to connect with for some time. We had cake, iced cream and chips. Barb bought the kind of nacho chips that are extra cheesy. Although, I don't believe that there is actually any cheese on them at all.
We finished the day watching the conclusion to Matthew and Nathaniel's soccer season. Both of them played extremely well. Alright. I cheated. Kind of. I spent an hour or so practising with them this afternoon and we prayed afterwards. We didn't ask God for a win, but we asked that He would grant them courage along with a winning attitude, and that their team would catch their spirit.
The downside was that our final game was against a very good friend of mine. I'm wondering, if he puts his kids in soccer next year, will he let my kids play on the same team? I didn't like the feeling of being on the other side, even for something as trivial as sports.
I want to thank each of you for making my life what it is today. I specifically want to thank those of you who have chosen to live a life of integrity, and who have demonstrated God's goodness to me.
My week started out on Sunday with a few of our friends from the University of Guelph. It has been 14 years since we were in school together, but I really believe that our relationship with each other is much more intimate than it was when we were together on a daily basis.
On Sunday afternoon, we spent our time sharing the trials of life and praying through them together. I realize that many people have friends from school, but how many of you out there have school buddies who will listen to your deepest pains, share theirs with you and pray through these trials along with you?
It wasn't always like that. Call me a nut, but I really think that what we have is rare, if not unique. I understand if that way of living life doesn't appeal to you. Praying through your struggles is much different than drowning your sorrows. I've done that too. In fact, I used to do that sort of thing with the very people who were at my side in prayer this past Sunday.
If you prefer the bottle, knock yourself out. You can't blame me for trying to control your life. I'm just saying, I don't intend to go back.
Today was an awesome day as well. We held Jeremy's 5th birthday party at Pinafore park in St. Thomas. I was fortunate to run into a guy at the park whom I have wanted to connect with for some time. We had cake, iced cream and chips. Barb bought the kind of nacho chips that are extra cheesy. Although, I don't believe that there is actually any cheese on them at all.
We finished the day watching the conclusion to Matthew and Nathaniel's soccer season. Both of them played extremely well. Alright. I cheated. Kind of. I spent an hour or so practising with them this afternoon and we prayed afterwards. We didn't ask God for a win, but we asked that He would grant them courage along with a winning attitude, and that their team would catch their spirit.
The downside was that our final game was against a very good friend of mine. I'm wondering, if he puts his kids in soccer next year, will he let my kids play on the same team? I didn't like the feeling of being on the other side, even for something as trivial as sports.
I want to thank each of you for making my life what it is today. I specifically want to thank those of you who have chosen to live a life of integrity, and who have demonstrated God's goodness to me.
Monday, August 16, 2010
Kill The Beast!
So what do you do if you realize that you are a criminal? How does one deal with that kind of knowledge?
I’m not sure why, but this subject never gets old with me. I wonder why that is. It’s as if this topic is an ancient mystical beast which continues to rear its ugly head throughout time. I hear it over and over and I am compelled to fight the monster until one of two things happens. Either I kill the thing, or I die. I'll probably die first. Perhaps if I had my Masters of Divinity I would have killed it by now. I keep stabbing at the fiend because I’m pretty sure that it lives in some form within most of us.
Did you recognize the monster when you read the article on the gangsta? Although the gangsta isn’t alive to state his case, some of the people who knew him were there to defend his honour on his behalf. It is a very old story. Very few of us are built to be able to handle the ugly truth about ourselves and we tend to make our defence in similar terms.
We point to the good things that we’ve done. I guess that makes it all better right? Sure I beat my wife, but I work had all day and I help with the toys for tots campaign at Christmas time. If you look at the argument for face value, tell me that it isn’t one of the dumbest things you’ve ever heard. As lame as it is, it is the very garbage that we continue to spew.
Some people actually make lists of the good things they do. As for the gangsta, we’re reminded of the same in the news reports on his life. We hear about how he loved his little girl. We are even told what belated birthday present that he bought for her. It was reported how he would hug his grandma and tell her that he loved her. Don’t you find that to be odd? If you think on it, why does the need arise to mention the good things about a person?
What if you quit doing that 'bad' thing? Does that make you good? Does that fix anything? The lawyer of the young man told reporters that he really was thinking of leaving the gangsta life. As wonderful as it is to stop doing bad stuff, it doesn’t actually solve the issue. Suppose you have four children and I killed one last month. Suppose that I kill one this week. What if I let the rest of your children live? Does that make it better? I stopped. I repented of my murdering ways so we’re all good right? It’s ridiculous thinking, but it’s so popular. If I just find the strength and the way to stop doing bad stuff, then I must be good enough.
Or maybe we don't have to do good things or stop doing the bad. Perhaps we can give it another name. Instead of labeling it 'dirty', we can call it a lifestyle. Being a career criminal is a lifestyle now. Remember when calling someone a slut was an insult? Ah. Those were the days.
You might not have recognized it and this isn’t all that detailed, but I have just summarized most of the religious thinking of this world.
Here is my opinion on the matter. Even though we tell ourselves over and over that we are ‘good’, there is this voice which remains with us, that really does know the difference. It’s a quiet voice so it’s easy to ignore if you put your mind to it. The voice also tells us that there will come a day where we will be weighed, measured and found wanting.
Listing all of the ‘good’ we have done in our lives is a way for us to answer that voice and keep it at bay for a short time. Pointing to the nasty deeds we have given up helps us in the same way. Giving the dirt a new name tells the voice that it's wrong. However, that quiet voice really never goes away does it? No matter how much time you spend doing yoga, no matter how late you stay up watching the comedy network, nothing we do actually gets rid of that insecurity permanently.
