Surely I am too stupid to be a man. I have not the understanding of a man. I have not learned wisdom, nor have I knowledge of the Holy One. ( Proverbs 30:2-3) There has to be a point when somebody stands up and screams, "The Emperor has no clothes on!" Or warn the people "The inmates are now running the asylum!" Or how about this for a battle cry? "Let my people think!" We have become a nation that reasons like children and no one seems to be particularly upset about it. The overriding argument given now for crafting new laws, voting for candidates and even for deciding what truths to believe or what kind of moral being to become is born out of four silly little words that children often use to explain their behavior: "I felt like it." "Johnny, why were you smearing peanut butter on mommy's white wall?"..."I felt like it." "Jane, why did you eat the last four pieces of chocolate cake?"..."I felt like it." "Tommy, don't kick the dog!..."But dad, he makes me mad...and I felt like it." "I felt like it" has to be the lamest excuse for why a child chooses to do what he wants to do. And the good parent will never fall for this as a valid explanation. So wouldn't you think this answer would not be tolerated by our highly educated and evolved society? Hardly! And quite the contrary, it has now been our ipso facto, numero uno default explanation for accepting any kind of behavior and action in the public square. I just read how two Irish brothers decided they wanted to become women and their explanation to make such radically altering life decisions was based on the argument, "We felt like it." Our former Secretary of State, Hilary Rodham Clinton, was asked who gave her permission to set up a private server in her home even though it was not complying to federal security standards for personal emails, after she hemmed and hawed, eventually alluding to, "I felt like it...disguised in the phrase, 'It was for convenience.'" When adults around the country dress up like their favorite super-hero at the hundreds of Comic Cons around the country spending boatloads of money, or 25 year old men dance to "My Little Pony" at Bronie conferences, or marriages dissolve because husbands won't stop playing video games - - you know the "I felt like it" culture is alive and well. Paul was right in 2 Timothy 3, "People will become lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God." People these days are really "Feeling It!" Hitler sanctioned the systematic murder of 11 million Jews because he felt like it. We abort hundreds of thousands of babies each year in our country because we feel like it. If this is our standard for arriving at truth, where will it stop? It won't. You can always find an evil word-smith (a.k.a. Lawyer) that can paint overt wickedness to seem righteous and righteousness to look repressive and intolerant. "Freedom is the right to do as I please." "You don't have the right to judge me." "If a person feels that way, who are we to say they are not that way?" See, feeling rules. Last year I expressed to my son how he needed to do his homework. But he was playing some crazy Clash of Clans game - - so he said to me, "Dad, I don't feel like it, so I don't want to - - it is a free country you know?" He gets it, he understands the power of personal feelings. However, as his father, I DON'T feel it! "Not in this house. Freedom is determined by me since I feed you." True freedom, according to the Bible, is when I am no longer controlled by my self-destructive passions and urges. True freedom is to live in the world as I have been designed by God to live: "created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness." (Ephesians 4:24). True freedom is not something that is "felt"; but it is something that is understood. The other day I was worried about running out of gas because the tank was on E. I thought for a minute, "I wish I could just fill up the tank with the water hose." I really felt like doing it, but it would have been utterly foolish. I know when it comes to cars and engines I am relatively stupid; but I am not that stupid. I will not let my feelings ruin my engine. But the vast majority of Americans don't mind letting "I felt like it" ruin our dignity, humanity, society and rule of law. "I felt like it" is making a mockery out of us. We truly have become stupid people.
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Observations derived from Luke 5:27-32 Memorial Day Weekend, Summer is finally Here! Time to party!
