The lunatic is in my head You raise the blade, you make the change You re-arrange me 'till I'm sane You lock the door And throw away the key There's someone in my head but it's not me. I shared a bedroom with my brother Don growing up. He liked Pink Floyd...he kept to himself while playing many disturbing records, Pink Floyd being one of them. I never told him, but I liked it when he played "Brain Damage." It is creepy, it is eerie, haunting. I think it contributed in large part to my current strangeness and delight in the odd. The main theme of the song is that deep down inside of me are irregular and even aberrant thoughts that must be kept behind lock and key. I must not allow them out because I will be found out. I am half-crazy. So overtime, I have learned how to only reveal my sane side. I know how to hide. But the older I get, I realize that what most people consider sanity is really insane ... that is, if eternity actually exists. (And this belief in eternity contributes to most of my most insane beliefs....imagine, I will live forever in a world that will look and operate like nothing I have ever seen before? Now that is crazy!) I now see that my insanity may just be sanity. I first started chewing on this idea after watching the original Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory. (The second one with Johnny Depp is O.K., he just doesn't have the same disguised twistedness as Gene Wilder). What I noticed is that Willy Wonka never answered people on the level in which they posed their questions. He always changed it, because he never accepted their view of reality: Violet Beauregarde: Well, they can't be real people. Willy Wonka: Why, of course they're real people. Mr. Salt: Stuff and nonsense! Willy Wonka: No, Oompa Loompas. The Group: [turning around] Oompa Loompas? Willy Wonka: From Loompaland. Mrs. Teevee: Loompaland? There's no such place. Willy Wonka: Excuse me, dear lady, but... Mrs. Teevee: Mr. Wonka, I am a teacher of geography. Willy Wonka: Oh, well, then you know all about it and what a terrible country it is. Each time they tried to push their reality on Willy, he changed it back to his. What I have learned, is that people will try to dictate your reality all the time. And "supposed" sanity in our world is to live in the reality that is agreed upon by the majority of earth-dwellers. (People who live for the here and now). This reality is expected and assumed. But I am realizing that this position is insane...especially if eternity exists! For far too long, I have lived in other people's vision of sanity. So when thoughts on the "dark side" of my brain started flooding in, I though I was insane. So to not be found out, that I may be insane, I learned how to communicate in ways people wanted me too so I seemed sane. Where Willy Wonka spoke his reality, I kept mine hidden (And still do for the most part). I did not want to make waves, conflict and disagreement, I have been told from sane reality's point of view, is bad. So I kept my reality under lock and key. (And for the most part I continue to do so) But with each gray hair, I am realizing I am letting other people's sanity make me insane. So the only sane thing to do is reveal my insane (eternally sane) thoughts. That is what Wednesday is going to be now: The slow leak of my insanity. The revelation of my brain damage. For the past 6 weeks I talked about "Cement & Truth." They were discussions about truths, but I was trying to speak the language from the humanly sane perspective - - I tried to reason with people in their reality. But what I found, is people are bored with things they have heard before. They assume they know things, when they know nothing, so when you discuss things they think they know, nothing results. I feel that is what happened for the most part with my Cement & Truth. (I did find, however, that there are some insane people out there that tracked with me). So I am going to take a stab at letting my "dark side" leak on Wednesdays. It is going to be called "Dark Side Chronicles." It will seem weird because most of us live in sanity, and if I was truly honest, I think that is insane. Two years ago I was asked to speak at a church conference, and the title of my session was, "Roadblocks the Church puts in front of Non-Church People." I discussed what I believe are some of the blind-spots Christians have concerning themselves that cause the non-Christian to avoid Jesus. I leaked some of my insanity in that session, and let's just say it was rather quiet after I was done. One of the pastors from my church went to hear my session, and afterwards he said, "Wow Chris, I never realized how much you actually hold back until I went to this session. It was rather shocking and unexpected." I asked him if that was a good thing? I am not sure if he ever gave me a response? So you see my trepidation... because I daily hear my thoughts, and I know....I am crazy.
