Make no mistake the death of Osama Ben Laden is a victory for the United States in its war on terrorism. The atrocities that Ben Laden perpetrated against the people of the United States and the collateral deaths of people from other nations is deserving of capture and death. From one end of the country to the other the national anthem is being sung, flags are waving, and people are shouting in the streets. So why do I feel hollow?
I remember where I was when the twin towers fell. I was in the church office in Manitowoc, WI. We watched with horror and almost disbelief as planes flew into the Twin Towers and people fell to their deaths. The stunned silence swelled to anger as we heard the reports of the other planes and more deaths. We stood in solidarity with the President and his call to bring those responsible to justice. Few questioned the wisdom of going to war and ferreting out the cowards who hid in caves and exploded innocent people to further their cause.
I remember standing with a group of men who cheered the first bombs that fell on Baghdad and the call for the lives of those who oppress the weak. I remember the friends who went to war and came back and returned because they believed in the rightness of their mission. I remember the resolve of the nation wane as the American body count rose and the years passed by. I remember when Saddam Hussein was captured and hung and no one mourned his loss. I remember how hard it is to recall why we went to war in the first place and hoped for the return of our soldiers. I remember the words of a friend last night who said, "My heart is sad for the soul of Ben Laden."
As I reflect on this I am well aware that God brings the wicked to justice, but I also know the deep love and compassion of God's heart when He says, "Do I have any pleasure in the death of the wicked" declares the Lord, "Rather that he should turn from his sin and live." Ez 18:23
Is it wrong to celebrate a victory? On one level no, but let us never take pleasure in the death of the wicked. Instead let us redouble our efforts to bring the good news. It is in the truth of the gospel where people will be turned from darkness. It is through the blood of Christ that wicked men are changed. It is better that they turn from their sin and live. I am just saying.....
Monday, May 2, 2011
Thursday, April 28, 2011
The End Is Near!
Google rapture 2011 and you will find another crop of predictions about the Lord coming in 2011. In fact the judgment is suppose to begin on May 21st, which would put a crimp in my sons wedding plans. The discussion is very interesting but all of it is based on understanding the bible code and how this particular person’s software has brought about these specific dates. It is also interesting that his software finds in the bible code his name and how he is suppose to be the one to proclaim this good news. This is his second attempt at pin pointing a date.
Don’t get me wrong I long for the return of Jesus and if he is to come this year the better. I have no strong attachments to this life. That doesn’t mean I am not enjoying myself now, on the contrary, I make every effort to live life to the full and enjoy all the blessings God has given me in this life. I just know that what comes next is so much better. I am also beholding to my brothers and sisters in Christ who keep us abreast of all the latest potential fulfillment of prophecy. However, I am a cynic at heart and when Jesus warns us not to believe people who say that Christ is here or there (Matt 24:23) I tend to question absolute predictions about things hidden.
Yet, Jesus also gave us indications of the end. He called them birth pangs. Matt. 24:6-8 says, “You will be hearing of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not frightened, for those things must take place, but that is not yet the end. 7 “For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom, and in various places there will be famines and earthquakes. 8 “But all these things are merely the beginning of birth pangs.”
As I sat watching the news this morning it was this verse that kept rolling around in my head. All across the south terrible, ferocious tornadoes have devastated towns. This morning upward to 195 people had already died and many more missing. And this was nothing in comparison to the tsunami in Japan where the death count was in the 10’s of thousands. Wars and rumors of wars abound everywhere. These are the birth pangs. Our response to these events should be to mobilize relief efforts, but more important to keep in front of us the greatest task of all – the preaching of the gospel. Jesus said in the same context, “This gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all the nations, and then the end will come.” (Matt 24:14).
As my nephew and niece tromp across the mountains of Nepal translating the Scriptures into exotic dialects let’s keep them (and many others) in prayer, for their efforts, as well as ours, are instrumental in bringing about the end, and the coming of our Lord and Savior.
We are not to fear the events of our time, nor despair over what may come, for we know that these things must first take place. As we pray how to impact our communities and the world let’s do it with an eye to the sky. I am just saying …….