If you have ever watched Saving Private Ryan, you may remember the final scene. Ryan is visiting the final resting place for the body of one of the men who came to his rescue. As he stands at the grave site, he says to his wife, “Tell me I’m a good man.” His wife lays her hand at the side of his face, looks at him intently and says, “You are.” If you look at Ryan’s expression afterwards, do you really think he is convinced?
Even my lovely wife told me that this post is ‘old Kevin’, and I know it is. Tell me the monster’s dead. If it is, I’ll stop swinging.
I’m not sure why, but this subject never gets old with me. I wonder why that is. It’s as if this topic is an ancient mystical beast which continues to rear its ugly head throughout time. I hear it over and over and I am compelled to fight the monster until one of two things happens. Either I kill the thing, or I die. I'll probably die first. Perhaps if I had my Masters of Divinity I would have killed it by now. I keep stabbing at the fiend because I’m pretty sure that it lives in some form within most of us.
Did you recognize the monster when you read the article on the gangsta? Although the gangsta isn’t alive to state his case, some of the people who knew him were there to defend his honour on his behalf. It is a very old story. Very few of us are built to be able to handle the ugly truth about ourselves and we tend to make our defence in similar terms.
We point to the good things that we’ve done. I guess that makes it all better right? Sure I beat my wife, but I work had all day and I help with the toys for tots campaign at Christmas time. If you look at the argument for face value, tell me that it isn’t one of the dumbest things you’ve ever heard. As lame as it is, it is the very garbage that we continue to spew.
Some people actually make lists of the good things they do. As for the gangsta, we’re reminded of the same in the news reports on his life. We hear about how he loved his little girl. We are even told what belated birthday present that he bought for her. It was reported how he would hug his grandma and tell her that he loved her. Don’t you find that to be odd? If you think on it, why does the need arise to mention the good things about a person?
What if you quit doing that 'bad' thing? Does that make you good? Does that fix anything? The lawyer of the young man told reporters that he really was thinking of leaving the gangsta life. As wonderful as it is to stop doing bad stuff, it doesn’t actually solve the issue. Suppose you have four children and I killed one last month. Suppose that I kill one this week. What if I let the rest of your children live? Does that make it better? I stopped. I repented of my murdering ways so we’re all good right? It’s ridiculous thinking, but it’s so popular. If I just find the strength and the way to stop doing bad stuff, then I must be good enough.
Or maybe we don't have to do good things or stop doing the bad. Perhaps we can give it another name. Instead of labeling it 'dirty', we can call it a lifestyle. Being a career criminal is a lifestyle now. Remember when calling someone a slut was an insult? Ah. Those were the days.
You might not have recognized it and this isn’t all that detailed, but I have just summarized most of the religious thinking of this world.
Here is my opinion on the matter. Even though we tell ourselves over and over that we are ‘good’, there is this voice which remains with us, that really does know the difference. It’s a quiet voice so it’s easy to ignore if you put your mind to it. The voice also tells us that there will come a day where we will be weighed, measured and found wanting.
Listing all of the ‘good’ we have done in our lives is a way for us to answer that voice and keep it at bay for a short time. Pointing to the nasty deeds we have given up helps us in the same way. Giving the dirt a new name tells the voice that it's wrong. However, that quiet voice really never goes away does it? No matter how much time you spend doing yoga, no matter how late you stay up watching the comedy network, nothing we do actually gets rid of that insecurity permanently.
If you have ever watched Saving Private Ryan, you may remember the final scene. Ryan is visiting the final resting place for the body of one of the men who came to his rescue. As he stands at the grave site, he says to his wife, “Tell me I’m a good man.” His wife lays her hand at the side of his face, looks at him intently and says, “You are.” If you look at Ryan’s expression afterwards, do you really think he is convinced?
Even my lovely wife told me that this post is ‘old Kevin’, and I know it is. Tell me the monster’s dead. If it is, I’ll stop swinging.
Saturday, August 14, 2010
A Criminal Mind
I feel like I owe the gangsta guy an apology. I was a ‘good person’ too, before I met Jesus. I’m just saying it’s sad that no matter how vile we are, without Christ, we really don’t see it. This isn’t just for known criminals. It’s for people like me. If you had have known me in 1996 and if you had asked me, I would have told you the same. More accurately, I really didn’t even remember many of the darkest scenes of my life. Strange isn’t it?
So if you aren’t a follower of Jesus Christ, I really don’t expect you to see yourself as being a sinner. I guess it might happen from time to time. There might be some people who live life like the man in Gowan’s 'Criminal Mind'
“A criminal mind, is all I’ve
All I’ve ever had.
Ask one whose known me
If I’m really so bad.
I am.”
If that is you, it’s likely the exception as opposed to the rule. I expect you to be much more like me.
Even if you tried to coerce your kid sister in to having sex with you,
Even if you stole business from your place of work,
Even if you had sex with animals
Even if you are a drug dealer
Even if you abuse your family
Even if you had sex with your cousin
Even if you have intentionally slandered your own family
Even if you look at child pornography,
I expect you to be like I was. Even if you are or have been these things, I expect you to tell me that you aren’t a bad person. In fact, there is nothing that you could possibly have done which would likely compel you to see yourself as being bad. You might not even really remember doing those things.
By the way, some of my past sins are in the list. I tell you that just so you know that I’m not picking on anyone in particular. In fact, if you can guess which crimes were mine, I’ll give you a nickel. I was going to say a quarter, but seeing as this is available worldwide, I want to make sure I have the cash. One other thing – you have to come and collect in person. I won’t mail you the nickel.
