It’s not that I advocate Christmas. In fact, Christmas is one of the reasons why I can’t see myself in pastoral ministry. I just can’t bring myself to find some hidden nugget in the Christmas story each year that nobody else has noticed. Once I’ve said that I think Santa is the devil and that the Christmas tree’s roots grow down more into paganism than the Babe in the manger, I’ve really said all I feel I need to say. If a pastor can’t pack the place on Christmas, what good is he? And once you’ve seen my tree and watched us kneel before it on Christmas morn, you’ll write me off as a hypocrite anyhow.
However, I’m noticing more and more, that there’s something special about Christmas. The issues surrounding it have a unique flavour. Many people dislike the holiday because they find themselves alone, or it highlights the breakdown of their relationships. There is a peculiar injustice at work when someone is laid off at Christmas time, or their home burns down. Some people don’t like the Christmas tree in public places because it makes them fell as if they aren’t included.
Please think about those scenarios for a moment. Does anyone ever complain that Halloween decorations make them feel like they’re not included? If someone is laid off before May two-four, do you ever hear, “Wow. How horrible. Laid off. Right before may two four.”?
As pagan and as commercial as it is, there is just enough Jesus in the holiday to offend people of other faiths. The very elements of Christmas that seem to bring pain to many people, are in fact a demonstration of the light given to all people. For those who find themselves alone or estranged from their loved ones, Christmas isn’t the problem. The broken relationships and the loneliness are the problem. The light of Christmas merely illuminates the pain, but that’s what light does.
If you don’t like Christmas, please know that I’m with you. I really am. I’d be glad to celebrate the birth of my Saviour on some other day. I’m really not set on Dec 25th and I don’t even need it to be a stat holiday. Pagans often express bitterness about us claiming the day anyway, so let them have it. Tell next year’s Christmas Planning Committee (CPC) to come up with another day.
Most objections to Christmas stem from the fact that light does in fact reveal darkness for what it is. That is the heart of the Christmas story;
“The people living in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of the shadow of death a light has dawned." Matthew 4:16
If we’re alone, if we don’t feel included in the holiday, or if tragedy has affected our lives, it isn’t Christmas’ fault. If this is your first Christmas without a loved one, my heart goes out to you. The fact that these emotions are heightened at this time, lends evidence to the case that there really is something special about Christmas. It’s Jesus.
What do you do with the light of Christmas? Do you hate the light? Or are you drawn to Him?
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Saturday, December 24, 2011
Tuesday, December 20, 2011
What I Learned From Myself
On several occasions, I’ve heard believers in my life share something such as this: “A preacher really can’t speak on something he hasn’t experienced himself”.
I often think about that principle. There might be a morsel of truth in there somewhere, but I can’t completely get behind it. What do you think of that? If I’ve never stolen anything or had anything taken from me, does that mean I can’t speak against thievery? Are we limited in our speech to only things that we have had personal experience with?
I suppose there is an authority we lack whenever we address something that hasn’t touched our lives, but I believe we do ourselves a disservice if we limit ourselves to our own experience.
I’ve spent so many tiresome hours reading through Alien Love. Even though I am the author, there are elements of the work under which I fall completely short. Last night as I read it, for what I hope will be the last time, I came across this question:
“Why bother, if nothing awaits us here on earth other than prison, chains and death?”
The question I was addressing in this specific chapter was, ‘Why bother serving, if we don’t accomplish the goals we set out to do?’ Why not give up when the going proves to be intolerable?’ I’m obviously thicker than most of you. I wrote these words about three years ago, and they finally hit me last night.
You see. I’ve been rather down lately. I’ve been editing Alien Love for like three years and I’m tired. Every time I think I’m done, it becomes apparent that I need to go one more round. Here is how I answered the question three years ago.
“What about the man or the woman serving on your right or your left? What if they needed to see in you, the same kind of perseverance that they needed for themselves in order to accomplish their work in Christ? Would that be worth it? What if, by chance, you needed to take your post in the church, if for no other reason than to hold up that person on your right or your left? What if God never intended you to have followers of your own? (As if that was ever how it was supposed to work.) Even the soldiers of our earthly nations serve out of obligation for their fellow soldiers. How much more should we?”
As I read that paragraph, it became plain. It took three years, but finally, the attitude of the preacher fell in line with his message. Was it a mistake to have written them, since I had yet to believe the message itself? Even though I hadn’t truly experienced the truth of these words in 2008, I needed them last night.
I realized part of the purpose in what I’m doing, even if my works themselves come to fail. The man on my right and the woman on my left, need me to hold my ground, in the same way that I need them to hold theirs.
So my question for you this evening is as follows:
“Who are the people on your right and on your left? Who are the ones who need you to assume your role in the body of Christ? Are you being faithful in that role, regardless of how tiresome it may be?”
Night!
Kevin
PS By the way. I tend to forget a lot of the lessons I learn. Don't be surprised if I forget this one.
I often think about that principle. There might be a morsel of truth in there somewhere, but I can’t completely get behind it. What do you think of that? If I’ve never stolen anything or had anything taken from me, does that mean I can’t speak against thievery? Are we limited in our speech to only things that we have had personal experience with?
I suppose there is an authority we lack whenever we address something that hasn’t touched our lives, but I believe we do ourselves a disservice if we limit ourselves to our own experience.
I’ve spent so many tiresome hours reading through Alien Love. Even though I am the author, there are elements of the work under which I fall completely short. Last night as I read it, for what I hope will be the last time, I came across this question:
“Why bother, if nothing awaits us here on earth other than prison, chains and death?”
The question I was addressing in this specific chapter was, ‘Why bother serving, if we don’t accomplish the goals we set out to do?’ Why not give up when the going proves to be intolerable?’ I’m obviously thicker than most of you. I wrote these words about three years ago, and they finally hit me last night.
You see. I’ve been rather down lately. I’ve been editing Alien Love for like three years and I’m tired. Every time I think I’m done, it becomes apparent that I need to go one more round. Here is how I answered the question three years ago.
“What about the man or the woman serving on your right or your left? What if they needed to see in you, the same kind of perseverance that they needed for themselves in order to accomplish their work in Christ? Would that be worth it? What if, by chance, you needed to take your post in the church, if for no other reason than to hold up that person on your right or your left? What if God never intended you to have followers of your own? (As if that was ever how it was supposed to work.) Even the soldiers of our earthly nations serve out of obligation for their fellow soldiers. How much more should we?”
As I read that paragraph, it became plain. It took three years, but finally, the attitude of the preacher fell in line with his message. Was it a mistake to have written them, since I had yet to believe the message itself? Even though I hadn’t truly experienced the truth of these words in 2008, I needed them last night.
I realized part of the purpose in what I’m doing, even if my works themselves come to fail. The man on my right and the woman on my left, need me to hold my ground, in the same way that I need them to hold theirs.
So my question for you this evening is as follows:
“Who are the people on your right and on your left? Who are the ones who need you to assume your role in the body of Christ? Are you being faithful in that role, regardless of how tiresome it may be?”
Night!
Kevin
PS By the way. I tend to forget a lot of the lessons I learn. Don't be surprised if I forget this one.
Tuesday, December 13, 2011
Following Your Heart IS The Problem With The World
Sometimes, I wonder if you notice that I seldom rally around many causes. Depending on how you interact with the world around you, you probably have different voices vying for your attention.
A week ago, as I walked out of Canadian Tire, I was assaulted by someone and their personal cause. They didn’t ask me if I wanted a ribbon to put on my car, or even if I agreed with them. They just shoved the thing at me and told me to tie it around my car’s antenna. As a Gideon, if I did that sort of thing with a New Testament, I’d probably end up in the news.
In the Facebook world, there is an endless array of causes with which to add our voices. Most of them are wonderful. They really are. In Christian circles, abortion is a really big one. I’d probably lose my card carrying Christian status if I wasn’t pro life. (And I am for life)
You may at times hear people make statements such as this: “The problem with the world is ________ .” (feel free to insert your own answer.)
For you, maybe it’s the sex trade. Maybe drunk drivers are the problem with the world. Violence against women is pretty bad. Oh. And animals. Cruelty to animals is horrid. Serious.
The way I understand it, the problem with the world isn’t the rapists, bullies, child molesters, murderers, Stephen Harper or the CBC. The root of the ills of our world are the wretched hearts of those who live in it.
Jeremiah 17:9
9 “The human heart is the most deceitful of all things,
and desperately wicked.
Who really knows how bad it is?"
I wonder how Walt Disney would feel about that. He was really big on following your heart. Wasn’t he?
So feel free to have a banquet if you like. Make sure you serve cake. Cake will make people stop drinking and driving. Or if you start up a Facebook group, maybe you could give away an I-Pad. In the meantime, good look with your cause. Maybe if you get lots of people together, you can change the banking system, or curb the rampant consumerism that’s killing our culture. Let me know how it works out for you.
A week ago, as I walked out of Canadian Tire, I was assaulted by someone and their personal cause. They didn’t ask me if I wanted a ribbon to put on my car, or even if I agreed with them. They just shoved the thing at me and told me to tie it around my car’s antenna. As a Gideon, if I did that sort of thing with a New Testament, I’d probably end up in the news.
In the Facebook world, there is an endless array of causes with which to add our voices. Most of them are wonderful. They really are. In Christian circles, abortion is a really big one. I’d probably lose my card carrying Christian status if I wasn’t pro life. (And I am for life)
You may at times hear people make statements such as this: “The problem with the world is ________ .” (feel free to insert your own answer.)
For you, maybe it’s the sex trade. Maybe drunk drivers are the problem with the world. Violence against women is pretty bad. Oh. And animals. Cruelty to animals is horrid. Serious.
The way I understand it, the problem with the world isn’t the rapists, bullies, child molesters, murderers, Stephen Harper or the CBC. The root of the ills of our world are the wretched hearts of those who live in it.
Jeremiah 17:9
9 “The human heart is the most deceitful of all things,
and desperately wicked.
Who really knows how bad it is?"
I wonder how Walt Disney would feel about that. He was really big on following your heart. Wasn’t he?
So feel free to have a banquet if you like. Make sure you serve cake. Cake will make people stop drinking and driving. Or if you start up a Facebook group, maybe you could give away an I-Pad. In the meantime, good look with your cause. Maybe if you get lots of people together, you can change the banking system, or curb the rampant consumerism that’s killing our culture. Let me know how it works out for you.
Sunday, December 11, 2011
What Does God Think About Vasectomies?
A week ago, I posted this piece of scripture on my Facebook feed: “No one whose testicles are crushed or whose male organ is cut off shall enter the assembly of the Lord” Deuteronomy 23:1
The responses I received were rather predictable. There was the usual comical chatter. Some people felt that it was rather gross; not because they’re mean. They’re quite right. It is gross. Isn’t it? However, if all scripture is God breathed, then it’s useful.
In light of the passage, one of my friends asked a question.
“What about vasectomies?”
Seeing as he asked the question twice, and seeing as he is the only person to tell me that he wants me to love him, I feel compelled to answer honestly.
The verse doesn’t say ‘vasectomy’. Does it? So it would be tough for me to go hardcore against family planning. Still, the Bible doesn’t directly mention child molestation, gang violence or many things that are understood to be contrary to God’s will for mankind. So just because it doesn’t say “vasectomy”, doesn’t mean God’s good with it.
It’s not like we are meant to use the Bible as a book of rules, but for a person who sincerely desires to live a life which is pleasing in the sight of our savior, it does give us enough insight into the mind of our God.
Without doing a historical study, I somehow doubt that vasectomies were a common method of family planning back in the day. So I really wouldn’t expect it to be spelled out in the Levitical texts. However, birth control wasn’t a foreign concept to God’s people. I’ll speak on that shortly. What I’ll say for now, is that little is said with regards to birth control in any part of the law. Throughout history, God has been quite vocal and forthcoming to His people with the things that revile him. Take the time to read through Isaiah and Jeremiah. Seeing as very little is said, I wouldn’t toss and turn throughout the night if you have had your cords cut.
As I mentioned, birth control isn’t something new. I urge you to consider this story.
Genesis 38:8-10
New Living Translation (NLT)
8 Then Judah said to Er’s brother Onan, “Go and marry Tamar, as our law requires of the brother of a man who has died. You must produce an heir for your brother.”
9 But Onan was not willing to have a child who would not be his own heir. So whenever he had intercourse with his brother’s wife, he spilled the semen on the ground. This prevented her from having a child who would belong to his brother. 10 But the LORD considered it evil for Onan to deny a child to his dead brother. So the LORD took Onan’s life, too.
It’s a story which leads many people to believe that birth control is against God’s will.
To answer the question, “What does God think of vasectomies?” directly, here is what I’ll share….
I don’t know.
As people, we tend to fall in either one of two camps with regards to issues such as these. There is normally the, THERE IS NOTHING WRONG WITH IT (NWWI) camp. And there is usually the IT’S A SIN (IAS) camp.
“I don’t know. Ask God.” (IDKAK) isn’t a comfortable answer. Is it? Both the NWWI and IAS camps offer a kind of human comfort that faith does not. The NWWI camp helps us to feel good about ourselves, even if something is wrong with it. When we throw in our lot with the IAS camp, we feel assured because we have taken what appears to be the moral high ground.
So how does, “I DON’T KNOW. ASK GOD.” Make you feel?
My personal take on the story of Onan goes something like this. I’ll begin by reminding you of a common truth. I’m not your God. Please keep that in the forefront of your mind as you listen to my take.
God killed the guy. That’s normally pretty serious. The account of Onan’s life seems to have less to do with communicating God’s mind on birth control, than it has to do with a man’s obligation to his brother. Was there any law about birth control? Not that I’m aware of. The law required Onan to “produce an heir for his brother.”
Take it up with God. He’s not dead. Personally, if birth control was such a big deal to Him, I think we’d see at least another specific reference or two somewhere else is scripture.
Remaining intentionally fertile often allows us to live with the mindset thinking, “I’ll let God decide how many kids I have.” Here’s my personal story.
My Story
My fourth child came rather quickly. I was playing the Farming Game with three friends from the youth group when Barb told me that we needed to leave. I was so close to winning the game, and only needed a few more minutes, but she really didn’t have the time.
By the time we made it to the hospital, my wife was too far along for the medical staff to administer any real pain relief. Her labour was quite painful. I know that very few women die anymore in childbirth, but it does still happen. There were moments where I wondered if she would have enough energy to press through.
Before delivering our fourth child, she squeezed my hand and told me, “I can’t do this again.” In that moment, it became clear to me, that I was unable to see her endure this pain for another child. I had my chords cut shortly thereafter.
I’ve never had a clear sense from the Lord one way or the other. I do know, that if anything were to happen to my wife, that I don’t think I could live with myself. I’m still willing to receive children from God if that is His will for us. It does happen on occasion.
I love my kids. In fact, I'd love nothing more than to have 20 kids and I'd buy a bus so we could all travel together. I could even have my own TV show. I didn’t undergo the procedure in an act of defiance. I did it because I loved my wife and really couldn’t bear to see her go through that again.
I do have more to say, but can’t really share it publicly. There are some aspects of my decision that really do lend themselves to purity and holiness. Yet, there is a place for discretion.
The responses I received were rather predictable. There was the usual comical chatter. Some people felt that it was rather gross; not because they’re mean. They’re quite right. It is gross. Isn’t it? However, if all scripture is God breathed, then it’s useful.
In light of the passage, one of my friends asked a question.
