There was a couple who, wishing to be involved in a church that was actively involved in ministry, searched for a church family with which to join. This couple had spent many years in full-time and part-time church ministry, prison ministry, and children’s home ministry. They had served in the capacity of Sunday school teacher, Minister of Music, Children’s pastors, and Youth Pastors and processed many talents and abilities. She was an organizer. God had given her the ability to take what was and organize it so that it ran more efficiently. She would work, behind the scenes, planning and setting things in motion, so that it ran smoothly and, although her efforts often went unnoticed, the lack of these efforts would surely have been detected. God had given him talents in music, singing and oratory. He was a teacher and expositor. Their gifts were complimentary and served to enhance the ministry of each other as well as others.
In their efforts to find a church were they could serve, they would always consider their children. Whenever they visited a church, they would try to ensure their children would be ministered to, in order to avoid the “minister’s plague”. The minister’s plague is a debilitating disease that afflicts ministers’ families. Ministers who put such an emphasis on ministering to others, often neglect their own families, resulting in spouses who turn to others in order to have their needs met, and children who gain a certain reputation due to lack of parental supervision and/or guidance. (It is often said that “The preacher’s kids are the worst kids in the church.”)
This couple searched and searched, but were always disappointed when, after attending a church for some time, they would find that their present congregation was a “nominal” church; that the members were happy to be a social organization, and that the pastorate was happy with the status quo, ignorant as to how to change it, unwilling to shake up the apple cart, or overwhelmed by the amount of work ahead. After all, if a church has a good number of congregants and the bills are being paid, then many a church folk will settle in and ride this train to glory. After all, people really don't like change.
Early on, the couple made sure that the pastor knew their heart and abilities. They laid it out for him to clearly understand, that they were ready to get involved and work. They desired no position and wished to displace no one. They merely desired to enhance the ministries of the church. And they waited… The man saw that there was no one to play the guitar and volunteered. When needed, he would play other instruments, due to absence of fellow musicians (due to work or illness). He expressed interest in teaching. And he waited… The couple would attend church dinners. They desired to have friends, in the church. They felt that because they were outsiders, they should not intrude into already established cliques. They would rather be invited. They sat together, alone, hoping for an invitation. And they waited… The woman hoped for friends that she could share life with, but she was shy and reserved and wished for an invitation to friendship. “At least” she thought “the pastor’s wife will understand and reach out.” And she waited… Finally an invitation came. “Maybe we should accept,” said the woman “Even if it is from the senior’s ministry and we are no where near their age.” And she waited…Their children hoped that someone would reach out to them. And they waited...
The couple, and their children, got tired of waiting...they began their search again...
How many times does this story play itself out on the stage of churches around us? Are we the ones that should be looking around our church for those who are waiting for someone to reach out and make the effort? Are we the minister or leader that needs to reevaluate our role as a manager and learn to nurture those new people, motivate those cold people, and equip those people who are ready to serve? Are we the person who holds a position, in church, that is satisfied with having a position, for position's sake? Do we have a sense of urgency for those who are within our reach or do we settle for going to church, socializing with our little group of friends, being “friendly” to everyone without putting in the effort to actually become friends with anyone new? Are we satisfied with the way things are?
Sunday, January 23, 2011
Saturday, January 22, 2011
TRUTH, CALLING AND ANNOINTING
http://www.imdb.com/video/screenplay/vi3813670937/
John Wayne has always been one of my favorite actors. He always portrayed the kind of guy that I would like to be; tough but fair, strong yet gentle. As John Bernard Books, in The Shootist he said "I won't be wronged, I won't be insulted, and I won't be laid a hand on. I don't do these things to other people and I require the same from them." When he was of a mind, he could kick butt with the best of them.
When I read the Bible, I tend to be pulled to characters who fall into the same category. David and his Mighty Men (the "Dirty Dozen" of the old Testament, right?) are recorded as having such exploits that their story would make a great action/thriller movie. The Bible records where each of them would find themselves in a bad situation and the Holy Spirit would anoint them and there they go...they would fight and fight, usually against great odds, while all the while being poorly armed. They would defeat a bunch of highly trained, motivated soldiers and then move on (some might say that they "kicked butt and took names").
Then comes Shamgar. This Old Testament hero wiped the floor with 600 soldiers, with the anointing of the holy spirit. Wow! All he had was an ox goad (8 ft pointy stick) and his God...and that would suffice.
So, why is it that we have people in church who seem to misunderstand this very simple biblical concept: If God anoints you to do something, then you will be awesome? People make silly comments like "She can't sing very well, but isn't her singing anointed?" or "Pastor Mike. That choir may be well rehearsed, but we are anointed!" They were awful! Also, I am also reminded, when people want to justify allowing a soloist who can't carry a tune in a bucket, that "The Bible says to 'Make a joyful noise'." How often that is misquoted, and out of context.
People often covet gifts that they do not posses. They fail to realize that God does not bless all of his children with the same gifts and talents. We aren't all arms in this body, you know. So many lust after the position of vocal chords, though. I have to remind people that if God calls you to do something then he will also equip you to do that something. Therefore, common sense dictates that if he has not equipped, then maybe he has not called. I once was asked to organize a youth praise band, as I am both a musician and singer. I started off our first meeting with "If you are called to sing, then you will sing. If you are not called to sing, then we need to find where your gifts and talents lie and help you to develop them in that area of ministry." I was not allowed to tell these interested teens that they could not sing. Instead, I was instructed to give them a dead microphone, so we did not offend them or their parents. (Remember the Andy Griffith episode where Barney was given the dead mic and someone else sang from back stage?) Needless to say, but I will anyway, I would not do it. How can I, as a professing Christian, lie to these kids and their parents? What happened to "Speak the truth, in love?" Wouldn't it make sense that if we taught people that we would tell them the truth, even if it hurt, that they could always trust us to be honest. If not, would we not teach our congregations to suspect our honestly?
There are many things that I lack the knowledge and skills to accomplish. I truly believe that an intelligent person knows what they don't know. Therefore they know what they need to learn to avoid ignorance. If God has not given me the talent to sing, then I should not ask to be a soloist. If he has not called me to preach, then I should avoid the pulpit. (Following this line of reasoning, some folks might argue that I shouldn't blog.) After all, we wouldn't allow someone with no musical ability to play the piano for Sunday morning worship service, would we? Shouldn't we take a look at all the qualified candidates (believers with talent) and choose the best. If my savior was to physically walk down the aisle and sit in the front row, this Sunday, I would want our best musicians and singers on the praise and worship team. I would want to please the boss, so to speak.
John Wayne's J.B. Books said that he treated people the way he expected to be treated. Sound familiar?
Afterthought: Can anyone give me the scripture reference for "Blessed are the tithe payers, for they shall be coddled and appeased"?
John Wayne has always been one of my favorite actors. He always portrayed the kind of guy that I would like to be; tough but fair, strong yet gentle. As John Bernard Books, in The Shootist he said "I won't be wronged, I won't be insulted, and I won't be laid a hand on. I don't do these things to other people and I require the same from them." When he was of a mind, he could kick butt with the best of them.
When I read the Bible, I tend to be pulled to characters who fall into the same category. David and his Mighty Men (the "Dirty Dozen" of the old Testament, right?) are recorded as having such exploits that their story would make a great action/thriller movie. The Bible records where each of them would find themselves in a bad situation and the Holy Spirit would anoint them and there they go...they would fight and fight, usually against great odds, while all the while being poorly armed. They would defeat a bunch of highly trained, motivated soldiers and then move on (some might say that they "kicked butt and took names").
Then comes Shamgar. This Old Testament hero wiped the floor with 600 soldiers, with the anointing of the holy spirit. Wow! All he had was an ox goad (8 ft pointy stick) and his God...and that would suffice.
So, why is it that we have people in church who seem to misunderstand this very simple biblical concept: If God anoints you to do something, then you will be awesome? People make silly comments like "She can't sing very well, but isn't her singing anointed?" or "Pastor Mike. That choir may be well rehearsed, but we are anointed!" They were awful! Also, I am also reminded, when people want to justify allowing a soloist who can't carry a tune in a bucket, that "The Bible says to 'Make a joyful noise'." How often that is misquoted, and out of context.