But how are godly Christians supposed to handle all the merriment and festivities? Should we engage in the revelry or piously pout in our silent corner of holy separation alone? I have some advice for those of you who are not quite sure... (1) It is O.K. to go where the sinners are! It is even expected that you learn to like them. In Luke 5, Jesus met a man named Levi (a.k.a. Matthew); he was a tax collector, a profession known for attracting very shady characters. Jesus not only invited Levi to become his follower, but he went to Levi's house for a major feast with probably 50 of his closest tax collecting, non-religious, friends. Wine was flowing, meat sumptuous. (Luke 7:34) Why would Jesus go? . . . Why wouldn't he? Human beings were there - - people he created and knew intimately (Psalm 139:13-18). People he came to die for. He went because he had to...for Jesus loves people. All kinds, types, colors, and shapes of people. They all are his image bearers (Genesis 9:6). Do you like people? Or do you only have enough compassion for your immediate family and a few close friends? Do you even care that people all around you are perishing? Can you like someone who is holding a beer - - or are they "Verboten?" This is the German term for forbidden; unclean people to get away from. Are you worried they may be carrying a corrupting virus, if you befriend them they might lead you down to Hades? That brings us to. . . (2) It is not hard for Jesus to go to the party; but for most people, the hard part is to bring Jesus with you to the party. The amazing thing about the story of Levi is that he purposely had a party to introduce Jesus to his friends. He was proud of claiming Jesus as his rabbi. The party was for Jesus. When you go to parties do you go to hopefully introduce people to Jesus, or is the party for you to have a blast for yourself alone. Is the party for Jesus or for you? Yes, it is O.K. to enjoy a party for a parties sake, but remember, you still are identified with Christ (Galatians 2:20). Jesus still has you on payroll as an Ambassador for him. Which naturally leads to the next point... (3) The end goal of meeting people is not for the Christian to like you, but for them to like Christ. But remember, it is hard for people to like Christ if they don't like you. Many Christians will go to the party, and will try to bring Jesus to the party, but usually the only Jesus people see is the Jesus who frowns at the keg, keeps a straight face when a funny joke is told, will never dance, and always goes home early. I can imagine the Christian's conversation with the average non-Christian at the party... "Hey, I would like to introduce you to my friend Jesus." "Is he anything like you?" "I'd like to think so." "No thanks, he seems a little too dull for me..." Don't get me wrong, we are not called to be fools, not every joke is funny, but some jokes really are; and it is O.K. to laugh! Allow yourself to laugh. I do believe we should never laugh at things Christ died for; but c'mon, Jesus has no problem with us laughing at the funny things he made. The passage in Luke says Jesus reclined at the table with Levi's friends - - he associated with them, got to know them, was interested in their lives. So should we be with people we meet. Hopefully when people are around me, I will have something they want...something more than a drunken buzz, sports talk, or conversations about the latest Avengers movie. Hopefully they will taste "life" when they are around me. And hopefully the Christ they meet is the dangerous Christ, because... (4) Liking Christ always ends in repentance. A drunk Jesus is no Jesus at all. An angry Jesus is no Jesus at all. A shallow Jesus is no Jesus at all. We want people to meet the real Jesus through you (Galatians 1:14-15). Because the real Jesus... cares listens is hope-filled has real answers If Jesus goes to the party with you, people will be drawn to you because of the above qualities will be present in you. People are dying to meet those who have wisdom. People long to sit with a person that doesn't need to brag, or tell bigger fish stories. People want to be known by someone who cares. If you learn to do this, parties will be a real blast because Jesus will make his appearance through you. I have seen it happen dozens of times. Jesus, through his Spirit, works through you and me: people come over to talk, people share dark secrets and struggles, people ask deep question, people eventually will want to meet up later to learn more. Jesus is also pretty good at horse-shoes (I can testify:)). The summer is here, enjoy people, and bring Jesus with you! Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. Through him we have also obtained access by faith into this grace in which we stand. (romans 5:1-2) "Into this grace"...wow, what a statement!
Christianity at it's core means to be brought into something new and great; a land of joy and abundance, it is the Kingdom of the Son he Loves (Col. 1:13). It is peace. Last week we discussed how the blind man gains sight through faith. We call that Justification. This week we are going to talk about what Justification procures for us, Imputation. Entering into the real, tangible, tasty, favor of God (Psalm 34:8). Imputation means "a new reckoning", or accounting. God no longer holds the debt we owe him over our head. He considers the payment finished, the ledger is at zero, and as a result his favor is now directed our way. One theologian states the process of justification to imputation like this, "A judgement is called over our life, from the other side, a transcendent voice, fully independent from our subjectivity, directed de excelsis