True Followers?

       As a middle school teacher, I see societal trends that sway my students and I see how they try to be something that they are not. Sometimes this is positive and other times …not so much. I shared with my students that when I was in school, in the 80s, and we tried to pretend that we were something that we were not, we would pretend up. We who were not from the wealthier families would try to dress like we were in a vain attempt to be accepted by those who were popular. This was usually the wealthy kids. They were able to be the jocks and the cheerleaders. If you look at students today, you see a disturbing trend to pretend down. It has become popular to try and be like the thugs , drug dealers, and convicts who are portrayed in music videos, TV and movies as being powerful and successful. Instead of young girls dressing to impress, they dress like the trampy hollywoodistas, who vie for camera time and make a living of being celebrities. Young boys are sporting the Justin Beiber haircut while younger and younger girls are imitating their favorite attention-grabbing paparratzi-exciters. What we actually are seeing is true followers and true worship. It has been said that imitation is the greatest form of flattery, have we not? Do we, as Christian, put as much time, energy and finances into worship? What does it mean to be a follower of Christ?
       If you were to say that you were my follower (not a wise move) then how would people be able to judge if you were a true follower or not?
       You would have to follow me. To follow me would be to listen to me and to watch me and attempt to emulate what I do or say. You would try to become like me, in every way. You would dress like me, talk like me, walk like me. You would learn about me and be able to tell, anyone who asked, anything and everything about me. You would be able to win a trivia contest based on me. Ask a middle-schooler about their favorite celebrity and they will tell you all about them. If the Idol is a singer, then the student can tell you the words to that person’s latest hit song. Have you notice that many “Christians” can’t tell you what Jesus said. They can tell you what they heard their grandmother tell them about what Jesus said, but although they have the words of their supposed idol, they don’t read them, much less commit them to memory. I had one person even tell me that Jesus was African “because he and his parents came from Africa and moved to Israel” she told me. I had to explain the part about Jesus’ parents taking him and fleeing to Egypt, following his birth. News to this lady.
       You would have to be obedient. What ever I asked you to do; you would have to do it. You would not argue with me or fail in any way to follow my commands. You would strive to do every thing within your power to succeed in carrying out my orders. You would even go beyond what you thought was possible, because you would put obedience before everything, including your own safety and life. Your mantra would become “I will do it, or die trying.” There are people who compete on reality shows for a prize. I believe the difference between most of the winners and the losers is decided by determining which contestant is willing to push the hardest without giving up. Most of us have two points that determine our limitations: physical and mental. I can do almost anything any other man can do, given time to prepare. I am, however, limited by what I will do. Can I base jump off a mountain? Sure I can. Will I base jump of a mountain? Not unless I am pushed. I can, and have, performed many back flips off diving boards and trampolines. I don’t, however, perform this flip the first time I step onto the board. Due to fear, I have to work up to it. Once I have pushed the fear down enough, I perform the flip. After the first time, I can do it with regularity. The problem is not one of ability, but willingness. Scripture states “I can do all things through Christ, who strengthens me.” This does not say that I will be given superpowers (although I wish that was the promise here), but that Christ will bring about a maturity and fear reduction that will allow me to push past my normal limitations.
       You would have to worship. What is worship? It is to love unquestioningly and uncritically. It is to Idolize or set up as higher than any other thing. To say that all else is unimportant in comparison; that although all else may pass away, the one that you worship will forever stand in the forefront of your admiration and love. If you were to worship me (again, not a very good idea) then I would expect you to tell me how wonderful that you think I am. I would expect more than for you to only call me when you needed something. I would think that you would try and build a relationship with me stemming from your great desire to spend as much time with me as possible. I would think that you would seek out alone time with me, when we could talk, one-on-one and not be disturbed by anything or anyone. Could I not expect that if I were to get into your car, I would find your radio tuned to a station that celebrated me, or CDs of my teachings or music? Would I find CDs of my biggest rival? Would you secretly be learning the teachings of my greatest nemesis when I am not around? Those who admire a particular movie star would not care who else was around if that star were to walk into the restaurant where you were eating. They would jump up and make a spectacle of themselves for the opportunity of having some contact with a person who does not know them and will, most likely, not remember them. How many “Christians” are unwilling to pray aloud before their meal, in public, due to concerns of public scorn?
       You do not want to follow me. That would be a great mistake, but how well are we following Christ? Are we just giving lip-service? Did you notice that church attendance was never mentioned? A follower will want to spend time with other followers, but spending time with followers does not mean that you are, in fact, a follower.