People often covet gifts that they do not posses. They fail to realize that God does not bless all of his children with the same gifts and talents. We aren't all arms in this body, you know. So many lust after the position of vocal chords, though. I have to remind people that if God calls you to do something then he will also equip you to do that something. Therefore, common sense dictates that if he has not equipped, then maybe he has not called. I once was asked to organize a youth praise band, as I am both a musician and singer. I started off our first meeting with "If you are called to sing, then you will sing. If you are not called to sing, then we need to find where your gifts and talents lie and help you to develop them in that area of ministry." I was not allowed to tell these interested teens that they could not sing. Instead, I was instructed to give them a dead microphone, so we did not offend them or their parents. (Remember the Andy Griffith episode where Barney was given the dead mic and someone else sang from back stage?) Needless to say, but I will anyway, I would not do it. How can I, as a professing Christian, lie to these kids and their parents? What happened to "Speak the truth, in love?" Wouldn't it make sense that if we taught people that we would tell them the truth, even if it hurt, that they could always trust us to be honest. If not, would we not teach our congregations to suspect our honestly?
There are many things that I lack the knowledge and skills to accomplish. I truly believe that an intelligent person knows what they don't know. Therefore they know what they need to learn to avoid ignorance. If God has not given me the talent to sing, then I should not ask to be a soloist. If he has not called me to preach, then I should avoid the pulpit. (Following this line of reasoning, some folks might argue that I shouldn't blog.) After all, we wouldn't allow someone with no musical ability to play the piano for Sunday morning worship service, would we? Shouldn't we take a look at all the qualified candidates (believers with talent) and choose the best. If my savior was to physically walk down the aisle and sit in the front row, this Sunday, I would want our best musicians and singers on the praise and worship team. I would want to please the boss, so to speak.
John Wayne's J.B. Books said that he treated people the way he expected to be treated. Sound familiar?
Afterthought: Can anyone give me the scripture reference for "Blessed are the tithe payers, for they shall be coddled and appeased"?
WILL THE REAL OWNER PLEASE STAND UP
Imagine that you have a savings account, at the bank, and it contains...say...$20,000. You enter the bank and attempt to withdraw your money and close your account. How do they respond? Do they argue with you and try to convince you that they need the money and that they have done a good job with it thus far, or try to convince you that it really belongs to them? What they do is that they get your money, for you, and are very friendly and helpful in the process. They understand that you allowed them to use your assets, that they benefited from the use of them and if they show appreciation, you may continue to bank with them, in the future.
Why is it then that we balk at the idea that, although everything we have was given us by the hand of our heavenly father, of God asking to use something that he supplied to us? He gave us our spouse, our kids, our talents and abilities, our job, our health, etc. Although he does not need our permission to take back all that he has left on deposit, with us, it pleases him when we come and lay it all at his feet. We proclaim that we give him our everything, but are these words merely platitudes? Is it akin to saying to someone "I would do anything for you" while actually meaning "If I can do something for you that isn't too inconvenient for me, and doesn't cost me too much, blah, blah, blah...then just ask, and I will try to get around to it when I can"?
God doesn't want us to bring all that we have and lay it at his feet. Instead, what he desires is that we bring everything we have and lie at his feet, with all that we have. After all, nothing that we have, including ourselves, came from any source, other than him. Why would we not give him what is really his to begin with?
Why is it then that we balk at the idea that, although everything we have was given us by the hand of our heavenly father, of God asking to use something that he supplied to us? He gave us our spouse, our kids, our talents and abilities, our job, our health, etc. Although he does not need our permission to take back all that he has left on deposit, with us, it pleases him when we come and lay it all at his feet. We proclaim that we give him our everything, but are these words merely platitudes? Is it akin to saying to someone "I would do anything for you" while actually meaning "If I can do something for you that isn't too inconvenient for me, and doesn't cost me too much, blah, blah, blah...then just ask, and I will try to get around to it when I can"?
God doesn't want us to bring all that we have and lay it at his feet. Instead, what he desires is that we bring everything we have and lie at his feet, with all that we have. After all, nothing that we have, including ourselves, came from any source, other than him. Why would we not give him what is really his to begin with?
Thursday, January 13, 2011
"Wish I could go back and..."
Ever let those words fly out of your mouth? Ever realize that you made a bad choice and wish that you could just go back and have a do-over? So many times, I could have made better choices, but experience is gained from poor choices in order to reduce the amount of poor choices we make in the future. I heard that somewhere, but really doubt its validity. After all, we do learn from those choices in order to keep from repeat offenses, but there are so many different things, in life, that requires choosing that they are often unrelated and therefore the prior lessons seldom apply to the current situation, right?
So I was lying in bed and my mind started with this thought barrage. If I could go back and change one thing in my life, what would it be? One thing led to another, and I realized that there were many things that could be listed. If I had the opportunity to go back and changes failures into successes, would I?
I am a big fan of time travel movies, Back To The Future is one of my favorites. This past year, I re-read The Time Machine by H.G. Wells. I even spoke to my science class about the catastrophic outcome that would be the result if time travel was possible. If I, by traveling back in time, changed one single thing in history, the effect would be exponential. Here's an example: Let's look at a scene without time travel and then with. Your grandfather is walking down a city sidewalk. He spots a diner and decides that, due to the warm weather, it would be nice to pop in and enjoy a nice refreshing drink. He enters, sits at one of two unoccupied seats at the counter, orders, and enjoys his drink. A minute after he enters, another man enters the store and, seeing only one seat remains at the counter, decides to sit at a table. Half a minute later, a young lady walks in, sees an open seat at the counter and sitting down next to your future grandfather, looks at a menu. "Wow! What a looker!" Your grandfather (who is only 20 years old at the time) sees his chance and seizes the opportunity. He strikes up a conversation with the pretty young lady and the rest, as they say, is history. You know this story because you asked your grandfather "Grandpa, how did you and Grandma meet?" Now, let's look at the alternative: I travel back in time and, as I walk down the street, I stop a young man and ask him for directions (it just happens to be your grandfather). This delays him for only a little over a minute; a fraction of time really. Afterward, he continues down the sidewalk, and enters the diner, a step behind another man. There are two open seats available at the counter but the man in front of him chooses one. To keep from crowding in, your grandfather chooses to sit at a table. Half a minute later, a young lady walks in, sees an open seat at the counter and sitting down, looks at a menu. Your great-grandfather (who is only 20 years old at the time) sees her, but also sees his choice of the table, with no crowding and plenty of room as good, and seizes the opportunity to read the newspaper, which he can spread out on the table. He strikes up a short conversation with the older waitress, and glancing back at the young lady, at the counter, thinks to himself "Wow! What a looker! If I were sitting next to her, I would definitely talk to her" and the rest, as they say, is history. You never exist.
So if I go back and change things, then everything after that point is also changed. If I had not been in that place, at that time, then I would not have met my wife and... Sure I would have met someone and had kids, etc, but they would have been different kids. Understand? Had I chosen to go to college after high school, instead of waiting until I was 38 years old...If, If, If. Had my wife's mother not died when Tammy was five years old, and she had not spent time in a children's home, and not been raised by her grandparents, and not been at that place and time...
So, what is the point? We look back on past mistakes and wish that we could have done things differently. That's normal. To wish that we had made better choices and said things differently, handled things another way, or acted in a more upstanding manner. The point is, we can't go back. If we did, we would foul things up even worse. Why worry about the past while navigating the future? Is there scripture, for this, you ask? Why of course there is. Here's one: Philippians 3:12-14 (New Living Translation) I don’t mean to say that I have already achieved these things or that I have already reached perfection. But I press on to possess that perfection for which Christ Jesus first possessed me. No, dear brothers and sisters, I have not achieved it, but I focus on this one thing: Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead, I press on to reach the end of the race and receive the heavenly prize for which God, through Christ Jesus, is calling us.
We should strive to make right choices; to pave a path that will take us forward, that will allow us to look back and say "Well done."
So I was lying in bed and my mind started with this thought barrage. If I could go back and change one thing in my life, what would it be? One thing led to another, and I realized that there were many things that could be listed. If I had the opportunity to go back and changes failures into successes, would I?