Don’t get me wrong I long for the return of Jesus and if he is to come this year the better. I have no strong attachments to this life. That doesn’t mean I am not enjoying myself now, on the contrary, I make every effort to live life to the full and enjoy all the blessings God has given me in this life. I just know that what comes next is so much better. I am also beholding to my brothers and sisters in Christ who keep us abreast of all the latest potential fulfillment of prophecy. However, I am a cynic at heart and when Jesus warns us not to believe people who say that Christ is here or there (Matt 24:23) I tend to question absolute predictions about things hidden.
Yet, Jesus also gave us indications of the end. He called them birth pangs. Matt. 24:6-8 says, “You will be hearing of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not frightened, for those things must take place, but that is not yet the end. 7 “For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom, and in various places there will be famines and earthquakes. 8 “But all these things are merely the beginning of birth pangs.”
As I sat watching the news this morning it was this verse that kept rolling around in my head. All across the south terrible, ferocious tornadoes have devastated towns. This morning upward to 195 people had already died and many more missing. And this was nothing in comparison to the tsunami in Japan where the death count was in the 10’s of thousands. Wars and rumors of wars abound everywhere. These are the birth pangs. Our response to these events should be to mobilize relief efforts, but more important to keep in front of us the greatest task of all – the preaching of the gospel. Jesus said in the same context, “This gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all the nations, and then the end will come.” (Matt 24:14).
As my nephew and niece tromp across the mountains of Nepal translating the Scriptures into exotic dialects let’s keep them (and many others) in prayer, for their efforts, as well as ours, are instrumental in bringing about the end, and the coming of our Lord and Savior.
We are not to fear the events of our time, nor despair over what may come, for we know that these things must first take place. As we pray how to impact our communities and the world let’s do it with an eye to the sky. I am just saying …….
Wednesday, April 27, 2011
Obama’s Birth Certificate Released!
“Birthers” (those who have doubted the authenticity of President Obama’s birth certificate) have been raising doubts to the legitimacy of the Obama Presidency. Was he born in the US? Does he have a legitimate birth certificate? Does he really have a right to be president? Well, finally, the president has released the long form of his birth certificate! Now we really know for sure!
Why is this an important issue, or is it? The short answer is that if he isn’t a citizen then his whole presidency is illegitimate and it is the greatest con ever perpetrated on the U.S. Citizenry. To me it has never been an issue. I guess I trusted those who vetted him when he first put his name into run for president. The question has finally been put to rest.
.
You know, as believers, who have been born again, the authenticity of our new birth is often brought into question. Legalistic Christians look at our lives and doubt our new birth because we don’t conform to their view of how we should dress, behave, speak, or worship. Someone recently was looking at some old pictures of me and was surprised because I ride a motorcycle and play paintball. Certainly pastors don’t engage in such activities. Then there are the liberal Christians who wonder if we are really born again because we believe that God allows people who do not chose Him in this life to spend eternity apart from Him in the next life. Hell isn’t a nice place and a loving God, surely, wouldn’t allow people to go there.
Is it possible for me to quiet the dissenters; the doubters; the ‘birthers’? I can’t produce spiritual birth certificate right now. Let me explain. This is the definition of a birth certificate: An official document issued to record a person's birth, including such identifying data as name, gender, date of birth, place of birth, and parentage. So this is how my spiritual birth certificate reads:
•Name: Rev. 2:17 ‘To him who overcomes…I will give him a white stone,and a new name written on the stone which no one knows but he who receives it.
•Date: 2Cor. 6:2 Behold, now is “THE ACCEPTABLE TIME,” behold, now is “THE DAY OF SALVATION” — (Fall of 1975)
•Gender: Gal. 3:28 “….there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus.”
•Place: Rom. 6:23 “For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (1st Baptist Church of Lutz, Florida).
•Parentage: Romans 8:16 “The Spirit Himself testifies with our spirit that we are children of God,”
•Seal: Eph. 1:13 “In Him, you also, after listening to the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation — having also believed, you were sealed in Him with the Holy Spirit of promise.”
This might not satisfy some but the letter of authenticity isn’t written on paper but on the hearts of those who have come to faith because of our testimony, ( 2Cor. 3:2 You are our letter, written in our hearts, known and read by all men; being manifested that you are a letter of Christ, cared for by us, written not with ink but with the Spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone but on tablets of human hearts.) As we live the reality of our new birth its authenticity is revealed in how we live for Christ, walk in the Spirit, produce His fruits, and endure until the end. Whew! I’m glad that is finally settled.