I don’t expect you to live as if you have believed on the living person of Jesus. You might have your own religion. You might even have a Christian form of your own religion, but I don’t expect you to live as if you believe. In fact, if there is no God, there is no such thing as sin. Is there? If on the other hand, you are beginning to see yourself as being sinful, you might be on the verge of recognizing your need for Jesus.
So if you aren’t a follower of Jesus Christ, I really don’t expect you to see yourself as being a sinner. I guess it might happen from time to time. There might be some people who live life like the man in Gowan’s 'Criminal Mind'
“A criminal mind, is all I’ve
All I’ve ever had.
Ask one whose known me
If I’m really so bad.
I am.”
If that is you, it’s likely the exception as opposed to the rule. I expect you to be much more like me.
Even if you tried to coerce your kid sister in to having sex with you,
Even if you stole business from your place of work,
Even if you had sex with animals
Even if you are a drug dealer
Even if you abuse your family
Even if you had sex with your cousin
Even if you have intentionally slandered your own family
Even if you look at child pornography,
I expect you to be like I was. Even if you are or have been these things, I expect you to tell me that you aren’t a bad person. In fact, there is nothing that you could possibly have done which would likely compel you to see yourself as being bad. You might not even really remember doing those things.
By the way, some of my past sins are in the list. I tell you that just so you know that I’m not picking on anyone in particular. In fact, if you can guess which crimes were mine, I’ll give you a nickel. I was going to say a quarter, but seeing as this is available worldwide, I want to make sure I have the cash. One other thing – you have to come and collect in person. I won’t mail you the nickel.
I don’t expect you to live as if you have believed on the living person of Jesus. You might have your own religion. You might even have a Christian form of your own religion, but I don’t expect you to live as if you believe. In fact, if there is no God, there is no such thing as sin. Is there? If on the other hand, you are beginning to see yourself as being sinful, you might be on the verge of recognizing your need for Jesus.
Friday, August 13, 2010
Only The Good Die Young
I’m not exactly sure what ‘gangstas’ do for a living, although by the article in The London Free Press this week, I gather that it is a noble lifestyle. I often find it rather odd. Do you? I mean, we’re reading the report of the demise of a young man who lived a life of crime and we’re told about what a wonderful young man he was. He bought his daughter a Barbie. He hugged his grandma and told her he loved her. Nice kid.
I'm sorry for this young man and I'm sorry for his family. I'm certain that no one in his life could have ever seen this coming. Gangsta's usually live happy, peacefull lives. I'm sure that the people in his life did absolutely everything in their power to intervene and help him to find a more reputable career.
So I guess living a life as a ‘gangsta’ is a lifestyle. I know that we can’t expect any kind of investigative journalism in our day. I doubt that London has the funds to have reporters who actually ask tough questions like, “What did this young man do? If he sold drugs, did any of his customers ever die from an overdose?” Instead we read about how he loved his family, how he really didn’t want to be a gangsta and so on.
I’m being silly. From what I see in our culture, I think I do have some small idea of what he might have been up to. I also understand why we have the kind of commentary that we do. Have you ever met a bad person?
No seriously? Have you ever asked people this question?
“So, do you consider yourself a good person?”
If you have, what kind of response do you get? Everybody is a good person right? Gangstas are basically good people. Drug dealers are basically good people if you look at their positive side. Every individual I have the conversation with tells me the same. “I’m basically a good person.”
If that’s true, then I don’t really believe that the problems of our society exist. I don’t believe that women are victims of violence. I don’t believe that my coworker’s friend died from an overdose. I don’t believe that anyone is verbally, physically or sexually abused. I don’t believe that honour killings actually happen. I don’t believe that child pornography takes place. I don’t believe that dunk drivers kill innocent bystanders. I don’t believe my friends when they tell me that they were molested when they were children. I don’t believe these things, because everyone that I have ever met tells me that they are good people. I have never met anyone capable of comitting such attrocities.
How about you? Where do you find yourself in that? Are you a good person?
If you tell me that you’re good, I’ll understand. I’ll understand because I’ve been there. I remember when I used to think that I was a good person. It was before I met Jesus. I remember how I would listen to Mr. Preacher man saying that we all have skeletons in our closet. I sat in the chair thinking to myself, “No. No I really don’t have much in my life that I need to be sorry for.”
It wasn’t until after I believed that I began to notice the foul stench which lingered down the hallway of my life. If you believe yourself to be better than the rest of humanity, would you really want to see your depravity for what it is? Or would you rather go on living thinking that life is a bunch of freshly cut roses?
There is a whole lot about this world that really isn’t right. Do you recognize your part in it? Do I?
I'm sorry for this young man and I'm sorry for his family. I'm certain that no one in his life could have ever seen this coming. Gangsta's usually live happy, peacefull lives. I'm sure that the people in his life did absolutely everything in their power to intervene and help him to find a more reputable career.
So I guess living a life as a ‘gangsta’ is a lifestyle. I know that we can’t expect any kind of investigative journalism in our day. I doubt that London has the funds to have reporters who actually ask tough questions like, “What did this young man do? If he sold drugs, did any of his customers ever die from an overdose?” Instead we read about how he loved his family, how he really didn’t want to be a gangsta and so on.
I’m being silly. From what I see in our culture, I think I do have some small idea of what he might have been up to. I also understand why we have the kind of commentary that we do. Have you ever met a bad person?
No seriously? Have you ever asked people this question?