I am a big fan of time travel movies, Back To The Future is one of my favorites. This past year, I re-read The Time Machine by H.G. Wells. I even spoke to my science class about the catastrophic outcome that would be the result if time travel was possible. If I, by traveling back in time, changed one single thing in history, the effect would be exponential. Here's an example: Let's look at a scene without time travel and then with. Your grandfather is walking down a city sidewalk. He spots a diner and decides that, due to the warm weather, it would be nice to pop in and enjoy a nice refreshing drink. He enters, sits at one of two unoccupied seats at the counter, orders, and enjoys his drink. A minute after he enters, another man enters the store and, seeing only one seat remains at the counter, decides to sit at a table. Half a minute later, a young lady walks in, sees an open seat at the counter and sitting down next to your future grandfather, looks at a menu. "Wow! What a looker!" Your grandfather (who is only 20 years old at the time) sees his chance and seizes the opportunity. He strikes up a conversation with the pretty young lady and the rest, as they say, is history. You know this story because you asked your grandfather "Grandpa, how did you and Grandma meet?" Now, let's look at the alternative: I travel back in time and, as I walk down the street, I stop a young man and ask him for directions (it just happens to be your grandfather). This delays him for only a little over a minute; a fraction of time really. Afterward, he continues down the sidewalk, and enters the diner, a step behind another man. There are two open seats available at the counter but the man in front of him chooses one. To keep from crowding in, your grandfather chooses to sit at a table. Half a minute later, a young lady walks in, sees an open seat at the counter and sitting down, looks at a menu. Your great-grandfather (who is only 20 years old at the time) sees her, but also sees his choice of the table, with no crowding and plenty of room as good, and seizes the opportunity to read the newspaper, which he can spread out on the table. He strikes up a short conversation with the older waitress, and glancing back at the young lady, at the counter, thinks to himself "Wow! What a looker! If I were sitting next to her, I would definitely talk to her" and the rest, as they say, is history. You never exist.
So if I go back and change things, then everything after that point is also changed. If I had not been in that place, at that time, then I would not have met my wife and... Sure I would have met someone and had kids, etc, but they would have been different kids. Understand? Had I chosen to go to college after high school, instead of waiting until I was 38 years old...If, If, If. Had my wife's mother not died when Tammy was five years old, and she had not spent time in a children's home, and not been raised by her grandparents, and not been at that place and time...
So, what is the point? We look back on past mistakes and wish that we could have done things differently. That's normal. To wish that we had made better choices and said things differently, handled things another way, or acted in a more upstanding manner. The point is, we can't go back. If we did, we would foul things up even worse. Why worry about the past while navigating the future? Is there scripture, for this, you ask? Why of course there is. Here's one: Philippians 3:12-14 (New Living Translation) I don’t mean to say that I have already achieved these things or that I have already reached perfection. But I press on to possess that perfection for which Christ Jesus first possessed me. No, dear brothers and sisters, I have not achieved it, but I focus on this one thing: Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead, I press on to reach the end of the race and receive the heavenly prize for which God, through Christ Jesus, is calling us.
We should strive to make right choices; to pave a path that will take us forward, that will allow us to look back and say "Well done."
Tuesday, January 11, 2011
Being Saved, But Not Quite There
1 Corinthians 1:18 For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.
Acts 2:47 all the while praising God and enjoying the goodwill of all the people. And each day the Lord added to their fellowship those who were being saved.
2 Corinthians 2:15 Our lives are a Christ-like fragrance rising up to God. But this fragrance is perceived differently by those who are being saved and by those who are perishing.
2 Corinthians 2:16 To those who are perishing, we are a dreadful smell of death and doom. But to those who are being saved, we are a life-giving perfume. And who is adequate for such a task as this?
Now for a message that is sure to get someone's theological panties in a twist. I have been asked, as many of you no doubt have, "Are you saved?" To which I sometimes answer "Not yet." This usually brings about a stunned look or further questions about my salvation. I then tell them that I have been "born again" (as Jesus explained to Nicodemus in John 3:3), but I am being saved.
Imagine that you were on a journey and that you came to a lake. You survey the lake and decide that to go around the lake would take much too long. You decide, instead, that straight across the lake is much quicker. You judge that the distance across the lake is not so far as to be beyond the limits of your ability to swim, therefore, you step in and take off. As you continue to swim, you realize that you may have bitten off more than you can chew. Eventually, you come to the realization that you will not be able to make it all the way across, but you have come much too far to go back. You have overestimated you abilities. As you struggle to keep your head above water, you hear a noise, and turning you see me coming along side in a motorboat. After the obligatory howdys and hellos, I ask "Do you need some assistance? When you get to shore, you have to enter the port on a vessel. The harbor master insists on this and allows no swimmers to enter."At this point, you have an important choice to make. You can either accept my help or continue on your own. To reject assistance is to choose drowning, of course, but there is always a choice and some would rather die trying than admit their mistake and accept help from another.
So the choice is made to enter the boat. Is the swimmer saved? I would say that salvation is attained upon reaching the shoreline. Let's continue along the journey. The swimmer (you) decide that you are rested and decide that you can make it on your own. I advise that you should remain in the boat. I explain that I am the biggest, toughest sailor around and that no one would be able to force you out of the boat, with me as its captain. No one can "take you out of my hand" I explain. But you have decided that you don't really need my help. "After all," you argue, "I was doing quite well on my own. And besides, your boat has quite too many rules for me. You want to control me and place boundaries on my life. To ride in your boat, you say that I have to follow your guidelines. Rules, rules, rules!" Splash! You dive back in and, with renewed vigor, you swim toward shore. As you swim away, I shout to you "I am here when you need me. Just call me and I will pull you into the boat." "You just call out my name, and you know where ever I am, I'll come runnin"...sorry, had a musical moment there.
ADD moment...I used to run. I learned that if I ran a long distance and then stopped to rest, my muscles would tighten up and it would be harder to start running again.
So you are swimming again. Of course you become tired again (after all, its my story. You didn't think I was going to let you be superman and ruin my allegory, did you?) and realize that you are not going to make it. Again with the choices...like Déjà vu, all over again. Choose life (in the boat) or death. Getting the picture? The Apostle Paul stated that we are in a race that must be finished. He spoke of completing not of being complete. He said that we are being saved. We do not loose our free will when we accept Christ. Some people have asked me "Why would anyone choose to stop following Christ?" as an argument that we can't. Who would choose to have their marriage dissolve when they have found the person that they love and choose to spend the rest of their life with? But it happens. People often neglect their relationship and grow apart, eventually being so far apart that they are no longer in a relationship. We do this same thing with Christ. At first, we are excited and tell everyone about this wonderful new relationship. Then we neglect the relationship and allow others to vie for our attention. We spend so much time with these other relationships that they become more important to us. He (Christ) stands there and pleads for you to return, but you have lost interest. Maybe, later on, you will come to realize what you have lost and desire to renew the relationship, but in reality, if you no longer hear him calling out to you, you will never (can never) respond.
Once the boat has reached the harbor, without you, you are left in the open ocean with no way to approach the harbor. You eventually parish.
Acts 2:47 all the while praising God and enjoying the goodwill of all the people. And each day the Lord added to their fellowship those who were being saved.
2 Corinthians 2:15 Our lives are a Christ-like fragrance rising up to God. But this fragrance is perceived differently by those who are being saved and by those who are perishing.
2 Corinthians 2:16 To those who are perishing, we are a dreadful smell of death and doom. But to those who are being saved, we are a life-giving perfume. And who is adequate for such a task as this?
Now for a message that is sure to get someone's theological panties in a twist. I have been asked, as many of you no doubt have, "Are you saved?" To which I sometimes answer "Not yet." This usually brings about a stunned look or further questions about my salvation. I then tell them that I have been "born again" (as Jesus explained to Nicodemus in John 3:3), but I am being saved.