“What about vasectomies?”
Seeing as he asked the question twice, and seeing as he is the only person to tell me that he wants me to love him, I feel compelled to answer honestly.
The verse doesn’t say ‘vasectomy’. Does it? So it would be tough for me to go hardcore against family planning. Still, the Bible doesn’t directly mention child molestation, gang violence or many things that are understood to be contrary to God’s will for mankind. So just because it doesn’t say “vasectomy”, doesn’t mean God’s good with it.
It’s not like we are meant to use the Bible as a book of rules, but for a person who sincerely desires to live a life which is pleasing in the sight of our savior, it does give us enough insight into the mind of our God.
Without doing a historical study, I somehow doubt that vasectomies were a common method of family planning back in the day. So I really wouldn’t expect it to be spelled out in the Levitical texts. However, birth control wasn’t a foreign concept to God’s people. I’ll speak on that shortly. What I’ll say for now, is that little is said with regards to birth control in any part of the law. Throughout history, God has been quite vocal and forthcoming to His people with the things that revile him. Take the time to read through Isaiah and Jeremiah. Seeing as very little is said, I wouldn’t toss and turn throughout the night if you have had your cords cut.
As I mentioned, birth control isn’t something new. I urge you to consider this story.
Genesis 38:8-10
New Living Translation (NLT)
8 Then Judah said to Er’s brother Onan, “Go and marry Tamar, as our law requires of the brother of a man who has died. You must produce an heir for your brother.”
9 But Onan was not willing to have a child who would not be his own heir. So whenever he had intercourse with his brother’s wife, he spilled the semen on the ground. This prevented her from having a child who would belong to his brother. 10 But the LORD considered it evil for Onan to deny a child to his dead brother. So the LORD took Onan’s life, too.
It’s a story which leads many people to believe that birth control is against God’s will.
To answer the question, “What does God think of vasectomies?” directly, here is what I’ll share….
I don’t know.
As people, we tend to fall in either one of two camps with regards to issues such as these. There is normally the, THERE IS NOTHING WRONG WITH IT (NWWI) camp. And there is usually the IT’S A SIN (IAS) camp.
“I don’t know. Ask God.” (IDKAK) isn’t a comfortable answer. Is it? Both the NWWI and IAS camps offer a kind of human comfort that faith does not. The NWWI camp helps us to feel good about ourselves, even if something is wrong with it. When we throw in our lot with the IAS camp, we feel assured because we have taken what appears to be the moral high ground.
So how does, “I DON’T KNOW. ASK GOD.” Make you feel?
My personal take on the story of Onan goes something like this. I’ll begin by reminding you of a common truth. I’m not your God. Please keep that in the forefront of your mind as you listen to my take.
God killed the guy. That’s normally pretty serious. The account of Onan’s life seems to have less to do with communicating God’s mind on birth control, than it has to do with a man’s obligation to his brother. Was there any law about birth control? Not that I’m aware of. The law required Onan to “produce an heir for his brother.”
Take it up with God. He’s not dead. Personally, if birth control was such a big deal to Him, I think we’d see at least another specific reference or two somewhere else is scripture.
Remaining intentionally fertile often allows us to live with the mindset thinking, “I’ll let God decide how many kids I have.” Here’s my personal story.
My Story
My fourth child came rather quickly. I was playing the Farming Game with three friends from the youth group when Barb told me that we needed to leave. I was so close to winning the game, and only needed a few more minutes, but she really didn’t have the time.
By the time we made it to the hospital, my wife was too far along for the medical staff to administer any real pain relief. Her labour was quite painful. I know that very few women die anymore in childbirth, but it does still happen. There were moments where I wondered if she would have enough energy to press through.
Before delivering our fourth child, she squeezed my hand and told me, “I can’t do this again.” In that moment, it became clear to me, that I was unable to see her endure this pain for another child. I had my chords cut shortly thereafter.
I’ve never had a clear sense from the Lord one way or the other. I do know, that if anything were to happen to my wife, that I don’t think I could live with myself. I’m still willing to receive children from God if that is His will for us. It does happen on occasion.
I love my kids. In fact, I'd love nothing more than to have 20 kids and I'd buy a bus so we could all travel together. I could even have my own TV show. I didn’t undergo the procedure in an act of defiance. I did it because I loved my wife and really couldn’t bear to see her go through that again.
I do have more to say, but can’t really share it publicly. There are some aspects of my decision that really do lend themselves to purity and holiness. Yet, there is a place for discretion.
Sunday, November 27, 2011
Is it hateful to accuse someone of sinning? (Call me a hater)
Early on in our life as believers, my wife and I began investing ourselves in the lives of many of the high school aged youth in our church. For me, it wasn’t so much that I saw myself as being a youth pastor. It looked more like this; I was discovering my spiritual gifting as a believer in Christ, and they were the ones who were kind enough to lend me their ears.
We had been actively loving the young people of our church for a year or two when she came into our lives. Her name was Amber. She was a lovely young lady, having a beautiful smile, and tightly curled, dark brown hair. My wife and I had known her older sister for some time before hand. It’s kind of cute as I recall. Her sister consistently carried a vibrant smile on her face as well. Maybe it was genetic.
As with most relationships, it took some time before we really began to know each other. It’s as if for the most part, we live two separate lives in the world. There is often a difference between the face that we show to the world, verses the gritty lives we endure from day to day. In her case, she was struggling with an eating disorder and she had wrestled with her condition for some time. Eventually, it came to the point where she had to be hospitalized.
During that period, she asked me a very pointed question. “Kevin. Is it a sin to do what I’m doing to myself?”
How was I to respond to such a question? What about our relationship? Whenever people accuse each other of sin, it’s usually looked upon as being judgmental. Is it not? Accusing someone of living a sinful life is often categorized as hateful speech. What would it do to our relationship? If she thought that I was hating her, what were the odds that she would continue to be a part of our lives?
What about her well being? Surely she had suffered enough already. How do you tell someone who is already hurting, someone who feels trapped and unable to do anything about their situation, that the life they are living goes against God’s will for them. I can think of other people with other struggles, who in their depression have taken their own lives, because the weight of the accusation was too heavy to hold.
The following might sound like a bunny trail, but it isn’t. Do you prefer chocolate or vanilla ice cream? Who decides? Do your friends choose whether or not you like chocolate? What if I were to have a debate with my coworkers? Could we argue and allow the winner to choose what flavour you like? That would just be stupid. You are the one who decides.
Likewise, what about sin? If sin is being disobedient to God, then who does the deciding? God decides. We can debate all we want and draw whatever conclusions sit well with us, but in the end, our opinions really don’t matter. It’s His call. I know that the Bible doesn’t specifically mention her disorder, but it does make mention of how a believer’s body is the temple of The Holy Spirit. If I was honest with myself, I really couldn’t see how it would be God’s will for her to starve herself or head to the washroom to purge after a family dinner.
I took the risk in being honest. I risked our relationship together. I even risked her sanity. What else could I do? It was an honest question. It deserved an honest answer.
“Amber. I really don’t think that God wants you doing what you’re doing to your body. So yeah. I really think it is a sin.”
She responded with a maturity that I have NEVER witnessed in the world, and rarely witness among the faithful.
“That’s good. It’s good because I know that Jesus has power over sin. I know that even if I struggle now, I won’t have to go through this forever.”
Just to keep you updated, my family and I spent four phenomenal hours with Amber last night. She has grown into a healthy young woman, and has married a tremendous young man. What would her story have looked like, had I been the voice that said, “There’s nothing wrong with it...”? Could she have, in the words of Ezekiel, “died in her sin”? I didn’t call it a sin because I hated her or wanted to judge her. I called it sin because I loved Amber, and truly believed that this was definitely not what God wanted for her.
Glossing over sin, giving it another name or putting a smiley face on it might have the appearance of love, but it has the potential to bring us, and our loved ones, to ultimate ruin.
We had been actively loving the young people of our church for a year or two when she came into our lives. Her name was Amber. She was a lovely young lady, having a beautiful smile, and tightly curled, dark brown hair. My wife and I had known her older sister for some time before hand. It’s kind of cute as I recall. Her sister consistently carried a vibrant smile on her face as well. Maybe it was genetic.
As with most relationships, it took some time before we really began to know each other. It’s as if for the most part, we live two separate lives in the world. There is often a difference between the face that we show to the world, verses the gritty lives we endure from day to day. In her case, she was struggling with an eating disorder and she had wrestled with her condition for some time. Eventually, it came to the point where she had to be hospitalized.
During that period, she asked me a very pointed question. “Kevin. Is it a sin to do what I’m doing to myself?”
How was I to respond to such a question? What about our relationship? Whenever people accuse each other of sin, it’s usually looked upon as being judgmental. Is it not? Accusing someone of living a sinful life is often categorized as hateful speech. What would it do to our relationship? If she thought that I was hating her, what were the odds that she would continue to be a part of our lives?
What about her well being? Surely she had suffered enough already. How do you tell someone who is already hurting, someone who feels trapped and unable to do anything about their situation, that the life they are living goes against God’s will for them. I can think of other people with other struggles, who in their depression have taken their own lives, because the weight of the accusation was too heavy to hold.
The following might sound like a bunny trail, but it isn’t. Do you prefer chocolate or vanilla ice cream? Who decides? Do your friends choose whether or not you like chocolate? What if I were to have a debate with my coworkers? Could we argue and allow the winner to choose what flavour you like? That would just be stupid. You are the one who decides.
Likewise, what about sin? If sin is being disobedient to God, then who does the deciding? God decides. We can debate all we want and draw whatever conclusions sit well with us, but in the end, our opinions really don’t matter. It’s His call. I know that the Bible doesn’t specifically mention her disorder, but it does make mention of how a believer’s body is the temple of The Holy Spirit. If I was honest with myself, I really couldn’t see how it would be God’s will for her to starve herself or head to the washroom to purge after a family dinner.
I took the risk in being honest. I risked our relationship together. I even risked her sanity. What else could I do? It was an honest question. It deserved an honest answer.
“Amber. I really don’t think that God wants you doing what you’re doing to your body. So yeah. I really think it is a sin.”
She responded with a maturity that I have NEVER witnessed in the world, and rarely witness among the faithful.
“That’s good. It’s good because I know that Jesus has power over sin. I know that even if I struggle now, I won’t have to go through this forever.”
Just to keep you updated, my family and I spent four phenomenal hours with Amber last night. She has grown into a healthy young woman, and has married a tremendous young man. What would her story have looked like, had I been the voice that said, “There’s nothing wrong with it...”? Could she have, in the words of Ezekiel, “died in her sin”? I didn’t call it a sin because I hated her or wanted to judge her. I called it sin because I loved Amber, and truly believed that this was definitely not what God wanted for her.
Glossing over sin, giving it another name or putting a smiley face on it might have the appearance of love, but it has the potential to bring us, and our loved ones, to ultimate ruin.
Thursday, November 24, 2011
We Have No Imagination
I’ve been learning a lot these past few days. Perhaps the biggest lesson is this – most people have absolutely no imagination. Alright. That isn’t exactly true. We do have an amazing imagination. It’s just a very selective imagination.
We can imagine that Luke Skywalker was a Jedi Knight in a galaxy far, far away, a long, long time ago. We can easily imagine that Pandora is populated by a lot of blue coloured skinny people. We can imagine that Superman narrowly escaped the destruction of his home planet of krypton, and that he has an ice palace near the north pole. We’re quickly approaching the season where we tell our loved ones that some fat guy in a red suit will bring them presents. Not only can we imagine that, some young people really believe it.
What we cannot imagine, is that our world is under the influence of the devil, and that a whole lot of us might spend eternity apart from God.
That is the very, “What if…” scenario that I have approached many people with in the past few days. Whenever I ask my , “What if…” question, I get these weird looks in response.
If I tried to invent a story of strange creatures, from another time, another planet or another dimension, perhaps the tales I tell might be a little more saleable.
We can imagine that Luke Skywalker was a Jedi Knight in a galaxy far, far away, a long, long time ago. We can easily imagine that Pandora is populated by a lot of blue coloured skinny people. We can imagine that Superman narrowly escaped the destruction of his home planet of krypton, and that he has an ice palace near the north pole. We’re quickly approaching the season where we tell our loved ones that some fat guy in a red suit will bring them presents. Not only can we imagine that, some young people really believe it.
What we cannot imagine, is that our world is under the influence of the devil, and that a whole lot of us might spend eternity apart from God.
That is the very, “What if…” scenario that I have approached many people with in the past few days. Whenever I ask my , “What if…” question, I get these weird looks in response.
If I tried to invent a story of strange creatures, from another time, another planet or another dimension, perhaps the tales I tell might be a little more saleable.
Wednesday, November 23, 2011
Too Alien?
Today has been a strange kind of day. This afternoon, the Purolator truck dropped off a box with some promotional materials for Alien Love. The package included a set of event invitations and laminated promotional posters. The delivery presents a peculiar dilemma for me.
You see, yesterday I contacted my publisher and requested that they cease from printing any further copies of my book. Some of the feedback that I’m getting seems to indicate that people who don’t know me might get the wrong impression from one of my illustrations, and jump to the conclusion that I hate them. I guess some topics are just too hot to be able to have reasonable dialogue. The mere mention of certain issues tends to polarize the conversation and we respond with our gut rather than processing what is actually written on the page before us.
Interpretation is a peculiar art. We often draw conclusions from statements which were never made in the first place. It seems obvious, to myself and others, that the kind of love I’m advocating cannot be understood by people who do not know my heart. It is in that thought, that these words have been shared with me;
“So far, I don't think I have really disagreed with anything you said. I just had to understand and knowing you, I can ask about what I don't. But I'm also recognizing how it could be taken the wrong way. I think because I know you, I can hear your voice when reading it, and I care more about what you have to say. I listen more, even when it exposes sin in my life.”
Nobody who knows me can accuse me of having a hateful or malicious heart. However, not everybody knows me. Not everyone can hear my voice as they are reading my words. Unfortunately, I do not have the time to share a coffee or a 3 hour conversation with everyone who needs me to clarify what I’m trying to communicate.
I thank each of you who have been an encouragement and who have given your honest feedback for the book.
I have no idea of where I’ll head from here. I am being urged to consider reworking my illustration, however, I find myself to be quite empty. I have been at this project for over 3 years now and I just don’t know if I can walk another mile. Overall, I feel empty.
I have 6 months to either rework my illustrations or to cancel the work entirely. I humbly ask for your prayers in this process. Other than any copies which have already been released to bookstores or to Amazon, Alien Love will not be available publicly. I do have a few copies of my own which I might sell to any friends and family who are interested.
Perhaps it really is alien after all.
Love Kevin
You see, yesterday I contacted my publisher and requested that they cease from printing any further copies of my book. Some of the feedback that I’m getting seems to indicate that people who don’t know me might get the wrong impression from one of my illustrations, and jump to the conclusion that I hate them. I guess some topics are just too hot to be able to have reasonable dialogue. The mere mention of certain issues tends to polarize the conversation and we respond with our gut rather than processing what is actually written on the page before us.
Interpretation is a peculiar art. We often draw conclusions from statements which were never made in the first place. It seems obvious, to myself and others, that the kind of love I’m advocating cannot be understood by people who do not know my heart. It is in that thought, that these words have been shared with me;
“So far, I don't think I have really disagreed with anything you said. I just had to understand and knowing you, I can ask about what I don't. But I'm also recognizing how it could be taken the wrong way. I think because I know you, I can hear your voice when reading it, and I care more about what you have to say. I listen more, even when it exposes sin in my life.”