“So, do you consider yourself a good person?”
If you have, what kind of response do you get? Everybody is a good person right? Gangstas are basically good people. Drug dealers are basically good people if you look at their positive side. Every individual I have the conversation with tells me the same. “I’m basically a good person.”
If that’s true, then I don’t really believe that the problems of our society exist. I don’t believe that women are victims of violence. I don’t believe that my coworker’s friend died from an overdose. I don’t believe that anyone is verbally, physically or sexually abused. I don’t believe that honour killings actually happen. I don’t believe that child pornography takes place. I don’t believe that dunk drivers kill innocent bystanders. I don’t believe my friends when they tell me that they were molested when they were children. I don’t believe these things, because everyone that I have ever met tells me that they are good people. I have never met anyone capable of comitting such attrocities.
How about you? Where do you find yourself in that? Are you a good person?
If you tell me that you’re good, I’ll understand. I’ll understand because I’ve been there. I remember when I used to think that I was a good person. It was before I met Jesus. I remember how I would listen to Mr. Preacher man saying that we all have skeletons in our closet. I sat in the chair thinking to myself, “No. No I really don’t have much in my life that I need to be sorry for.”
It wasn’t until after I believed that I began to notice the foul stench which lingered down the hallway of my life. If you believe yourself to be better than the rest of humanity, would you really want to see your depravity for what it is? Or would you rather go on living thinking that life is a bunch of freshly cut roses?
There is a whole lot about this world that really isn’t right. Do you recognize your part in it? Do I?
Tuesday, August 10, 2010
The Freak Show
I’m sure that you are much more balanced than me and that this has never happened to you. I know that my posts lately haven’t been all that interesting. I haven’t taught you anything new have I?
This morning I was having breakfast with a friend of mine who does not read my blog. I know what you are thinking. Why would I spend time with someone who doesn’t take the time to read what I write? I’m not sure myself. He was talking about a study he heard of. A group of high school students were asked a question similar to this,
“Do you at times have a voice in your heard which tells you to do bad things?”
That might not be the exact question, but it’s as close as I remember. Approximately 80% of respondents answered yes. I realize that it doesn’t happen to everybody. In fact, I’m sure it has never happened to you.
I have had a voice that has plagued me for much of my adult life. I remember riding in the back of my parent’s farm truck, having this overwhelming impression that I should ‘jump’on to the pavement. I remember ‘being told’ to do many unspeakable things. It wasn’t so long ago that I remember sitting in church next to a missionary and I had the sense that I should stab him in the eye with my pencil. Just think. If I shared that with you, what kinds of things would I say are ‘unspeakable.’?
Watching my daughter enter into adulthood has been an eye opener in many ways as she has been open with us about some of her struggles as a young woman. Even though my posts lately haven’t been all that theologically in-depth, I wonder. What happens to people who never learn to recognize the voice for what it is and how to deal with it?
How many people do you suppose live under the burden of a damning voice of some kind? Do they need to take medication? What would a medical prognosis be? I suppose they just have bad nerves.
For those who never have to deal with it, that’s wonderful . I suppose your life is just full of fresh air and sunshine.
This morning I was having breakfast with a friend of mine who does not read my blog. I know what you are thinking. Why would I spend time with someone who doesn’t take the time to read what I write? I’m not sure myself. He was talking about a study he heard of. A group of high school students were asked a question similar to this,
“Do you at times have a voice in your heard which tells you to do bad things?”
That might not be the exact question, but it’s as close as I remember. Approximately 80% of respondents answered yes. I realize that it doesn’t happen to everybody. In fact, I’m sure it has never happened to you.
I have had a voice that has plagued me for much of my adult life. I remember riding in the back of my parent’s farm truck, having this overwhelming impression that I should ‘jump’on to the pavement. I remember ‘being told’ to do many unspeakable things. It wasn’t so long ago that I remember sitting in church next to a missionary and I had the sense that I should stab him in the eye with my pencil. Just think. If I shared that with you, what kinds of things would I say are ‘unspeakable.’?
Watching my daughter enter into adulthood has been an eye opener in many ways as she has been open with us about some of her struggles as a young woman. Even though my posts lately haven’t been all that theologically in-depth, I wonder. What happens to people who never learn to recognize the voice for what it is and how to deal with it?
How many people do you suppose live under the burden of a damning voice of some kind? Do they need to take medication? What would a medical prognosis be? I suppose they just have bad nerves.
For those who never have to deal with it, that’s wonderful . I suppose your life is just full of fresh air and sunshine.
Monday, August 9, 2010
What's on the menu?
I tend to tow the line which says that 'looking' is a sin that we need to fight against. I guess that makes me a legalist or mean or conservative or something.
But if your philosophy goes something like this...
"It's ok to look at the menu, as long as you eat at home"
Where does it end?
If veal is on the menu, is it ok to look that?
But if your philosophy goes something like this...
"It's ok to look at the menu, as long as you eat at home"
Where does it end?
If veal is on the menu, is it ok to look that?
Sunday, August 8, 2010
Something Reliable
Eve almost had it. No. Actually, she did have it. She had the answer, and gave the right answer to the talking snake. Satan was trying to make God sound more restrictive than He was. God never said that Adam and Eve couldn’t eat any of the fruit from the garden, but that’s part of Satan’s job isn’t it? He twists things.