Imagine that you were on a journey and that you came to a lake. You survey the lake and decide that to go around the lake would take much too long. You decide, instead, that straight across the lake is much quicker. You judge that the distance across the lake is not so far as to be beyond the limits of your ability to swim, therefore, you step in and take off. As you continue to swim, you realize that you may have bitten off more than you can chew. Eventually, you come to the realization that you will not be able to make it all the way across, but you have come much too far to go back. You have overestimated you abilities. As you struggle to keep your head above water, you hear a noise, and turning you see me coming along side in a motorboat. After the obligatory howdys and hellos, I ask "Do you need some assistance? When you get to shore, you have to enter the port on a vessel. The harbor master insists on this and allows no swimmers to enter."At this point, you have an important choice to make. You can either accept my help or continue on your own. To reject assistance is to choose drowning, of course, but there is always a choice and some would rather die trying than admit their mistake and accept help from another.
So the choice is made to enter the boat. Is the swimmer saved? I would say that salvation is attained upon reaching the shoreline. Let's continue along the journey. The swimmer (you) decide that you are rested and decide that you can make it on your own. I advise that you should remain in the boat. I explain that I am the biggest, toughest sailor around and that no one would be able to force you out of the boat, with me as its captain. No one can "take you out of my hand" I explain. But you have decided that you don't really need my help. "After all," you argue, "I was doing quite well on my own. And besides, your boat has quite too many rules for me. You want to control me and place boundaries on my life. To ride in your boat, you say that I have to follow your guidelines. Rules, rules, rules!" Splash! You dive back in and, with renewed vigor, you swim toward shore. As you swim away, I shout to you "I am here when you need me. Just call me and I will pull you into the boat." "You just call out my name, and you know where ever I am, I'll come runnin"...sorry, had a musical moment there.
ADD moment...I used to run. I learned that if I ran a long distance and then stopped to rest, my muscles would tighten up and it would be harder to start running again.
So you are swimming again. Of course you become tired again (after all, its my story. You didn't think I was going to let you be superman and ruin my allegory, did you?) and realize that you are not going to make it. Again with the choices...like Déjà vu, all over again. Choose life (in the boat) or death. Getting the picture? The Apostle Paul stated that we are in a race that must be finished. He spoke of completing not of being complete. He said that we are being saved. We do not loose our free will when we accept Christ. Some people have asked me "Why would anyone choose to stop following Christ?" as an argument that we can't. Who would choose to have their marriage dissolve when they have found the person that they love and choose to spend the rest of their life with? But it happens. People often neglect their relationship and grow apart, eventually being so far apart that they are no longer in a relationship. We do this same thing with Christ. At first, we are excited and tell everyone about this wonderful new relationship. Then we neglect the relationship and allow others to vie for our attention. We spend so much time with these other relationships that they become more important to us. He (Christ) stands there and pleads for you to return, but you have lost interest. Maybe, later on, you will come to realize what you have lost and desire to renew the relationship, but in reality, if you no longer hear him calling out to you, you will never (can never) respond.
Once the boat has reached the harbor, without you, you are left in the open ocean with no way to approach the harbor. You eventually parish.
The Magician
I really enjoy watching a good magician. I know that they have no real magical powers, but they do have some powers. They have the power to entertain me, and they have the power, or ability, to deceive me. This is a good deception though. I know that I am being deceived and I'm good with that. That's the whole idea. For many years, I was a performing, small-time, magician. I did parties, church groups, and schools. I had a good time performing. My enjoyment came from watching the faces of those who discovered, too late, that they had been deceived. The better a magician can deceive, the better they are as a magician. After all, who wants to watch a magician if you can see through all their tricks. That would be boring, or worse yet...annoying.
I remember one show I did, in particular where I was the entertainment, at a church dinner. One of tricks I performed consisted of having a volunteer choose a card from a deck of cards. They showed the card to the audience and placed it back in the deck. I went through a series of deck shuffles and then I would cut the deck and show them their card. Every time I shuffled the deck, I could cut the deck and reveal their card. I finally revealed that the deck was made up entirely of their card choice, only to reshuffle and show that the deck was back to a normal deck, with all types of cards. They loved it. I ended by putting the deck away and asking the pastor "Pastor? Before dinner, did I give you anything and ask that you keep it until I asked for it?" "Yes." he responded. "What was it?" I asked. "A hymn book." he announced. "Would you please open it up and tell everyone what is hidden inside?" I requested. Upon opening the hymnal, he pulled out a playing card, held it up and told which card it was. I just happened to be the card that the volunteer had chosen from my deck of cards. They were amazed. I was not. I know the trick behind the trick. I was the deceiver and they were the deceived. It was quite simple, really. But is it not true that most people are easily deceived? I am a rank amateur when it comes to performing magic tricks. I could not compete with a Vegas professional.
Now the spiritual side of this whole thing. How long has Satan, the deceiver, been practicing and perfecting his performance? How easy is it for him to deceive those that sit and watch his performance of smoke and mirrors and sleight-of-hand? I will watch and rewatch a magician's performance, even in slow motion, in order to figure out how he pulls off the seemingly impossible. Sometimes I can figure it out and sometimes I can't. But I always watch. Even if I figure out what he is doing, I can usually admire his ability to do it.
Then there is Satan. Not many people talk about him anymore. Many preachers are willing to talk about the love, grace and mercy of God (those are happy and nice), but fail to temper their sermons with a reminder that Satan is a very real threat to the future security of us all. Some have allowed their message to become so twisted that "the great magician" has been all but nullified. I am aware that Satan is not the equal/opposite of God or Jesus, the Christ. He is more the equal/opposite of Michael, the Messenger angel. But, he was given dominion over the Earth and the opportunity to influence us away from a right relationship with the father (God). This past Sunday, our pastor was preaching and stated "...you can't flirt with the devil and look like Christ..." Good point. I would add that unless you already know all the tricks, you can't sit through a magician's performance and not be taken in every once in a while.
Here are a few of the tricks that I have already figured out: Let's call the first one the ol' "Confuse them by agreeing with them" or "agree with them till it hurts...them" trick. If you can convince people that they are safe, then they will not attempt to reach safety. If you convince me that I already have purchased my ticket, then why would I spend the additional funds to procure another? So instead of trying to get people to avoid accepting Christ, Satan whispers in our ears "Go ahead. All you have to do is 'believe, and you will be saved'. You don't have to do anything else. Scripture says that you are saved by faith alone and not by works, so that you can't brag about what you did. Don't worry. Christ will change the things that are wrong with you and if he doesn't change it then it must be OK. You got 'saved' when you were young and your preacher told you that Christ died for all your sins. That means that past, present, and future sins are taken care of, so don't sweat it. You're good to go. Have fun and live your life free of worry. After all, God wants you to be happy and we all know that a loving god would never send anyone to hell." Did you see that? Did you see how the magician was so close? How he made the trick look like the reality? How if you didn't pay close attention, you might have been taken in by the sleight-of-hand? How what is real is combined with just enough deception to fool us into thinking that what we saw was what we saw? Exactly.
How about the "Crowds don't lie" or the "herd mentality" trick. Oh, that's a good one. The premise is this: a crowd offers the magician accomplices with which to sway the opinions of the holdouts in the crowd. Here's the magician's patter ("The dialogue used in the performance of an effect. Patter styles may differ from magicians to magicians - some prefer a serious patter, while others opt for a light hearted humorous patter to relax the audience and try to catch them off guard.-www.road2magic.com/magic-articles/glossary-of-magic-terms"): "All of you see what I have in my hand" he states. To which we all answer "Yes." Those who disagree will seldom disagree publicly, but will instead concur and 'go along with the crowd' for fear of standing out and inviting ridicule. It becomes easier to 'go with the flow' of popular misconception then to stand out , as an analytical self-thinker, and draw fire from the masses. What would happen, during a magician's performance, if one person stood up and stated "but, I saw how you really did the trick." (Magicians hate that, by the way.) People would ridicule the standout for the "anti-go-along" statement. "Why don't you just shut up and sit down" they might respond. Then the person either stands their ground or quietly sits and conforms to the crowd. No one else will speak out now. They know what will happen. They don't wish to be a Martin Luther or John Calvin. The mantra of this trick becomes "You gotta go along to get along." Most of the magician's audience will assume that "They can't all be wrong. I must have been mistaken." When discussing denominational dogma, I have actually been told "How can all those people be wrong?"