Why is this an important issue, or is it? The short answer is that if he isn’t a citizen then his whole presidency is illegitimate and it is the greatest con ever perpetrated on the U.S. Citizenry. To me it has never been an issue. I guess I trusted those who vetted him when he first put his name into run for president. The question has finally been put to rest.
.
You know, as believers, who have been born again, the authenticity of our new birth is often brought into question. Legalistic Christians look at our lives and doubt our new birth because we don’t conform to their view of how we should dress, behave, speak, or worship. Someone recently was looking at some old pictures of me and was surprised because I ride a motorcycle and play paintball. Certainly pastors don’t engage in such activities. Then there are the liberal Christians who wonder if we are really born again because we believe that God allows people who do not chose Him in this life to spend eternity apart from Him in the next life. Hell isn’t a nice place and a loving God, surely, wouldn’t allow people to go there.
Is it possible for me to quiet the dissenters; the doubters; the ‘birthers’? I can’t produce spiritual birth certificate right now. Let me explain. This is the definition of a birth certificate: An official document issued to record a person's birth, including such identifying data as name, gender, date of birth, place of birth, and parentage. So this is how my spiritual birth certificate reads:
•Name: Rev. 2:17 ‘To him who overcomes…I will give him a white stone,and a new name written on the stone which no one knows but he who receives it.
•Date: 2Cor. 6:2 Behold, now is “THE ACCEPTABLE TIME,” behold, now is “THE DAY OF SALVATION” — (Fall of 1975)
•Gender: Gal. 3:28 “….there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus.”
•Place: Rom. 6:23 “For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (1st Baptist Church of Lutz, Florida).
•Parentage: Romans 8:16 “The Spirit Himself testifies with our spirit that we are children of God,”
•Seal: Eph. 1:13 “In Him, you also, after listening to the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation — having also believed, you were sealed in Him with the Holy Spirit of promise.”
This might not satisfy some but the letter of authenticity isn’t written on paper but on the hearts of those who have come to faith because of our testimony, ( 2Cor. 3:2 You are our letter, written in our hearts, known and read by all men; being manifested that you are a letter of Christ, cared for by us, written not with ink but with the Spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone but on tablets of human hearts.) As we live the reality of our new birth its authenticity is revealed in how we live for Christ, walk in the Spirit, produce His fruits, and endure until the end. Whew! I’m glad that is finally settled.
Monday, April 25, 2011
The Day After
Holidays are great! The problem is the day after. It seems so anti-climatic. You prepare, anticipate, dress up, eat up, party up, and then nothing. The reality of life sets back in and you have to go back to work, the lawn needs mowing (again), laundry needs folding, garbage is overflowing, and the kids are demanding attention. The party is truly over. Sometimes it makes you question the desire or even necessity of the celebration itself.
Imagine the disciples the week of Jesus’ death and resurrection. The emotional swings. Their feelings ranged from the excitement of the triumphal entry to the despair of Jesus’ death on the cross; then from weeping with sorrow to weeping with joy at His resurrection. Those kinds of mood swings can be emotionally draining. You just want to take time off to contemplate the inside of your eyelids.
So what did the disciples do after the empty tomb? Jesus appeared to them on a number of occasions, and not only them but upwards of 500 people at one time. His resurrection wasn’t a quiet experience in a backroom hidden away. It was a bold PR move and I am sure the city of Jerusalem was abuzz with promise and questions. Yet, the disciples go fishing. John 21 records that Simon and the boys were hanging out and Peter says, “I am going fishing,” and the rest followed suit. It seems odd given all that had happened; yet it also is understandable. Three years following Jesus, the cross, and an empty tomb – now what? “Well, I guess it’s time to go back to work.” Events occurred the way Jesus intended but not the way the disciples expected. They were probably unsure as to what to do and they went back to what was familiar; then Jesus came. He provides a breakfast for the fishermen (who didn’t catch anything), he helps Peter deal with his emotional issues surrounding his denial of Jesus, and then he offered the same question (or was it a statement) that he offered years earlier, “And when He had spoken this, He said to him, ‘Follow Me!’” It wasn’t over, it was just beginning!