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I am a pastor, and with this role comes tremendous responsibilities: to pray, to accurately testify to the gospel, and to Warn! Ezekiel calls this being "a Watchman"; in Old Testament times you needed men who stood on the wall looking for any hint of invading enemies...and then declare danger to the unsuspecting citizens. "Get ready and arm yourself for battle!" Nowadays this is not as easy as it once was: The enemies we face in modern day America are more stealth and disguised; so as a Watchman my job is to keep on the lookout at all times! I listen, creep around, spy on the suspicious, and above all, I watch the news!
This morning I decided to tune into the main-stream news while walking on the treadmill. I try to keep myself in tip-top shape so when I need to creep & spy, I won't be huffing and puffing so I won't blow my cover. Our TV only has basic channels, and with my limited choices I decided to turn on NBC and watch the "Today Show." I heard they really have a good feel for the heartbeat of the nation; and Matt Lauer is the best when it comes to revealing the guts of the biggest stories. The lead story that started at 8:00 am was about a killer tornado in Arkansas, "16 dead." That is big news, and pondering this tragedy as a pastor, I think I need to help people be prepared for human suffering and the reality of death. In fact, I just performed a funeral service on Friday for a wonderful man, the grief was real and for some family members, the service was heart wrenching. If one death is hard, I can't imagine a town losing 16 people in a ten minute twister. Let's be honest, death is a serious problem, it has the potential of being the crisis of our time. But NBC only touched on this subject for 3 minutes -- I timed it because I have a running clock on my treadmill - so maybe I need to be more concerned about something else. Next story: The L.A. Clipper's billionaire owner was recorded talking to his mistress on the phone clearly bashing the black race. Now I know this is a story that is loaded with crisis & drama. One man's foolish actions clearly reveal how we still are a divided nation; some white's still hate blacks and some blacks still hate whites. Maybe, as a minister of the gospel, my energy should be spent on teaching people how Jesus wants all Christians to be agents of 'reconciliation.' We all need to continually try to brake down racial barriers, don't we? We could also use this story as an example of putrid greed - - because a man has money he thinks he can buy and sell people like a slave owner! Sickening! I could talk about Jesus' view concerning covetousness and how some day God is going to demand an account from all of us with what we do with our resources. Scary day! There is one more angle that most of the major media missed with this story...the sanctity of marriage. This billionaire is brazen and shameless about violating his marriage vows. But for some reason this aspect I know will never get any media play...too boring...too normal. (Adultery still makes God sick though!) Guess how long the "Today Show" talked about this story? 2 minutes at the most. Wow, I thought they would milk the race issue a lot longer than that? Maybe it isn't that important after all... Well, after a quick weather report, they finally got down to the real crisis in our time. I knew it was important because it was NBC's main story of the day and they spent a whole 30 minutes discussing the issue. (They are also going to talk about it all week!) I am so glad I watched because NBC helped me understand what is really wrong with the world. Do you know what it is? We need to...it makes me cry just thinking about it... RECLAIM OUR BEAUTY; and we do this by "Loving our Selfie!" I never knew. Listen to the devastating facts they presented, I can barely mention them: - 9 out of 10 women do not like to look in the mirror. One woman said,"It is a 'Frightening experience.'" - A clinical psychologist said that when some women look into the mirror, they actually hate what they see. Sometimes it is so bad that it ruins their whole day! - The mom's despair can then trickle down to the kids; toddlers and infants must cope with the aftermath of a parent's bad mirror sighting. Horror of horrors. (Can you imagine a mom going into the bathroom, looking in the mirror, hating what