If Satan , through his messengers, can convince people (although scripture says that killing oneself is a murder, for which one has no opportunity to ask for forgiveness) that it is God's will that I kill myself in order to go to heaven, then what else is he capable of? Sure, people drinking kool-aid or eating pudding in order to meet the mother ship to heaven is the extreme, but what about the "live like hell, going to heaven" misconception?
So, you say "OK Michael. That's all well and good, but what can I do to avoid deception?" Well, what I have found is, learn the tricks, watch the magician closely and hang out with others who are doing the same. Sometimes my fellow audience member/magician "figureouter" will catch something that I have missed. Also, I have found that it is important to not be distracted by those the deceiver/magician has employed as assistants or brought on stage as volunteers. These a can include family, friends, ministry workers, etc. Just because someone is employed as a pastor does not mean they are teaching the right thing. I have met many who mean well, but are lacking in knowledge and others who are down right evil. When you find a pastor who loves God, studies the word, and is insistent on truth over fiction, you have found a real treasure. Also, know the truth (investigate on your own) so that you will recognize untruth, when you see it. When I was in the Army, we had to learn to recognize friendly aircraft and vehicles, as well as unfriendlies. We had to be able to spot the enemy and know the difference in order for survival.
Go ahead. Enjoy watching that magician. I do. But remember, there is more there than meets the eye. Camaflauge is successful, when it works. Ask a deer.
I remember one show I did, in particular where I was the entertainment, at a church dinner. One of tricks I performed consisted of having a volunteer choose a card from a deck of cards. They showed the card to the audience and placed it back in the deck. I went through a series of deck shuffles and then I would cut the deck and show them their card. Every time I shuffled the deck, I could cut the deck and reveal their card. I finally revealed that the deck was made up entirely of their card choice, only to reshuffle and show that the deck was back to a normal deck, with all types of cards. They loved it. I ended by putting the deck away and asking the pastor "Pastor? Before dinner, did I give you anything and ask that you keep it until I asked for it?" "Yes." he responded. "What was it?" I asked. "A hymn book." he announced. "Would you please open it up and tell everyone what is hidden inside?" I requested. Upon opening the hymnal, he pulled out a playing card, held it up and told which card it was. I just happened to be the card that the volunteer had chosen from my deck of cards. They were amazed. I was not. I know the trick behind the trick. I was the deceiver and they were the deceived. It was quite simple, really. But is it not true that most people are easily deceived? I am a rank amateur when it comes to performing magic tricks. I could not compete with a Vegas professional.
Now the spiritual side of this whole thing. How long has Satan, the deceiver, been practicing and perfecting his performance? How easy is it for him to deceive those that sit and watch his performance of smoke and mirrors and sleight-of-hand? I will watch and rewatch a magician's performance, even in slow motion, in order to figure out how he pulls off the seemingly impossible. Sometimes I can figure it out and sometimes I can't. But I always watch. Even if I figure out what he is doing, I can usually admire his ability to do it.
Then there is Satan. Not many people talk about him anymore. Many preachers are willing to talk about the love, grace and mercy of God (those are happy and nice), but fail to temper their sermons with a reminder that Satan is a very real threat to the future security of us all. Some have allowed their message to become so twisted that "the great magician" has been all but nullified. I am aware that Satan is not the equal/opposite of God or Jesus, the Christ. He is more the equal/opposite of Michael, the Messenger angel. But, he was given dominion over the Earth and the opportunity to influence us away from a right relationship with the father (God). This past Sunday, our pastor was preaching and stated "...you can't flirt with the devil and look like Christ..." Good point. I would add that unless you already know all the tricks, you can't sit through a magician's performance and not be taken in every once in a while.
Here are a few of the tricks that I have already figured out: Let's call the first one the ol' "Confuse them by agreeing with them" or "agree with them till it hurts...them" trick. If you can convince people that they are safe, then they will not attempt to reach safety. If you convince me that I already have purchased my ticket, then why would I spend the additional funds to procure another? So instead of trying to get people to avoid accepting Christ, Satan whispers in our ears "Go ahead. All you have to do is 'believe, and you will be saved'. You don't have to do anything else. Scripture says that you are saved by faith alone and not by works, so that you can't brag about what you did. Don't worry. Christ will change the things that are wrong with you and if he doesn't change it then it must be OK. You got 'saved' when you were young and your preacher told you that Christ died for all your sins. That means that past, present, and future sins are taken care of, so don't sweat it. You're good to go. Have fun and live your life free of worry. After all, God wants you to be happy and we all know that a loving god would never send anyone to hell." Did you see that? Did you see how the magician was so close? How he made the trick look like the reality? How if you didn't pay close attention, you might have been taken in by the sleight-of-hand? How what is real is combined with just enough deception to fool us into thinking that what we saw was what we saw? Exactly.
How about the "Crowds don't lie" or the "herd mentality" trick. Oh, that's a good one. The premise is this: a crowd offers the magician accomplices with which to sway the opinions of the holdouts in the crowd. Here's the magician's patter ("The dialogue used in the performance of an effect. Patter styles may differ from magicians to magicians - some prefer a serious patter, while others opt for a light hearted humorous patter to relax the audience and try to catch them off guard.-www.road2magic.com/magic-articles/glossary-of-magic-terms"): "All of you see what I have in my hand" he states. To which we all answer "Yes." Those who disagree will seldom disagree publicly, but will instead concur and 'go along with the crowd' for fear of standing out and inviting ridicule. It becomes easier to 'go with the flow' of popular misconception then to stand out , as an analytical self-thinker, and draw fire from the masses. What would happen, during a magician's performance, if one person stood up and stated "but, I saw how you really did the trick." (Magicians hate that, by the way.) People would ridicule the standout for the "anti-go-along" statement. "Why don't you just shut up and sit down" they might respond. Then the person either stands their ground or quietly sits and conforms to the crowd. No one else will speak out now. They know what will happen. They don't wish to be a Martin Luther or John Calvin. The mantra of this trick becomes "You gotta go along to get along." Most of the magician's audience will assume that "They can't all be wrong. I must have been mistaken." When discussing denominational dogma, I have actually been told "How can all those people be wrong?"
If Satan , through his messengers, can convince people (although scripture says that killing oneself is a murder, for which one has no opportunity to ask for forgiveness) that it is God's will that I kill myself in order to go to heaven, then what else is he capable of? Sure, people drinking kool-aid or eating pudding in order to meet the mother ship to heaven is the extreme, but what about the "live like hell, going to heaven" misconception?
So, you say "OK Michael. That's all well and good, but what can I do to avoid deception?" Well, what I have found is, learn the tricks, watch the magician closely and hang out with others who are doing the same. Sometimes my fellow audience member/magician "figureouter" will catch something that I have missed. Also, I have found that it is important to not be distracted by those the deceiver/magician has employed as assistants or brought on stage as volunteers. These a can include family, friends, ministry workers, etc. Just because someone is employed as a pastor does not mean they are teaching the right thing. I have met many who mean well, but are lacking in knowledge and others who are down right evil. When you find a pastor who loves God, studies the word, and is insistent on truth over fiction, you have found a real treasure. Also, know the truth (investigate on your own) so that you will recognize untruth, when you see it. When I was in the Army, we had to learn to recognize friendly aircraft and vehicles, as well as unfriendlies. We had to be able to spot the enemy and know the difference in order for survival.
Go ahead. Enjoy watching that magician. I do. But remember, there is more there than meets the eye. Camaflauge is successful, when it works. Ask a deer.
Friday, January 7, 2011
The Big Picture: A Matter of Perspective
This is going to take more than one post. I can already tell, by all that is going through my mind and spirit.
First, let me say that if you are looking for a chance to nit pic and find errors, you came to the right place. Sorta. What I mean is this: If you read this, or anything, trying to find things that you disagree with, then you will be successful in finding things that you disagree with. I am perfectly willing for you to point those things out, by the way. I just would like you to be able to read this with the same mind that I wrote it.
I have heard the questions "Why do bad things happen to good people?" and "Why does God allow bad things to happen to Christians?" We suffer from limited visibility (1 Corinthians 13:12 [New Living Translation] Now we see things imperfectly as in a cloudy mirror, but then we will see everything with perfect clarity. All that I know now is partial and incomplete, but then I will know everything completely, just as God now knows me completely.)