Today is the day after Easter. The songs have been sung, the suits have been hung, and the ham is in the fridge ready for leftovers. But it isn’t over! Jesus is issuing the call to follow! And as he gently reminded Peter we have some work to do, we have a world to change, we have hearts to stir, we have a mission to accomplish, we have a call to answer, and a cross to bear every day.
Stop for second and ask how you will fulfill God’s call on your life today. Maybe it is calling someone who is hurting and praying with them. Maybe it is taking some greenbacks out of your wallet to help someone in need. Maybe it is initiating a conversation again with a friend, a family member, or co-working about what Christ has done in your life. Maybe it is reordering your life so you can financially help in God’s work. Maybe it is setting it all aside and going into the mission field. Maybe it is giving your kids a hug or your wife a kiss. Whatever it is do it for the glory of God. Read His Word, Walk in His Spirit, Live out His love and the world will know you are His disciples.
Let’s not wait until next Easter to have our hearts burn within us!
I'm Just Saying.....
Imagine the disciples the week of Jesus’ death and resurrection. The emotional swings. Their feelings ranged from the excitement of the triumphal entry to the despair of Jesus’ death on the cross; then from weeping with sorrow to weeping with joy at His resurrection. Those kinds of mood swings can be emotionally draining. You just want to take time off to contemplate the inside of your eyelids.
So what did the disciples do after the empty tomb? Jesus appeared to them on a number of occasions, and not only them but upwards of 500 people at one time. His resurrection wasn’t a quiet experience in a backroom hidden away. It was a bold PR move and I am sure the city of Jerusalem was abuzz with promise and questions. Yet, the disciples go fishing. John 21 records that Simon and the boys were hanging out and Peter says, “I am going fishing,” and the rest followed suit. It seems odd given all that had happened; yet it also is understandable. Three years following Jesus, the cross, and an empty tomb – now what? “Well, I guess it’s time to go back to work.” Events occurred the way Jesus intended but not the way the disciples expected. They were probably unsure as to what to do and they went back to what was familiar; then Jesus came. He provides a breakfast for the fishermen (who didn’t catch anything), he helps Peter deal with his emotional issues surrounding his denial of Jesus, and then he offered the same question (or was it a statement) that he offered years earlier, “And when He had spoken this, He said to him, ‘Follow Me!’” It wasn’t over, it was just beginning!
Today is the day after Easter. The songs have been sung, the suits have been hung, and the ham is in the fridge ready for leftovers. But it isn’t over! Jesus is issuing the call to follow! And as he gently reminded Peter we have some work to do, we have a world to change, we have hearts to stir, we have a mission to accomplish, we have a call to answer, and a cross to bear every day.
Stop for second and ask how you will fulfill God’s call on your life today. Maybe it is calling someone who is hurting and praying with them. Maybe it is taking some greenbacks out of your wallet to help someone in need. Maybe it is initiating a conversation again with a friend, a family member, or co-working about what Christ has done in your life. Maybe it is reordering your life so you can financially help in God’s work. Maybe it is setting it all aside and going into the mission field. Maybe it is giving your kids a hug or your wife a kiss. Whatever it is do it for the glory of God. Read His Word, Walk in His Spirit, Live out His love and the world will know you are His disciples.
Let’s not wait until next Easter to have our hearts burn within us!
I'm Just Saying.....
Tuesday, April 19, 2011
The Answer To A Hostile Mind
Every time I talk to or read an article from a proclaimed atheist their rhetoric eventually become angry and hostile. I am not sure why, but my guess is that at some level there is a fear that religious faith threatens their presuppositions of nature, reason, and their own choices. But then again we have all been in that position at sometime, especially those of us who have given our lives to Jesus later in our lives. Paul said in Colossians 1:21 that the Colossians had been formerly alienated and hostile in their minds toward God.
The mind apart from God is always hostile toward God. There is something about God’s call for obedience and to follow that causes the hostile mind to set up arguments and barriers against God. I have seen this played out between men. Racial hostility is often caused by lack of knowledge and experience. We set up boundaries and rationalize our hostility toward another race because we don’t know them. I don’t mean know in the sense of facts but experience. We have not entered into relationship and gotten to know their character, their dreams, their loves, and their hopes. We live in a world where it is easy to hate those who are from the Arab world.