she sees, and then going back out and saying to her 9 month old baby, screaming, "You did this to me!!! I use to be so pretty, now look at me, I look like a mom!") Simply Horrible! To prove how this problem is now at epidemic proportions, they had the hosts of the "Today Show" look in the mirror and talk about what they hate. Matt Lauer hates his "baldness." I started to sniffle. Savannah Guthrie hates her, "b---s", tragic. The other lady host hates her arms, "they waddle" she said. I started to break down in crocodile tears at this point. But what really got me, was Al Rocker, everybody's favorite weatherman...he hates his "teeth." They don't look like Dwayne Wade's. By this time I was on my knees sobbing for the devastating truth they had to face. And then they told us who is to blame, this is the enemy at the gates - - now I know who to warn everyone about! I can now call out & denounce these wicked fiends in my next sermon. Are you ready for it? Can you handle it? The problem is "Mirrors and Advertisers." What should we do? The answer for mirrors, the psychologist said, is "simple." We can defeat the mirror by looking in it for 50 minutes a day while saying something nice to yourself. Keep repeating it, and don't forget to smile! That will show the mirror that he has nothing on me! Imagine, you can go from hating yourself, to loving yourself in one weeks time! So how shall we combat the advertisers? It is funny, right when they were going to discuss how to stop their undue influence they went to commercial break. The next image on the screen was a 85 pound model with the whitest teeth you have ever seen, selling laundry detergent. When they finally went back to the show, they never talked about advertisers again...hmmmm, I wonder why? So as a pastor I am here to warn all listeners: tornadoes, greed, racial bigotry, adultery and even death is nothing compared to RECLAIMING YOUR BEAUTY. So friends, family, loved ones...we must...I repeat...we must start "Loving our selfies and start talking to ourselves in the mirror." Stand strong soldier, and .... SMILE! If Jesus only knew, maybe he wouldn't of had, as it says in Isaiah 52, "many who were appalled at him - his appearance was so disfigured beyond that of any human being and his form marred beyond human likeness." Instead of dying for mankind's sin, he could of gone to a Jewish beauty parlor and skipped the whole cross thing. If he only knew... what we now know!!!!! I was reading "Wikipedia" one day (it is where I go to get the latest and most accurate research); and I read that the Inland Taipan snake is the deadliest land snake in the world. Here is some of the research I found: Based on the median lethal dose value in mice, Its venom, drop for drop, is by far the most toxic of any snake in the world. Unlike most snakes, the inland taipan is a specialist mammal hunter so its venom is specially adapted to kill warm-blooded species.It is estimated that one bite possesses enough lethality to kill at least 100 full grown men, and, depending on the nature of the bite, it has the potential to kill someone in as little as 30 to 45 minutes if left untreated. No way! I thought to myself, "This time Wikipedia is wrong. I am sure the Yellow Jawed Tommygoff is much more lethal...every snake lover knows that!" So to disprove the Wiki experts I decided to raise my own "Brood of Vipers"...sounds almost biblical. I purchased 2 Inland Taipan eggs and put them in a warming incubator to hatch (see exhibit "A"). Three weeks of having the eggs under 102.7 degree heat, two cracks appeared and two cute fellas slithered out of the eggs. They were tini-tiny and oh so adorable. "Kill 100 men? Inconceivable!!" After giving them a few weeks to mature, it was time for the experiment. I wanted to determine two things: (1) Could their venom actually kill a man, (2) Were they all deadly, or is it just a rare fluke that one snake could be so deadly? So I began the test: The first thing I did is I placed one snake in an aquarium that contained rocks and grass (Exhibit "B") -- I recreated it's natural habitat. The second snake was placed in an aquarium with a sleeping baby (Exhibit "C"). After placing the snakes, they both seemed to like their new homes: the first snake hid under a rock, and the second snake snuggled up to the sound asleep baby. No sign of danger so far, so I left the room.