Eve knew the answer, “Of course we may eat fruit from the trees in the garden,” the woman replied. “It’s only the fruit from the tree in the middle of the Garden that we are not allowed to eat. God said, ‘You must not eat it or even touch it; if you do, you will die.” Genesis 3:2-3
There is a huge difference between having the word of God written on our hearts verses having it committed to memory. Eve rightly answers the serpent using God’s word. She knew what God had said. Like a good Christian girl, Eve had memorized her verse in Sunday school. She knew what God had said and really did recognize that Satan was trying to twist it.
Give her credit for that step. Knowing what God says and what He does not say is integral as we walk through this life. We all have impressions as to what course of action to take in every aspect of our earthly walk. I know these things seem very basic, and they really are. I’ll give you that. So why am I spending time going through this?
There are different levels of authentic spiritual understanding. Most of us who know Jesus acknowledge that we should read The Bible. And it is so edifying when the pastor reminds us that we don’t read the Bible enough and beats on us for an hour. We know intellectually that we should know His Word better than we do, but many do nothing about it. Something is wrong in that isn’t there?
I would wager that if we don’t read His word almost daily, that we DON’T really believe in its value. If we don’t know His word, we are less prepared to navigate through our conscience than Eve was. That should be a scary thought. But it isn’t scary. Is it? Why is that?
I used to want to be your personal Jesus teaching source. When I was first baptized and gifted by the Holy Spirit, it was what compelled me to teach so much. What I found was this – that no matter how much I taught, no matter how many topics I addressed, no matter how thorough I tried to be, I was completely unable to teach all of the things that a believer should know. Even though I had went through the Bible chapter by chapter on two occasions, I still couldn’t accomplish the task of teaching everything necessary to those who were listening to me. I was trying to do the impossible.
I’m still happy when people ask me questions about theology, but I’ve given up trying to be a one stop shop for Christian information. There is tremendous value in those who focus their energies on teaching the scriptures and I’m thankful for the many who make it their business to do so. Many authentic believers just can't seem to get what The Bible is saying unless they listen to someone else speak in it.
I won’t guilt you into reading the Bible more or memorizing a ton of scripture. I will however bring to mind the necessary role of having the Word written on our hearts. Having it written on our hearts has to do with it being something that we meditate on, something that we treasure, something that we listen to and something that we actually obey. If it isn’t on our hearts as something to be treasured, we likely won’t obey it even if we know what it says. If we don’t think about it often, we likely won’t understand how it applies to our lives.
Eve knew the answer. It just wasn’t enough.
Eve knew the answer, “Of course we may eat fruit from the trees in the garden,” the woman replied. “It’s only the fruit from the tree in the middle of the Garden that we are not allowed to eat. God said, ‘You must not eat it or even touch it; if you do, you will die.” Genesis 3:2-3
There is a huge difference between having the word of God written on our hearts verses having it committed to memory. Eve rightly answers the serpent using God’s word. She knew what God had said. Like a good Christian girl, Eve had memorized her verse in Sunday school. She knew what God had said and really did recognize that Satan was trying to twist it.
Give her credit for that step. Knowing what God says and what He does not say is integral as we walk through this life. We all have impressions as to what course of action to take in every aspect of our earthly walk. I know these things seem very basic, and they really are. I’ll give you that. So why am I spending time going through this?
There are different levels of authentic spiritual understanding. Most of us who know Jesus acknowledge that we should read The Bible. And it is so edifying when the pastor reminds us that we don’t read the Bible enough and beats on us for an hour. We know intellectually that we should know His Word better than we do, but many do nothing about it. Something is wrong in that isn’t there?
I would wager that if we don’t read His word almost daily, that we DON’T really believe in its value. If we don’t know His word, we are less prepared to navigate through our conscience than Eve was. That should be a scary thought. But it isn’t scary. Is it? Why is that?
I used to want to be your personal Jesus teaching source. When I was first baptized and gifted by the Holy Spirit, it was what compelled me to teach so much. What I found was this – that no matter how much I taught, no matter how many topics I addressed, no matter how thorough I tried to be, I was completely unable to teach all of the things that a believer should know. Even though I had went through the Bible chapter by chapter on two occasions, I still couldn’t accomplish the task of teaching everything necessary to those who were listening to me. I was trying to do the impossible.
I’m still happy when people ask me questions about theology, but I’ve given up trying to be a one stop shop for Christian information. There is tremendous value in those who focus their energies on teaching the scriptures and I’m thankful for the many who make it their business to do so. Many authentic believers just can't seem to get what The Bible is saying unless they listen to someone else speak in it.
I won’t guilt you into reading the Bible more or memorizing a ton of scripture. I will however bring to mind the necessary role of having the Word written on our hearts. Having it written on our hearts has to do with it being something that we meditate on, something that we treasure, something that we listen to and something that we actually obey. If it isn’t on our hearts as something to be treasured, we likely won’t obey it even if we know what it says. If we don’t think about it often, we likely won’t understand how it applies to our lives.
Eve knew the answer. It just wasn’t enough.
Friday, August 6, 2010
Hath God said...?
“Did God really say you must not eat the fruit from any of the trees in the garden?” Genesis 3:1
Now, I think the fact that she was talking to a snake should have clued her in. Needless to say, it didn’t. I say that because in the end, Eve believed the talking snake over Almighty God. Just because we get a strong impression about something and just because we hear some kind of voice, doesn’t mean that God is talking to us.
I don’t think that anyone could accuse me of being overly charismatic. In fact, I’m still hoping for some more impressive extraordinary spiritual gifts so that the Pentecostal’s will finally believe that I’ve been baptized in the Spirit. When I say that one of our primary tasks is to be led by the Holy Spirit, it’s isn’t freaky theology. It’s only freaky if He doesn’t live in you.