downward, a 'judgment of justification'; which means, out of his pleasure in seeing his Son in us, God himself imputes the righteousness of Christ to humans." He goes on to say, "God is now coming toward humans which has a connotation of something breaking through. God's breaking through brings change and renewal." Martin Luther calls it the "happy exchange." God's Word comes from outside us, breaks through our darkness and sin, shines light that brings a new type of life. "God's word re-creates; humans are set free from bondage to the powers of sin and death" (2 Corinthians 5:17). It also means an actual transference of positional righteousness: Jesus took upon our sin, and we were given his righteousness. Where once we were in debt to God, under his wrath, living in the land of death; imputation says now that we believe we have crossed over into a new land (John 5:24) - - we are now touching the actual life of God. I like to think of it like living in a Yellow Submarine (O.K, so I like the Beatles). Our lives have been shipwrecked by sin, we are swimming out in the deep ocean of fear with death all around us. Deadly sharks are circling, jelly-fish are floating, storms are blowing, waves are cresting. And then a bright and shiny yellow submarine surfaces, a hatch pops open and a man with scars on his hands says, "Hop in, it is safe in here." Do you trust him? Do you really have any other choice? "You are dying, jump in!" Hopping into the submarine is like justification, you are now "In Christ" - - He is our immediate deliverance, He is salvation from the sharks, storms and ocean swells that are bearing down upon us. Once you climb in, the Captain of the submarine welcomes you aboard and shows you all around. It is an amazing vessel: all the food you can eat, cozy temperature control, your own plush cot to sleep on, and a Captain whose company contains "pleasures at his right hand" (Psalm 16:11) for the whole trip. You are safe. When you believe in Jesus, you have hopped "Into this Grace" in which you now stand, or dwell. It is real. Life becomes bigger and brighter. God's favor is like a summer breeze, refreshing and invigorating the soul. Imputation is not earned, it is given. The submarine is something outside of you, you did not build it, it came to you when you were sinking and swallowing salt-water. The hatch was opened and all you did was enter by acceptance of the invitation of the Captain with the scarred hands. Who are we to boast? Imputation is not co-operative as some Christian sects teach, I don't rescue myself; it breaks through the violent and threatening waves in a moment to change your life forever! I must say, imputation is rarely talked about. But it is this concept that makes Christianity real and life giving. It is more than a concept, it is the way things really are. I will never understand God until I touch God through faith. I will never taste God until I trust God. I will never enjoy God until I rest in his strength. Stop all this non-sense about needing proof, or answering all my doubts sufficiently...Christianity has come to rescue you, not satisfy your curiosity. If anything, the closer you are to Christ the more mysterious and wonderful he becomes. One more thing: Muhammad doesn't have a submarine, Buddha doesn't have a submarine, and most Atheists think hoping for a sub is silly and they act like they are just fine treading water in this dangerous and unforgiving sea. And then you have those people who drank too much of the salt water of sin, who think they are doing just fine as they swim with the sharks and ignore the storms thrashing them and their families. The hatch is NOW open, the Captain is beckoning you, will you enter? And we can't stop - And we won't stop We run things, things don't run we. . .Remember only God can judge ya. Forget the haters 'cause somebody loves ya "We Can't Stop" Miley Cyrus It is that time of year, graduates around the country sit in their long gowns, wear funny square hats, while listening to a brilliant, accomplished speaker give them advice on how to succeed in life. They did it, they graduated. Smart people, with degrees in hand, ready to take on the world, seem to be everywhere this time of year. A real reason to hope.
Recently I decided to watch one of these ceremonies where a famous man (no , it wasn't the President) was speaking. He stepped up to the podium, slowly unfolding his written speech, and in a measured cadence thanked all the faculty, staff and students of the elite university for having him. And then he began his message, "Dear graduates, you are f*^%$!" "Huh? What just happened?" Here was a man looking the part of cultured sophistication and brilliance; while pouring out of his mouth came cursing and hot streams of blasphemy. So much for hope. In this singular moment, I saw a snap-shot of what is wrong with America. We now own more knowledge, understanding, technology, and scientific insights than ever before - - but we have not learned the most important lesson of all...HOW TO BLUSH. Jeremiah 6:15 and 8:12 describe the final