When I came back two hours later I noticed in the first aquarium that the snake was still sleeping...didn't seem too harmful to me? I then walked over to aquarium two: "Oh no!" You don't want to know...the baby was not breathing and I noticed a tiny bite-mark on it's left arm. Apparently this snake was deadly after all. Here are my conclusions: (1) Yes, their venom could kill a man. The baby was dead, there was no doubt about that. (2) It seemed like only one of the snakes was deadly. So that must mean they aren't all poisonous. Wikipedia was wrong, it is not the most deadly snake because not all of the snakes are deadly. I know what you are thinking: "Chris, you are an idiot! Both snakes are deadly, if you put a baby in the first tank it would probably be dead too." "Chris, you are demented. Why would anyone put a baby in a tank with a deadly snake...I am calling the Psych Ward for you...and the State Penitentiary!" Wait, wait, wait - - before you take such drastic measures - - "I was just kidding!" So what is the point to this "sick" story? Very simple, both snakes are deadly. Just because the first snake didn't have the same opportunity to kill does not make it any less deadly. You get it? "NO, what is the point?" Many, many Christians think they are better than the rest of the world because they don't sin like the rest of the world: "I don't sell crack." "I am not gay." "I would never murder anyone." You see, American Christians have been raised, and raise their kids in Exhibit "B" world. In a good way, we are heavily protected from the evils and sinful opportunities the rest of the world daily live with. And because we have had constant solid biblical teaching, parenting, protecting we have been shielded from ourselves. However, the kid who has no dad, is raised by a gang, is molested by a creepy uncle, or must steal to survive is like the snake in Exhibit "C". They are given daily chances to see what is really down deep inside everyone of us - - "The Venom of Sin." Oh, you don't think you have it in you? Tell me, have you ever lusted after someone that isn't your spouse, or do you ever lie, how about jealousy, anger and rage. It's venom I tell you...venom! In the book of John, chapter 4; Jesus meets a lady that was married 5 times and was living with another new man. Not only is Jesus not shocked by her behavior, but he was specifically sent by God to reach her... Jesus loves her! She is no different than you or I. And if she came to most churches she would not be allowed to sit in the pew. Jesus came to save sinners! Jesus came to defang snakes. Just because you live in Exhibit "B" doesn't mean you aren't a snake! Jesus came to save you too. I am the son of a salesman. His mantra, which brought him much success & money, was "A good salesman always closes the deal!" My dad knew a hundred and one ways to bring a person to the point of decision; and he was a master at getting them to sign the contract. To him, that was the whole objective - - get the sale! One of his favorite sales techniques that he always taught my brother and I was, "Once you ask for them to buy, stay quiet because the first person to talk loses." My brother learned it so well after he asked a person a question on the phone, he sat in 20 minutes of silence waiting for the answer... and until he broke the tension, the guy was staying silent on the other end of the line. He must have learned the same thing from his dad...Weird!
I, however, am not built to be a salesman or a "closer". In fact, I really detest manipulation and trying to persuade people to make a decision. Well, I know in the minds of many of my congregants that doesn't bode well for me as a pastor; they secretly would love me to "get people to walk the isle, and publicly commit their lives to Jesus." I know they wish I would demand from our worship pastor more "Just as I Am" sermon postludes. "Yes Sir, I know someone out there is being moved in their spirit to come forward, so we will keep on singing to give you a chance to give your life to Jesus!" I am sorry, that kind of presentation turns my stomach. Theologically I also am not a closer, I believe that the Holy Spirit does a wonderful job of "convicting people of their sin, wooing people to himself, and causing life transformation." In fact, when he does move a person to decide on Jesus, it sure seems to last longer than a person moved by human manipulation. And when it really is God himself doing the work, people will want to go to church, read their bible and sing! They just can't help it. But human manipulation really is impressive! It makes for a great show, and people get excited over excitement...even if the majority of it is manufactured and spurred on by a good salesman pastor who knows how to wield "guilt"; or powerful music sung by passionate people who often look like they are in tremendous pain as they raise their hands up as they sing, "This is the air I breath." I have to tell you: I can't buy into this, it feels so....what's the word...FAKE! The trouble for me lies in the fact that I know when a person makes a decision in this context it lasts as long as a "childhood romantic crush." And chasing people who are infatuated with God without being transformed by him becomes incredibly exhausting. I did this for awhile early in my ministry, it wore me out with minimal long lasting fruit. And when you stop chasing