Nobody who knows me can accuse me of having a hateful or malicious heart. However, not everybody knows me. Not everyone can hear my voice as they are reading my words. Unfortunately, I do not have the time to share a coffee or a 3 hour conversation with everyone who needs me to clarify what I’m trying to communicate.
I thank each of you who have been an encouragement and who have given your honest feedback for the book.
I have no idea of where I’ll head from here. I am being urged to consider reworking my illustration, however, I find myself to be quite empty. I have been at this project for over 3 years now and I just don’t know if I can walk another mile. Overall, I feel empty.
I have 6 months to either rework my illustrations or to cancel the work entirely. I humbly ask for your prayers in this process. Other than any copies which have already been released to bookstores or to Amazon, Alien Love will not be available publicly. I do have a few copies of my own which I might sell to any friends and family who are interested.
Perhaps it really is alien after all.
Love Kevin
Tuesday, November 8, 2011
If You Insist on Reading It...
Today I finally received the first copy of my second book, Alien Love. I’m not writing this post to try and sell it to you. Quite the opposite. You see, I’m not looking for fans or followers. After all, the way I understand it, fans are idolaters. I guess I’ll never make the New York Times’ best sellers list with an attitude like that.
I’m not looking for people to give me their money so I can quit my job, but I am looking for a few people to partner with me. Seeing as a good post here draws about 20 hits, the word, “few” is quite appropriate.
If You Are Going To Buy The Book...
If you plan on purchasing the book, there are some things I want you to know first. For a book about love, I talk quite a lot about sin. I say that up front, because I don’t want you to be surprised. The last thing I want is for someone to buy it and say, “Wow. For a book about love, he talks a lot about sin.” Actually, that's part of the reason why I called it Alien Love.
There is something else that I want you to know. I want you to know that I don’t hate anybody. I really don’t. People who warn others about sin are often accused of being hateful. I beg of you, if you are one of those people who think that it’s inherently judgmental to warn someone about sin, you probably won’t like it. As you read, you need to be able to hear the voice of someone who cares. If you aren’t able to hear the voice of someone who has a heart, you do me a great disservice by reading the text. If that’s the case, then please purchase something by Max Lucado instead.
If You Like The Book
If you are able to come up with some decent discussion questions, that would be greatly appreciated. I often think that maybe someday I would like to republish it with some discussion questions at the back of each chapter. The same goes for my first book, The Edge of His Cloak, if you ever happen to read it.
If You Think It Has the Potential to Change Lives
If you’re a believer, please pray for me and the book. For myself, pray that I’ll properly manage the duties of being an author, speaker, father, husband, believer and mechanic. Pray that I’ll have a humble heart. Pride takes on various forms. I’m not the guy who struts his stuff, expecting people to kneel before him. My pride takes on more subtle forms. My pride will have a harder time handling people who say, “Gee. It really isn’t as good as your first book.”
There were no expectations on me the first time around. I feel like I have something to live up to now. Pray that I am able to gracefully handle whatever may come.
Pray that God will disarm those who read it. Whenever we read or listen to something, we carry with us all of the baggage of our past. That baggage tends to produce a knee-jerk reaction which limits our ability to properly listen to and process what we are reading. Pray that those who read it will see it as it is, either good or bad.
When I was in the editing process, I had a homosexual read it and I asked him this question, “Do you see the love?” He responded by saying, “Yes. I do see the love, but you need to realize that a lot of people won’t. Many won’t see the love in it because they have been so damaged in their past.”
Pray that God would supernaturally reveal the baggage for what is, and the love for what it is.
Pray that Christ would be lifted up, not to be crucified again, but as high and holy. Pray that if the book is crap, that He would kill the thing. I would have preferred Him to kill it BEFORE making it into print, but perhaps He has a purpose in my public humiliation. Pray that it makes it where He wants it to go.
If you are willing to partner with me in some way, let me know. I might want some help with this project, although I don’t exactly know what that looks like.
Where to Buy...
If you live in the Aylmer area, please consider being a blessing to the people at Returning Home. They will be carrying a few copies until Christmas, and can order extras if they run out. The book can also be purchased on Amazon, although the picture isn’t up yet.
My first public appearances with the book will be at Faith on Thrusday night’s men’s Bible study on Dec. 1st and 8th. I won’t be promoting the book, but I will have copies available. I’ll be speaking from the book of Mark.
Providing that the book is acceptable to my church, I plan on having copies available Sunday mornings in December at our resource centre.
Final Thoughts
If you would really like to read the book, but really can’t afford it, let me know. Find me on Facebook and I’ll send you a link to an electronic version. I didn’t write the book to make money.
If you are someone I know, thank you for your friendship. If you are someone I do not know, I hope you can imagine yourself being my friend.
Love Kevin
Sunday, November 6, 2011
Other Things
This past week at men’s group, we were looking at Mark 4:1-20. It might be familiar to some of us as Jesus’ parable of the sower. In the passage, Jesus talks about 4 different kinds of soils, yet it really isn’t about soil. He’s talking about people and how we respond to God’s word when it is spoken into our lives. The weedy, thorny soil remains with me. In fact, the issues that I’ll be sharing with you remain with me on many days.
When Jesus explains the parable, He says that some seed is, “sown among thorns. They are those that hear the word, but the cares of the world and the deceitfulness of riches and the desires for other things enter in and choke the word, and it proves unfruitful.” Mark 4:18-19
Do you ever wonder who this might describe? Do you ever also wonder exactly what parameters would identify a life lived among these kinds of thorns? Do you ever wonder whether or not this person is saved?
What really sticks with me is when Jesus refers to the desire for “other things”.
It’s the kind of statement that really leaves a lot of room for condemnation. What are “other things” anyway? Asked another way, what aren’t “other things”? It would be entirely different if Jesus was referring to sinful things, but He doesn’t. It would be easier if he was merely referring to things that are of the sinful nature wouldn’t it?
After all, that’s clear isn’t it? For the believer, group sex is out. Got it. Partying like a rockstar is out. Got it. Sorcery doesn’t belong. Got that too. Gossip, slander and deceit don’t belong in the life of the redeemed. Easy stuff.
Other things…..
Where does it begin, and where does it end? Could it be chocolate? Lego? Corn? Nintendo? Shoes?
As we live out our calling, I find that there are two twisted reactions to passages such as these. We can take “other things” to be EVERYTHING, or to be NOTHING.
Everything
Jesus is everything. Anything that does have Jesus stamped on it has no place in the life of someone who knows Him. If you go on a holiday, it needs to be a missions trip. If you are shopping for groceries, you had better use it as an opportunity to witness. Unnecessary home renovations are always completely worldly. Any music you listen to needs to literally sing the praises of Jesus. If you’re going to watch fireworks, use it as an opportunity to hand out Gospel tracts. (or Gideon Bibles. My tract of choice.) Any “other things” in our lives are from the Devil and need to be eradicated from our lives if we’re going to properly live out a Biblical faith. Fun is bad. Work for Jesus is good.
Nothing
Gi-Joe is fine. There is nothing wrong with having action figures right? Jesus certainly isn’t referring to sports. Go Leafs go! They are going to win the cup this year. I think I’ll book my room for the playoffs this week. If He had meant something specifically, then He would have said it as it is. Snowmobiling is fine, so I can head out as often as the ground is covered in white. Fishing, golf and video games are good to go. Nothing is bad and off limits, so this passage really doesn’t hold any weight over our lives. It’s just there to allow legalists to try and abuse our conscience. Fun is good. Fundamentalist who are always trying to win souls to Christ are bad.
If you are a fleshly creature, I likely won’t be of much help to you. To be honest, I’m not so sure I have it laid out for myself. The Everything crowd is right. They are also wrong. The Nothing people are right. They also happen to be wrong.
If we’re going to make any sense of this, maybe it’s best to simply think on what Jesus says and what He doesn’t say. This is not a lesson on morality. This particular soil might not even be dealing with the individual’s salvation. The plants that sprung up didn’t die. We’re merely told that “it proves unfruitful”.
I know what some of you are thinking. So. Does it mean that kind of soil isn’t saved? We worry so much about that in Christian circles don’t we? Let’s face it. If the whole thing about hell and fire are true in the literal sense, we want to make sure we end up on the good side of eternity. Whether or not this particular type of soil is ‘saved’ is debatable in my opinion.
What I Know
As much as we wonder about salvation, there is more to a believing life than being saved. Having fun isn’t necessarily a bad thing, but Solomon told us that, “A wise person thinks a lot about death, while a fool thinks only about having a good time.” Ecclesiastes 7:4 I know it’s foolish to be predominantly concerned about our pleasure, no matter what form it takes on. My personal bent is towards the comic book reading, video game nerd crowd. Maybe you’re the sports fan or the book worm.
I also know that it’s possible, in light of eternity, to waste the days that we are given.
1 Corinthians 3:13-15
New Living Translation (NLT)
13 But on the judgment day, fire will reveal what kind of work each builder has done. The fire will show if a person’s work has any value. 14 If the work survives, that builder will receive a reward. 15 But if the work is burned up, the builder will suffer great loss. The builder will be saved, but like someone barely escaping through a wall of flames.
There is a kind of faith to be lived, which escapes the fires of hell, but was a complete waste of time. That type of faith that we read about here in Corinthians isn’t one which is meant to be admired. It’s the kind of faith, that on judgment day will “suffer great loss”. Don’t tell me you want that. Making it through the fires of judgment is a good thing on its own. It’s much better than burning up. However, it isn’t the most desirable condition. Imagine that you make it through, but everything else in your life was burned up. I bet you can handle your workplace being incinerated, and maybe even your life savings. What about your friends? What about your family?
It isn’t that we have the power to control the eternity of those we know. For my part, I can handle my friends and family living apart from Christ for all eternity, so long as I have been faithful in living out my faith among them. If that is what they really want, who am I to stand in their way? I can NOT handle the thought of having my friends and family torched because I was too busy about other things, to be a willing witness for Christ.
What I Do
I’m not your God. So make up your own mind. Here is how I regulate what place “other things” have in my life. Follow this riddle. I don’t buy many other things, but I have other things. Specifically, I have a lot of video games, but I don’t buy video games. How can i have video games if i don't buy video games? The people in my life get those things for me because they know I like them.
Does that mean I’m in the clear? Not exactly. That’s just the way I’ve chosen to manage those “other things”. I’ve told you before. I’m not your God and I stopped trying to be the answer man a long time ago. What if your wife won’t buy you a Wii? What if you never get to have fun ever again? Maybe you will never have fun ever again. Considering a life that suffers great loss on That Day, would it be so bad to miss out on some of the pleasure in this life?
We have fun in our home, but our lives don’t revolve around where we’re going to eat this week, what we’re going to buy on the weekend or planning our getaway. We laugh. We listen to Bill Cosby. We sit down for 15 minutes every evening to look into God’s word and talk about its bearing on our lives. That’s what I do. Is it completely right? :-/
If There Was A Conclusion…
I believe we do a disservice when we gravitate either towards Everything or Nothing. I think specifically of my pastor who has taken up golf in these past few years. He tells me, “Sometimes in ministry, you can get so busy serving that your life and your family fall apart.” There has to be a place for at least some “other things”.
At the same time, I feel strongly that we also do ourselves a disservice in living out a life which thinks, “It’s all good. God is in all things so we don’t have to be concerned with anything that literally carries the name of Jesus.”
Finding the ‘middle road’ isn’t exactly the answer either. It comes down to this; What kind of Jesus have you believed in? Maybe you don’t believe in any kind of Jesus at all. In that case, you might as well eat drink and be merry, because tomorrow you die anyway. We’re here for a good time. Not a long time. Right? If you believe in a Jesus, maybe He’s a fairy tale Jesus, who really hasn’t prepared us for any kind of work in the world. He came, He taught some nice life lessons, but He’s dead and certainly doesn’t have any calling on our lives, let alone the means to communicate His vision to us.
Or perhaps you serve the living Christ. He has both a call over your life, the means to communicate the vision and the strength to empower you to that end. Are you walking in step with Him?
In the end, each of our work will be revealed for what it really is. If we have no care whatsoever for the role that “other things” play in our lives, how serious are we about doing our part in these evil days? I’ve been honest with you…..
What place do you give to those “other things”?
Kevin
PS. If you have it all figured out, you really didn’t like this post. Did you?
When Jesus explains the parable, He says that some seed is, “sown among thorns. They are those that hear the word, but the cares of the world and the deceitfulness of riches and the desires for other things enter in and choke the word, and it proves unfruitful.” Mark 4:18-19
Do you ever wonder who this might describe? Do you ever also wonder exactly what parameters would identify a life lived among these kinds of thorns? Do you ever wonder whether or not this person is saved?
What really sticks with me is when Jesus refers to the desire for “other things”.
It’s the kind of statement that really leaves a lot of room for condemnation. What are “other things” anyway? Asked another way, what aren’t “other things”? It would be entirely different if Jesus was referring to sinful things, but He doesn’t. It would be easier if he was merely referring to things that are of the sinful nature wouldn’t it?
After all, that’s clear isn’t it? For the believer, group sex is out. Got it. Partying like a rockstar is out. Got it. Sorcery doesn’t belong. Got that too. Gossip, slander and deceit don’t belong in the life of the redeemed. Easy stuff.
Other things…..
Where does it begin, and where does it end? Could it be chocolate? Lego? Corn? Nintendo? Shoes?
As we live out our calling, I find that there are two twisted reactions to passages such as these. We can take “other things” to be EVERYTHING, or to be NOTHING.
Everything
Jesus is everything. Anything that does have Jesus stamped on it has no place in the life of someone who knows Him. If you go on a holiday, it needs to be a missions trip. If you are shopping for groceries, you had better use it as an opportunity to witness. Unnecessary home renovations are always completely worldly. Any music you listen to needs to literally sing the praises of Jesus. If you’re going to watch fireworks, use it as an opportunity to hand out Gospel tracts. (or Gideon Bibles. My tract of choice.) Any “other things” in our lives are from the Devil and need to be eradicated from our lives if we’re going to properly live out a Biblical faith. Fun is bad. Work for Jesus is good.
Nothing
Gi-Joe is fine. There is nothing wrong with having action figures right? Jesus certainly isn’t referring to sports. Go Leafs go! They are going to win the cup this year. I think I’ll book my room for the playoffs this week. If He had meant something specifically, then He would have said it as it is. Snowmobiling is fine, so I can head out as often as the ground is covered in white. Fishing, golf and video games are good to go. Nothing is bad and off limits, so this passage really doesn’t hold any weight over our lives. It’s just there to allow legalists to try and abuse our conscience. Fun is good. Fundamentalist who are always trying to win souls to Christ are bad.
If you are a fleshly creature, I likely won’t be of much help to you. To be honest, I’m not so sure I have it laid out for myself. The Everything crowd is right. They are also wrong. The Nothing people are right. They also happen to be wrong.
If we’re going to make any sense of this, maybe it’s best to simply think on what Jesus says and what He doesn’t say. This is not a lesson on morality. This particular soil might not even be dealing with the individual’s salvation. The plants that sprung up didn’t die. We’re merely told that “it proves unfruitful”.
I know what some of you are thinking. So. Does it mean that kind of soil isn’t saved? We worry so much about that in Christian circles don’t we? Let’s face it. If the whole thing about hell and fire are true in the literal sense, we want to make sure we end up on the good side of eternity. Whether or not this particular type of soil is ‘saved’ is debatable in my opinion.