I have two sons. They are now grown, but when they were very young I tried to instill discipline in them. I required them to do certain chores around the house. One of those was cleaning their bedroom. Let's say that I gave my son the following instruction: "Son, go clean your bedroom. When you finish, I will take you to get an ice cream. If you don't do it, you will be punished." (Of course this is oversimplified, but you get the point). My son has a choice. He can choose to clean his room or he can choose not to. I cannot 'make' him clean his room. I can only motivate him to do so. Let's say that he chooses to clean his room. I then have a choice to make. I can honor my word or go back on it (that would make me a liar), but of course I take him for an ice cream. I'm not a jerk, ya know. What if he had chosen not to clean his room? I still have a choice to make: to punish or not to punish. If I don't punish him, wouldn't that also make me a liar? Therefore, I follow through and he learns that his ol' dad is a man of his word. He also learns other valuable lessons, like following the rules, etc. So... his punishment...was it a bad thing or a good thing? You probably agree that it is a matter of perspective, right. From his childlike point-of-view, his punishment is a bad thing. After all, they don't call good things "punishment", do they? However, from the dad's perspective, his punishment taught him valuable lessons that will serve him well in the future. Are you with me so far? So here's a short list of some "bad" things: homework, getting a shot at the Dr's office, having to go to school, eating vegetables, following your parent's rules, taking a bath, etc. Now for a short list of "good" things: homework (helps us practice skills and prepare for lessons), getting a shot at the Dr's office (helps in healing and/or prevention), having to go to school (to get an education or participate in sports, music, etc), eating vegetables (makes us healthier), following your parent's rules (teaches discipline, prepares us for adulthood, etc), taking a bath (duh! who wants to be stinky and gross?), etc. Another, short, example: Years ago, I went to Army Basic Training. Our drill sergeants made us do push-ups for any minor infraction. "This Private is looking at me." Everybody drop and give me 20 push-ups!" "You didn't move fast enough. Drop and give me 20!" "You are moving too fast. Drop and give me 20!" At the time I thought that these Drill Sergeants were mean to us. I began to realize that whether we did anything wrong or not, we were going to be made to do push-ups. This seemed like a bad thing to the recruits who were being screamed at. As an adult, I can see that the Sergeants were doing it for our own good. How would I feel if I were dropped into combat and was out of shape and couldn't keep up? They wanted us to reach our peak performance. That is a good thing. It was and is a matter of perspective.
Real life...early 1985. I was in the Army, stationed at a training post, as an instructor. Because it is hard to gain rank (get a promotion) at a training post, and because I wanted to get out and see the world, I requested and received a transfer to Italy, effective in the fall of that year. I had once been engaged (to Tammy), but no longer was and had not seen her in over a year. I accepted Christ in June of ‘85. On July 5th, I had a motorcycle accident that put me in ICU and traction. I was in the hospital for over a month (for the first stay), home for a month of convalescent leave, then back to the hospital for another month. I experienced two surgeries the first month, one during the second stay, and two more to follow. While I was in the hospital, the first time, I was questioning why God would allow this terrible thing to happen to me. After all, I had just become a Christian. I was now one of the good guys, right? My sister sent me a letter. In it, she stated that we may not understand why things happen the way that they do, but that God has a reason for allowing them. What I did not know, at the time, was that Tammy had been thinking about me (or should I say us?) and had decided to pray for guidance. She later told me that she prayed “God, if we are meant to be together, then he will be single and still be stationed where he was, when we last talked.” You could say that she followed Gideon’s example and laid a fleece before the Lord. When she contacted me, Thanksgiving weekend at my parents’ home, she found that, due to my accident, my orders to ship out had been rescinded, and I had broken up with the non-believer I had been dating, shortly after accepting Christ (that relationship was anything but pleasing to God). Well, here we are (Tammy and I), 25 years later, married. I never went to Europe, but it’s been a great ride all these years. Was having that accident a bad thing? I guess it depends on your perspective. Had it not occurred, I would have been in Italy and Tammy would have taken that as her answer from God. I would not have the two sons I now have. How many other things would be different?
Why do Christians get cancer? Why do they die? Many of the things that that we experience are due to the choices that we make. There are very few “real” accidents in life. Most are self-inflicted results of choice. But, if what we are experiencing is not of our own making, then I desire to have the fortitude to accept that my heavenly father has a plan for me and the confidence to trust his guiding hand upon my life. After all, I did say “I’m yours, Lord.” What right do I have to tell him what to do with his stuff? God sees the big picture while I have limited visibility and can only see what touches me directly, in the here and now. My arguing with God would be tantamount to a 3-year-old arguing about bath time. When it’s my time to cross Jordon, I hope that I can say “I am ready Lord. Your will be done.”
First, let me say that if you are looking for a chance to nit pic and find errors, you came to the right place. Sorta. What I mean is this: If you read this, or anything, trying to find things that you disagree with, then you will be successful in finding things that you disagree with. I am perfectly willing for you to point those things out, by the way. I just would like you to be able to read this with the same mind that I wrote it.
I have heard the questions "Why do bad things happen to good people?" and "Why does God allow bad things to happen to Christians?" We suffer from limited visibility (1 Corinthians 13:12 [New Living Translation] Now we see things imperfectly as in a cloudy mirror, but then we will see everything with perfect clarity. All that I know now is partial and incomplete, but then I will know everything completely, just as God now knows me completely.)
I have two sons. They are now grown, but when they were very young I tried to instill discipline in them. I required them to do certain chores around the house. One of those was cleaning their bedroom. Let's say that I gave my son the following instruction: "Son, go clean your bedroom. When you finish, I will take you to get an ice cream. If you don't do it, you will be punished." (Of course this is oversimplified, but you get the point). My son has a choice. He can choose to clean his room or he can choose not to. I cannot 'make' him clean his room. I can only motivate him to do so. Let's say that he chooses to clean his room. I then have a choice to make. I can honor my word or go back on it (that would make me a liar), but of course I take him for an ice cream. I'm not a jerk, ya know. What if he had chosen not to clean his room? I still have a choice to make: to punish or not to punish. If I don't punish him, wouldn't that also make me a liar? Therefore, I follow through and he learns that his ol' dad is a man of his word. He also learns other valuable lessons, like following the rules, etc. So... his punishment...was it a bad thing or a good thing? You probably agree that it is a matter of perspective, right. From his childlike point-of-view, his punishment is a bad thing. After all, they don't call good things "punishment", do they? However, from the dad's perspective, his punishment taught him valuable lessons that will serve him well in the future. Are you with me so far? So here's a short list of some "bad" things: homework, getting a shot at the Dr's office, having to go to school, eating vegetables, following your parent's rules, taking a bath, etc. Now for a short list of "good" things: homework (helps us practice skills and prepare for lessons), getting a shot at the Dr's office (helps in healing and/or prevention), having to go to school (to get an education or participate in sports, music, etc), eating vegetables (makes us healthier), following your parent's rules (teaches discipline, prepares us for adulthood, etc), taking a bath (duh! who wants to be stinky and gross?), etc. Another, short, example: Years ago, I went to Army Basic Training. Our drill sergeants made us do push-ups for any minor infraction. "This Private is looking at me." Everybody drop and give me 20 push-ups!" "You didn't move fast enough. Drop and give me 20!" "You are moving too fast. Drop and give me 20!" At the time I thought that these Drill Sergeants were mean to us. I began to realize that whether we did anything wrong or not, we were going to be made to do push-ups. This seemed like a bad thing to the recruits who were being screamed at. As an adult, I can see that the Sergeants were doing it for our own good. How would I feel if I were dropped into combat and was out of shape and couldn't keep up? They wanted us to reach our peak performance. That is a good thing. It was and is a matter of perspective.