people, they get mad at you because "Isn't that the pastor's job?". I know someone reading this will ask, "If you have no excitement because people are not walking the isles, or crying, or having the power balled tugging at their heart-strings, how can you keep preaching week after week?" I have two answers: (1) Faith compels me: I trust God will answer his promise that the "Word of God will not return void." I really believe that. If I do the best I can, spill my blood trying to properly communicate his word with all I have, he will do his part and cause people to repent. After preaching for 10 years, twice a Sunday, I have found he does a wonderful job at changing lives. When you trust him to produce the fruit, it is so refreshing. It also isn't embarrassing...I dont have to wonder at the end of the service, "Did I do it right? Was my closing technique persuasive enough? Maybe I needed to pick a more emotional song to get them to walk the isle?" When you don't have faith that God will do it, you must control it. Tell me, how can you control the Holy Spirit? Jesus says, "He is like the wind, and he blows wherever he pleases." Boy are humans and pastors arrogant when they think they can control and make the Holy Spirit respond because they "closed in the right way." Here is my second answer: (2) Mirth fills me: I really like, I mean really like the Bible and telling people about Jesus. It is my secret delight, and that to me is the definition of "mirth." Even if two people are listening and I get to talk about a Savior who forgives sin, I couldn't be happier! Do you like "Macaroni & Cheese?" Well, I do. I know it is a simple meal, not impressive, nobody will ever watch a cooking show centered on "How to make Kraft Macaroni & Cheese." I say, who cares, I still like it. Preaching the Bible, asking people to pray, and personally walking in the woods with the "God who is There" may not impress anyone, (I know there is nothing new about those things, nor can you sell 100,000 books on it at the Christian book store about it), but - - Who Cares? I love it, so I have to do it. What is the real "Cement & Truth?" Jesus is my singular joy. Even if the whole world yawns at John 3:16, or they get angry that he is presented as "The Way," and they don't want to sign the "Born Again" Sunday morning contract that I presented so well, who cares? I am his and he is mine! And that is the truth that matters! For the last 20 some years, finding the answer to this question has been a personal quest of mine. Honestly, I think most American males are secretly on the search for the definitive answer that says, "Yes, you are a mature male, you are an adult to be respected, you have arrived!" -- but when exactly does this occur? How do I know when it is really true of me? And if I am an adult, what sort of attitudes and behaviors would bare witness to my maturity?
In our strange and fragmented metro-sexual world of today, a culture where youth and adolescence is prized, where more and more men would "rather go shopping", the answer to these questions is sincerely hard to come by. And even if a reasonable answer is found, most men aren't so sure that the answer even should be applied to them. Our obsession with sports, sex and visual amusement is so strong and pervasive, that asking a male to "grow-up" and answer the call to maturity is like pulling teeth: 18 to 48 year olds included. Think about, Mick jagger at the age of 70 still can't "Get No ... Satisfaction!" As I read scripture, I know I must answer this question for myself and my sons. Paul says in 1 Corinthians 13:11, "When I was a child, I spoke like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I gave up childish things." What does that mean? Does that mean no more of watching "Sponge Bob" while eating gum drops and sugar plums? Does it mean walking around in stoic seriousness, no laughing, no crying, and the sharing of emotions are not allowed? Does that mean I must hunt and kill, pull my wife around by the hair and watch only John Wayne movies? What I find interesting about 1 Corinthians 13:11, is that it follows directly behind the classic passage on love. So that must mean maturity has something to do with love. Love? Isn't love one of the primary contributors to male immaturity? Isn't love the one thing holding us back from growing up? We love our "toys", we love "Star Wars", we love "beer and sex?" Biblical "love" however, is completely different than the shallow selfish lust driven "love" the world worships. Biblical love "hates" what is "evil" and prizes what is "good". Biblical love always trusts, protects, endures; and biblical love never fails. For the last two weeks I have been privileged to watch first-hand a man who really loves. Without mentioning his name, this man has stayed by the bedside of his wife as she has undergone some of the most intensive and terrifying medical tests you could ever imagine. Instead of allowing his wife and her family be consumed by doubt and despair, this man faces tough reality head on while always bringing the promise of "hope" to each and every day. He has sacrificed his life to help his wife find new life. His example perfectly models Psalm 112:7, "He is not afraid of bad news; his heart is firm, trusting in the Lord." I once heard that Jesus, the perfect man, was also the most dependent man who ever lived. He could never do anything