What I Know
As much as we wonder about salvation, there is more to a believing life than being saved. Having fun isn’t necessarily a bad thing, but Solomon told us that, “A wise person thinks a lot about death, while a fool thinks only about having a good time.” Ecclesiastes 7:4 I know it’s foolish to be predominantly concerned about our pleasure, no matter what form it takes on. My personal bent is towards the comic book reading, video game nerd crowd. Maybe you’re the sports fan or the book worm.
I also know that it’s possible, in light of eternity, to waste the days that we are given.
1 Corinthians 3:13-15
New Living Translation (NLT)
13 But on the judgment day, fire will reveal what kind of work each builder has done. The fire will show if a person’s work has any value. 14 If the work survives, that builder will receive a reward. 15 But if the work is burned up, the builder will suffer great loss. The builder will be saved, but like someone barely escaping through a wall of flames.
There is a kind of faith to be lived, which escapes the fires of hell, but was a complete waste of time. That type of faith that we read about here in Corinthians isn’t one which is meant to be admired. It’s the kind of faith, that on judgment day will “suffer great loss”. Don’t tell me you want that. Making it through the fires of judgment is a good thing on its own. It’s much better than burning up. However, it isn’t the most desirable condition. Imagine that you make it through, but everything else in your life was burned up. I bet you can handle your workplace being incinerated, and maybe even your life savings. What about your friends? What about your family?
It isn’t that we have the power to control the eternity of those we know. For my part, I can handle my friends and family living apart from Christ for all eternity, so long as I have been faithful in living out my faith among them. If that is what they really want, who am I to stand in their way? I can NOT handle the thought of having my friends and family torched because I was too busy about other things, to be a willing witness for Christ.
What I Do
I’m not your God. So make up your own mind. Here is how I regulate what place “other things” have in my life. Follow this riddle. I don’t buy many other things, but I have other things. Specifically, I have a lot of video games, but I don’t buy video games. How can i have video games if i don't buy video games? The people in my life get those things for me because they know I like them.
Does that mean I’m in the clear? Not exactly. That’s just the way I’ve chosen to manage those “other things”. I’ve told you before. I’m not your God and I stopped trying to be the answer man a long time ago. What if your wife won’t buy you a Wii? What if you never get to have fun ever again? Maybe you will never have fun ever again. Considering a life that suffers great loss on That Day, would it be so bad to miss out on some of the pleasure in this life?
We have fun in our home, but our lives don’t revolve around where we’re going to eat this week, what we’re going to buy on the weekend or planning our getaway. We laugh. We listen to Bill Cosby. We sit down for 15 minutes every evening to look into God’s word and talk about its bearing on our lives. That’s what I do. Is it completely right? :-/
If There Was A Conclusion…
I believe we do a disservice when we gravitate either towards Everything or Nothing. I think specifically of my pastor who has taken up golf in these past few years. He tells me, “Sometimes in ministry, you can get so busy serving that your life and your family fall apart.” There has to be a place for at least some “other things”.
At the same time, I feel strongly that we also do ourselves a disservice in living out a life which thinks, “It’s all good. God is in all things so we don’t have to be concerned with anything that literally carries the name of Jesus.”
Finding the ‘middle road’ isn’t exactly the answer either. It comes down to this; What kind of Jesus have you believed in? Maybe you don’t believe in any kind of Jesus at all. In that case, you might as well eat drink and be merry, because tomorrow you die anyway. We’re here for a good time. Not a long time. Right? If you believe in a Jesus, maybe He’s a fairy tale Jesus, who really hasn’t prepared us for any kind of work in the world. He came, He taught some nice life lessons, but He’s dead and certainly doesn’t have any calling on our lives, let alone the means to communicate His vision to us.
Or perhaps you serve the living Christ. He has both a call over your life, the means to communicate the vision and the strength to empower you to that end. Are you walking in step with Him?
In the end, each of our work will be revealed for what it really is. If we have no care whatsoever for the role that “other things” play in our lives, how serious are we about doing our part in these evil days? I’ve been honest with you…..
What place do you give to those “other things”?
Kevin
PS. If you have it all figured out, you really didn’t like this post. Did you?
Sunday, October 16, 2011
Do We Ever Get our Fill of Blood?
A month or two ago, an old friend of mine posted a question, asking for some input from the ‘big shots’ in his life. From his vantage point, I often wonder who his big shots are. I don’t know if anyone answered him or not. If my memory serves me correctly, here was his question;
“Why do we like scary movies?”
We do we? We have little tolerance for a life well lived. We prefer to watch some beautiful young lady in a bikini as she is torn apart by a shark or being hacked up by a chainsaw. THAT is entertainment.
There is a principle at work that I share with you on a consistent basis and it goes like this...
The lives we live are a reflection of who we really are.
So if we enjoy watching the suffering of other human beings, what does it say about us?
Any serious thinking human must know what I’m about to share with you, although, depending on one’s worldview, each will give it a different name. There is something dreadfully wrong in the heart of humanity. Sigmund Freud called it the ID. I believe that Steven King said that to varying degrees, we’re all crazy. One might think that he might have at least some insight as to why we like scary films.
As a culture, it seems obvious that Christ’s words apply directly to us when He said;
“..people loved the darkness more than the light...”John 3:19
We love the darkness. Don’t we? At work last week, I spoke with a teacher who was transferred from a progressive school in town, to one of those backwards rural public schools. It’s the kind of school where they still have the nerve to allow Gideons to hand out testaments. I asked him if he noticed any difference between his old school and the new school. This was his response.
“Well, at the rural school, I don’t have to confront gang members or try and check them for weapons before class.”
This is the expression of our brand of civil freedom. I’m not complaining. I’m really not. I’m not saying that we should bring prayer back into public schools, place a Bible in every desk, or even that doing these would cure our ills. What I’m saying, is that we prefer Saw to Hammy Hamster. We prefer drugs over prayer and switchblades to testaments. We glorify celebrities whose lives end in train-wreck. I’m fine with all of this. In fact, you have no idea of how fine I am with it.
We are increasingly a people who love to see the shed blood of others, but it’s completely acceptable because it comes in the form of entertainment. We’re going the way of Rome. Here is a question to ponder; Is there any act so vile, that it is offensive to portray it on screen?
I’m not a big shot. I’m just a guy who loves his wife and children. I make my living fixing other people’s problems. I have been faithful to my family, and by God’s grace, I intend to remain so as long as I shall live. I don’t live the kind of life that many people would want to see in a film.
Just in case you are wondering, I don’t care if you watch horror films or not. If you enjoy watching the suffering of other human beings, turning off the TV won’t fix what’s in your heart. If you don’t want to think on things that are pure, true, noble, honourable and worthy of praise, then please don’t. If you enjoy watching someone being beaten into a bloody stump, then by all means, feed your fever. Maybe not everything I watch is completely on the up and up either. If so, the problem isn’t on screen.
There has to be another way to be human.
“Why do we like scary movies?”
We do we? We have little tolerance for a life well lived. We prefer to watch some beautiful young lady in a bikini as she is torn apart by a shark or being hacked up by a chainsaw. THAT is entertainment.
There is a principle at work that I share with you on a consistent basis and it goes like this...
The lives we live are a reflection of who we really are.
So if we enjoy watching the suffering of other human beings, what does it say about us?
Any serious thinking human must know what I’m about to share with you, although, depending on one’s worldview, each will give it a different name. There is something dreadfully wrong in the heart of humanity. Sigmund Freud called it the ID. I believe that Steven King said that to varying degrees, we’re all crazy. One might think that he might have at least some insight as to why we like scary films.
As a culture, it seems obvious that Christ’s words apply directly to us when He said;
“..people loved the darkness more than the light...”John 3:19
We love the darkness. Don’t we? At work last week, I spoke with a teacher who was transferred from a progressive school in town, to one of those backwards rural public schools. It’s the kind of school where they still have the nerve to allow Gideons to hand out testaments. I asked him if he noticed any difference between his old school and the new school. This was his response.
“Well, at the rural school, I don’t have to confront gang members or try and check them for weapons before class.”
This is the expression of our brand of civil freedom. I’m not complaining. I’m really not. I’m not saying that we should bring prayer back into public schools, place a Bible in every desk, or even that doing these would cure our ills. What I’m saying, is that we prefer Saw to Hammy Hamster. We prefer drugs over prayer and switchblades to testaments. We glorify celebrities whose lives end in train-wreck. I’m fine with all of this. In fact, you have no idea of how fine I am with it.
We are increasingly a people who love to see the shed blood of others, but it’s completely acceptable because it comes in the form of entertainment. We’re going the way of Rome. Here is a question to ponder; Is there any act so vile, that it is offensive to portray it on screen?
I’m not a big shot. I’m just a guy who loves his wife and children. I make my living fixing other people’s problems. I have been faithful to my family, and by God’s grace, I intend to remain so as long as I shall live. I don’t live the kind of life that many people would want to see in a film.
Just in case you are wondering, I don’t care if you watch horror films or not. If you enjoy watching the suffering of other human beings, turning off the TV won’t fix what’s in your heart. If you don’t want to think on things that are pure, true, noble, honourable and worthy of praise, then please don’t. If you enjoy watching someone being beaten into a bloody stump, then by all means, feed your fever. Maybe not everything I watch is completely on the up and up either. If so, the problem isn’t on screen.
There has to be another way to be human.
Saturday, October 15, 2011
Occupying Canada
I’ve been following the coverage for today’s Occupy Canada thing. As a believer, I have mixed emotions about the whole thing. The general consensus seems to be that ‘the system isn’t working’. I believe wholeheartedly that the whole world is broken; irreparably. For me however, this really isn’t my country, so I have a hard time understanding my place in it. I don’t know about you, but my citizenship is in heaven. This is just my temporary assignment.
From a worldly perspective however, I often question what these demonstrators really expect. What would the solution be for them? What would actually be the fix? We’ve tried all of the 'isms. Fascism was great. Communism was one step better. Socialism is a blast isn’t it? How about tribalism? In my own opinion, Capitalism has done about the best because it uses greed as it fuel, and it seems to be a completely renewable resource.
There is no ‘ism that will fix our dying world. There is no world system which consistently produces goodwill and prosperity for all of its citizens. If there were, there would be some country where the ‘ism has erased poverty and satisfied the public at large. As it stands, Canada must have one of the best ‘isms available, because we are consistently one of the best countries to live in throughout the entire civilized world. So if this country isn’t good enough, what is?
Yeah. We have problems. We really do. I somehow doubt that any people group or ideology really holds the answers. Call me cynical. We elect a new leader every 4-8 years or so, and it’s funny, our problems don’t go away. It doesn’t matter who carries the mantle or what colour their elections signs were. We still have problems. I'd bet my organs that our problems won't go away no matter who we call to office, no matter their qualification, their ideology, their race, gender or sex.
One of the main complaints has been greed itself, but is seems as if we are only upset at certain forms of greed; corporate greed to be precise. Other forms of greed are quite acceptable to us as a culture.
Greed is about this. It’s about, more. That’s it. Just more. More never stops. More does show up in corporate life. More also shows up in the workforce, whether unionized or not. I guess if it’s unionized, the labour force might get a little more of the more. Management always wants more. More shows up in the business arena. No matter how good you do or what sales quota you reach, it’s never really good enough. The goal is always more for next year. More is for everybody. The rich want more. The strangest thing of all, is that the poor want more too. We've all got the bug.
I agree in principle with so much that is being said behind the protests. I think we do depend way too much on drugs and pharmaceuticals. I think that we as a people need to be content, but not just in the corporate world.
Even though I agree much in principle with many of the sentiments behind the peaceful protest, I must be one of the 1 percent, because I really don’t feel that the protests represent me. I believe wholeheartedly, that they think in every way the same as the very people they claim to be against. There is a message that I am definitely not hearing from any of them. If anyone wants my support, here is the message I’m looking to hear.
“Less for us.”
To date, I have not heard of any group telling the government, “It’s okay. We’re willing to receive less and give more.” We will not recover unless people begin stepping forward to make personal sacrifice, and I hear absolutley nobody willing to do so.
There is one area of human life where we really aren’t greedy and a friend of mine brought it to my attention today. As a world, we really don’t want more of Christ do we? I’m not complaining about it. I don’t expect the citizens of this world to want more of the God of Heaven. Why would I? That would be treasonous.
I do like the thoughts however that it could be said of me. “Man. That guy just never gets enough of Jesus. He’s a Jesus freak.”
I promise you this. You will not find an ‘ISM which fixes the world. You will not find a leader apart from Christ who can permanently carry your hopes and trust. I’m told that the Anti-Christ might be able to do that for a time, but we’ll see.
Have fun with your world. You seem to have all the answers. Let me know how it works for you.
From a worldly perspective however, I often question what these demonstrators really expect. What would the solution be for them? What would actually be the fix? We’ve tried all of the 'isms. Fascism was great. Communism was one step better. Socialism is a blast isn’t it? How about tribalism? In my own opinion, Capitalism has done about the best because it uses greed as it fuel, and it seems to be a completely renewable resource.
There is no ‘ism that will fix our dying world. There is no world system which consistently produces goodwill and prosperity for all of its citizens. If there were, there would be some country where the ‘ism has erased poverty and satisfied the public at large. As it stands, Canada must have one of the best ‘isms available, because we are consistently one of the best countries to live in throughout the entire civilized world. So if this country isn’t good enough, what is?
Yeah. We have problems. We really do. I somehow doubt that any people group or ideology really holds the answers. Call me cynical. We elect a new leader every 4-8 years or so, and it’s funny, our problems don’t go away. It doesn’t matter who carries the mantle or what colour their elections signs were. We still have problems. I'd bet my organs that our problems won't go away no matter who we call to office, no matter their qualification, their ideology, their race, gender or sex.
One of the main complaints has been greed itself, but is seems as if we are only upset at certain forms of greed; corporate greed to be precise. Other forms of greed are quite acceptable to us as a culture.
Greed is about this. It’s about, more. That’s it. Just more. More never stops. More does show up in corporate life. More also shows up in the workforce, whether unionized or not. I guess if it’s unionized, the labour force might get a little more of the more. Management always wants more. More shows up in the business arena. No matter how good you do or what sales quota you reach, it’s never really good enough. The goal is always more for next year. More is for everybody. The rich want more. The strangest thing of all, is that the poor want more too. We've all got the bug.
I agree in principle with so much that is being said behind the protests. I think we do depend way too much on drugs and pharmaceuticals. I think that we as a people need to be content, but not just in the corporate world.
Even though I agree much in principle with many of the sentiments behind the peaceful protest, I must be one of the 1 percent, because I really don’t feel that the protests represent me. I believe wholeheartedly, that they think in every way the same as the very people they claim to be against. There is a message that I am definitely not hearing from any of them. If anyone wants my support, here is the message I’m looking to hear.
“Less for us.”
To date, I have not heard of any group telling the government, “It’s okay. We’re willing to receive less and give more.” We will not recover unless people begin stepping forward to make personal sacrifice, and I hear absolutley nobody willing to do so.
There is one area of human life where we really aren’t greedy and a friend of mine brought it to my attention today. As a world, we really don’t want more of Christ do we? I’m not complaining about it. I don’t expect the citizens of this world to want more of the God of Heaven. Why would I? That would be treasonous.