I was picked up by an airport transport van and was the only passenger that day. I was able to speak openly with the driver who was from Lebanon. When asked about where he was from he was hesitant to say. I learned that he was often the target of hostility because he was from the Middle East. He was a kind man who loved his family and was proud to be in America. He worked hard to provide for his wife and children, and had hope for his children’s future. It would be easy to be angry with him and rationalize it because of his ethnic association. However, getting to know him helped me understand that he wasn’t a threat but could easily be a friend.
Hostility toward God is the result of not knowing Him. Man’s alienation from God has caused him to dwell on speculations that set themselves up against God. “If God is so…then why does such and such happen?” “If God is real why doesn’t he show himself?” “If God loves then why is there pain?” And though these are legitimate questions the hostile mind isn’t interested in the answers. The questions are often deflections to submitting to God, because when they are answered there is always another question that keeps them from believing in God’s way.
The answer to the hostile mind is to get to know God but that is impossible because of sin. Yet, God in his wisdom has made a way for the hostile mind to know Him, and that is through the cross. Paul says in Colossians 1:22, “yet He now reconciled you in His fleshy body through death, in order to present you before Him holy and blameless and beyond reproach.” Sin alienates us from God. God dealt with sin on the cross. Through faith in Jesus’ death and resurrection we come to understand the reality of God and His love for us. The answer to the hostile mind is the cross.
I know someone will say that this is circular, “I don’t believe because I am hostile and I get rid of my hostility by having faith” But unbelief is not caused by hostility but rather hostility by unbelief. I get to know God by accepting His gift, which allows me to enter into a relationship with him whereby my hostile mind is changed.
The Easter Season is all about God reconciling hostile minds to Himself through the Cross and Resurrection. Only through faith will those whose minds are alienated become friends to a loving and compassionate God and come to know Him as Father. As we encounter those who are hostile let us remember that we too were once like them. Let us take this as an opportunity to pray that the wall of hostility will be broken and the eyes of their hearts and minds will be open to the Way, the Cross, and the Resurrection.
I’m Just Saying
The mind apart from God is always hostile toward God. There is something about God’s call for obedience and to follow that causes the hostile mind to set up arguments and barriers against God. I have seen this played out between men. Racial hostility is often caused by lack of knowledge and experience. We set up boundaries and rationalize our hostility toward another race because we don’t know them. I don’t mean know in the sense of facts but experience. We have not entered into relationship and gotten to know their character, their dreams, their loves, and their hopes. We live in a world where it is easy to hate those who are from the Arab world.
I was picked up by an airport transport van and was the only passenger that day. I was able to speak openly with the driver who was from Lebanon. When asked about where he was from he was hesitant to say. I learned that he was often the target of hostility because he was from the Middle East. He was a kind man who loved his family and was proud to be in America. He worked hard to provide for his wife and children, and had hope for his children’s future. It would be easy to be angry with him and rationalize it because of his ethnic association. However, getting to know him helped me understand that he wasn’t a threat but could easily be a friend.
Hostility toward God is the result of not knowing Him. Man’s alienation from God has caused him to dwell on speculations that set themselves up against God. “If God is so…then why does such and such happen?” “If God is real why doesn’t he show himself?” “If God loves then why is there pain?” And though these are legitimate questions the hostile mind isn’t interested in the answers. The questions are often deflections to submitting to God, because when they are answered there is always another question that keeps them from believing in God’s way.
The answer to the hostile mind is to get to know God but that is impossible because of sin. Yet, God in his wisdom has made a way for the hostile mind to know Him, and that is through the cross. Paul says in Colossians 1:22, “yet He now reconciled you in His fleshy body through death, in order to present you before Him holy and blameless and beyond reproach.” Sin alienates us from God. God dealt with sin on the cross. Through faith in Jesus’ death and resurrection we come to understand the reality of God and His love for us. The answer to the hostile mind is the cross.
I know someone will say that this is circular, “I don’t believe because I am hostile and I get rid of my hostility by having faith” But unbelief is not caused by hostility but rather hostility by unbelief. I get to know God by accepting His gift, which allows me to enter into a relationship with him whereby my hostile mind is changed.