condition of a soul, and nation, that has forgotten God: "Were they ashamed when they committed abominations? No, they were not at all ashamed; they did not know how to blush." Blushing means I am embarrassed because I have not lived up to the person of worth God has created me to be. Shame is a sign I have offended the God who made me. But this no longer is the norm in America. We have exalted knowledge at the expense of moral truth, and that is what is truly embarrassing. But the real problem is that we no longer know how to be embarrassed. We just make excuses for our excesses. We have redefined vice as virtue. And we tolerate and embrace those actions and choices that bring corrosion to a civil society. As a result sin has died in America. We killed sin, aren't we brilliant? In Luke 5 Jesus meets a leper. In his day a leper was ostracized because the disease he was carrying was dangerous. Leprosy spread, and once a person had the dreaded disease, it would slowly but surely eat away until a person died a lonely, disfiguring death. Leprosy is also a picture of sin. Sin eats away the soul, it corrodes the fabric of society, it is something to fear. We now think we can escape it, but we cant. Have you read the news, have you seen how sin is ravaging families, cities and towns? I am afraid that our inability to blush is killing us. "What did he do to you? How did he open your eyes?” He answered them, “I have told you already, and you would not listen. Why do you want to hear it again? Do you also want to become his disciples?” And they reviled him, saying, “You are his disciple, but we are disciples of Moses." (John 9:26-28) It was a horrible scene: a blind man was walking into Speedway, and before he neared the entrance door he dropped his cane. As he was bending down to pick it up a bearded man in a business suit, holding a steaming 32 ounce cup of coffee, was coming out the door. He didn't see the blind man and plowed right into him; his hot coffee spilled all over his nice jacket and he started screaming:
"What the @&$?! You stupid idiot, did you see what you did to me? How could a grown man be such a fool? You were stooped down right in front of the store? What are you thinking...you piece of trash." He then gave the blind man a final shove as he crashed down in a heap hitting the hard pavement. The man didn't stop, just huffed away into his fancy car, squealed his tires and sped off raising the bird for one last vulgar goodbye while the poor man was left lying on the ground. Two people came rushing to give the blind man assistance; one brushed him off while the other picked up his cane and directed him to the front door. The blind man's shoulder was clearly hurt...and I am sure his ego was bruised as well. Tell me, was the blind man at fault? Of course not. In fact, the business man was the real jerk in this situation. If he didn't react so quickly he might have seen that the poor guy had sight impairment and hopefully he would have extended him some grace. But no, he just assumed the man was acting foolishly on purpose. Everybody should know that a blind man can't be expected to see - and to demand for him to act as a man who can see is flat out wrong. I would even say it borders on abuse. Yelling at a blind man for not seeing accomplishes nothing, it is an impossible expectation. Blindness isn't cured by a verbal demand to see. It isn't cured by anger at a person's inability, or even statements to shame. Blindness is only cured by a miraculous healing. However, what is clearly obvious in the physical world is often completely misunderstood in the spiritual world. This is the prime reason why so many people hate religion and feel abused in the church. Blind people are expected to act like they can see. Pastors, priests, teachers and parents place huge expectations on people demanding for them to behave as if they can see (attain righteous perfection); and as much as they try, they can't nor will they ever be able to achieve it. It is impossible. They are spiritually blind. But Jesus says in Luke 18:27, "What is impossible with man is possible with God." The Spiritual Condition of Man (Ephesians 2:1-3) When a person is born into this world scripture declares we all are "Spiritually Blind -- dead in our transgressions and sins." 2 Corinthians 4:4 says this blindness has the effect of warping our perspective on God and his Son Jesus Christ. Instead of seeing him as beautiful and praiseworthy (glory is the term for this), God appears to us as an adversary, our primary object of hate. Colossians 1:21 says, "We are enemies to God in our mind." Spiritual blindness is a fact. And yet most churches expect the spiritually blind to attain righteous perfection on their own. Churches demand, yell, and with pointed finger of disgust say, "Love God and obey him, or else!" But most can't even see through their hatred. We act shocked when people behave sinfully, we expect our children and the world around us to naturally perform deeds of righteousness. We wrongly teach "be righteous to become righteous." No, no, no....this