I do like the thoughts however that it could be said of me. “Man. That guy just never gets enough of Jesus. He’s a Jesus freak.”
I promise you this. You will not find an ‘ISM which fixes the world. You will not find a leader apart from Christ who can permanently carry your hopes and trust. I’m told that the Anti-Christ might be able to do that for a time, but we’ll see.
Have fun with your world. You seem to have all the answers. Let me know how it works for you.
Tuesday, October 11, 2011
From Toilet to Testaments
My knuckles are still sore from that knockout punch I delivered on my toilet bowl yesterday. If you are wondering about why I would beat up my toilet, you’ll have to friend me on Facebook to see the pictures. No. I was not angry or venting out of any pent up frustration. My wife and I are redoing our upstairs bathroom and beating it up just seemed like a fun way to break it down into a form where our garbage man would take it away for us. We aren’t the kind of people who enjoy spending money decorating our home, but some of the plumbing was leaking, which ruined the flooring and black mould was beginning to grow on the ceiling downstairs.
Today was a much different day than yesterday. I had the privilege of handing out New Testaments to some of the grade 5 classes in 4 of the schools in my area. Without fail, every time I am out witnessing and giving away Bibles, there is always one person who catches my attention; someone who says something to me that impacts my heart and remains very much in mind for weeks and years to come. This morning was no exception.
We were in one of the public schools in our area. That in itself is an extraordinary privilege. I told the class that we as Gideons are men and women who believe that there is but One God who loves every single person on the face of the earth. He sent His son Jesus in order to make us right with Himself and we want to make sure that everyboy at least has the opportunity to get to know Him. I know that many of you would have presented the gospel much more clearly. But that’s the problem isn’t it? You weren’t there. I’ll be more than happy if God sends someone more qualified to fill my shoes. If you can present the Gospel much more clearly, I’ll be happy to step aside. Seriously.
After describing to the best of my abilities the value of knowing Jesus, one girl quietly raised her hand. I don’t know her name or her parents, and in a way, maybe that’s a good thing. She was a lovely young lady with longish blonde hair. After I acknowledged her, she went on to reveal a little bit of her family life;
“My mom and dad said that the TV brought sin into our house. Once we got rid of it, it made it all better.”
I wish I had more time to prepare for situations like this. How do you respond to a statement like that in a public school setting? Reflecting on the moment, there are many more things I would like to have shared.
In my heart, I feel for both the girl and for the family. Maybe in some way, the situation in their home isn’t quite exactly the way she has received it. Maybe her parents aren’t that black and white about it. My wife and I don’t have cable, satellite or even a working antenna, but it isn’t because the sin comes through the TV.
Or maybe they really do believe that sin comes through the television, and if we just get rid of the TV demon, that will make us right with God. If that’s the case, I still feel for them. In their heart of hearts, they might really believe that, and no matter how misguided, their intentions might be completely honourable.
Personally, I don’t plan on getting cable anytime soon. Whenever we are away staying at a motel, we turn it on. When we do, we’re reminded that we really aren’t missing much. In fact, I do believe that our family does enjoy a certain kind of intimacy because we aren’t plugged into the world in that way. There are often blessings to be had for turning off the screen.
(We do watch some programming via the internet, which really isn’t much different. Our family’s favourite show is The Biggest Loser.)
I hope I responded in a way that glorifies God and gives Christ His proper place.
“Personally, I don’t think it quite works that way, but if your parents don’t want you watching TV, I hope you’ll respect that for now.”
There is but one way to the Father, and it’s through Christ and Him alone. Self denial often carries with itself an appearance of godliness, and even has a place in our faith. The sin however doesn’t live in the TV, the bottle or the pill. The sin dwells either in our hearts or in our flesh.
I’ve said what I could and done what I could. I have to trust God for the rest.
I’ll be thinking and praying for her and her family for some time to come; perhaps for the rest of my life.
Today was a much different day than yesterday. I had the privilege of handing out New Testaments to some of the grade 5 classes in 4 of the schools in my area. Without fail, every time I am out witnessing and giving away Bibles, there is always one person who catches my attention; someone who says something to me that impacts my heart and remains very much in mind for weeks and years to come. This morning was no exception.
We were in one of the public schools in our area. That in itself is an extraordinary privilege. I told the class that we as Gideons are men and women who believe that there is but One God who loves every single person on the face of the earth. He sent His son Jesus in order to make us right with Himself and we want to make sure that everyboy at least has the opportunity to get to know Him. I know that many of you would have presented the gospel much more clearly. But that’s the problem isn’t it? You weren’t there. I’ll be more than happy if God sends someone more qualified to fill my shoes. If you can present the Gospel much more clearly, I’ll be happy to step aside. Seriously.
After describing to the best of my abilities the value of knowing Jesus, one girl quietly raised her hand. I don’t know her name or her parents, and in a way, maybe that’s a good thing. She was a lovely young lady with longish blonde hair. After I acknowledged her, she went on to reveal a little bit of her family life;
“My mom and dad said that the TV brought sin into our house. Once we got rid of it, it made it all better.”
I wish I had more time to prepare for situations like this. How do you respond to a statement like that in a public school setting? Reflecting on the moment, there are many more things I would like to have shared.
In my heart, I feel for both the girl and for the family. Maybe in some way, the situation in their home isn’t quite exactly the way she has received it. Maybe her parents aren’t that black and white about it. My wife and I don’t have cable, satellite or even a working antenna, but it isn’t because the sin comes through the TV.
Or maybe they really do believe that sin comes through the television, and if we just get rid of the TV demon, that will make us right with God. If that’s the case, I still feel for them. In their heart of hearts, they might really believe that, and no matter how misguided, their intentions might be completely honourable.
Personally, I don’t plan on getting cable anytime soon. Whenever we are away staying at a motel, we turn it on. When we do, we’re reminded that we really aren’t missing much. In fact, I do believe that our family does enjoy a certain kind of intimacy because we aren’t plugged into the world in that way. There are often blessings to be had for turning off the screen.
(We do watch some programming via the internet, which really isn’t much different. Our family’s favourite show is The Biggest Loser.)
I hope I responded in a way that glorifies God and gives Christ His proper place.
“Personally, I don’t think it quite works that way, but if your parents don’t want you watching TV, I hope you’ll respect that for now.”
There is but one way to the Father, and it’s through Christ and Him alone. Self denial often carries with itself an appearance of godliness, and even has a place in our faith. The sin however doesn’t live in the TV, the bottle or the pill. The sin dwells either in our hearts or in our flesh.
I’ve said what I could and done what I could. I have to trust God for the rest.
I’ll be thinking and praying for her and her family for some time to come; perhaps for the rest of my life.
Sunday, October 2, 2011
Do You Want Me To Love You?
A few weeks ago, I had the privilege of catching up with a young man who used to be one of THEM. Sitting in a small coffee shop in the north end of Aylmer, we talked about many things. We recalled fondly the days when we first met. We talked about the goings on in our current lives, the challenges of married life and our role in the workplace. We talked about God, what he’s doing in our lives as well as some of our personal struggles.
During our time together, I took some time to share with him a story from my work life. The story recalls the events of a conversation I had with one of my coworkers.
The Story
As I recall, it was in the dead of winter, just before the time when we open the doors to the public. Timothy walked in the doors, carrying a bewildered expression on his face.
“What’s wrong with old people?” he asked.
Inquisitive, I responded, “What do you mean?”
“Well. I’m driving to work, and there is this old guy crossing Main St. in front of me. He takes like forever to cross, so I had to wait for him to get to the other side. It’s 7:30am in the morning! What was he doing up at that time of the day anyway? When I retire, I’m not going to get up that early. Isn’t it dumb? What do they have that is so important to do? What do you think?”
Timothy stood quietly, waiting for my response. As I think on the moment, what probably took a matter of seconds, draws on for an hour or so as I replay the
scene as it happened in my mind. The question I thoroughly pondered within those few seconds went something like this; “Do I tell him what I really think?”
I mean, I have had conversations like this with Tim before, and whenever I have told him what I actually thought, they had always tended to pull us into some kind of argument. Would it be worth the effort to tell him what I actually thought? Did we have time for the discussion anyway? We were supposed to be opening the store to the public in minutes.
As I considered his question and reflected on his story, my mind was remembering the conversations I have had with some of the elderly people in my life. The explanation I received from them time after time was very consistent from person to person. Their stories each echoed something to this effect;
When you spend your entire working life getting up to go to work at 6:00am, it’s impossible to stop just because you are retired. It’s difficult to reverse a habit that you have developed during your entire adult life.
Should I have shared that with Timothy? If the conversation devolved into another conflict, would it be worth it? I decided against honesty.
I just smiled and nodded my head. I really didn’t think he valued my opinion, even though he asked for it.
Back at the Coffee Shop…
My friend sat back in his chair, giving me a thoughtful glare. “Kevin. Can I be honest with you?”
“Of course you can.”
“I don’t think you really love that guy.”
Pausing for a moment, I had to acknowledge he was right. I really didn’t believe that pursuing an authentic relationship with Timothy was worth the aggravation. However, I often question whether or not Timothy even wanted me to love him in the first place. Would he have received it well, were I to set him straight on his perception of the elderly?
Whenever I speak, whether in person, on stage, in an e-mail, through a book or in a blog post, I often wonder who you are and if you really want me to love you or not. If you are a non-believer, do you want me to love you? It’s a fair question isn’t it? I often check out message boards and chat rooms, hearing similar complaints from non-believers,
“Christians shouldn’t try to force their religion on other people.”
Personally, I don’t think it’s even possible to force a personal faith in Jesus on another human being. However, there is a deep rooted resistance among many to be presented the good news that we have peace with God through faith alone in Christ alone.
Is that you? If you really don’t want me to give you a Bible, invite you to church or ask you to receive Christ as Lord and Saviour, you have no idea of how fine I am with that. If spending eternity apart from Christ is fine with you, I’m okay with it too. I hear it’s pretty horrible, but if you don’t care, then I’ll do my personal best not to care.
If you don’t like being told about Jesus, I have great news. Most Christians don’t want to tell you about him either. The ones you think might be trying to “force their faith” on you probably actually love you more than those who leave you alone. (Notice my use of the word, “probably”. It’s not always the case.)
As I have worked through my latest book, Alien Love, and as I recount my conversation at the coffee shop with my friend, I realize that I have loved very few people authentically. My coffee shop friend has been among the few.
When he was going out with his girlfriend, I used to wonder if he was fornicating. On the outside, they were both professing to be following Christ so I was hoping that they were able to remain faithful to Him in their relationship with each other.
How do you ask that sort of thing? Do you just come out and ask? “Hey! Are you two doing the nasty? It’s a sin you know.”
I don’t remember how I asked them, but I do vividly remember their response. They each smiled and paused to look into each other’s eyes. Looking back at me they responded, “We’re waiting for each other.”
You can do whatever you want with your life and I’ll still love you. Yet, if you really want me to care about you, I’ll need to know, because if I don’t perceive that you welcome my input into your life, I’ll just smile and nod.
I promise that I’ll only care as much as you want me to. If you tell me to leave you alone, I am completely fine with that. How forthcoming do you want to be with those whose lives intersect with your own? To what extent do we actually want the honest input of others into our lives?
If you’re characterized by a dirty mind, or a dirty mouth, do you want me to be fine with it? Should I be? If you’re thinking of walking out on your family because it’s not fun anymore, what do you really expect me to say?
Likewise, seeing as this is sent out to anyone in the world with internet access, I’m not so sure how much I want you to be completely forthcoming to me.
Kevin
PS – Timothy. Did you want me to love you? Or are you glad that I just smiled and nodded?
During our time together, I took some time to share with him a story from my work life. The story recalls the events of a conversation I had with one of my coworkers.
The Story
As I recall, it was in the dead of winter, just before the time when we open the doors to the public. Timothy walked in the doors, carrying a bewildered expression on his face.
“What’s wrong with old people?” he asked.
Inquisitive, I responded, “What do you mean?”
“Well. I’m driving to work, and there is this old guy crossing Main St. in front of me. He takes like forever to cross, so I had to wait for him to get to the other side. It’s 7:30am in the morning! What was he doing up at that time of the day anyway? When I retire, I’m not going to get up that early. Isn’t it dumb? What do they have that is so important to do? What do you think?”
Timothy stood quietly, waiting for my response. As I think on the moment, what probably took a matter of seconds, draws on for an hour or so as I replay the
scene as it happened in my mind. The question I thoroughly pondered within those few seconds went something like this; “Do I tell him what I really think?”
I mean, I have had conversations like this with Tim before, and whenever I have told him what I actually thought, they had always tended to pull us into some kind of argument. Would it be worth the effort to tell him what I actually thought? Did we have time for the discussion anyway? We were supposed to be opening the store to the public in minutes.
As I considered his question and reflected on his story, my mind was remembering the conversations I have had with some of the elderly people in my life. The explanation I received from them time after time was very consistent from person to person. Their stories each echoed something to this effect;
When you spend your entire working life getting up to go to work at 6:00am, it’s impossible to stop just because you are retired. It’s difficult to reverse a habit that you have developed during your entire adult life.
Should I have shared that with Timothy? If the conversation devolved into another conflict, would it be worth it? I decided against honesty.
I just smiled and nodded my head. I really didn’t think he valued my opinion, even though he asked for it.
Back at the Coffee Shop…
My friend sat back in his chair, giving me a thoughtful glare. “Kevin. Can I be honest with you?”
“Of course you can.”
“I don’t think you really love that guy.”
Pausing for a moment, I had to acknowledge he was right. I really didn’t believe that pursuing an authentic relationship with Timothy was worth the aggravation. However, I often question whether or not Timothy even wanted me to love him in the first place. Would he have received it well, were I to set him straight on his perception of the elderly?
Whenever I speak, whether in person, on stage, in an e-mail, through a book or in a blog post, I often wonder who you are and if you really want me to love you or not. If you are a non-believer, do you want me to love you? It’s a fair question isn’t it? I often check out message boards and chat rooms, hearing similar complaints from non-believers,
“Christians shouldn’t try to force their religion on other people.”
Personally, I don’t think it’s even possible to force a personal faith in Jesus on another human being. However, there is a deep rooted resistance among many to be presented the good news that we have peace with God through faith alone in Christ alone.
Is that you? If you really don’t want me to give you a Bible, invite you to church or ask you to receive Christ as Lord and Saviour, you have no idea of how fine I am with that. If spending eternity apart from Christ is fine with you, I’m okay with it too. I hear it’s pretty horrible, but if you don’t care, then I’ll do my personal best not to care.
If you don’t like being told about Jesus, I have great news. Most Christians don’t want to tell you about him either. The ones you think might be trying to “force their faith” on you probably actually love you more than those who leave you alone. (Notice my use of the word, “probably”. It’s not always the case.)
As I have worked through my latest book, Alien Love, and as I recount my conversation at the coffee shop with my friend, I realize that I have loved very few people authentically. My coffee shop friend has been among the few.
When he was going out with his girlfriend, I used to wonder if he was fornicating. On the outside, they were both professing to be following Christ so I was hoping that they were able to remain faithful to Him in their relationship with each other.
How do you ask that sort of thing? Do you just come out and ask? “Hey! Are you two doing the nasty? It’s a sin you know.”
I don’t remember how I asked them, but I do vividly remember their response. They each smiled and paused to look into each other’s eyes. Looking back at me they responded, “We’re waiting for each other.”