God's Wonderful Blessing

       So...we find a house that we really like and the owner, a very personable 77 years old retiree, offers to do owner financing at 4% interest over 30 years. We pay him 3.2% down. We will be making payments for the next 30 years. He asks "When do you want the first payment due?" I say "May 1st?" He agrees. Cool! After we close on a Thursday (he offered to pay all the lawyer fees or "closing cost"), I get a call on Sunday. He asks me if I'm sitting down. I get worried. He tells me that he has been giving it a lot of thought..."I've been talking to my wife and I layed in bed last night thinking about it," he says. "I have done well and I am in a position to help people. It is rare that I meet someone like myself. I am a plain ol' country boy. What you are doing, teaching those kids and trying to change their future...I just can't do that." He continues, "I figure that if your loan were 0% interest then your payment would be about $70 less each month and you could have it paid off in 20 years instead of thirty." My mouth fell open. "The lawyer will be in around 8:30 and I'm going to be there and tell him to rewrite the promisory note for the loan to 0% for 20 years."
       Have you seen the insurance comercial where the lady is dancing on the table and then it says "5 minutes ago..." and she is on the phone saying "I can save how much on my car insurance?" Well that was almost me. I almost have a shouting jag right there in Captain D's. Have you ever heard of such a thing as this? I called my father in law, who lives near us, and told him that God must really want us to move to this new home in this new town, near my job (6.5 miles to work instead of the 41 mile I have been driving for the past 3 years one way). "I don't know what he wants me to do" I told him. Pop said "Me neither, but what ever it is, you had better do it."
       I have looked over my backtrail many times and have seen where God has guided my path. I can't wait to see what he has in store for us, this time. It's kinda scary to think about, but he said that he would guide ue, walk with us, equip us, and I am excited. I can't wait to start hunting a new church and maybe start a home Bible study group. Pray, people, Pray!

Home Bible Study???

As we move into our new home, I am considering starting a home Bible study. Not a time for me to preach, but a time for me to get together with other seekers and learners and dive into scripture with the hope of having it speak into our lives. How can we as Christian follow God unless we can hear him calling us and instructing us? He does this through his word and I for one want to know more. I wonder who would join me?

