Good afternoon friends. There only about 27 of you who read my posts, so I think I have the right to call you friends. I am anything BUT an internet viral sensation. This one is for believers, so for the two atheists that read on occasion, you get the day off. When I spoke to you last in this arena I urged you all to represent Jesus well. I also asked you to stay away from drugs, but I was mostly being playful. I don't think my blogs are very popular within the addict community, even though I desperately wish I could be helpful to them.
Today I'm asking us to try and step back from ourselves and ask the question, "What do I stand for?"
Now, hopefully your instinctive answer is something like, "I stand for Jesus." or, "I stand for the Gospel." - or the Kingdom or something like that. Yet, indulge me for a moment. What is it that your life is really communicating? Do you know? Would it help to ask the people around you?
I have often heard the quote, "People are like tea bags. You don't know what's in them until you dip them in hot water." I have also heard it modified to read, "Christians are a lot like tea bags. You don't really know what's in them until you dip them in hot water." These are interesting times we live in, and in a very metaphorical way it's as if we have all been dipped in the cauldron. It has been equally interesting to see what has been coming out of us as a Christian community.
It really appears like we have an innate tendency to get wrapped up in the goings on of this world along with everyone else. I hope the tone of this doesn't sound harsh. It kind of caught us by surprise. (And if the whole believing church reads this blog post, I'm sure it will soon be rectified. :-).). I'm convinced that it is easy to lose track of who we are, why we're here and what we're here to accomplish.
In his second letter to Timothy, Paul tells him, "Soldiers don't get tied up in the affairs of civilian life, for then they cannot please the officer who enlisted them." 2Timothy 2:4.
I think we have long had a sense that we're not supposed to 'live the civilian life' in the sense that we aren't supposed to spend our life running after beer and women. Or if you're a lady...wine and men. Okay. Maybe not the men. Just wine? And something about a Christian driving a Lamborghini just feels irksome. Chasing wealth and privilege just seems unfitting for us. Even the world mocks us when they see it. Still, there are 'affairs' we entangle ourselves in that have little to do with being a good soldier of Christ.
We serve another kingdom. People in this world are dying, every day, and many are headed to a Christl-ess eternity. We're convinced that's bad, so we're here primarily to be what scripture calls elsewhere - ambassadors for Christ, or ministers of reconciliation. We are supposed to be here to do our best to see that the people in our lives come to be made right with The Father through Jesus.
Is that what you're actually doing with the life you've been given? More and more, we seem to be getting entangled in expressing how we think the government should handle the pandemic. Some of us think we should all stay home and expect the government and farmers to feed us for free until the virus magically dies off. Others think that we should just go about our business, let the old people die off and let the strong survive. There is a place and time to express our opinion on occasion, but it seems as if the issues of the world have actually become our cause and we're actively campaigning for our particular flavour.
If we represent Christ, at least part of the way we conduct ourselves is meant to be 'winsome'. Our message is to proclaim Christ, and Him crucified; NOT our particular brand of theology, resistance to gun control, vaccinations or the lockdown. I wish I knew what Jesus would say in all of this. He was often approached with the issues of His time, be it Israeli liberty, Roman taxation or divorce. All I know is this - His responses never seemed to sound like the rest of ours.
So what do you stand for? Ask the question. Get an answer. Stand for Jesus.
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Sunday, May 3, 2020
Sunday, April 19, 2020
"The Christian Response" to Covid-19
Ok. It's happening to me too, and it is frustrating. It seems as if there is nothing to talk about right now besides the Coronavirus. If you pick up the newspaper, it's on the front page. The topic has pretty much dominated my social media feed. Maybe if hockey was on, we could talk about that. But here we are. What else is there?
To be fair, I haven't written in years, but this whole crisis has us talking and thinking about the very basic issues of life. Before this pandemic, our culture was wrapped up in trying to discover the new 57 or so genders and how to tell which one you were. I didn't know how to engage with that world and had very little to say. I haven't discovered more than two sexes, but admittedly wasn't going around looking under anyone's dress. Now that we are back to talking about living and dying, I feel equipped to engage.
As you may have gathered, I'm one of those people who thinks there is a God. There is life available after this life and He has both made and shown us the way to get it. For those of you who are only going to live once, I'm good with that if you're really good with it. Some of us however feel that death is a tragedy; it wasn't meant to be this way and have found our way off this rock alive in Christ. So for those of us who are in Christ, how are we to navigate these times?
Release the Panic
It's almost humorous to watch isn't it? Seriously - these are funny times. There is no shortage of the jokes surrounding the pandemic. In hindsight, one of the silliest facets of our time was watching people as they panic purchased large volumes of toilet paper. Last week there was a picture circulating on Facebook of a woman returning a whole shopping cart of toilet paper to Walmart.