You can do whatever you want with your life and I’ll still love you. Yet, if you really want me to care about you, I’ll need to know, because if I don’t perceive that you welcome my input into your life, I’ll just smile and nod.
I promise that I’ll only care as much as you want me to. If you tell me to leave you alone, I am completely fine with that. How forthcoming do you want to be with those whose lives intersect with your own? To what extent do we actually want the honest input of others into our lives?
If you’re characterized by a dirty mind, or a dirty mouth, do you want me to be fine with it? Should I be? If you’re thinking of walking out on your family because it’s not fun anymore, what do you really expect me to say?
Likewise, seeing as this is sent out to anyone in the world with internet access, I’m not so sure how much I want you to be completely forthcoming to me.
Kevin
PS – Timothy. Did you want me to love you? Or are you glad that I just smiled and nodded?
Sunday, September 25, 2011
Thursday. Sept 29, 2011.
I often wonder why God has me do the things that I do. As far as my writing goes, I don’t even pretend to have some inside track or insight into the person of Jesus or the truths of the Gospel. That’s what writers are supposed to do aren’t they? Aren’t they supposed to bring to life an aspect of Jesus that the rest of the world has missed? Aren’t they supposed to highlight some grand deficiency within the church and point the way out of the mess? I have never pretended to write or to say anything that has not been said or thought of before. I am sure that you have had many original thoughts yourself.
Even though I haven’t set myself up to start that special denomination which has sole proprietorship of the “true faith”, God still see fit for some reason to keep me employed in His service. This Thursday evening I’ll be teaching our church’s men’s Bible study at 7:00pm.
Without fail, every time I speak, I often ask myself the question, “Do I still have it?”
I am neither trained nor schooled as a speaker. I do get the odd opportunity, but it’s normally months between engagements, so I wouldn’t even say that I am practiced. Maybe God is done with me as a speaker or teacher. There are other aspects of my calling that have fallen by the wayside over time, so how do I know for certain whether or not the same won’t happen for me as a speaker?
If I was trained, at least if I was empty on the inside, I could fake it. I could still put on a decent performance. As it is, if my heart runs cold, I know I’ll probably fall flat on my face. This begs the question:
“Would I want the ability to fake it?”
If I was dead on the inside, would I even want to have the appearance of one who is standing firm in Christ? I think I’d rather fall. I’d rather embarrass myself than to give off the impression of being something that I’m not.
So if you’re a guy, and you are considering coming to Faith this Thursday evening, please don’t come with any expectations because I don’t know what to expect myself. If you’re wanting a heads up on what we’ll be covering, here is a link to the notes that I’ll be speaking from.
Hope to see you there.
Sunday, September 18, 2011
Living With a Clear Conscience.
People are rarely as secure in their life choices as they would prefer you to believe. Otherwise, how on earth could anyone ever “make them feel guilty”?
We are rarely as secure in our life choices as we would prefer others to believe. Otherwise, how could their words ever “make us feel guilty”?
We are rarely as secure in our life choices as we would prefer others to believe. Otherwise, how could their words ever “make us feel guilty”?
Sunday, September 11, 2011
"Mom. Where do Missionaries come from?"
It often seems like we’ve fabricated an extra biblical vernacular. We commonly use words and phrases that are neither part of our culture, nor from scripture themselves. I’m okay with it. I really am. Please feel free to use words like eschatology, hermeneutics, cessationism, or imputation any time you like. There are descriptive purposes for these terms that few other words are able to capture.
Some words however, have evolved into the very fabric of our faith which have become commonplace, which at the same time, I believe serves to create a disconnect between the faith that we live and the faith that was lived out in scripture. This post might be challenging for some of you. In fact, some of you might want to bring my card carrying Christ-citizenship into question. Think about this word;
Missionary.
Where do we see the word used in the actual biblical text? We don’t. Do we? Well, kind of. In our English translations, the word only shows up in some of the subheadings that we have created to describe Paul’s ministry.
I’m fine with the use of the word, “missionary”. I really am. You will probably hear me use it from time to time myself. However, when did missionaries come to be? Is it a new spiritual gift that came to be after Biblical texts were canonized?
In the circles that I run, we talk about missionaries quite often. Yet when we read the Bible, we hear absolutely nothing about missionaries, in the sense that we speak of them in our day. The words that we use to describe the work of people such as Paul, aren’t the same words that they used to describe their own role within the world as part of the body of Christ. What word did Paul use to describe His calling in Christ?
I’m tempted to leave the post here, and force you to figure it out for yourself, because I know that some of you are lazy. You might also be set in your ways, and you will rage against what I say without actually looking at it for what it is. The truth of the matter, is that the very people who might rage against this the most, are the very people whom I desire to please. Yet, I’m not called to be a people pleaser. Am I?
So I ask the question again. What word does Paul use to describe his role in the body of Christ? Are you ready?
“Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God...”Ephesians 1:1
Paul describes himself as being an apostle of Christ Jesus. Just so you know that I’m not taking a small sound byte from scripture, check it out. That isn’t the only place in scripture where Paul’s role is described as an apostle.
Many of the people whom I like to please lean towards thinking that apostles don’t exist anymore. It’s a spiritual gifting that died somewhere around 70 AD. I don’t know what significant even happened to squash that specific work of the Spirit, but it must have been as great or greater than the accomplished work of Christ on Calvary’s hill. There were only 13 Apostles, (14 if you count Judas) and they all died.
When we think of apostles, what comes to mind? Do you think of the 12? Were they an elite bunch? We may think of the people who performed those freaky ultra super amazing spectacular miraculous things. We might think of the demons driven out. We often think of the dead being raised. We think of the healings. And why not? Those things tended to accompany the apostles.
However, if we look at the word, ‘apostle’ for what it is, the miracles and the works had little to do with the role itself, but merely accompanied the men who were called as such. The word apostle literally means, “one who is sent”. Hmm. Sounds a lot like what we might call a missionary. I wonder why that is.
As for me, I believe that God still gifts people by His Spirit in order to send them. I believe that the word apostle is still appropriate to describe those who are sent to lands and peoples unknown to them.
Do I need to find a new chuch?
Some words however, have evolved into the very fabric of our faith which have become commonplace, which at the same time, I believe serves to create a disconnect between the faith that we live and the faith that was lived out in scripture. This post might be challenging for some of you. In fact, some of you might want to bring my card carrying Christ-citizenship into question. Think about this word;
Missionary.
Where do we see the word used in the actual biblical text? We don’t. Do we? Well, kind of. In our English translations, the word only shows up in some of the subheadings that we have created to describe Paul’s ministry.
I’m fine with the use of the word, “missionary”. I really am. You will probably hear me use it from time to time myself. However, when did missionaries come to be? Is it a new spiritual gift that came to be after Biblical texts were canonized?
In the circles that I run, we talk about missionaries quite often. Yet when we read the Bible, we hear absolutely nothing about missionaries, in the sense that we speak of them in our day. The words that we use to describe the work of people such as Paul, aren’t the same words that they used to describe their own role within the world as part of the body of Christ. What word did Paul use to describe His calling in Christ?
I’m tempted to leave the post here, and force you to figure it out for yourself, because I know that some of you are lazy. You might also be set in your ways, and you will rage against what I say without actually looking at it for what it is. The truth of the matter, is that the very people who might rage against this the most, are the very people whom I desire to please. Yet, I’m not called to be a people pleaser. Am I?
So I ask the question again. What word does Paul use to describe his role in the body of Christ? Are you ready?
“Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God...”Ephesians 1:1
Paul describes himself as being an apostle of Christ Jesus. Just so you know that I’m not taking a small sound byte from scripture, check it out. That isn’t the only place in scripture where Paul’s role is described as an apostle.
Many of the people whom I like to please lean towards thinking that apostles don’t exist anymore. It’s a spiritual gifting that died somewhere around 70 AD. I don’t know what significant even happened to squash that specific work of the Spirit, but it must have been as great or greater than the accomplished work of Christ on Calvary’s hill. There were only 13 Apostles, (14 if you count Judas) and they all died.
When we think of apostles, what comes to mind? Do you think of the 12? Were they an elite bunch? We may think of the people who performed those freaky ultra super amazing spectacular miraculous things. We might think of the demons driven out. We often think of the dead being raised. We think of the healings. And why not? Those things tended to accompany the apostles.
However, if we look at the word, ‘apostle’ for what it is, the miracles and the works had little to do with the role itself, but merely accompanied the men who were called as such. The word apostle literally means, “one who is sent”. Hmm. Sounds a lot like what we might call a missionary. I wonder why that is.
As for me, I believe that God still gifts people by His Spirit in order to send them. I believe that the word apostle is still appropriate to describe those who are sent to lands and peoples unknown to them.
Do I need to find a new chuch?
Wednesday, September 7, 2011
Dear Punk;
So you’ve been going to church lately. That’s good. I’m happy for you. I really am. I just want to make sure we have an understanding about a few things.
Just so you know, I’ve been here in this workplace for the past 10 years. So if you’re turning into one of those Evangelical types, you need to know that this is my gig. So if anyone gets saved around here, it goes on my tally.
I don’t mind the thoughts of you growing up to be a better mechanic than me someday, but I won’t stand for you to become a better evangelist or a more effective witness for Christ. I’ve worked too hard and for too long to let some punk kid with an earring ruin my Christian monopoly on this place.
I like working with you. I really do. I’m just saying, if you are going to try and win souls to Christ, go find your own gig. So go to your little church, with your own little people, saying your own little prayers. I’ve got dibs on this place. Just do your job and drink your gravy. It’s what you’re good at.
Sincerely,
Kevin
PS. On a serious note- you are in my prayers. I pray that you are finding what you are looking for in the person of Christ. It’s a privilege to know and work with you.
Wednesday, August 31, 2011
Alien, Earthling, or Tourist?
1 Peter 2:11
New International Version 1984 (NIV1984)
11 Dear friends, I urge you, as aliens and strangers in the world, to abstain from sinful desires, which war against your soul.
If I ever print T-shirts, this verse is going on the back. More and more, I find myself thinking about the kinds of metaphors which are meant to capture the role of our lives as believers in the world. In describing our place in this world, the Bible uses words such as, ambassadors, aliens, sojourners, strangers and soldiers.
There are many titles that the Bible uses to describe our place on this earth. The word, “tourist” isn’t among them. Although, I think it would be a more accurate descriptor for many of us; myself included at times.
The Question
When we look at the terms that I have mentioned, what is the common theme? (aliens, sojourners, ambassadors, soldiers, strangers)
I’ll leave you with that thought for a moment.
I don’t know about you, but I often wonder what it would have been like to be alive in Jesus’ day. Specifically, when I hear the messages that Christ preached, they don’t sound similar to the kinds of sermons that I hear from pastors and preachers in our time. I’m not being critical of those who preach in our era, in fact, I prefer to think that I walk among them.
But be honest. If you listen to the words that Christ spoke, they don’t sound the same as if you are listening to a sermon from John Piper or John MacArthur. Do they? In fact, Jesus rarely, if ever, delivered what we would characterize as being a classical sermon. Sure. He gave what we have labeled to be “The Sermon on The Mount”, but it doesn’t read as a true sermon.
The Answer
Matthew 4:23
Jesus went throughout Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the good news of the kingdom, and healing every disease and sickness among the people.
If you read the Gospels, it won’t take you very long before you notice the phrase, “the good news of the kingdom.” The message that Christ proclaimed through His stories wasn’t a message against spousal abuse, drug use or homosexuality. His message was often described as the good news of the kingdom.
Words such as soldier, ambassador, alien, and sojourner have implications with regards to our citizenship. The good news that Jesus preached was the opportunity to become a citizen of God’s Kingdom.
Now, the word, “kingdom” holds little value in our time. So when we hear about the good news of the kingdom, it has the potential to leave us with some freaky ultra spiritual feeling. The word kingdom might take us back to a time with men wearing armor, jousting for the hand of their fair lady.
The good news, is that through Christ, we have the opportunity to become card carrying citizens of God’s country. Is that good news?
For many, it is. When is the last time you heard anyone say, “I am so happy with the government that we have.” “Boy. Every time the government does something, they do it so well.” I don’t know about you, but I hear SOOOO much complaining about the government, no matter who sits at the top.
Whenever we have elections, there is this sense that if we elect the right person, they should be able to fix our problems. I remember the optimism that seemed to capture the world when Obama won the US presidency. George W, was the bad guy, and this new guy had the right answers. How did that turn out? If they elect a republican back into office, maybe that will put America back on top again.
No matter who takes the helm, our problems don’t go away. Christ offers us citizenship into a nation that will never go the way of the Mayans, whose credit rating will never be downgraded and whose citizens are all cared for. It’s a country without end, without crime, without sickness or death.
That might not sound like good news for you. You might like it here. You might like the very things that are outlawed in His country. You have the privilege to enjoy them while you can. Perhaps you really are an earthling. That wouldn't be a compliment.
Where do you belong? Is this your home? Are you quite comfortable here? If Christ were to reign here in a literal sense, would that ruin your fun?
Sunday, August 28, 2011
You Know It's True
What is your attitude towards people who think that they are better than you? Does anyone come to mind? Some people just seem to leave us with the impression that we would have to climb up a notch in order to come to their level. You might notice it in the way that they look at you when they talk. They may even say as much. Have you ever tried to impress such a person? It doesn’t work does it? No matter how hard you try, they still think of you as a miscreant.
If you gravitate towards people who think that they are better than you, let me know. You’d be an interesting case study. For the most part, we tend to dislike those who seem to carry an air of superiority about themselves.
I often find it quite humorous, that wherever God is concerned, we somehow think that the rules should change. We rarely admire those who carry that, “I’m better than you” attitude, yet miraculously, we expect that God should be impressed.
Have you ever thought to yourself,
“I must be okay with God, because I’m better than most people.”
“I don’t do any really bad stuff, like those drug dealers, murderers, or thieves.”
“I know people who are always trying to do good, surely they must be in.”
The cross really is foolishness to those who are perishing, but at the same time, something within us knows the Gospel to be true. When we look at many of our theories for what they are, they really do break down when we look at them in light of life and truth.
Understanding life helps us to understand truth. Maybe you really do admire people who look down on you. The chances are that you don’t. If we live with an elitist attitude, can we really suppose that God will reward us for being self righteous? Personally, I think He’ll be more prone to accuse us of being a pompous jerk. (Another phrase comes to mind, but it’s not appropriate.)
Ephesians 2:8
8For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God,
I’m not here to argue with you. I’m fine with you believing whatever it is you choose to believe. However, I implore you to be consistent in your thinking. Rather than climbing up, He sent His Son to rescue us, even from our own self righteousness. If you are one of those people who tries to do good everyday, I really am thankful for all that you do. I truly am. Just don’t be duped into thinking that you can impress a God who is better than you.
Maybe you have friends who really are great people. In fact, they are better than most Christians you know. God wants them in His family too. Have you told them as much?
If you gravitate towards people who think that they are better than you, let me know. You’d be an interesting case study. For the most part, we tend to dislike those who seem to carry an air of superiority about themselves.
I often find it quite humorous, that wherever God is concerned, we somehow think that the rules should change. We rarely admire those who carry that, “I’m better than you” attitude, yet miraculously, we expect that God should be impressed.
Have you ever thought to yourself,
“I must be okay with God, because I’m better than most people.”
“I don’t do any really bad stuff, like those drug dealers, murderers, or thieves.”
“I know people who are always trying to do good, surely they must be in.”