The Easter Season is all about God reconciling hostile minds to Himself through the Cross and Resurrection. Only through faith will those whose minds are alienated become friends to a loving and compassionate God and come to know Him as Father. As we encounter those who are hostile let us remember that we too were once like them. Let us take this as an opportunity to pray that the wall of hostility will be broken and the eyes of their hearts and minds will be open to the Way, the Cross, and the Resurrection.
I’m Just Saying
Sunday, April 10, 2011
The Faith Of Atheism
Before I became a Christian I wasn’t an atheist or an agnostic. I guess you could say that I was an ambivalent. I really just didn’t care. God, the church, and Christians were part of the landscape, and they left me alone and I left them alone. It was rather a sweet deal. I could do what I wanted without guilt or remorse, and though actions had costs, those consequences weren’t settled if I could avoid them. Lying, cheating, or even stealing were acceptable if it meant avoiding responsibility and increasing my personal pleasure. Everything was justified as long as I believed that I wasn’t hurting anyone else. Who cared if I stole a candy bar from the fat corporations (except fat corporations).
The problem is we don’t live in isolation. We have families, neighborhoods, cities, counties, states and countries. We belong to communities and as much as we try we can’t avoid the responsibility of being part of a community of people. That is unless you remove yourself totally from civilization. Few go to that extreme. Instead they build fences around their homes and walls around their lives. Yet, their actions, attitudes, and choices impact people beyond themselves. This interaction is the reason we establish laws. Without rules there is chaos and no one really wants to live in anarchy.
Rules raise an interesting dilemma. They are moral decisions. If I say it is wrong to kill I am making a moral statement. If I say it is wrong to steal unless you are really hungry I have still made a moral framework for people to live. Even saying that you cannot drive faster than 25 miles an hour creates a moral choice because there are consequences to breaking the rule or moral code. But then, really, who cares?
When I became Christian I quickly learned that actions have greater consequences than I could ever imagine. No, not going to hell. When I break the moral code, whether man’s or God’s, I grieve the heart of my Heavenly Father. This may not seem like a big deal, but my heavenly Father is the one who laid the consequences of my poor choices on His Son. Through faith in that action I no longer have to worry about suffering for my sin—Jesus did that for me. Rather I have to face the grieving heart of a father who wants the best for me. God never pushes, forces, or cajoles me to be obedient, but gently encourages and disciplines so that I will walk with Him and live in His blessing. I am happiest now walking with the Father then at any other time in my life.
The atheist doesn’t have to worry about pleasing God. That has a somewhat tempting sound to it. But then again it takes a lot of faith in the human condition to believe that man is capable of designing a culture where love, respect, justice, and forgiveness will stand the test of time. The opposite has been my experience. Left to themselves man will eat its young and abandon its elderly. OK, not eat their young, but abortion for the sake of convenience and “women’s reproductive rights” is pretty close.
The atheist might say the same for Christians. The church’s history is marked with its abuses of power. But that proves the point that man has a bent toward manipulating even the best that God has to offer. However, those infractions are not an indictment on God but on the human condition. When the church follows God the way that Jesus lived and taught it has contributed most to the world.
I am glad I am no longer ambivalent. I am focused, not on my own ability, but on Christ in me. I am thankful for the boundaries my Father has set to keep me safe. I am grateful that in Him there is life and hope. I feel more free now than in any other time in my life. I am free to live and love. It is my prayer that those I love most would no longer be ambivalent, but find the same hope and peace.
The problem is we don’t live in isolation. We have families, neighborhoods, cities, counties, states and countries. We belong to communities and as much as we try we can’t avoid the responsibility of being part of a community of people. That is unless you remove yourself totally from civilization. Few go to that extreme. Instead they build fences around their homes and walls around their lives. Yet, their actions, attitudes, and choices impact people beyond themselves. This interaction is the reason we establish laws. Without rules there is chaos and no one really wants to live in anarchy.
Rules raise an interesting dilemma. They are moral decisions. If I say it is wrong to kill I am making a moral statement. If I say it is wrong to steal unless you are really hungry I have still made a moral framework for people to live. Even saying that you cannot drive faster than 25 miles an hour creates a moral choice because there are consequences to breaking the rule or moral code. But then, really, who cares?