Tell me if I’m way out there, but if Satan spoke to Eve and if Satan spoke to Jesus Himself, would it be out of line for me to assume that he might still whisper in our ears from time to time? Is it possible that the Greyhound bus guy really wasn’t listening to Jesus?
I knew a little girl once who had this ‘voice’ plague her for some time. This ‘voice’ kept telling her that she had committed the unpardonable sin of cursing the Holy Spirit. She kept praying with her mom and dad for several nights. After several days and nights of prayer, she had the sense that God wanted her to be baptized in the name of The Father, in the name of Jesus the Son and in the name of the Holy Spirit.
After being baptised, the message of the voice changed. It began saying, “You aren’t good enough. You didn’t really mean it. God can’t forgive you.” Her parents kept praying for and with her through this period, and in time she addressed each accusation. After a couple of weeks, having failed in its attempt, the message of the ‘voice’ changed once more,
“Tonight you will die. You won’t make it through the night.”
The little girl is still alive today. So this voice which had plagued her was proven to be a lying voice.
I don’t have any solid scripture, but to the best of my understanding, the serpent is not all present, all powerful or all knowing. I could likely develop a case for each, but it would take me too much time. More often than not, I believe that Satan sends his agents to accuse us in our minds.
You might never have a young child who goes through the same thing as this little girl, but how do you suppose her parents dealt with her ‘voice’? How did Jesus answer Satan when He was tempted in the wilderness? What was the Devil’s strategy with Eve?
‘Did God really say....?’
There are so many cases in North America where horrible things have been done by people who claim that they were told to do them by God.
I have had many impressions that sounded like they might have been from God, only to find out in the end that they were some pale imitation. In Genesis, we are told that “the serpent was the shrewdest of all the wild animals the Lord God had made”. Genes1s 3:1
He tends to build a convincing case. Do you ALWAYS know the difference?
Now, I think the fact that she was talking to a snake should have clued her in. Needless to say, it didn’t. I say that because in the end, Eve believed the talking snake over Almighty God. Just because we get a strong impression about something and just because we hear some kind of voice, doesn’t mean that God is talking to us.
I don’t think that anyone could accuse me of being overly charismatic. In fact, I’m still hoping for some more impressive extraordinary spiritual gifts so that the Pentecostal’s will finally believe that I’ve been baptized in the Spirit. When I say that one of our primary tasks is to be led by the Holy Spirit, it’s isn’t freaky theology. It’s only freaky if He doesn’t live in you.
Tell me if I’m way out there, but if Satan spoke to Eve and if Satan spoke to Jesus Himself, would it be out of line for me to assume that he might still whisper in our ears from time to time? Is it possible that the Greyhound bus guy really wasn’t listening to Jesus?
I knew a little girl once who had this ‘voice’ plague her for some time. This ‘voice’ kept telling her that she had committed the unpardonable sin of cursing the Holy Spirit. She kept praying with her mom and dad for several nights. After several days and nights of prayer, she had the sense that God wanted her to be baptized in the name of The Father, in the name of Jesus the Son and in the name of the Holy Spirit.
After being baptised, the message of the voice changed. It began saying, “You aren’t good enough. You didn’t really mean it. God can’t forgive you.” Her parents kept praying for and with her through this period, and in time she addressed each accusation. After a couple of weeks, having failed in its attempt, the message of the ‘voice’ changed once more,
“Tonight you will die. You won’t make it through the night.”
The little girl is still alive today. So this voice which had plagued her was proven to be a lying voice.
I don’t have any solid scripture, but to the best of my understanding, the serpent is not all present, all powerful or all knowing. I could likely develop a case for each, but it would take me too much time. More often than not, I believe that Satan sends his agents to accuse us in our minds.
You might never have a young child who goes through the same thing as this little girl, but how do you suppose her parents dealt with her ‘voice’? How did Jesus answer Satan when He was tempted in the wilderness? What was the Devil’s strategy with Eve?
‘Did God really say....?’
There are so many cases in North America where horrible things have been done by people who claim that they were told to do them by God.
I have had many impressions that sounded like they might have been from God, only to find out in the end that they were some pale imitation. In Genesis, we are told that “the serpent was the shrewdest of all the wild animals the Lord God had made”. Genes1s 3:1
He tends to build a convincing case. Do you ALWAYS know the difference?
Thursday, August 5, 2010
Listening to God
There it is again, 'the Holy Spirit said....' Acts 13:2 (NLT) It seems to be a common thing here in Acts. The Holy Spirit spoke to Peter telling him to fraternize with the gentiles. Here in Acts 13, the Holy Spirit tells the prophets and teachers in Antioch to set Barnabas and Saul apart for some special work.
So how do you tell when The Holy Spirit is 'speaking' to you? After all, there are a lot of nutcases out in the world who claim that God 'spoke' to them.
Take this guy for example. You might remember the guy who murdered another man on a Greyhound bus. He said that God told him to do it.
I've said previously that one of the primary tasks of a believer is to discern the leading of The Holy Spirit. Isn't that shakey ground?
So how do you tell when The Holy Spirit is 'speaking' to you? After all, there are a lot of nutcases out in the world who claim that God 'spoke' to them.
Take this guy for example. You might remember the guy who murdered another man on a Greyhound bus. He said that God told him to do it.
I've said previously that one of the primary tasks of a believer is to discern the leading of The Holy Spirit. Isn't that shakey ground?