The cross really is foolishness to those who are perishing, but at the same time, something within us knows the Gospel to be true. When we look at many of our theories for what they are, they really do break down when we look at them in light of life and truth.
Understanding life helps us to understand truth. Maybe you really do admire people who look down on you. The chances are that you don’t. If we live with an elitist attitude, can we really suppose that God will reward us for being self righteous? Personally, I think He’ll be more prone to accuse us of being a pompous jerk. (Another phrase comes to mind, but it’s not appropriate.)
Ephesians 2:8
8For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God,
I’m not here to argue with you. I’m fine with you believing whatever it is you choose to believe. However, I implore you to be consistent in your thinking. Rather than climbing up, He sent His Son to rescue us, even from our own self righteousness. If you are one of those people who tries to do good everyday, I really am thankful for all that you do. I truly am. Just don’t be duped into thinking that you can impress a God who is better than you.
Maybe you have friends who really are great people. In fact, they are better than most Christians you know. God wants them in His family too. Have you told them as much?
Friday, August 26, 2011
If Dying Seems Like The Only Way Out...
If you’ve lost all hope, don’t know where to turn and can’t possibly see how you can continue on, please consider Christ. Be honest with yourself. That crutch you turn to hasn’t been able to hold you up anyway. In fact, it’s the very thing that’s killing you.
Cry out to Jesus..
If you are open to Him, have a read through Luke. Click here. You just might find that you’re exactly the kind of person He cares most about.
Cry out to Jesus..
If you are open to Him, have a read through Luke. Click here. You just might find that you’re exactly the kind of person He cares most about.
Tuesday, August 23, 2011
A New Spiritual Gift?
Pop Quiz;
So what do you do when a fellow believer does or says something wrong?
A) Gossip behind their back, complaining about the things they have done.
B) Write a blog, exposing them to public shame and disgrace.
C) Tell the leadership of their church and demand that disciplinary action be taken.
D) Approach them personally to discuss the issue at hand.
I once asked this question to a group of people. I asked them to answer from two perspectives. First off, I asked them how we tend to respond as Christians. Most of them admitted that we tend to gossip and complain about the offense.
I then asked them, what is the right answer? They picked ‘D’.
In my mind, it’s becoming increasingly popular to trash people via the internet. The way that we handle doctrinal issues has become an extension of the world. You see it all the time in the headlines don’t you? “This GUY, Trashes that WOMAN”. Rebuking someone publicly using the world wide web has become a tool that allows us to act every bit as worldly as our favourite celebrities.
Matthew 18:15-17
New International Version (NIV)
15 “If your brother or sister sins, go and point out their fault, just between the two of you. If they listen to you, you have won them over. 16 But if they will not listen, take one or two others along, so that ‘every matter may be established by the testimony of two or three witnesses. 17 If they still refuse to listen, tell it to the church; and if they refuse to listen even to the church, treat them as you would a pagan or a tax collector.
I’m not going to write a blog on a complete procedure for discipline. What I do want to share, is that subjecting a fellow believer to public scrutiny(or even a non-believer for that matter) should have little place in our faith.
Rather than complaining behind their back, writing an article or taking it up with the elders, we’re called to bring our concerns directly to the person in question. We don’t do that very often. Do we? Why not? Is it because we’re biblically illiterate? Is it because we haven’t earned the right to speak into their lives? Is it because we don’t even know someone, who knows someone, who knows someone, who knows someone who knows them? Is it fear?
We are called first to approach the person personally. Jesus didn’t come to earth to make us better citizens, teach us theology or to fight drug abuse. He came to seek and to save the lost. He came to bring us into a right relationship with The Father. Part of that plan involves us actually loving each other. Think about it. If you are headed down the wrong path, how would you prefer to have it addressed? Do you want some person you’ve never met trashing you on their blog space? Do you want your church to hold a secret meeting about how to discipline you? Do you prefer that people would gossip behind you back? Do you want them to write a book which argues against your book? Or would you rather hear the words from someone who knows you, someone who cares about you and is genuinely concerned about your well being?
As for me, I prefer the way of Christ. Sometimes, I wonder if public fault finding is a new spiritual gift for the 21st century. I am so thankful for the few men and women of faith who have confronted me with things that weighed heavily on their hearts. I’m thinking specifically of two women in particular from my old church. I remember their tone and their posture. I remember the look in their eyes; that look where I knew they were almost afraid to say anything to me. That very same expression carried with it a measure of care and compassion.
I pray that you are surrounded by people who care enough to rebuke you in the same way. I pray that we’ll all refrain from turning our sins and disagreements into a public spectacle.
So what do you do when a fellow believer does or says something wrong?
A) Gossip behind their back, complaining about the things they have done.
B) Write a blog, exposing them to public shame and disgrace.
C) Tell the leadership of their church and demand that disciplinary action be taken.
D) Approach them personally to discuss the issue at hand.
I once asked this question to a group of people. I asked them to answer from two perspectives. First off, I asked them how we tend to respond as Christians. Most of them admitted that we tend to gossip and complain about the offense.
I then asked them, what is the right answer? They picked ‘D’.
In my mind, it’s becoming increasingly popular to trash people via the internet. The way that we handle doctrinal issues has become an extension of the world. You see it all the time in the headlines don’t you? “This GUY, Trashes that WOMAN”. Rebuking someone publicly using the world wide web has become a tool that allows us to act every bit as worldly as our favourite celebrities.
Matthew 18:15-17
New International Version (NIV)
15 “If your brother or sister sins, go and point out their fault, just between the two of you. If they listen to you, you have won them over. 16 But if they will not listen, take one or two others along, so that ‘every matter may be established by the testimony of two or three witnesses. 17 If they still refuse to listen, tell it to the church; and if they refuse to listen even to the church, treat them as you would a pagan or a tax collector.
I’m not going to write a blog on a complete procedure for discipline. What I do want to share, is that subjecting a fellow believer to public scrutiny(or even a non-believer for that matter) should have little place in our faith.
Rather than complaining behind their back, writing an article or taking it up with the elders, we’re called to bring our concerns directly to the person in question. We don’t do that very often. Do we? Why not? Is it because we’re biblically illiterate? Is it because we haven’t earned the right to speak into their lives? Is it because we don’t even know someone, who knows someone, who knows someone, who knows someone who knows them? Is it fear?
We are called first to approach the person personally. Jesus didn’t come to earth to make us better citizens, teach us theology or to fight drug abuse. He came to seek and to save the lost. He came to bring us into a right relationship with The Father. Part of that plan involves us actually loving each other. Think about it. If you are headed down the wrong path, how would you prefer to have it addressed? Do you want some person you’ve never met trashing you on their blog space? Do you want your church to hold a secret meeting about how to discipline you? Do you prefer that people would gossip behind you back? Do you want them to write a book which argues against your book? Or would you rather hear the words from someone who knows you, someone who cares about you and is genuinely concerned about your well being?
As for me, I prefer the way of Christ. Sometimes, I wonder if public fault finding is a new spiritual gift for the 21st century. I am so thankful for the few men and women of faith who have confronted me with things that weighed heavily on their hearts. I’m thinking specifically of two women in particular from my old church. I remember their tone and their posture. I remember the look in their eyes; that look where I knew they were almost afraid to say anything to me. That very same expression carried with it a measure of care and compassion.
I pray that you are surrounded by people who care enough to rebuke you in the same way. I pray that we’ll all refrain from turning our sins and disagreements into a public spectacle.
Monday, August 22, 2011
Maybe It's Not You
This past Sunday, I spoke on Luke 15. The first part that I walked through was the parable of the lost sheep. In His story, Jesus speaks of how a responsible shepherd will leave his 99 sheep in order to search for the one that is lost.
Please read it for yourself if it interests you.
On the surface, the story can leave us with the impression that Jesus was saying that the Pharisees were okay, and that he needed to spend his time with the notorious sinners and tax collectors. It doesn’t take too much meditation or study to realize that this isn’t the case. If He is counting them as the 99, His commentary might go something more like this;
“You guys seem to have life all figured out. You really don’t need me.”
In my own little world, I often wonder if I’m making the best use of my time as I take this brief journey here on earth. Lately, I’ve been tempted to waste my time arguing with people who have it all figured out, and I know I need to spend my time searching for the lost sheep instead.
As for me, the more I study the Bible, the less I realize I know. When I was a newer believer, I had my theology pretty much sorted out, but the more I study the actual scriptures, the more I realize that God doesn’t paint life in black and white. I often find myself at odds with people who seem absolutely clear on issues that I find are not crystal clear in the Bible.
I don’t believe that the Bible is crystal clear on free will and election. There are passages in scripture that seem to defend either side. So in the end, I often come across as being a hypocrite, because if you get into a discussion with me, I’ll refer to some passages which imply that each of us has a choice to make. And a few minutes later, I’ll refer to the passage which says that the book of life was written before the foundation of the world.
You’ll also hear me say that the Bible is the final authority on spiritual truth. At the same time, you might also hear me say that I see little evidence which indicates that God has stopped communicating directly with humanity.
If I were a betting man, here is my wager. If you are one of those people who is absolutely certain on many of the debatable doctrines of the Christian faith, I bet that the Bible isn’t your only source. I bet you read other books. Don’t you?
Oh! I didn’t bet any money. That would be gambling. (Which is forbidden somewhere I’m sure.)
I don’t believe that God has left me in this world to argue with people who know everything. I believe that he has left me here to find perhaps that one coin or that one sheep. So if you want to respond by telling me how wrong I am and how right you are, I’m pretty sure you aren’t the one He has left me here to find.
PS No. I don't think it's a sin to read books other than the Bible.
Please read it for yourself if it interests you.
On the surface, the story can leave us with the impression that Jesus was saying that the Pharisees were okay, and that he needed to spend his time with the notorious sinners and tax collectors. It doesn’t take too much meditation or study to realize that this isn’t the case. If He is counting them as the 99, His commentary might go something more like this;
“You guys seem to have life all figured out. You really don’t need me.”
In my own little world, I often wonder if I’m making the best use of my time as I take this brief journey here on earth. Lately, I’ve been tempted to waste my time arguing with people who have it all figured out, and I know I need to spend my time searching for the lost sheep instead.
As for me, the more I study the Bible, the less I realize I know. When I was a newer believer, I had my theology pretty much sorted out, but the more I study the actual scriptures, the more I realize that God doesn’t paint life in black and white. I often find myself at odds with people who seem absolutely clear on issues that I find are not crystal clear in the Bible.
I don’t believe that the Bible is crystal clear on free will and election. There are passages in scripture that seem to defend either side. So in the end, I often come across as being a hypocrite, because if you get into a discussion with me, I’ll refer to some passages which imply that each of us has a choice to make. And a few minutes later, I’ll refer to the passage which says that the book of life was written before the foundation of the world.
You’ll also hear me say that the Bible is the final authority on spiritual truth. At the same time, you might also hear me say that I see little evidence which indicates that God has stopped communicating directly with humanity.
If I were a betting man, here is my wager. If you are one of those people who is absolutely certain on many of the debatable doctrines of the Christian faith, I bet that the Bible isn’t your only source. I bet you read other books. Don’t you?
Oh! I didn’t bet any money. That would be gambling. (Which is forbidden somewhere I’m sure.)
I don’t believe that God has left me in this world to argue with people who know everything. I believe that he has left me here to find perhaps that one coin or that one sheep. So if you want to respond by telling me how wrong I am and how right you are, I’m pretty sure you aren’t the one He has left me here to find.
PS No. I don't think it's a sin to read books other than the Bible.
Saturday, August 20, 2011
AbellFIFA Summary
Soccer season has come to a close today on the open fields of Aylmer. Apparently, if your shoe falls off during play, your goal doesn’t count. Who knew?
Between our 4 children, our family’s record was 10 wins, 21 losses and 1 tie.
We’re kind of like the Toronto Maples leafs; chalking it up to a rebuilding year. The team with the overall best Abell family performance goes to Matthew and Nathaniel’s team, missing third place by only one point. We asked one random fan why they thought their team performed best overall.
Random Fan said, “It was the coaching. Definitely the coaching. You need to appreciate how the assistant coach had nine players on the field for every shift. Wow. Can that guy ever count to 9 or what!?”
The Abell Offensive award for the year goes to Nathaniel Abell, having tallied 3 goals and four assists during the regular season. That total earned him second overall for points on his team. Game after game, he has proven to be a tenacious player who has the drive, energy and determination to work the entire field.
His offensive prowess can only be challenged by the defensive aggression of his older brother Matthew, who once again proved himself to be a fearless goaltender. His reputation as the team’s stone wall has been well deserved. Whereas most goaltenders in his level tend to wait in net until fired upon, Matthew’s signature move is to rush out to meet his opponent, knock him down and take the ball. This always brings his fans to their feet. Seeing as he is on the younger end of his age group, one might think that he would shy away from larger foes, but that has never proven to be the case.
The greatest soccer fan of the family would be Rebecca Abell. She has the audacity to even like soccer more than she likes hockey. Her love of the game and her solid work ethic make her the mainstay of her team’s defence.
Perhaps the brightest future star in the Abell family would be young Jeremy. This season has been proven to be a bit of a drought as far as scoring goes. However, in the last few games he has shown greater determination and a tremendous depth in his soccer sense. He was ready to score his first goal, just as the final whistle blew for the last game of the season. He returns next year to u-7 soccer as a seasoned veteran. Watch for him to rise once again, as he is poised to resume his goal scoring superstardom that made him such a fan favourite last season.
Thanks for following folks!
Between our 4 children, our family’s record was 10 wins, 21 losses and 1 tie.
We’re kind of like the Toronto Maples leafs; chalking it up to a rebuilding year. The team with the overall best Abell family performance goes to Matthew and Nathaniel’s team, missing third place by only one point. We asked one random fan why they thought their team performed best overall.
Random Fan said, “It was the coaching. Definitely the coaching. You need to appreciate how the assistant coach had nine players on the field for every shift. Wow. Can that guy ever count to 9 or what!?”
The Abell Offensive award for the year goes to Nathaniel Abell, having tallied 3 goals and four assists during the regular season. That total earned him second overall for points on his team. Game after game, he has proven to be a tenacious player who has the drive, energy and determination to work the entire field.
His offensive prowess can only be challenged by the defensive aggression of his older brother Matthew, who once again proved himself to be a fearless goaltender. His reputation as the team’s stone wall has been well deserved. Whereas most goaltenders in his level tend to wait in net until fired upon, Matthew’s signature move is to rush out to meet his opponent, knock him down and take the ball. This always brings his fans to their feet. Seeing as he is on the younger end of his age group, one might think that he would shy away from larger foes, but that has never proven to be the case.
The greatest soccer fan of the family would be Rebecca Abell. She has the audacity to even like soccer more than she likes hockey. Her love of the game and her solid work ethic make her the mainstay of her team’s defence.
Perhaps the brightest future star in the Abell family would be young Jeremy. This season has been proven to be a bit of a drought as far as scoring goes. However, in the last few games he has shown greater determination and a tremendous depth in his soccer sense. He was ready to score his first goal, just as the final whistle blew for the last game of the season. He returns next year to u-7 soccer as a seasoned veteran. Watch for him to rise once again, as he is poised to resume his goal scoring superstardom that made him such a fan favourite last season.
Thanks for following folks!