is like telling a blind man to see in order to see. And the more we yell and demand and heap guilt on unrighteousness people for not living righteously, the more we are acting like the bearded businessman whose coffee got spilled. I would even say much of our discussion on "works based salvation", earning God's favor through human effort and striving to be good, is spiritual abuse. How a Blind Man Receives Sight (Romans 1:16) So how does the impossible become possible? How does the broken soul receive miraculous healing? The GOSPEL. It is God's power spoken to awaken a dead soul. It is when his light shines to give sight to the spiritually blind man. This moment of enlightenment is what awakens a person to the goodness of God. It has a two step mutual process: (1) God, because of his kindness and grace, is moved by the blindness of a person, and so he invites him to receive his mercy. He does this by sending the message of his kingdom. It is a message that is unlike any other. Jesus came to earth to live the perfect life you couldn't. Jesus died, on the cross, to take the wrath against sin that you couldn't. Jesus rose from the grave to prove he actually accomplished both. (1 Corinthians 15:1-6) (2) The Blind Man, after hearing the gospel, is moved by the Spirit of God to receive it. We call this "faith" or as Martin Luther puts it, "naked trust in Christ alone." Receiving the Gospel is a lot like a sail receiving the wind, or a hungry person receiving a loaf of bread. The Gospel is the power of God that is given to you to change you...it is what helps you see. (Titus 3:2-6) The moment these two elements interact, or converge, new life is given. The theological term for this is "Justification." When a person exercises faith in Jesus, God assigns Jesus' righteousness on his behalf. In fact, he "declares" that person righteous. Romans 5:1 says, "Therefore being justified by faith we have peace with God through Our Lord Jesus Christ." Justification must occur if a blind man is ever going to see. Before I was a Christian I was a drunken, Rugby playing, partying fool. I also was empty and lost. Deep down I knew I was missing something, but I didn't know what? I even went to church, but I never felt "good enough." I tried to be religious, but the more I attempted to please God the more I knew I angered him. I was exhausted, defeated and I was done trying. And I wanted nothing to do with him. And then I heard the gospel. I really heard it and I believed it. That is all I did, believe. After that everything seemed different. God was now for me and not against me. I wanted to be a new person. I also noticed that those in the church who use to look at me critically with furrowed brow, now wanted to control me. They told me, "If I was going to be a Christian I better start looking the part." But Christianity isn't looking a part, it is seeing life anew. It is finally having a hope and a purpose. It is wanting to live my life for the God who saved it. Justification must take place if I am going to have the spiritual ability to see, really see - - what the purpose of my life is and why God is so wonderful. When you are really are able to see, you will begin to pity those who are blind, and you also get angry at those who think they can see and can't. Usually they are the ones who tell you how to dress and what time to show up to church. I don't go to church because I have to anymore, I go because I worship Jesus there. Justification is the first step to real Christianity. Stop getting mad at blind people. And start living and sharing the Gospel. "For which of you, desiring to build a tower, does not first sit down and count the cost, whether he has enough to complete it? Otherwise, when he has laid a foundation and is not able to finish, all who see it begin to mock him, saying, ‘This man began to build and was not able to finish.'" (Luke 14:28-30) Purgatory does exist. It is called "being a Cleveland, Ohio sports fan." Sorrow stacked upon sorrow, despair is your constant companion, and hope is nothing more than a evil phantom whispering to your broken heart, "maybe next year...maybe next year...maybe next year?" If there ever was a poster boy for Cleveland sports it has to be Super Joe Charboneau. Never heard of him? That is because you are not a true Cleveland blue-blood. Or more accurately, you are not familiar with the raw and industrial worldview of a Cleveland blue-collar man. I remember him well because his hey day hit when I was just a young freshman in High School. From my perspective he was the perfect Cleveland Honyak. Let me tell you about him... - in 1976 he was drafted to play minor league baseball for a number of big league farm clubs - -but at first it didn't go well because he was born to fight,. Not only did he get caught up in a few bar room brawls after bad games, but he also fought with his own team management. So instead of "serving the man", he decided to play beer league softball in Belvidere, Illinois, his very own small Midwestern home-town. - In 1979 the Cleveland Indians negotiated for