The Science Teacher speaks

       I have had to teach my 8th graders about the theory of the history of the Earth, according to some scientists. I teach them that theory means a hypothesis (an educated guess) and not a fact. Someone has an idea of what may be truth and sets out to prove that truth. They gather evidence to support their hypothesis, but until they prove it, it is only a theory. I say "some scientists" because it would be wrong to pile all of them into the same cart. The beliefs of scientist vary as much as any group would. I felt somewhat guilty having to teach them something that I don't believe. My hands are somewhat tied, as a gov't employee. I am limited to what I can say, in the classroom, when it comes to my personal beliefs. That is why I felt the need to write this particular blog entry.
       I don't tell them not to believe what is in the text book. I tell them to learn what others believe, investigate, and determine what they believe. I told my students that they do not have to believe everything they hear, or what is in their text book. They mearly have to understand that the lessons they learn, in science class, are theories that some people believe. I tell them to follow the evidence. "What is important is that you know what you believe and have evidence to back it up. Don't say that you believe something based on someone else's beliefs. Be able to give reasons and a real argument for what you believe. This means that you have to understand what you believe, instead of blindly following what someone tells you. This is true regardless if you are talking about your beliefs in science, religion, politics, your favorie superhero, or your favorite food." They ask me what I believe and I tell them that what I believe is not as important to them as what they believe. I also explained that some things are believed based on faith until you have enough evidence to prove you theory. Faith (not only a religious term) is believing that the next breath I take will contain Oxygen, although I don't see or smell it. It means believing my car will start each time I try to crank it. The theory become fact when the engine starts.
       I believe that to tell them to blindly follow what they hear would be irresponsible of me, as a teacher. I am tasked with opening their minds and teaching them, not  facts, but how to learn. Thus, I teach them what the state descided that I should teach them first, and that is to investigate and decide what the facts tell us about a given problem. No where does the state teaching standards instruct teachers of science to teach our students to become sheep and blindly follow. I want my students to become more than just laborers who follow instructions to complete nominal tasks, I want them to be thinkers and life-long learners.
       What do I find, when I "follow the evidence." There are multiple definitions of evolution. One would be survival of the fittest that results in those animals who can survive and procreate, will. Those who can't, wont. Therefore, those that survive will change the makeup of the entire group; ex. white rabbits have a better chance to surving in a snowy climate , therefore there are more white rabbits procreating, like rabbits.
       I don't believe that people evolved from anything but people. We may have grown taller, through the years, and we have probably gotten fatter (I have), but there is no real evidence that proves that we were ever anything but the people that God created us to be. I reject the neanderthal mentality that points toward the neanderthal. I know that there are many people out there who will reject what I have to say. I have been told that "You would have to be crazy not to believe the evolution argument. Scientist have proven it." Really? How many people have told you that Picaso was a great artist. I have seen lesser know artists that I favor over any of his works. So an artist paints a picture. Someone says that his work is great. Someone else hears that and in the spirit of 'go along to get along' and to keep from looking like an ignorant hillbilly, they repeat what they hear and tell others of the greatness of the artist. Eventually enough people are saying it and who has the intestinal fortitude to go against so many people. After all "That many people can't be wrong", right? The number of people who support something does not make that something valid. For example. how many people thought that the Steelers were the greatest team in the NFL this past season, only to watch Green Bay defeat them in the Super Bowl?
       I believe in the Bible. I don't want to pick and choose the scriptures that I like. I want to celebrate the entire thing, whether it pains me or pleases me. There are things that overlap between the ideas of creation and evolution. I believe that evolutionists could explain more if they would remove the blinders that keep them from viewing creation. I can see the changes that have happened over Earth's history in the light of scripture. Do I believe that creation happened in seven twenty-four hour days? Not particularly. I think that days is as symbolic as days are in Daniel and Revelation. Does it reduce the power and glory of God by seeing creation as happening over hundreds or thousands or even millions of years? Not to me. Given an infinite number of years, I could never create anything out of nothing. Can I believe that there were creatures that roamed the Earth and became extinct before man walked the Earth? Sure I can. Can I believe in Pangea, where all of the continents were one large one and then broke apart? Sure, but I believe that it happened in about a years time. I think a better explaination would be that Noah (of the ark and flood fame) might have lived on Pangea, and when God sent the flood and saved Noah and his family (recorded in Christian, Hebrew and Muslim scriptures) he used the time that Noah was on the Ark (over a year) to break up Pangea and move the continents around (not to mention making the Grand Canyon). Whether Noah landed in his original area is another subject entirely. He was from the area near the Euphrates and Tigris Rivers and when he got off the boat he saw rivers and named them the same rivers. Surely the area, after over a year of flood, erosion, and sedimentation would not look the same, right?
       The Bible refers to people as sheep for a reason. Sheep are followers and not very bright. We follow what we are told without questioning. As a matter of fact, some leaders (in order to control their followers) discourage questioning. This has happened in science classes and churches for years and years. "The church" has been guilty of this throughout the years. After all, what was the inquisition and the tactics that were used against Martin Luther and other reformists all about anyway? Truth, however, will stand up to any amout of critique. A lie does not wish to be questioned, just as ignorance will avoid questions. That is why, I believe, people will state "I don't discuss religion or politics." They don't know enough about what they believe to defend their position and will resort to personal attacks when confronted.
       Should you sit in church and assume that your preacher is right or should you question and investigate? There was a time when "the church" didn't want people to have copies of the Bible for fear they would question the teachings of "the church."  I have heard many preachers make mistakes, from the pulpit. I have made a few myself. We are imperfect. If your is perfect then you have been fooled. Can you give a sensible arguement for what you believe. Many people can give a better arguement for their support of Ford vs Chevy than they can for Christ. It's sad, really.