"Time for a workout" or "Religious Significance"

Call it inspiration. Call it an epiphany. Call it too much caffiene, too late at night. As I lie in bed, last night, trying to drift into dreamland, my mind was filled with too many thoughts. I pondered these questions: Am I living my life in a way that would make me spiritually significant? Why is it that when people want to achieve at the highest level they can, they train for it but, as a Christian, I seldom seem to train for reaching a higher level of acomplishment?

I realize that many people would argue that to become a Christian is to complete something, but I believe that becoming a Christian is merely the beginning of a lifelong journey. The beginning of a training regimine that brings about constant change in strength and understanding. I could not be considered a successful linguist if I purchased an English/German dictionary, and learned a few popular phrases. I would be innept and totally unprepared to move to Germany, and live in a Bavarian Mountain town where no one spoke English. I would learn slowly to communicate, of course, but would not think of working as an orator in that town. I would not be prepared. However, if I were to prepare myself, beforehand, then I would be more able to possitively affect those around me. Should Christians not train as an athlete trains? That is, with a goal of being the 'best' at ones calling.

My chiropractor, Dr. Ryan Calhoun of Clemson, has a philosophy of treatment that he calls "Maximised Living" I think goes along with this. (http://www.calhounwellness.com/5-essentials/5-essentials-overview.html)%20He He tells his patients that they should maximise in 5 key areas: Mindset, healthy nervous system, quality nutritian, excersise the body, and remove toxins.

So then there were these questions: Can I purge my life of those things that hinder my growth, as a Christian, while simultaneously filling the void with influences that could enhance my spiritual growth? Could I (should I) abstain from literature, music, news and entertainment that is non-growth-related while substituting genres that would enhance my goals? How do I succeed without forcing others into my experiment? In other words, What can I do that helps me to grow spiritually without being counterproductive. No one wants to be a fanatic, right? Although the person who stands on the street corner and preaches at everyone that goes by is totally commited, he is probably not very fruitful.

Some years back, I felt as though I had plateaued in my Christian walk. My good pal, Keith Williams, and I decided to try an experiment. We decided to fast for 40 days (not a complete fast, mind you, but a significant one). This was on top of our prayer and Bible reading. I really experienced  a breakthrough. I guess I have come back to the place where I am tired of mediocrity, in my spiritual walk, and need to break through to something more. I am tired of playing in the minors and need to condition myself to move up to the big leagues.

Legalism is not my motive or goal. Spiritual growth is. It would involve growth in all areas...the total me, so to speak. Therefore spiritual, physical, emotional, social, and intellectual growth are all on the table. It would involve being proactive instead of reactive. It would involve giving up some things that might not be wrong, but aren't neccessarily right for me at this time.

I am committing to 1 month, to begin with. Call it a new year's resolution, but I am going to do it. Like an athlete in training. I want to avoid the wrong stuff and increase the right stuff. I will read my Bible each day and converse with its author more. I will commit to detoxifying my mind by turning off the TV when the programing is not in keeping with the building process. Can I learn from it? Does it edify? Is it uplifting? Radio, which I listen to during my 80+ mile daily commute, will have to fall under the same scrutiny. Internet use..Oh how I will miss Farmtown for a while. Excercise, oh how I loathe thee...at least at first. But we will become reacquainted. I will get proper rest and reduce stress. I will plan and complete what I need to accomplish. I will spend more time with family and friends. By the grace of God and with his help, I will improve me!

I want to be spiritually significant. I don't want to arrive at the end of my life and merely know that I survived. I want to be able to state, with fervor, that "I had an impact on the lives of those around me! I made a difference!"

I need a partner or partners who will join me. Together is always easier than sepparate, if for no other reason than accountability.

OH MY GOD!

What's with people who chastise others for using the phrase "Oh my god!"? I have heard people correct others for the use of this phrase with the admonition of "You should never use the Lord's name in vain." Really? Are you that uninformed? As you know, My name is Michael. I am a teacher. My name is not teacher, nor do my students call me "teacher". They call me by my name. God's name is YHVH. To some, that is translated as Yahweh, while to others it is Jehovah. His title is God, but not his name. Furthermore, some religions believe that the name of God is to be reverenced and protected from vain use to the extent that they are careful not to speak the name except in very religious circumstances. When someone says the name "Jesus Christ" as a swear, I agree that this is using the Lord's name in vain.

Mote and Beam, brothers and sisters, mote and beam. What ever happened to "2 Timothy 2:15 (New Living Translation) Work hard so you can present yourself to God and receive his approval. Be a good worker, one who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly explains the word of truth.

I could be wrong. But at least I err in trying to figure it out. I figure that has to be an improvement on taking what I am told and just passing it on without further research.

What do you think?

Who is "my God"?

I have been told that "my God" is judgment and damnation, while other people's god is grace and love and tolerance. Therefore, I thought that I would write and share "my God" with you.