Panic does not befit us. I am not saying that Christians don't panic. That would be wrong. We are subject to the same emotions as everyone else and often respond the same an the general public. I said it wasn't fitting. Our emotions aren't supposed to be our master.
We serve the God who sits on the throne of the Universe. There should be some comfort in that. He has a plan for how things are going to shake out in this world. He has promised to be with us, EVEN to the end of the age. No matter how dark these days get, and they will be dark, we can count on Him being there when we need Him most. We WILL die, yet as rough as the dying can be, He has defeated death itself. I'll put that paragraph in point form if you find it helpful.
1. He is in control
2. He is with us
3. He has a plan
4. He has defeated death
Call them facts. Call them promises. Call them what you may. These should be reason enough to let go of the panic, even if the Holy Spirit has not yet worked to quiet our troubled hearts.
Do What Needs Doing
I think resting in Christ allows us to let go of the panic, which in turn enables us to represent Him decently. Not everyone is panicked. While there are people panic buying all the flour and toilet paper, there are also a lot of people who see little need to respect the times. I had a person last week tell me, "I don't believe in all of this". They were bitter that their life had to be so inconvenienced, just because a few old people were dying.
I wasn't alive during the bubonic plague, but much has been written about how believers responded then. Although many were just as panicked as the general populace, many were also observed to care for the dying, subjecting themselves even to death. Some of you have responded similarly now. You have felt God nudging you to continue to serve or volunteer for health care in some capacity. Nobody has thanked you for responding to God's call, so I'll say it here.
Thank you.
So is that it? We should all sign up to volunteer at a Covid testing clinic? I know that what I say next won't help guide everyone of us in navigating their role during a global pandemic. I trust however that it's useful enough.
Do the most responsible thing given your situation. (Even if you could die)
The "even if you could die" clause is important here. God has a history of calling people to do what needs doing, even in the face of death. I think of Moses. I think of Gideon. I think of the disciples. I think of Paul. I think Jesus died doing what needed doing.
Staying home MIGHT be the most responsible thing for you to do. Going to work might be the most responsible thing to do. Making masks, delivering food; these could be the responsible things given your context. Who is around you and what needs do you see that you could meet?
Whether we live or die, may Christ be glorified through us. Represent Him well.
That's all for now. Stay in school and don't do drugs. I forgot. Times have changed. You can't go to school anymore. So...
Just don't do drugs.
:-)
To be fair, I haven't written in years, but this whole crisis has us talking and thinking about the very basic issues of life. Before this pandemic, our culture was wrapped up in trying to discover the new 57 or so genders and how to tell which one you were. I didn't know how to engage with that world and had very little to say. I haven't discovered more than two sexes, but admittedly wasn't going around looking under anyone's dress. Now that we are back to talking about living and dying, I feel equipped to engage.
As you may have gathered, I'm one of those people who thinks there is a God. There is life available after this life and He has both made and shown us the way to get it. For those of you who are only going to live once, I'm good with that if you're really good with it. Some of us however feel that death is a tragedy; it wasn't meant to be this way and have found our way off this rock alive in Christ. So for those of us who are in Christ, how are we to navigate these times?
Release the Panic
It's almost humorous to watch isn't it? Seriously - these are funny times. There is no shortage of the jokes surrounding the pandemic. In hindsight, one of the silliest facets of our time was watching people as they panic purchased large volumes of toilet paper. Last week there was a picture circulating on Facebook of a woman returning a whole shopping cart of toilet paper to Walmart.
Panic does not befit us. I am not saying that Christians don't panic. That would be wrong. We are subject to the same emotions as everyone else and often respond the same an the general public. I said it wasn't fitting. Our emotions aren't supposed to be our master.
We serve the God who sits on the throne of the Universe. There should be some comfort in that. He has a plan for how things are going to shake out in this world. He has promised to be with us, EVEN to the end of the age. No matter how dark these days get, and they will be dark, we can count on Him being there when we need Him most. We WILL die, yet as rough as the dying can be, He has defeated death itself. I'll put that paragraph in point form if you find it helpful.
1. He is in control
2. He is with us
3. He has a plan
4. He has defeated death
Call them facts. Call them promises. Call them what you may. These should be reason enough to let go of the panic, even if the Holy Spirit has not yet worked to quiet our troubled hearts.
Do What Needs Doing
I think resting in Christ allows us to let go of the panic, which in turn enables us to represent Him decently. Not everyone is panicked. While there are people panic buying all the flour and toilet paper, there are also a lot of people who see little need to respect the times. I had a person last week tell me, "I don't believe in all of this". They were bitter that their life had to be so inconvenienced, just because a few old people were dying.