without first talking to and hearing from his Father. "He daily needed him!" Maybe that is the key to manhood and maturity: realizing that "trusting in The Lord" is the most manly thing we could ever do. This is a quest that will take a life-time for me and other men like me to figure out. But at least I know where to start >> Following the example of Jesus by being perfectly dependent on the Father. Now that is a man! Why do we call "Good Friday" good when it was so bad? The simple answer is because that is the moment when Jesus added the letters "N" and the "E" to the word "DO". It is as simple as that. When Jesus said "It is finished," it really was finished. Some people may ask, "What exactly was finished?" Here is a list of the top 10: (10) The cup of the wrath of God was finished, he drank it all down and left nothing for us to swallow. (9) The completion of the Law of Moses was finished, he fulfilled all that was required; therefore there is nothing left to do on the list -- it's wiped clean. (8) The satisfaction of God's justice was entirely met; God is satisfied with us in Christ. I think it really baffles God when you and I let guilt overtake us thinking he is still mad at us for not doing enough - - think about that: how can God be both satisfied and mad at the same time? That is called a logical contradiction. Maybe guilt ridden Christians have never studied logic? (7) All the adoption papers were signed for me to finally be called a child of God. (6) Satan and his nasty, smelly minions have been humiliated, their threats have been silenced for ever; so stop listening to their lies. (5) The gates of heaven are now open for all. Weird but wonderful. (4) The doors to the throne room of God have been taken off, you have complete rights to come in and ask the King anything...at anytime of day or night! (3) The Jewish requirement has been cancelled; now all people from every nation, race and ethnic tribe can enjoy the promises that were exclusively allotted for the nation Israel. (2) A whole treasure trove of gifts and heavenly treasures are ours for the taking. Simply ask... (1) God himself now desires to live in me! All of this is DO + N + E: DONE! It really was a wonderful day, that is why Christians make such a big deal about it. Someone may ask, "But what if I am not a Christian? What if I don't believe in Jesus, do I still get to enjoy the benefits of his work secondhand?" Well, what that means is that you don't get to add the letters "N" and the "E" to "DO". in your case they are replaced by an "O" and a "M". Sorry about that - - but that is all that is left when people reject all the good that was procured for them on this Friday...and that is a very bad thing! If you haven't noticed, I like coffee. (My blog title may have been a good clue) I love black coffee, I just can't help it! However, that does not mean I like all brands of coffee. "Chock Full O'Nuts" instant coffee is like drinking black tar with floating grains of sand, "yuck!" It must be forced down in choking gulps while enduring scorching pain on the back of your throat. Or have you ever drank 3 hour old premium roast from Speedway? Let's just say after drinking it, I had to go home and shave my tongue on more than one occasion.
Do you think these few bad cups of battery acid have ruined coffee for me for all time? No way! There are far more oasis' of great tasting java than you could ever believe: Bigby, Starbucks, Tim Horton's, Dunkin Donuts, Seattle's Best, Krispy Kreme, and even our local Maxine's can brew a wonderful satisfying cup of Joe! I will NEVER let a few bad swigs of black tar keep me from finding that single cup of dark-brown Ambrosia? To be a true coffee connoisseur you must have the courage to risk! Tragically, so many amateur drinkers give up the daring quest because of one or two bad experiences of Speedway premium; or they took a sip of a bitter instant out of a medium styrofoam tumbler in the church basement. Very sad... It may sound crazy, but thousands if not hundreds-of-thousands of people have completely given up on Jesus Christ, the Savior of the World, for the same sad reasons: "Christians are hypocrites," "Church is so stale,""TV evangelists are crooks!" People have allowed a few bad cups of coffee (hypocritical Christians) ruin the greatest adventure mankind could ever pursue, knowing Christ! And what is even worse, those of us who are Christians allow the hypocrite argument to stick. We actually treat this as a legitimate excuse and "give up" defending the body of Christ far too easily. Instead of keeping quiet, ask the person using this argument... "Did you stop listening to ALL music because of the embarrassing 'Disco Years' or Miley Cyrus' juvenile twerking?" "Did you quit watching TV altogether because Barney the Purple Dinosaur sang 'I Love You' with creepy kids or Jerry Springer exploited trailer park felons on daytime TV?" "Have you written off all movies because some producer made a profit on 'Howard the Duck' or put 'Sharknado' on the Sci-Fi channel?" "Have you given up using money entirely because there may be some counterfeits bills in circulation?" Off course not, all those statements sound preposterous! And yet when someone cries "hypocrite!" we are expected to just humbly admit the church's failure and slink back into our boring old building. "News Flash!" The church is designed by God to be