My God is Jehovah or Yahweh (depending on whether you study Greek or Hebrew). I simply address him as 'Father'. There are scriptures that reference God as being our father. Jesus even instructed his followers to pray "Our father, who is in heaven." My own father did the best that he knew how to do when it came to raising me. There were times that he did a good job and times that he didn't do so good. I and every other father have been guilty of mistakes and blunders in parenthood. It is a wonder any children turn out right. I learned many things from my dad and I think that, so far, I have done a pretty decent job with my own sons. So, I see "my God" as a father. The main difference is that he doesn't make mistakes. When I was in my teens, my dad would sometimes say "I don't just want to be your dad; I want to be your friend." That friend part didn't really blossom until I was grown. "My God" seems to want the same thing.

So lets just make a comparison. I am the forth child born to my parents. As my brother was the first born, he was 7 years ahead of me. So for seven years, before I came into the picture, my brother "walked" with our dad: had a relationship with our dad. Had my dad known that I would be coming along in seven years he could have done things differently. My dad was full of advice. He had a saying for any situation. Many of these I pass on to my family and students. One of these was and is "It is better to have it and not need it than to need it and not have it." I first remember him telling me this when he suggested I grab my coat. I am sure he shared this saying with my brother and also with my two older sisters. There were many times when we would be walking along in the woods, hunting, and he would share other advice like "I expect you to obey me without question. If I say stop, you stop. If I say stop and you don't stop or question my telling you to stop, you may just step on a snake and get bit. I may explain to you later the reason or I may not. Just obey." This is great advice. I taught my sons the same advice. My Army drill sergeant shared this with me also. Again, I am sure dad shared this with my brother and sisters.

ADD moment...I told my younger son "You would think that you would learn from your brother's mistakes so that you wont make the same ones when you are his age."

So, what if my older siblings had been instructed to write down all the advice and instructions that dad had given them and then give a copy to their younger siblings? What if, when I came along, they had handed me a notebook full of dad's advice and instruction. All of his "Do this and you will get punished" or "Do this and you will be rewarded." Then I could have just read the notes and avoided much heartache, right? Well at least I would know what he wanted from me. Obeying "take out the trash" would get his approval, while "If you come in after curfew..." would warn of impending danger and punishment if not heeded. I could refer to that notebook for almost anything. There would be very few things that I could come up with that Earl, Pam, and Sandra had not already dealt with. I there was anything not covered in the "manual", I could just ask dad. After all, we did have a father son relationship, right? I could have passed it on down to Deborah, who was born five years after me and then to Melanie who would become part of the family due, to adoption, some 6-7 years after that. None of us would have doubted the things that were in that book. We all know dad and know how he was strict with us. I received my share of punishment, but can recall playing ball with him on the back lot behind our house when I was in 7th or 8th grade. I learned from both things.

Maybe my grandchildren would someday follow the advice in that notebook because they see that I turned out pretty good and it worked for me. They wouldn't know my dad, but they would know me and what my dad had helped me to become. They would recognize that dad believed in judgment but also in love and grace. Tolerance was not a word that described him, during my childhood. He taught us right from wrong and although he loved us just the same, he didn’t tolerate when we made bad choices. He never once said “What you are doing is wrong, but that is your choice.” No! He told you what was wrong and why it was wrong and told you to not do it again. I didn't understand this as a child, but my dad had much more experience than me and what all of his instruction boiled down to was "listen to me and I'll help you avoid the pitfalls. Learn from other peoples' mistakes. Don't do run through the house with your eyes closed or your going to get hurt."

So is this (as dad would say) "clear as muddy water" so far?

Throughout scripture, I can see that God desired to have a relationship with people. It is undeniable. So I have accepted that he wants a relationship with me. How awesome is that? He has, however, established some family rules. He says that if I will only accept his gift of adoption and join with him, in a relationship, he will share in that relationship with me. I don't have to fill out an application or apply to the courts. I merely have to understand that I have lived in opposition to him and turn from that and walk with him.

As I walk with him he teaches me, much the same as my dad did. He has given me written instructions, through his other children that have walked with him before. In those writings I see many stories of the times that he spent with his other children, long before I came along. I see that he is consistent with his children. What he expects from one, he expects from all. He has established guidelines for peace in the family. He has said that if we obey him then he will guide us safely through the unknown territory. He tells us that there are things that we can do and things that we should avoid. He knows what is best for us and tries to guide us away from the harmful things. In the New Covenant (Testament) we see God working in peoples’ lives, through Christ. He not once tells someone “Although what you are doing is considered wrong by some, it is just the way you have chosen to live, so live life to the fullest.” NO! To the woman that was almost stoned for adultery he says “change your lifestyle. It will bring you a death sentence.”
New Testament Ref: John 8:10-12 (New Living Translation) 10 Then Jesus stood up again and said to the woman, “Where are your accusers? Didn’t even one of them condemn you (“sentence you to death”) ?” 11 “No, Lord,” she said. And Jesus said, “Neither do I. Go and sin no more.”