I wasn't alive during the bubonic plague, but much has been written about how believers responded then. Although many were just as panicked as the general populace, many were also observed to care for the dying, subjecting themselves even to death. Some of you have responded similarly now. You have felt God nudging you to continue to serve or volunteer for health care in some capacity. Nobody has thanked you for responding to God's call, so I'll say it here.
Thank you.
So is that it? We should all sign up to volunteer at a Covid testing clinic? I know that what I say next won't help guide everyone of us in navigating their role during a global pandemic. I trust however that it's useful enough.
Do the most responsible thing given your situation. (Even if you could die)
The "even if you could die" clause is important here. God has a history of calling people to do what needs doing, even in the face of death. I think of Moses. I think of Gideon. I think of the disciples. I think of Paul. I think Jesus died doing what needed doing.
Staying home MIGHT be the most responsible thing for you to do. Going to work might be the most responsible thing to do. Making masks, delivering food; these could be the responsible things given your context. Who is around you and what needs do you see that you could meet?
Whether we live or die, may Christ be glorified through us. Represent Him well.
That's all for now. Stay in school and don't do drugs. I forgot. Times have changed. You can't go to school anymore. So...
Just don't do drugs.
:-)
Friday, April 10, 2020
Why Good Friday is Good
Today is Good Friday. It is April 10, 2020. If you are reading this today, you are living in one of the more uncertain times of human history as we face the Coronavirus. I thought it timely to remind us in this present crisis of why Good Friday is Good. It's a day where Christians remember the death of Jesus. So it can seem sort of weird, that we'd remember such a thing as a 'good' thing. We don't typically think of death as good.
Our Debt
In Canada, our nation is under a form of what we call 'lockdown' to try and battle Covid-19. Any services or businesses that are not considered to be essential are ordered to be shutdown. Roads are still open. Grocery stores still sell food, but you can't watch hockey, because there are no hockey games to watch. So much of Canada is living, using hydro and eating - depending on "the government" to support them for the time being. Within all this, we are amassing an enormous amount of debt.
Whether we know it or not, each one of us has a spiritual debt. There is a God. Some of you might want to fight me on that, and it's ok. But you haven't died yet have you? For those of you who have been dead for a while, you already know that there's more than this life, but you likely didn't make it to the judgment yet.
We have wronged God. The Bible word for doing wrong against God is called sin. There is a God and we owe Him what can called a sin-debt. And it's huge. It's beyond what you can pay. If you've lived life not even believing in Him, imagine how large it must be if you didn't even know what He wants.
We can handle these things a little easier when they are part of fiction. If you've watched the Pirates of the Caribbean movie series, you can likely hear the words of Davey Jones as he tells Sparrow, "You have a debt to pay..." It becomes a little more aggravating when we talk about it in the God conversation because our conscience knows there is a reality to it that can't be easily swept aside.
And out of that debt, you, I - every one of us will die. (even if you think this is a fairy tale.)
Our Separation
Sin is more of a relational thing than it is a moral thing. (It does tend to have a moral component. So don't get all bent out of shape if you missed my use of the word, "more") You've been wronged in some way, by someone. Haven't you? It may be something big. It may simply something they said that bothers you. Whether your grievance is large or small, it creates a space between them and you. It can be a certain topic that you can no longer talk about with them. It could be that you don't want to see them as much as you used to, or perhaps you want them out of your life. Whether large or small, there is a separation that exists between them and you.
Out of our sin, a similar separation exists between us and God. The danger being, it can become permanent; a forever kind of permanent. Some of you don't mind the separation. You don't much like Him anyway. I like Him, so I don't understand it. But I get it. Others of us don't KNOW that we are separated from Him, and that is quite common too isn't it? Many of us harbour sour feelings towards others who simply don't know. They don't know you're upset with them. They don't know why you don't want to see them or why you don't respond to their calls or texts like you used to.
When we've been wronged, we generally have an idea of what we want from them now. Even if we want them dead. (Hopefully not). We want them to apologize. We want them to pay us back. We want them to acknowledge how they've wronged us. Whatever we want from, we expect it to be rectified on our terms.
Fortunately for us, God isn't an immature bitter grudge holder. He has shown us the way back. He has revealed, "His terms".
Our Way Back
You might want to try to be right with God however you think is best. Good luck with that. If that's your approach, I beg you. If I know you....give me a list of people who have wronged you. And I'll ask them to try to get right with you in some way OTHER than what you want. It's a dumb idea isn't it?