filled with failures and recovering hypocrites. Every person has been made to need & worship the one & only perfect man! (On a side note: there are some tremendous Christians to be found in the church; and when you meet them, I guarantee, you will never find kinder or more giving people!) I have found every single person who accuses others of hypocrisy are hypocrites themselves! The truth is all of us need Jesus. The reason people point out hypocrisy is because they don't want others to notice their own hypocrisy. Romans 2:3 says, "So when you, a mere man, pass judgment on them and yet do the same things, do you think you will escape God's judgment?" All people like to judge and criticize others because it makes them feel good about themselves. Don't let people hide by using the "false" hypocritical smokescreen against others. If someone is seriously thirsty for a good cup of coffee, if you really want to know Christ, you will not allow a bad brew of "Chock Full O'Nuts" to stop you. Simply pull into the Bigby drive-through and ask for a tall blend of Bigby's best! And then...you will find...a great cup of coffee is always worth the wait. So is Christ! What do you do to prepare your heart for Easter? Surprisingly, many Christians have never thought about it before. If you find yourself in this camp I offer you a guide: A meditative scripture passage to read through and ponder each day as Easter approaches. The goal is to "set your mind and heart on things above" so you can welcome the man from above (Colossians 3:1-3): MONDAY: The Second Cleansing of the Temple (Lk. 19:45-48 & Mt. 21:12-17)
Read Passages & Write down insights:__________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Pray that your life will be different from what you have learned: ______________________________________ TUESDAY: Teaching in the Temple (Lk. 20:1-18) Read Passage & Write down insights:___________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Who is the “Stone the Builders Rejected?” and what does it mean?: __________________________________ WEDNESDAY: The Alabaster Jar (Mt. 26:1-16) Read Passage & Write down insights:___________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Why did the lady pour perfume on Jesus? Would you?: ________________________________________________ THURSDAY: The Last Supper (Lk. 22:7-46) Read Passage & Write down insights:___________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________________________________________ How important is this night to your life?: _______________________________________________________________ FRIDAY: The Crucifixion (Mk.14:43-15:47) Read Passages & Write down insights:__________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Pray : ______________________________________________________________________________________________________ THE FINAL WEEK OF JESUS WAS MEANT FOR YOU...ALL SINS ARE FORGIVEN BECAUSE CHRIST DIED FOR YOU ON THIS DAY. DON’T YOU THINK IT IS APPROPRIATE FOR YOU TO COME AND REJOICE THIS EASTER? Well then, get your heart ready to rejoice!! (church outage suspended this Palm Sunday message) When Jesus arrived in the city and the people were shouting, according to Matthew 21:10, the majority of bystanders were confused, and they asked, “Who is this?” Most people of that day were not so sure about Jesus; & people still are not so sure. Jesus can be quite perplexing because he so different from us. So this question is critical for us to answer. That is what the final week of Jesus is all about: to vividly show the world the uniqueness of this man. Always remember, when you ask questions of God, he will give you answers. In fact, this exact question was asked 1000 years earlier by David, and the situation was strangely identical to the events of Palm Sunday. Turn to Psalm 24, and as we read through it ask yourself, “Who is this?” Psalm 24 is very clear about who this is: This is the King of Glory. (8-10) He is your king. This is the official title of Jesus. But tell me… How do I talk about a King to Americans? In all candor (that is for "Divergence" fans)… I don’t really know how? As people who have been born and raised in a democratic country, we think only in term of rights. We have: - constitutional rights (life, liberty and pursuit of happiness) - civil and voting rights - Miranda Rights - right to “Free Education” But now... “rights” have become all the rage: “Patient Bill of Rights”, “Right to affordable health care,” “Right to equal pay equal work,” “Right to Title 9 Equal Opportunity Act,” “Right of Same-sex Marriage,” “Transgender Rights,” In Australia they even have the right to be considered “non-gendered.” Rights are everywhere…and now rights are quickly morphing into demands. Guess what Americans?: Rights mean nothing to a King! A King is completely autonomous, which means he doesn’t really care about our opinions, because he has the latitude to do anything he wants. In contrast to democratically elected leaders who must please their voters, a King only has to please himself. And if you want to please the King he has some requirements (24:3-6): you must be willing to serve with Clean Hands, Pure Heart & Loyalty to Him. God is looking for committed servants: - With Clean Hands: a person who is characterized by righteousness and obedience. That is what they become known by. - Pure Hearts: singular to God (not double-minded, NOT