When I became Christian I quickly learned that actions have greater consequences than I could ever imagine. No, not going to hell. When I break the moral code, whether man’s or God’s, I grieve the heart of my Heavenly Father. This may not seem like a big deal, but my heavenly Father is the one who laid the consequences of my poor choices on His Son. Through faith in that action I no longer have to worry about suffering for my sin—Jesus did that for me. Rather I have to face the grieving heart of a father who wants the best for me. God never pushes, forces, or cajoles me to be obedient, but gently encourages and disciplines so that I will walk with Him and live in His blessing. I am happiest now walking with the Father then at any other time in my life.
The atheist doesn’t have to worry about pleasing God. That has a somewhat tempting sound to it. But then again it takes a lot of faith in the human condition to believe that man is capable of designing a culture where love, respect, justice, and forgiveness will stand the test of time. The opposite has been my experience. Left to themselves man will eat its young and abandon its elderly. OK, not eat their young, but abortion for the sake of convenience and “women’s reproductive rights” is pretty close.
The atheist might say the same for Christians. The church’s history is marked with its abuses of power. But that proves the point that man has a bent toward manipulating even the best that God has to offer. However, those infractions are not an indictment on God but on the human condition. When the church follows God the way that Jesus lived and taught it has contributed most to the world.
I am glad I am no longer ambivalent. I am focused, not on my own ability, but on Christ in me. I am thankful for the boundaries my Father has set to keep me safe. I am grateful that in Him there is life and hope. I feel more free now than in any other time in my life. I am free to live and love. It is my prayer that those I love most would no longer be ambivalent, but find the same hope and peace.
Monday, March 7, 2011
The Beast Within
When my brother and I were little we would visit my grandmother in Fenton, Illinois. It was a special time for us because, as city slickers, we were able to enjoy farm life. City folk always glamorize the farm, though most would not like the unending hours of hard work. As children it was always an adventure. We were able to name the new calves and claim them as our own. Oblivious to the fact that some if not most ended up in the grocery store. Bales of hay became mountains and forts, citadels to hold and conquer. There was ample room to run, chase, and breathe deeply the clean air.
But not all was bright and cheery. There were dangers unimaginable to the little mind. Monsters lurked in hidden and deep places; none so deep, so fearful, so captivating as the…..basement. What lay beneath the creaky floors of the kitchen? What so frightening it carried warnings of danger? What or who lived in its recesses? There were occasions where we ventured into its recess in an attempt to explore. And any time we began our dissent there would be a warning, “Don’t go near the hole, it’s dangerous?” The hole? What was the hole? Where was the hole? And worse of all what lived in the hole?
Stealthily, my brother and I made our way down the basement stairs. Slowly, step-by-step, careful less we be caught by surprise. Creaks and low groans caused our hearts to quicken and our pace to slow. Encouraged by the others presence we continued into the dank and musty nether regions of the house. It was dark but shadows shimmered as light broke through small dusty windows in the wall. Shadows took shape and led our imaginations to see forms so hideous they set our steps back a few paces. As still as statues we waited until we were sure that the monsters faded once again into the gray.
A light went on, my brother was holding a flashlight. The beam broke the darkness and exposed old and piled up furniture and paper. Treasures of old, forgotten by those in the world above and left to rot and decay. An occasional spider web was met with flailing hands and panic, only to be held in check by curiosity. Slowly, carefully, we turned to the right, back behind the stairs; off in the deep corner of darkness lay the hole. It wasn’t a big hole; in fact it wasn’t very impressive at all. The circumference was a little larger than a basketball. The hole was filled with water and a pole extended from its depths. With great care we moved toward this haven of demons. Step-by-step we approached our hearts pounding in our ears. When all of a sudden there was a large pop, a clank, a whir and a very loud hum! The water churned and swirled and fear caught hold in our throats and set our feet to flight. With haste we ran through the dark, we skipped steps as we ascended the stairs and when we burst through the door we didn’t stop until we were safe in the warm summer sun. Breathing heavily we counted ourselves lucky to be alive.