Real life...early 1985. I was in the Army, stationed at a training post, as an instructor. Because it is hard to gain rank (get a promotion) at a training post, and because I wanted to get out and see the world, I requested and received a transfer to Italy, effective in the fall of that year. I had once been engaged (to Tammy), but no longer was and had not seen her in over a year. I accepted Christ in June of ‘85. On July 5th, I had a motorcycle accident that put me in ICU and traction. I was in the hospital for over a month (for the first stay), home for a month of convalescent leave, then back to the hospital for another month. I experienced two surgeries the first month, one during the second stay, and two more to follow. While I was in the hospital, the first time, I was questioning why God would allow this terrible thing to happen to me. After all, I had just become a Christian. I was now one of the good guys, right? My sister sent me a letter. In it, she stated that we may not understand why things happen the way that they do, but that God has a reason for allowing them. What I did not know, at the time, was that Tammy had been thinking about me (or should I say us?) and had decided to pray for guidance. She later told me that she prayed “God, if we are meant to be together, then he will be single and still be stationed where he was, when we last talked.” You could say that she followed Gideon’s example and laid a fleece before the Lord. When she contacted me, Thanksgiving weekend at my parents’ home, she found that, due to my accident, my orders to ship out had been rescinded, and I had broken up with the non-believer I had been dating, shortly after accepting Christ (that relationship was anything but pleasing to God). Well, here we are (Tammy and I), 25 years later, married. I never went to Europe, but it’s been a great ride all these years. Was having that accident a bad thing? I guess it depends on your perspective. Had it not occurred, I would have been in Italy and Tammy would have taken that as her answer from God. I would not have the two sons I now have. How many other things would be different?
Why do Christians get cancer? Why do they die? Many of the things that that we experience are due to the choices that we make. There are very few “real” accidents in life. Most are self-inflicted results of choice. But, if what we are experiencing is not of our own making, then I desire to have the fortitude to accept that my heavenly father has a plan for me and the confidence to trust his guiding hand upon my life. After all, I did say “I’m yours, Lord.” What right do I have to tell him what to do with his stuff? God sees the big picture while I have limited visibility and can only see what touches me directly, in the here and now. My arguing with God would be tantamount to a 3-year-old arguing about bath time. When it’s my time to cross Jordon, I hope that I can say “I am ready Lord. Your will be done.”
Monday, January 3, 2011
Undercover Christianity: When believers disguise themselves as non-believers
If you have never watched the movie My Fair Lady, the check out this clip. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rdix8n_FksI
I do it. You do it. They do it, too. From time to time we "drop our guard", "forget who we are", "eat a big ol' bowl of stupid." We revert to our old nature and embarrass dad (or our Heavenly Father as you might say).
I remember watching the movie My Fair Lady. In the movie, "A misogynistic and snobbish phonetics professor agrees to a wager that he can take a flower girl and make her presentable in high society."-IMDB.com. Long story short, it works and the professor (Henry Higgins, played by Rex Harrison) wins the bet and falls in love with his beautiful protégé (Eliza Doolittle, played by Audrey Hepburn). It is a story of rebirth, as the caterpillar becomes a butterfly. Eliza, at first, pretends to be more sophisticated than she really is, but later becomes more sophisticated and no longer has to pretend. A good case of "fake it until you make it." In one particular scene, however, they visit the track to watch the horse races. This is meant to be a test case for Eliza's new self. An experiment to see how well she fits into the new social circle that she has been training for. All goes well until she gets caught up in the moment, lets her guard down and reverts to her old vernacular, shouting to the horse which she favors to "... come on Dover! come on Dover!!...move your bloomin' ass!!!!"
http://www.imdb.com/rg/VIDEO_PLAY/LINK//video/screenplay/vi3227451929/
ADD moment...I would like to preach a sermon about Christianity, but show My Fair Lady first. There are so many similarities between that movie and the Christian experience.
In a nutshell...I guess, in my mind, the difference in a true follower of Christ and a non-believer would be that a Christ-follower periodically blunders and reverts back to the sin that they are trying to purge from their lives, and a non-follower lives a lifestyle of sin without trying to purge it. I know there is more to it than that, but I like to use the K.I.S.S. method (Keep It Simple Stupid). If I am living my life with no regards to the teachings of Christ, then can I say that I am a Christian? If I try to appear more like a non-believer than a believer, what does that say about my walk with Christ? I know, I know...you are saying "But Michael, the Bible says...We are not supposed to judge people." You ever notice that when people are trying to defend themselves or others they say things like this, but when they know that they have made the right choice or are "on track", so to speak, they are very willing for you to judge them?
ADD moment...Some people know just enough scripture to use it out of context. Ain't that the truth.
If you look up all the times that the word judge is used in scripture (and I did) you will find times that peolpe are instructed not to judge, times when they are instructed to judge, and even times when it is said that Christians will someday judge angels (what's up with that?).
Christ's disciples were a rough group of guys. They ranged from blue-collar, working-class professional fishermen to a white-collar doctor; well respected and not-so-respected (Tax collector Matthew). Some of them were probably used to the rough and wild side of society. I have never read any accounts of Jesus' Disciples ever walking up to people and being abusive or mean. Nor did they party and sleep around. They weren't homosexual or manwhores. They did, however, try to copy what they saw in the actions and attitudes of the one they followed. I would have a hard time believing (I can hear the arguments already) that they would dress or try to appear more worldly. I can't see them out in the bars and pool hall or frequenting the tattoo parlors, unless it was to try and convert those who were found there. (I am not saying that shooting pool is a sin. I am not saying that a person with a tattoo can't accept Christ.)
Ever notice, when there are boundaries, some people will try and get as close to the line as they can. Legalism comes into play as they ask "Can I do this?" or "How far is too far?" Do I bring glory to Christ or do I bring shame. I would want my father to be proud of me. I don't want him to say "I love my son regardless of what he does."
So, should Christians (followers of the teachings of Christ, not the watered-down definition that most people use today) look and act differently from non-believers? You tell me. From everything that I read, in scripture, I am a "new creature" (2 Corinthians 5:17 NLT This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun!) Shouldn’t I be different from those who are of the old nature? Those who have sold out to this new life in Christ would say that there is a marked change that occurs in a person's life. So much so that others, in the Bible, could point out the Christ-followers. Do people see something different in me? In us? If I am changed, by the renewing of my mind, then why would I want to go back and imitate the life of my old nature?
I do it. You do it. They do it, too. From time to time we "drop our guard", "forget who we are", "eat a big ol' bowl of stupid." We revert to our old nature and embarrass dad (or our Heavenly Father as you might say).
I remember watching the movie My Fair Lady. In the movie, "A misogynistic and snobbish phonetics professor agrees to a wager that he can take a flower girl and make her presentable in high society."-IMDB.com. Long story short, it works and the professor (Henry Higgins, played by Rex Harrison) wins the bet and falls in love with his beautiful protégé (Eliza Doolittle, played by Audrey Hepburn). It is a story of rebirth, as the caterpillar becomes a butterfly. Eliza, at first, pretends to be more sophisticated than she really is, but later becomes more sophisticated and no longer has to pretend. A good case of "fake it until you make it." In one particular scene, however, they visit the track to watch the horse races. This is meant to be a test case for Eliza's new self. An experiment to see how well she fits into the new social circle that she has been training for. All goes well until she gets caught up in the moment, lets her guard down and reverts to her old vernacular, shouting to the horse which she favors to "... come on Dover! come on Dover!!...move your bloomin' ass!!!!"
http://www.imdb.com/rg/VIDEO_PLAY/LINK//video/screenplay/vi3227451929/
ADD moment...I would like to preach a sermon about Christianity, but show My Fair Lady first. There are so many similarities between that movie and the Christian experience.
In a nutshell...I guess, in my mind, the difference in a true follower of Christ and a non-believer would be that a Christ-follower periodically blunders and reverts back to the sin that they are trying to purge from their lives, and a non-follower lives a lifestyle of sin without trying to purge it. I know there is more to it than that, but I like to use the K.I.S.S. method (Keep It Simple Stupid). If I am living my life with no regards to the teachings of Christ, then can I say that I am a Christian? If I try to appear more like a non-believer than a believer, what does that say about my walk with Christ? I know, I know...you are saying "But Michael, the Bible says...We are not supposed to judge people." You ever notice that when people are trying to defend themselves or others they say things like this, but when they know that they have made the right choice or are "on track", so to speak, they are very willing for you to judge them?