Tuesday, August 3, 2010
I'd Like 'My' Money Back
“No one in this region made peace with the Israelites except the Hivites of Gibeon. All others were defeated. For the Lord had hardened their hearts and caused them to fight the Israelites.” Joshua 11:19-20
I really don’t expect you to follow along with me in the Bible. Whenever I read someone else’s book or blog, I never do. I’m reading along through the book of Joshua with my kids right now in the evenings. So far, Joshua primarily looks at Israel’s conquest of the land of Canaan. Wherever the Israelites go, the Kings of the area all respond similarly. They gather their troops, call up their neighbours and join together to fight against the Israelites.
If we were to watch this story in our time through the spectacles of CNN, that’s about all we would see to the war. We would hear statistics on how many died in battle from each side. There would probably be a great deal of commentary on how ruthless the Israelite nation was. There would probably be a great deal of questioning on how this band of nomadic herdsmen could not only defend themselves, but conquer nations that are much more equipped, bigger, stronger and far numerous than themselves.
What we never hear on CNN that we read in the Bible, is God’s involvement in the matter. Why would God motivate Israel’s enemies to attack them? King Jabin of Hazor amassed an army which is described as a “vast horde”. Collectively, the kings of the area put together a fighting force that, “covered the landscape like sand on the seashore.” Joshua 11:4. If King Jabin were interview on CNN, what do you think he would say if he were asked why he was fighting Israel? Do you think that he would say, “God has been working on my heart, and I really feel that this is what I’ve been put here to do.”? I highly doubt that he had any clue as to how God was working on his heart.
Why would God motivate people to attack you?
Would it be a stretch for me to say that God works on the hearts of all people? What is the difference then between the people of God and the people of this world?
As I ask the question and begin to put it together, the answer is well beyond the scope of a blog post or two. It has to do with actually believing that God is God. It has to do with believing that His promises can be trusted. The Gibeonites were that far in their understanding of God and because of that kind of faith, they were saved from destruction. It has to do with recognizing God’s work in the world an in our hearts.
King Jabin had no idea that God was behind the inner workings of his heart. That might be all I get to for today. If you aren’t a believer, did you know that God has been speaking to your conscience in a similar fashion? If you are a decided atheist, it is part of the reason why you are so opposed to faith – especially faith in Christ.
For me, as a believer, I don’t always know exactly what God is trying to do in and through me. For me, this story boils down to trust. If God is at work, even in the hearts of those who are opposed to Him, how much more can we as believers trust that He is taking us where He wants us?
This isn’t another Disney film telling you to ‘follow your heart’. The heart is often deceptive. What I am saying, is that we can trust Him. If you really are in Christ, then your story will end well, no matter how big your opposition may seem. No matter the obstacle, God has made a way. Even if the story ends in death, He’s beaten that too. Our job isn’t to look at our obstacles and wonder whether or not we can jump over them. Our task is to ask the question, “God – What do you want me to do about this?” If he wants us to die in the battle, can we trust Him with that?
I don’t know what that looks like in your life. Today my wife sent out a mailing for The Edge of His Cloak that cost over $240. Can I trust Him with that? If I can trust Him, does that mean that I’ll eventually get my $240 back? No it doesn’t. It means that whatever happens, it’s going to be ok. We did what we did because we both had the sense that it was a step we needed to take.
We don’t follow Jesus because we expect some specific outcome in our circumstances. We come to Him because we believe, in the core of our being that He is the only way to be reconciled to The Father. We continue our walk in that same hope, trusting that His death on the cross really has made us clean. We live, having an authentic relationship with Him, trusting that He is able in a literal sense to see us through to the end.
Of course, if you don’t have an authentic relationship with The Father through Jesus, it gets little more complicated doesn’t it?
I really don’t expect you to follow along with me in the Bible. Whenever I read someone else’s book or blog, I never do. I’m reading along through the book of Joshua with my kids right now in the evenings. So far, Joshua primarily looks at Israel’s conquest of the land of Canaan. Wherever the Israelites go, the Kings of the area all respond similarly. They gather their troops, call up their neighbours and join together to fight against the Israelites.
If we were to watch this story in our time through the spectacles of CNN, that’s about all we would see to the war. We would hear statistics on how many died in battle from each side. There would probably be a great deal of commentary on how ruthless the Israelite nation was. There would probably be a great deal of questioning on how this band of nomadic herdsmen could not only defend themselves, but conquer nations that are much more equipped, bigger, stronger and far numerous than themselves.
What we never hear on CNN that we read in the Bible, is God’s involvement in the matter. Why would God motivate Israel’s enemies to attack them? King Jabin of Hazor amassed an army which is described as a “vast horde”. Collectively, the kings of the area put together a fighting force that, “covered the landscape like sand on the seashore.” Joshua 11:4. If King Jabin were interview on CNN, what do you think he would say if he were asked why he was fighting Israel? Do you think that he would say, “God has been working on my heart, and I really feel that this is what I’ve been put here to do.”? I highly doubt that he had any clue as to how God was working on his heart.
Why would God motivate people to attack you?
Would it be a stretch for me to say that God works on the hearts of all people? What is the difference then between the people of God and the people of this world?
As I ask the question and begin to put it together, the answer is well beyond the scope of a blog post or two. It has to do with actually believing that God is God. It has to do with believing that His promises can be trusted. The Gibeonites were that far in their understanding of God and because of that kind of faith, they were saved from destruction. It has to do with recognizing God’s work in the world an in our hearts.
King Jabin had no idea that God was behind the inner workings of his heart. That might be all I get to for today. If you aren’t a believer, did you know that God has been speaking to your conscience in a similar fashion? If you are a decided atheist, it is part of the reason why you are so opposed to faith – especially faith in Christ.