his rights and sent him to Chattanooga where he hit .352 catching the eyes of the Cleveland front office. His big break came quick, Andre "Thunder" Thornton (another Cleveland icon) got hurt and Joe was moved up to the big leagues: Number 34, outfield. He probably inspired John Fogerty's song Centerfield, "Put me in coach, I'm ready to play!" - His reputation as a brawler continued to follow him, once during spring training in Mexico for an exhibition game, a crazed fan stuck Charboneau with a pen knife. The knife penetrated four inches and hit a rib, but Charboneau played his first regular-season game just over a month later. The Cleveland Press and your average sports fan ate this up, "Joe was just like us!" - Strange but true stories started coming out about Joe: he could open up beer bottles with his eye socket, he loved to show how he could drink beer through a straw up his nose, he permed and dyed his hair different colors. He even did his own dental work, and it is rumored he fixed a broken nose with a pair of pliers and few shots of Jack Daniels to chase it down. This guy was 100% Cleveland! My buddies would buy beer in the bottle just to see if they could open it with their eye-socket too. In fact, one idiot friend lacerated his skin just underneath his eyebrow and had to get stitches. No matter, being like Joe was Cool! - His first season with the Indians was amazing: His. batting average was a slick .289, he powered out 23 home runs and had 87 RBI's. Eventually he even was awarded the American League Rookie of the Year. All summer long my friends and I were caught up in the Super Joe mania. My dad took me to a couple games and the stands were rocking every time he went up to bat --- cheering was non-stop as it echoed out in the old cavernous Cleveland Municipal Stadium. They even had written a song about him, "Go Joe Charboneau," it was almost as famous as "Strike Up the Band" by The Micheal Stanley Band (Another Cleveland only). After the year was over Cleveland fans couldn't wait for his return. But it was short lived - - in spring training he injured his back sliding head-first. It ruined him completely. He tried to rehab in minor league ball, but he couldn't bounce back. His decline got so bad so fast that he couldn't contain the brawler inside of him. One lonely baseball night in Buffalo a fan was jeering him and he couldn't stop himself from flipping-off the crowd. After giving the bird and he was sent packing. A METAPHOR Super Joe lives on in Cleveland lore, but that's about it. No championships won, no long term records broken, he was just a comet blazing for a short time across the Cleveland sky with the Terminal Tower silhouetted in the background. Sure it was an exciting time, but today Super Joe is nothing more than a novelty for people old enough to remember. I find this to be true with many Christians these days. They have one or two years of excitement when the Spirit of God knocks on their heart. There is brief excitement; but after awhile they just go back to their former ways. I think one of the main reasons for this is our tradition of revivalism. A preacher comes into town, fires up the enthusiasm of the crowd, people make quick decisions for Christ at the moment, and then the preacher leaves..."What now?" The usual answer was silly: join an angry church, wear a tie, listen to organ music, and go out and get people saved. And if you can't do it yourself, hire another fire-eating preacher and have another revival. This kind of Christian life doesn't last long - - in fact, I think it has done more harm than good. Modern day revivalism still exists in our rocking music concerts and healing miracle tours, with little long term effect; the church has become just like Super Joe Charbeneau. When Jesus came to town to look for followers he first of all won them to his mercy. He went deep, revealed their need and satisfied their hunger. And then he said, "drop your nets, and follow me...from now on you will be fishing for men." In other words, your life will now forever change. The course of life must change. The perspective of life must change. It is not to be a short lived moment of excitement, - - but Jesus calls us to a new lifestyle. We are expected to turn from our American idols and follow Jesus alone. David Platt in his book "Follow Me" writes: "People in a predominantly 'Christian' setting aren't bowing down before idols or offering sacrifices to false gods. So what does repentance look like in their lives? This question is extremely important...because we don't consider the American man looking at pornographic pictures online or watching ungodly television shows and movies as bowing down to idols. We don't think about the American woman incessantly shopping for more possessions or obsessively consumed with the way she looks as bad as following false gods. We don't take into account men and women in the Western world constantly enamored with money and blindly engulfed in materialism as bad. We hardly even think about our busy efforts to climb the corporate ladder, or incessant