As an adult I realize that sump pumps aren’t that frightening. Yet, as believers we know that we fight a war of fear. Be not mistaken there is a spiritual battle raging between angels and demons. We may not be able to see the fray but nonetheless it is waged all around. As believers the unknown spiritual battle can scare us. We might not realize what happens in the unseen world but we feel it as it interplays with the physical realm. The evil one wants to make us ineffective for the King. If Satan cannot have our souls then he wants to keep us from impacting our world. Each tactic he uses is specifically tailored according to our own fears. If he can paralyze us with fear then our usefulness to the kingdom is diminished. Do you fear never having enough money and work night and day to store up worldly possessions and have no time for kingdom work? Are you afraid that people will hurt and reject you so you hide yourself away in the safety of your home, never to engage people for the kingdom? Are you afraid that people will see who you really are and not like you so you hide behind a façade of humor and cynicism that keep them from truly knowing you? We have not been given a Spirit of Fear. Through the indwelling spirit we have been given a sound mind; a mind that rests on the promises of God; that finds hope in Jesus’ resurrection; and stores up for the eternal kingdom.
We do not have to fear the darkness because the Son (Jesus) is the light who chases the shadows away. The holes in our lives are mere sump pumps and they do not hold sway over our lives because Jesus has overcome the world. Today you may cast off your burdens and lay them at the feet of Jesus. Take a deep breath and realize you are alive in Christ and He will give you rest.
But not all was bright and cheery. There were dangers unimaginable to the little mind. Monsters lurked in hidden and deep places; none so deep, so fearful, so captivating as the…..basement. What lay beneath the creaky floors of the kitchen? What so frightening it carried warnings of danger? What or who lived in its recesses? There were occasions where we ventured into its recess in an attempt to explore. And any time we began our dissent there would be a warning, “Don’t go near the hole, it’s dangerous?” The hole? What was the hole? Where was the hole? And worse of all what lived in the hole?
Stealthily, my brother and I made our way down the basement stairs. Slowly, step-by-step, careful less we be caught by surprise. Creaks and low groans caused our hearts to quicken and our pace to slow. Encouraged by the others presence we continued into the dank and musty nether regions of the house. It was dark but shadows shimmered as light broke through small dusty windows in the wall. Shadows took shape and led our imaginations to see forms so hideous they set our steps back a few paces. As still as statues we waited until we were sure that the monsters faded once again into the gray.
A light went on, my brother was holding a flashlight. The beam broke the darkness and exposed old and piled up furniture and paper. Treasures of old, forgotten by those in the world above and left to rot and decay. An occasional spider web was met with flailing hands and panic, only to be held in check by curiosity. Slowly, carefully, we turned to the right, back behind the stairs; off in the deep corner of darkness lay the hole. It wasn’t a big hole; in fact it wasn’t very impressive at all. The circumference was a little larger than a basketball. The hole was filled with water and a pole extended from its depths. With great care we moved toward this haven of demons. Step-by-step we approached our hearts pounding in our ears. When all of a sudden there was a large pop, a clank, a whir and a very loud hum! The water churned and swirled and fear caught hold in our throats and set our feet to flight. With haste we ran through the dark, we skipped steps as we ascended the stairs and when we burst through the door we didn’t stop until we were safe in the warm summer sun. Breathing heavily we counted ourselves lucky to be alive.
As an adult I realize that sump pumps aren’t that frightening. Yet, as believers we know that we fight a war of fear. Be not mistaken there is a spiritual battle raging between angels and demons. We may not be able to see the fray but nonetheless it is waged all around. As believers the unknown spiritual battle can scare us. We might not realize what happens in the unseen world but we feel it as it interplays with the physical realm. The evil one wants to make us ineffective for the King. If Satan cannot have our souls then he wants to keep us from impacting our world. Each tactic he uses is specifically tailored according to our own fears. If he can paralyze us with fear then our usefulness to the kingdom is diminished. Do you fear never having enough money and work night and day to store up worldly possessions and have no time for kingdom work? Are you afraid that people will hurt and reject you so you hide yourself away in the safety of your home, never to engage people for the kingdom? Are you afraid that people will see who you really are and not like you so you hide behind a façade of humor and cynicism that keep them from truly knowing you? We have not been given a Spirit of Fear. Through the indwelling spirit we have been given a sound mind; a mind that rests on the promises of God; that finds hope in Jesus’ resurrection; and stores up for the eternal kingdom.
We do not have to fear the darkness because the Son (Jesus) is the light who chases the shadows away. The holes in our lives are mere sump pumps and they do not hold sway over our lives because Jesus has overcome the world. Today you may cast off your burdens and lay them at the feet of Jesus. Take a deep breath and realize you are alive in Christ and He will give you rest.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)