For me, as a believer, I don’t always know exactly what God is trying to do in and through me. For me, this story boils down to trust. If God is at work, even in the hearts of those who are opposed to Him, how much more can we as believers trust that He is taking us where He wants us?
This isn’t another Disney film telling you to ‘follow your heart’. The heart is often deceptive. What I am saying, is that we can trust Him. If you really are in Christ, then your story will end well, no matter how big your opposition may seem. No matter the obstacle, God has made a way. Even if the story ends in death, He’s beaten that too. Our job isn’t to look at our obstacles and wonder whether or not we can jump over them. Our task is to ask the question, “God – What do you want me to do about this?” If he wants us to die in the battle, can we trust Him with that?
I don’t know what that looks like in your life. Today my wife sent out a mailing for The Edge of His Cloak that cost over $240. Can I trust Him with that? If I can trust Him, does that mean that I’ll eventually get my $240 back? No it doesn’t. It means that whatever happens, it’s going to be ok. We did what we did because we both had the sense that it was a step we needed to take.
We don’t follow Jesus because we expect some specific outcome in our circumstances. We come to Him because we believe, in the core of our being that He is the only way to be reconciled to The Father. We continue our walk in that same hope, trusting that His death on the cross really has made us clean. We live, having an authentic relationship with Him, trusting that He is able in a literal sense to see us through to the end.
Of course, if you don’t have an authentic relationship with The Father through Jesus, it gets little more complicated doesn’t it?
Sunday, August 1, 2010
The Holy Spirit Told Me...
The law had made it easier. It told you what you could and could not do. It wrote down what kinds of food to eat, how to keep your beard and what kind of ornaments to put on your cloak. Women were condemned for having sex before wedlock, but little was said about the men.
The problem with the Law, was it failed to truly connect humanity with the very mind of God. Abstaining from pork really didn't make you right with God. Wearing four tassels on your cloak and leaving your beard untrimmed didn't really earn you His favour either. A man without sexual integrity wasn't really acceptable in His sight anymore than a woman of the same state. His sin however wouldn't be visible on the marriage bed sheets.
Throughout the book of Acts, the Holy Spirit shows Himself to be quite capable of speaking to those who have received Him. Peter had been eating at the home of a Roman officer named Cornelius; something that was forbidden among the Jewish people up until that time. Upon being confronted about this, Peter explained himself saying, "The Holy Spirit told me to go with them and not to worry that they were Gentiles." Acts 11:12
Do you ever wonder how it really works? Do you ever wonder what Peter heard when The Holy Spirit spoke to him? I'm often quite cautious about claiming that God spoke to me. I guess it's because I have heard of other people who said that they have had some revelation from God, only to be found a fake. Some people in the past have claimed to know when Christ was returning only to be proven a dud. I've had strong impressions in the past which turned out to be nothing more than my own intelect.
Regardless of these fact, this I do know - God is still completely able to reveal His will to those who are listening to Him. One of the primary activities of a believer isn't to figure out which laws apply to them. Obedience for a believer has more to do with being able to recognize the difference between the urgings of the flesh and the leading of The Spirit.
I'm so uncertain about so much of what I do in the faith. Whether I wonder about the substance of a message or what I should write about, it's never as clear as having it written down on some rule book. I wonder if I'm spending the right amount of time on the right people. I wonder if I'm giving money to the right places in the right amount.
I have to believe that the Lord is still able to speak to my conscience and if He's displeased with something, that He would do what is necessary to enlighten me. I mean, if He would speak to an unwilling Moses through a burning bush, if He would turn around a rebelious prophet using a big fish, should we not be able to trust Him if we earnestly seek Him through Christ?
The problem with the Law, was it failed to truly connect humanity with the very mind of God. Abstaining from pork really didn't make you right with God. Wearing four tassels on your cloak and leaving your beard untrimmed didn't really earn you His favour either. A man without sexual integrity wasn't really acceptable in His sight anymore than a woman of the same state. His sin however wouldn't be visible on the marriage bed sheets.
Throughout the book of Acts, the Holy Spirit shows Himself to be quite capable of speaking to those who have received Him. Peter had been eating at the home of a Roman officer named Cornelius; something that was forbidden among the Jewish people up until that time. Upon being confronted about this, Peter explained himself saying, "The Holy Spirit told me to go with them and not to worry that they were Gentiles." Acts 11:12
Do you ever wonder how it really works? Do you ever wonder what Peter heard when The Holy Spirit spoke to him? I'm often quite cautious about claiming that God spoke to me. I guess it's because I have heard of other people who said that they have had some revelation from God, only to be found a fake. Some people in the past have claimed to know when Christ was returning only to be proven a dud. I've had strong impressions in the past which turned out to be nothing more than my own intelect.
Regardless of these fact, this I do know - God is still completely able to reveal His will to those who are listening to Him. One of the primary activities of a believer isn't to figure out which laws apply to them. Obedience for a believer has more to do with being able to recognize the difference between the urgings of the flesh and the leading of The Spirit.
I'm so uncertain about so much of what I do in the faith. Whether I wonder about the substance of a message or what I should write about, it's never as clear as having it written down on some rule book. I wonder if I'm spending the right amount of time on the right people. I wonder if I'm giving money to the right places in the right amount.
I have to believe that the Lord is still able to speak to my conscience and if He's displeased with something, that He would do what is necessary to enlighten me. I mean, if He would speak to an unwilling Moses through a burning bush, if He would turn around a rebelious prophet using a big fish, should we not be able to trust Him if we earnestly seek Him through Christ?
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)