FICKLE!) - Not lift up soul to an idol (vain or not real): “He does not give his heart, nor does he make promises to other false gods; nor is he carried away with that which is unreal and false, foolish things that will always let you down.” To me the problem is not that people don’t have enough information about Jesus, it is that they don’t really want to commit and give their lives to Him! Loyalty is determined by what lies in the human heart: “Do I really want to live a committed life to him? Do I always have to have clean hands, or can’t I get them dirty every once in a while? Do I have to have a pure heart, or can’t I be a little wicked now and then? And do I always have to be loyal: “Why can’t I be carried away with the unreal and false for awhile…it really is a lot of fun.” The way people display loyalty to one another is by saying and believing two little words: “I Do.” A man really doesn’t fully know a woman until he says I do. When a man says “I Do” it means he is done chasing other loyalties. When a man says “I Do” it is for richer and poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish. The church is fickle (has a lack of loyalty) because somewhere along the line we started to believe that just living together with Jesus is ok. But when you live together, and not say "I do", you always have an out to quit the relationship for someone better. And when there is an out, it will be used! The whole point of promising “I Do” is to leave no out…it is a promise till death. When it comes to a relationship with Jesus, He is all in, he proved it by dying for you. How about you? Are you all in? I can't help but smile when I hear it's "Palm Sunday"; and come to think of it, I even loved it as a kid. Why? Church on Palm Sunday is alive: you know the praise music will be upbeat and people get to wave their own palm fronds. Palm fronds, very cool, they remind me of coconut smelling tanning lotion, which reminds me of swimming at the beach, which reminds me of Jaws. Oops, that is a whole other story Anyhow, back to Palm Sunday. The gospel account on this day is cool too: The triumphal entry of the Messiah! "Hosanna! Blessed is he who come in the name of the Lord!" Jesus arrives to David's city to be welcomed as King. Finally! However, there is a sinister calm casting a shadow over the events as well: the same people who shout "Hosanna" will cry "Crucify" only five days later. Tragic how fickle people can be!
You and I aren't fickle like that, are we? I hate to admit it, but I am afraid we are. How many dads wave palm fronds at church, and then come home, only to have their wife and kids treat them as a "King on the throne"? How many moms smile at church on Sunday, yet seek to be "control-freaks" over all they survey the rest of the week? Why are we like this? Sure, were only human. Yes, we have learned bad habits from our culture on how to be independent. But I think our problem is more basic: as Americans we have no idea what it means to be ruled by a "King." Think about it, people these days demand for their rights: "Right to be happy," "Right to be paid equal," "Right to determine my own gender," "Right to pursue any job of my dream and the Government must help me pay for it," and our kids believe they have "A Right to never to be bored" ("Mom, I wanna watch 'Frozen' for the 125th time!!"). If you don't believe me, try being a coach, teacher or even a pastor these days? Get upset or frustrated at a privileged kid just once, raise your voice to get their attention, or ask them to sacrifice their desired spot for the greater good; and you most likely will have an angry parent breathing down your back who is demanding for your job! A position of title and authority garners not much respect these days. Being ruled by a King means you have no rights. So when Jesus comes riding to our town, we happily will greet him if he comes to play the role of Friend, Butler, Therapist, or Miracle Worker. However, if he comes as King, good riddance; we surely don't want anyone telling us what to do! C. S. Lewis diagnosed the modern man's problem perfectly in his essay called "God in the Dock": The ancient man approached God (or even the gods) as the accused person approaches his judge (and for that matter, King). For the modern man, the roles are quite reversed. He is the judge: God is in the dock. He is quite a kindly judge; if God should have a reasonable defense for being the god who permits war, poverty, and disease, he is ready to listen to it. The trial may even end in God’s acquittal. But the important thing is that man is on the bench and God is in the dock.” Simply stated, somehow in our modern minds, roles have been reversed: we are the ruling kings and queens and God is our servant, he must do what we want! Palm Sunday didn't just happen 2,000 years ago, but it happens everyday. Jesus is daily riding into our lives as King. The question is not how loud we can sing "Hosanna!", but what areas in our life cause us to cry "Crucify?" Every time I stop believing and obeying his word, every time I make demands from him, or expect things to "always" go my way, I have stolen his throne. If Jesus really is your King, and I mean really, you will find your delight in serving Him (Ps. 37:4). Oh to be like him: "For the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many." |
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