The nature of our sin-debt and separation is such that you and I are unable to rectify the situation. Jesus paid it/dealt with it on our behalf. Peter described it this way,
"He (Jesus) bore our sins in his body on the tree, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. By his wounds you have been healed" 1 Peter 2:24
I guess if you don't mind your separation, this is simply "religious information". I just ask that you seriously ponder what it might be like were the separation to be locked in indefinitely.
If you never knew, but are thinking you want in, THAT is the Good News of Good Friday. There is a way in; and it starts today. Accept the payment made on your behalf - the payment made by Jesus on the cross. Then choose to follow Him. If you don't know where to start, try picking up a Bible and reading the book of John to begin with. It's easily accessible online if you can't find or don't have one.
If you are already in Christ, then be encouraged. Today is a truly good day. We grieve, we mourn and we remember, but thank God there is a way! Our debt has been paid in full. We have right standing with the King of Kings.
Our Debt
In Canada, our nation is under a form of what we call 'lockdown' to try and battle Covid-19. Any services or businesses that are not considered to be essential are ordered to be shutdown. Roads are still open. Grocery stores still sell food, but you can't watch hockey, because there are no hockey games to watch. So much of Canada is living, using hydro and eating - depending on "the government" to support them for the time being. Within all this, we are amassing an enormous amount of debt.
Whether we know it or not, each one of us has a spiritual debt. There is a God. Some of you might want to fight me on that, and it's ok. But you haven't died yet have you? For those of you who have been dead for a while, you already know that there's more than this life, but you likely didn't make it to the judgment yet.
We have wronged God. The Bible word for doing wrong against God is called sin. There is a God and we owe Him what can called a sin-debt. And it's huge. It's beyond what you can pay. If you've lived life not even believing in Him, imagine how large it must be if you didn't even know what He wants.
We can handle these things a little easier when they are part of fiction. If you've watched the Pirates of the Caribbean movie series, you can likely hear the words of Davey Jones as he tells Sparrow, "You have a debt to pay..." It becomes a little more aggravating when we talk about it in the God conversation because our conscience knows there is a reality to it that can't be easily swept aside.
And out of that debt, you, I - every one of us will die. (even if you think this is a fairy tale.)
Our Separation
Sin is more of a relational thing than it is a moral thing. (It does tend to have a moral component. So don't get all bent out of shape if you missed my use of the word, "more") You've been wronged in some way, by someone. Haven't you? It may be something big. It may simply something they said that bothers you. Whether your grievance is large or small, it creates a space between them and you. It can be a certain topic that you can no longer talk about with them. It could be that you don't want to see them as much as you used to, or perhaps you want them out of your life. Whether large or small, there is a separation that exists between them and you.
Out of our sin, a similar separation exists between us and God. The danger being, it can become permanent; a forever kind of permanent. Some of you don't mind the separation. You don't much like Him anyway. I like Him, so I don't understand it. But I get it. Others of us don't KNOW that we are separated from Him, and that is quite common too isn't it? Many of us harbour sour feelings towards others who simply don't know. They don't know you're upset with them. They don't know why you don't want to see them or why you don't respond to their calls or texts like you used to.
When we've been wronged, we generally have an idea of what we want from them now. Even if we want them dead. (Hopefully not). We want them to apologize. We want them to pay us back. We want them to acknowledge how they've wronged us. Whatever we want from, we expect it to be rectified on our terms.
Fortunately for us, God isn't an immature bitter grudge holder. He has shown us the way back. He has revealed, "His terms".
Our Way Back
You might want to try to be right with God however you think is best. Good luck with that. If that's your approach, I beg you. If I know you....give me a list of people who have wronged you. And I'll ask them to try to get right with you in some way OTHER than what you want. It's a dumb idea isn't it?
The nature of our sin-debt and separation is such that you and I are unable to rectify the situation. Jesus paid it/dealt with it on our behalf. Peter described it this way,
"He (Jesus) bore our sins in his body on the tree, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. By his wounds you have been healed" 1 Peter 2:24
I guess if you don't mind your separation, this is simply "religious information". I just ask that you seriously ponder what it might be like were the separation to be locked in indefinitely.
If you never knew, but are thinking you want in, THAT is the Good News of Good Friday. There is a way in; and it starts today. Accept the payment made on your behalf - the payment made by Jesus on the cross. Then choose to follow Him. If you don't know where to start, try picking up a Bible and reading the book of John to begin with. It's easily accessible online if you can't find or don't have one.
If you are already in Christ, then be encouraged. Today is a truly good day. We grieve, we mourn and we remember, but thank God there is a way! Our debt has been paid in full. We have right standing with the King of Kings.
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