Sunday, August 7, 2011
For My Newlyweds (Also Some Decent Dating Advice)
I would much rather be in Calgary today, but apparently, I was needed here. A close personal friend of mine is leaving soon to pastor a church in Manitoba and today his church held kind of a farewell service in his honour. I think I needed to be there for him. I was also asked if I would return to speak in a couple of weeks. I think ghetto grandma was right. ;-)
I have however spent much of my day thinking about my friend and her wedding. As we’ve done our best to celebrate here in Port Burwell, my wife and I have been reminiscing together on our own wedding. We pulled out our wedding and honeymoon pictures and showed them to the kids. Our children thought it was quite hilarious to see that I used to have hair.
In fact, most of this weekend has been devoted to romance of one kind or another. Last evening, we watched Pride and Prejudice as a family. Much of our discussion around the home lately has revolved around courtship, marriage and affection.
Normally, when I tell stories about myself, I like to use illustrations where I play the villain. There are however some parts of my life where I remain steadfast in believing that I actually did something right. I was never the sort of guy that girls seemed to swoon over, and I’m quite thankful that I have been made that way. When I was going out with Barb, my parents used to even criticize me.
“Why don’t you do more nice things for her? You should buy her flowers or something.”
They really didn’t seem to like the response that I gave them.
“I don’t want to do things now, that I don’t think I’ll end up doing for her later on in life.”
Yeah. I could have done more for her then. There were many things that I could have changed in order to try and win the woman who had caught my affection. Of course, my parents were right from a certain point of view. Had Barb have been a different kind of woman, had she have been the kind of person who needed flowers or candle lit dinners, I might have lost her.
However, what would be worse? Would it be worse to lose such a person in the early stages? Or would it be worse to live a life of disappointment after the flowers and candle lit dinners turn into babies, diapers and mortgage payments?
If you’ve lost that girl or that guy, it might seem like the end of your world. There are worse things than losing the girl, although popular culture might beg to differ.
Proverbs 21:19
Better to live in a desert than with a quarrelsome and nagging wife.
Much of what I see in North American dating is merely a romantic form of deception. We put on a good face and we do things that we really can’t do, or don’t intend to do over the long haul. So as husbands and wives, we often live in disappointment because, “He doesn’t do that for me anymore”.
“All those things that you used to do, that made me fall in love with you”
These words come from Brad Paisley’s song, Remind Me, with Carrie Underwood.
I’ve done a lot of things wrong in life, as well as in my marriage, but as Barb and I reflect on our lives together, there are few (if any) things that cause us to say, “You don’t do that for me anymore.” There are no guarantees for what tomorrow might bring for us, but as for thus far, after 15 years, it continues to get better and better.
To my young friend; congratulations on your wedding day. It can be good. It can be very good. I pray that you experience all the fullness that this relationship has to offer. The piece of paper has little to do with your actual marriage, but there are legal implications for marriage in this country. So sign it. I’m glad that you didn’t get raptured before today. Enjoy today. Enjoy tonight. ;-) Enjoy the rest of your lives. Continue to walk together in Christ. As wonderful as today has been, I pray that it is but a shadowy reflection of what lies ahead.
Love Kevin
I have however spent much of my day thinking about my friend and her wedding. As we’ve done our best to celebrate here in Port Burwell, my wife and I have been reminiscing together on our own wedding. We pulled out our wedding and honeymoon pictures and showed them to the kids. Our children thought it was quite hilarious to see that I used to have hair.
In fact, most of this weekend has been devoted to romance of one kind or another. Last evening, we watched Pride and Prejudice as a family. Much of our discussion around the home lately has revolved around courtship, marriage and affection.
Normally, when I tell stories about myself, I like to use illustrations where I play the villain. There are however some parts of my life where I remain steadfast in believing that I actually did something right. I was never the sort of guy that girls seemed to swoon over, and I’m quite thankful that I have been made that way. When I was going out with Barb, my parents used to even criticize me.
“Why don’t you do more nice things for her? You should buy her flowers or something.”
They really didn’t seem to like the response that I gave them.
“I don’t want to do things now, that I don’t think I’ll end up doing for her later on in life.”
Yeah. I could have done more for her then. There were many things that I could have changed in order to try and win the woman who had caught my affection. Of course, my parents were right from a certain point of view. Had Barb have been a different kind of woman, had she have been the kind of person who needed flowers or candle lit dinners, I might have lost her.
However, what would be worse? Would it be worse to lose such a person in the early stages? Or would it be worse to live a life of disappointment after the flowers and candle lit dinners turn into babies, diapers and mortgage payments?
If you’ve lost that girl or that guy, it might seem like the end of your world. There are worse things than losing the girl, although popular culture might beg to differ.
Proverbs 21:19
Better to live in a desert than with a quarrelsome and nagging wife.
Much of what I see in North American dating is merely a romantic form of deception. We put on a good face and we do things that we really can’t do, or don’t intend to do over the long haul. So as husbands and wives, we often live in disappointment because, “He doesn’t do that for me anymore”.
“All those things that you used to do, that made me fall in love with you”
These words come from Brad Paisley’s song, Remind Me, with Carrie Underwood.
I’ve done a lot of things wrong in life, as well as in my marriage, but as Barb and I reflect on our lives together, there are few (if any) things that cause us to say, “You don’t do that for me anymore.” There are no guarantees for what tomorrow might bring for us, but as for thus far, after 15 years, it continues to get better and better.
To my young friend; congratulations on your wedding day. It can be good. It can be very good. I pray that you experience all the fullness that this relationship has to offer. The piece of paper has little to do with your actual marriage, but there are legal implications for marriage in this country. So sign it. I’m glad that you didn’t get raptured before today. Enjoy today. Enjoy tonight. ;-) Enjoy the rest of your lives. Continue to walk together in Christ. As wonderful as today has been, I pray that it is but a shadowy reflection of what lies ahead.
Love Kevin
Sunday, July 31, 2011
The World at Our Doorstep
Do you ever ponder the question, “What are my obligations as a believer?”
To what extent are we called to be our brother’s keeper? Some time ago, I was having a discussion with a fellow believer about our obligations to the poor. The passage we were speaking on in particular is found in Luke 16:19-31
In this piece of scripture, Jesus tells a story about a certain rich man, who lived in luxury everyday. He wore fine clothes and had plenty to eat. At his gate lay a poor man named Lazarus. Lazarus lay there day after day, just hoping to get some of the rich man’s table scraps. Eventually, they both died. The poor man ended up with father Abraham, and the rich man descended down to Hades.
During our discussion, I made mention of the fact that this poor man laid at the gates of the rich man day after day, waiting for scraps. I don’t believe that we are required to change the world, but I believe firmly that we are called to meet the needs that are presented to us.
The response I got went something like this;
“Yes. But in our day, the world is so much smaller. The things that we do here can affect people around the world.”
I don’t know about you, but I’m just not able to change the whole world. If you are able to have an active presence in Honduras, Haiti, South Africa, Somalia, Ethiopia, Pakistan and India, I’m happy for you. I truly am. I for one am not able to meet the needs of every living person around the globe. Perhaps the lady was right. Perhaps we are responsible for the whole of the world. My thinking however remains the same. We’re responsible to respond to the needs that are brought before us.
That being said, when the world does show up at your doorstep, then it’s time to deal with the world. There are times when this very thing comes to pass; where needs from across the globe are brought to our very own doorstep.
It hasn’t been finalized, but it looks like my old church will be hosting an evening to try and do what they can to help some of the world’s hungriest people in Africa. It looks like it will be held on Aug 27th at around 7:00pm. If there is any interest, I'll try and give more details later.
I won’t tell you that you’re going to hell if you don’t show up. It doesn’t quite work that way. Neither will I hold up Christ’s love for the poor as some example by which to follow. If we do absolutely nothing to respond to the needs which are brought before us, the problem isn’t our inactivity. The principle at work looks more like this:
The lives we live reveal our spiritual identity.
This is foundational to the Christian faith. Technically, we aren’t required to do anything. The question at hand should be as follows; If we have absolutely no concern for those needs which are brought before us, how can the love of God reside in us? Jesus didn’t come to show us the way or to teach us the way. He was, in Himself, the way. If we have found in Him the way to card carrying citizenship into the kingdom of God, then there will be at least something which cares. We should at least be willing to look at that sickly man, without turning the channel, closing the window or shutting the door behind us.
I don’t believe God asks us to do what we cannot do. Neither does he expect us to deal with needs which have never been brought to our attention. What He detests, is when we turn a blind eye and when we intentionally avoid looking at and responding to the needs which lie at our very own doorstep.
Monday, July 25, 2011
Another Blog about Amy Winehouse
This past week, the entertainment world has lost another one of her own. We’re seldom surprised to hear news like this. Even though these kind of events have little shock value, death never fails to prompt us to ask the questions, “How could this happen? Why wasn’t something done about this?”
After looking closer at this particular story, it appears that there were people in her life who tried to address the imminent self destruction.
The conventional wisdom of our day goes something like this;
“When it’s apparent that the person can’t go a day without ‘the drug’, be it alcohol, powder or a pill, that’s when it’s time for intervention”.
I don’t know how it happens, but often, people who think like me tend to come across as being judgmental and mean for saying that a person should never walk down that road to begin with. If I were to go hardcore against drug and alcohol use, you’d write me off as being a cold hearted republican wouldn’t you?
I believe that every person has the God given right to self destruct. I also believe that they have the right to ruin the lives of those who love them in the process.
The world around us doesn’t even pretend to care until an individual is caught in the throes of addiction. How is it that I’m the mean one for saying that we should never head down that path in the first place? Could someone explain it to me? Personally, I believe that a culture which celebrates sex drugs and rock’n roll is much more hateful.
None of us live a spotless life, but is it such a bad thing to hold lift up a standard that is pure and above reproach?
I have a friend who is going through some rough times in his home life. Let’s face it. We all have issues. Since I’m one of those judgmental Christian types, I made the point of telling him, “Bobby. I know it’s tough. I just encourage you to resist the urge to ‘reach for the bottle’. You don’t want any kind of substance, be it a drug, or even food, to become that thing you turn to when life gets tough. If you want I’d be glad to have you over for supper and we could pray over you and your family.”
My friend never took me up on the offer. Maybe he thought I was trying to control him or something. I understand that in our world, lifting up a standard of holiness seems to have the appearance of a system of control. I just don’t see it that way.
As far as what should be done once a person has begun to walk down that road, I'm sure you have all the answers. Rehab works. Right?
After looking closer at this particular story, it appears that there were people in her life who tried to address the imminent self destruction.
The conventional wisdom of our day goes something like this;
“When it’s apparent that the person can’t go a day without ‘the drug’, be it alcohol, powder or a pill, that’s when it’s time for intervention”.
I don’t know how it happens, but often, people who think like me tend to come across as being judgmental and mean for saying that a person should never walk down that road to begin with. If I were to go hardcore against drug and alcohol use, you’d write me off as being a cold hearted republican wouldn’t you?
I believe that every person has the God given right to self destruct. I also believe that they have the right to ruin the lives of those who love them in the process.
The world around us doesn’t even pretend to care until an individual is caught in the throes of addiction. How is it that I’m the mean one for saying that we should never head down that path in the first place? Could someone explain it to me? Personally, I believe that a culture which celebrates sex drugs and rock’n roll is much more hateful.
None of us live a spotless life, but is it such a bad thing to hold lift up a standard that is pure and above reproach?
I have a friend who is going through some rough times in his home life. Let’s face it. We all have issues. Since I’m one of those judgmental Christian types, I made the point of telling him, “Bobby. I know it’s tough. I just encourage you to resist the urge to ‘reach for the bottle’. You don’t want any kind of substance, be it a drug, or even food, to become that thing you turn to when life gets tough. If you want I’d be glad to have you over for supper and we could pray over you and your family.”
My friend never took me up on the offer. Maybe he thought I was trying to control him or something. I understand that in our world, lifting up a standard of holiness seems to have the appearance of a system of control. I just don’t see it that way.
As far as what should be done once a person has begun to walk down that road, I'm sure you have all the answers. Rehab works. Right?
Sunday, July 24, 2011
Why It's Called "Alien Love" - Part II
Last week, I had shared with you some concerns for my latest manuscript.
Had I made a target of a people who I intended to help? That was the question which plagued me for days. Was I that very messenger of damnation to a people who I hoped to help? How could I ever find out?
I don’t see homosexuals on a regular basis. The funny part is that in my life, the people who say the rudest things, the people who call them the meanest names, and the people who make the most fun at their expense are the same people who say there’s nothing wrong with practicing sodomy. Is that not ironic? Maybe it’s different in your world.
So where does one get feedback from a homosexual? There is that one guy who used to work at a restaurant. Do I just walk into his place of work and say, “Hi BillyBob. I can tell that you’re gay by the way you talk. Would you please read my book?”
Some time earlier, I heard mention of an organization called the Gay Christian Network. Up until recently, I had never heard of such a creature. I sat down one evening and e-mailed them this request;
Dear GCN;
It breaks my heart to see how many of you have been beaten down, both in the world and by the church. I don’t want to be one of those voices.
I am a Canadian author. Although I’m not writing a book on homosexuality, it does touch on the topic. Would you be willing to read the first chapter for me? I’m not a well known author, but I do have the potential to hurt those who read what I write and I really don’t want to do that.
Please don’t expect me to approve of embracing the homosexual lifestyle. What I want to know is this; Can you see the love in it? Does this address you with respect?
Any feedback would be greatly appreciated.
Love Kevin
I received a return e-mail asking to connect by phone. About one week later, I answered a call that has since consumed much of my thought life. His name is Justin Lee; the founder of GCN itself. I told him that I might not tell my friends I was talking to him. After asking “Why?”, I assured him, “Don’t worry. It’s not because you’re gay. I don’t know quite how to put this, but, unfortunately, you’re an……American.”
After hearing his laugh, I was left with the impression that he had a decent sense of humour. Or maybe he has developed thick skin. I guess that comes from being constantly told that you’re going to hell. I would hate to have to pay his phone bill, because we talked for what seemed like two or three hours.
If I were to take apart the entire conversation, I would have to write an entire book on our time together. I guess I’d have to call it, “Interview with the Homosexual”. Much of our time together was spent in sharing our own stories.
There are many realities in life which speak against our own perception. I often say that truth isn’t a thing to be fought against. Fighting against truth has a tendency to consume the whole of us, because it turns out to be an unending battle in which we ultimately find ourselves to be defeated. During our conversation, Justin shared with me a reality that I had to come to terms with myself. This is what he said,
“Kevin, when reading your chapter, I see the love in it. I really do. What you need to realize is this; most people won’t, especially within the homosexual community. So many have been hurt, that even though you are speaking in love, they won’t recognize it.”
His words really challenged me. This thing that I had written didn’t have the appearance of its nature. It was like a girl who looked like a boy. It looked like beef, and tasted like chicken. What I heard was this, “It is love, even though it doesn’t sound like love.”
Since that time, I have made a few changes to the text, not so much in the substance, but I hope to the tone of it. I have had to accept the reality that the world likely won’t embrace this thing that I have written. I have to accept that few will read it and say, “Wow. That was a great book about love!” I expect hear more responses which echo something such as, “Isn’t this supposed to be a book about love?”
As believers, we often desire to make positive change in this violent and dying world. Seldom do we experience such a difference in any tangible or measureable form. I had hoped to have written something that would inspire others towards the love of God. Instead, according to the feedback I have thus far, it’s a work which has the appearance of something else.
Something foreign.
Something alien.
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