This is one example of a recurring theme throughout the Bible. I don’t see this as a chance to say “Look how he tried to control her life” I remember my childhood and my dad and see as Christ is telling this woman “I see that as you were walking through the forest that you stumbled and fell into some thorny briars. You will not, at this time, die from your injuries. Stand up and get on the right path. Don’t fall into those briars again. They will hurt you. It goes without saying that prolonged exposure to cuts and gashes will lead to loss of blood and infection and even death. Be careful, my child.”

When I was a child, and I did wrong and my dad spanked me, was it because he was a sadistic man who loves to hurt people? Certainly not! He, like every good parent, used punishment to bring about a change in attitude and behavior. Sometimes all it took was a “don’t do that again” (“go and sin no more”) from him.

When I read the notebook that “My God” had his children pass down to me, the Bible, what I see is him telling me how to avoid the pitfalls, how to look at other peoples mistakes and learn from them, and how I shouldn't run blindly without some one to hold my hand and guide me.

People want to make God a hard to understand concept. He is not difficult to understand...not for a dad.

What is Christianity?

Let’s begin with the definition of the word Christian. Merion-Webster Dictionary online, the internet version of the most used and trusted dictionary, defines a Christian as “one who professes belief in the teachings of Jesus Christ.” Princeton University Cognitive Science Laboratory defines the word Christian as: relating to or characteristic of Christianity; "Christian rites". following the teachings or manifesting the qualities or spirit of Jesus Christ. a religious person who believes Jesus is the Christ and who is a member of a Christian denomination.

The term Christian means "belonging to Christ" and is derived from the Greek noun Χριστός Khristós which means "anointed one," which is itself a translation of the Hebrew word Moshiach (Hebrew: משיח, also written "Messiah"), (and in Arabic it is pronounced Maseeh مسيح). The New Testament, Acts 11:26; 26:28; 1 Peter 4:16, defines it this way: the name given by the Greeks or Romans, probably in reproach, to the followers of Jesus ("little Christ's!"). It was first used at Antioch. The names by which the disciples were known among themselves were "brethren," "the faithful," "elect," "saints," "believers." But as distinguishing them from the multitude without, the name "Christian" came into use, and was universally accepted. This name occurs but three times in the New Testament.

So, according to secular circles and namy religious ones as well, one is considered a christian by mere association or membership in a christian church. From what I can find in scripture, to be a Christian means to follow the teachings of Jesus. "Well, duh!" you say. But how often do we find that churches teach only the parts of scripture that are convinient to them. We often hear things like "Well, that part is not litteral. It is an alagory." I have been told numerous times that the story that Jesus tell of the rich man and the beggar (Lazarus) "is simply and story that he made up to make a point. There is not a hell in the sense of a place of punishment. A loving God would not do something like that." This is one of many examples of omition for the sake of an attempt to avoid facing up to responsibilities. How can you take part and say that other parts arenot accurate. Does that not void the whole or else show ignorance on our part?

Living beyond Mediocre Christianity

This blog is an attempt to guide and direct. For many years, I have talked with people who, although they are sincere, seem to have little clue as to what Christianity is all about. You may ask "why do you think that you have all the answers?" This blog is not an attept to claim that I have all the answers. This blog came from the sincire desire to help people find their way. I heard it said that it is less important that a debate prove one person or the other right or wrong, but what is important is to find out what is right or wrong. So many people, when asked about their eternity, didn't have an answer for where their future leads.
What does it really mean to be a Christian? Growing up in a "Christian" home, I was taught a certain set of guidelines that led me to believe there were certain precise criteria that must be met in order to be called a Christian. In my short 45 years, I have discovered that each of us has a different set of historical circumstances that guide our thinking and establish our personal criteria. Therefore, what I think has as much or as little worth as what anyone else may think.
Can each of us be completely correct or even a little correct? Can each of us be completely incorrect or partially incorrect? If I or anyone else can possibly have a skewed view of what it really means to be a Christian, then is it not absolutely essential that we put aside our opinions, regardless how fact-based they may seem, and search for the truth? Is it not true that truth will stand up to questioning? If what we believe cannot be questioned then should we not question its lack of ability to be questioned?
I cannot cover everything in one blog, therefore, this will be a continuing investigation of truth. I am a science teacher, and scientists try to find the truth by questioning everything and trying to disprove their hypothesis. Thomas Edison had to find out what would not make a light bulb work before finding what would work. He is quoted as saying "I have not failed. I have found 10,000 ways that wont work."
Let us first look at a few of the beliefs that pervade our society. It would seem that there are a number of definitions that must first be established in order to create a "base camp" from where we will begin each of our explorations into the subject of living beyond mediocre Christianity. What is Christianity? How does a person become a Christian? Why should someone become a Christian?
After I read the book A Case For Christ by Lee Strobel, I decided to use his techniques to investigate the subject of what a Christian is and how a person becomes a Christian.