ADD moment...Some people know just enough scripture to use it out of context. Ain't that the truth.
If you look up all the times that the word judge is used in scripture (and I did) you will find times that peolpe are instructed not to judge, times when they are instructed to judge, and even times when it is said that Christians will someday judge angels (what's up with that?).
Christ's disciples were a rough group of guys. They ranged from blue-collar, working-class professional fishermen to a white-collar doctor; well respected and not-so-respected (Tax collector Matthew). Some of them were probably used to the rough and wild side of society. I have never read any accounts of Jesus' Disciples ever walking up to people and being abusive or mean. Nor did they party and sleep around. They weren't homosexual or manwhores. They did, however, try to copy what they saw in the actions and attitudes of the one they followed. I would have a hard time believing (I can hear the arguments already) that they would dress or try to appear more worldly. I can't see them out in the bars and pool hall or frequenting the tattoo parlors, unless it was to try and convert those who were found there. (I am not saying that shooting pool is a sin. I am not saying that a person with a tattoo can't accept Christ.)
Ever notice, when there are boundaries, some people will try and get as close to the line as they can. Legalism comes into play as they ask "Can I do this?" or "How far is too far?" Do I bring glory to Christ or do I bring shame. I would want my father to be proud of me. I don't want him to say "I love my son regardless of what he does."
So, should Christians (followers of the teachings of Christ, not the watered-down definition that most people use today) look and act differently from non-believers? You tell me. From everything that I read, in scripture, I am a "new creature" (2 Corinthians 5:17 NLT This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun!) Shouldn’t I be different from those who are of the old nature? Those who have sold out to this new life in Christ would say that there is a marked change that occurs in a person's life. So much so that others, in the Bible, could point out the Christ-followers. Do people see something different in me? In us? If I am changed, by the renewing of my mind, then why would I want to go back and imitate the life of my old nature?
Understanding Nature: A prelude to A Study in Forgiveness
This blog is going to be different, I think. I am hunting for real answers, instead of just blogging what I have learned.
Some years back, I realized that I was expecting non-believers to follow the same rules of conduct that I believed were expected of believers. Why did I expect people to act contrary to their nature? I would not try and pet a lion or tiger, for I would fully expect that they would, in the least, bite me, or, in the most, devour me. I would never expect a new-born baby to lead a quite existence, but would rather prepare myself for crying that resulted from hunger or discomfort. So why would I expect adults to lead a life that was contrary to the nature that leads them? When a non-believer "does me wrong", why am I surprised or offended? What makes me feel that this person somehow owes me fairness or "right-doing"? Is my pride a factor? Do I feel that I deserve more? The Bible is clear when it speaks about us having a sin nature. We are all born with a nature that aligns us with the "father of perdition." Therefore, by nature, we all tend to lean toward wrong actions and attitude more than right. When we accept Christ into our lives, and begin to pattern our lives after his example and teachings, his nature begins to grow in us. Although I would like to say that the new purges the old, I cannot. Here, I am not referring to forgiveness. Merely the nature that guides our thoughts and actions. One might compare this mix of natures by taking a glass and filling it with cold coffee. If the coffee represented the sin nature and pure filtered water represented Christ's nature, then we could visualize what would happen if either or both were added to the glass. When an unbeliever accepts Christ, it is as though water is poured into the glass of coffee. The glass overflows and the contents are spilled out as it reaches and overtakes the rim of the glass. The more that this new believer studies and prays and grows more mature in the knowledge of Christ, the more water is poured into the glass and the more diluted the coffee becomes. If a person adds the things of Christ to their lives,(reading of scripture, prayer time, practicing the teachings of Christ) then water is added. If they add the things of the sin nature, then coffee is added. This is not to say works and deeds. This is more about spiritual maturity and relationship with Christ.
How many people are able to meet someone for the very first time and live for decades and be able to state that they "know" that person intimately. I have a hard time remembering names of people and have to rely on frequency of use to remember them. My students learn, rather quickly, that I experience difficulty in committing their names to memory in the first few weeks of school. It is only after I have spent time with them , conversed with them, learned details that will serve as memory markers that I can say that I know my students. When they are promoted to the next grade and I don't see them for a long while, can I honestly say that I "know" them. Not to any significant degree. Then how is it that a person can say that they know Christ when they have never invested any time to get to know him? If we never take the time to converse with him, spend time with him, etc. how can we "know" him?
My favorite author, of all time, is C.S. Lewis. I enjoy his writing. I have read many of his books. I have spent time listening to his ideas and thoughts, through his writings. The more that I read, the more that I feel that I "know" him. Get it?
If I continue to pour clean filtered water into my glass of coffee, eventually there will be little trace of the coffee. But, if I pour water in and periodically pour in more coffee, then whichever gets added more will influence the contents of the cup more and those who look at the cup will surely be able to judge whether or not the cup is useful (drinkable) or not. Should I not be able to look at a glass that is darkened by coffee and know that if I were to take a drink I would not be happy with the taste. After all, I despise coffee. If I see that the glass is not clear and I drink, do I have the right to curse the glass for tasting foul? Should I not have expected it?
Some years back, I realized that I was expecting non-believers to follow the same rules of conduct that I believed were expected of believers. Why did I expect people to act contrary to their nature? I would not try and pet a lion or tiger, for I would fully expect that they would, in the least, bite me, or, in the most, devour me. I would never expect a new-born baby to lead a quite existence, but would rather prepare myself for crying that resulted from hunger or discomfort. So why would I expect adults to lead a life that was contrary to the nature that leads them? When a non-believer "does me wrong", why am I surprised or offended? What makes me feel that this person somehow owes me fairness or "right-doing"? Is my pride a factor? Do I feel that I deserve more? The Bible is clear when it speaks about us having a sin nature. We are all born with a nature that aligns us with the "father of perdition." Therefore, by nature, we all tend to lean toward wrong actions and attitude more than right. When we accept Christ into our lives, and begin to pattern our lives after his example and teachings, his nature begins to grow in us. Although I would like to say that the new purges the old, I cannot. Here, I am not referring to forgiveness. Merely the nature that guides our thoughts and actions. One might compare this mix of natures by taking a glass and filling it with cold coffee. If the coffee represented the sin nature and pure filtered water represented Christ's nature, then we could visualize what would happen if either or both were added to the glass. When an unbeliever accepts Christ, it is as though water is poured into the glass of coffee. The glass overflows and the contents are spilled out as it reaches and overtakes the rim of the glass. The more that this new believer studies and prays and grows more mature in the knowledge of Christ, the more water is poured into the glass and the more diluted the coffee becomes. If a person adds the things of Christ to their lives,(reading of scripture, prayer time, practicing the teachings of Christ) then water is added. If they add the things of the sin nature, then coffee is added. This is not to say works and deeds. This is more about spiritual maturity and relationship with Christ.
How many people are able to meet someone for the very first time and live for decades and be able to state that they "know" that person intimately. I have a hard time remembering names of people and have to rely on frequency of use to remember them. My students learn, rather quickly, that I experience difficulty in committing their names to memory in the first few weeks of school. It is only after I have spent time with them , conversed with them, learned details that will serve as memory markers that I can say that I know my students. When they are promoted to the next grade and I don't see them for a long while, can I honestly say that I "know" them. Not to any significant degree. Then how is it that a person can say that they know Christ when they have never invested any time to get to know him? If we never take the time to converse with him, spend time with him, etc. how can we "know" him?
My favorite author, of all time, is C.S. Lewis. I enjoy his writing. I have read many of his books. I have spent time listening to his ideas and thoughts, through his writings. The more that I read, the more that I feel that I "know" him. Get it?
If I continue to pour clean filtered water into my glass of coffee, eventually there will be little trace of the coffee. But, if I pour water in and periodically pour in more coffee, then whichever gets added more will influence the contents of the cup more and those who look at the cup will surely be able to judge whether or not the cup is useful (drinkable) or not. Should I not be able to look at a glass that is darkened by coffee and know that if I were to take a drink I would not be happy with the taste. After all, I despise coffee. If I see that the glass is not clear and I drink, do I have the right to curse the glass for tasting foul? Should I not have expected it?
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