worship of sports, our temper when things don't go our way, our worries that things won't go our way, our overeating, our excesses and all sorts of worldly indulgences... We can't fathom a Christian on the other side of the world believing that a wooden god can save them, but we have no problem believing that religion, money, possessions, food, fame, sex, sports, status, and success can satisfy us. Do we actually think that we have fewer idols to let go of in our repentance?" So what does it mean to really live a changed life? How do we make sure we are not "a comet blazing across the sky"? I think it begins with hunger. Has Jesus really satisfied your longings, has he really met your needs, or are you still finding satisfaction in things other than Christ? If you are, Jesus will be just an add on, something cool to do on Sunday morning, and your walk with him won't last. For me, Jesus has become my life. The world outside of Christ was empty, it failed me. I was hungry and Jesus satisfied my every need. He really did. Until you find him as all you ever wanted, you will be like Super Joe - - a person living on excitement, and that's it. It is more than obvious to most, not only does our country seem to be in a massive decline, but we are in the middle of a "blame game" slug fest of why we are in decline: right vs. left, conservative vs. liberal, serious believers vs. atheists. We always point to the other side as the main culprit in our collective corrosion. But in the book "Bad Religion," Ross Douthat argues that neither of these two polar-opposite groups are the main problem. He begins by saying that there is all kinds of useless theoretical finger-pointing of who and what is destroying America: Economic Systems (Capitalism or Keynesian debt), Governmental Structures (De-regulation or Statism), Conspiracy Groups (Weathermen & Reds or Greedy Corporations & Wall Street) or the cry that there either is "too much religion, or too little of it." He believes that the main problem is none of those things, but rather, "It's bad religion: the slow-motion collapse of traditional Christianity and the rise of a variety of destructive pseudo-Christianities in it's place" Those pseudo-Christianities include The Health & Prosperity Movement, the Denial of an Historical Jesus, the New Age Influence, and the Politics as Savior movements. He thinks the only way to right America's ship is by returning to orthodox Christianity. Not just in theology but in the institutions (churches) that are an outgrowth of that theology. I completely agree, I think all those false Christianities are killing us. But in is his definition of what he means by orthodoxy I would like more clarification. I am not sure his answer of just going back to the old traditional forms of faith is the answer. I think it goes deeper and is more acute than that. If I could boil the problem down to make it simple, I think America is in decline because a large part of those who call themselves Christians in America are not Christian. Even more basic than that, we have a bunch of "professors of faith" but a small group of "possessors of Christ." As the old saying goes, "Sitting in a garage does not make you a car, and sitting in a church does not make you a Christian." So what makes a Christian? I mean really? 4 big words linked together in the right order: Justification -> Imputation -> Regeneration -> Sanctification. If you don't know what those words mean, then do all you can to understand them. If you don't care what those words mean, you are part of the problem. The man who claims to love Jesus, but wants nothing to do with understanding what it means to really love him is a liar. And there are a whole lot of liars out there. Jesus uses the word "hypocrite" for that. So Chris, what do they mean? I am not going to attempt to fully define them here, right now. For the next three weeks I will break them down as simply as I can. My main objective for this post is to ask you two questions and give you two answers. 2 Questions... (1) Do you really live your faith, or is it only a Sunday thing? If it is a Sunday thing it is like saying you are on a diet and you are hoping to lose weight by eating good food for only an hour on Sunday. Or it is like saying you are hanging with Jesus, but the devil has already made reservations with you Monday thru Saturday. In other words, words mean nothing if your faith isn't ongoing.; it only makes you feel good about yourself. (2) Do you really know God? I mean really talk to him, ask him questions, love his word and run to him in your time of need?Saying you do in public, and ignoring him in private is a terrible evil. "Hey everybody I am married...look at my ring. But don't expect me to talk to my new wife when we get home. In fact, I have shut her up in a closet while all my buddies continue to come over to party." 2 Answers.... (1) If you are only a Sunday person, and ignore God on a regular basis, the world around you will continue to spiral down. We are salt and light, but if we don't have God, we will have zero saltiness nor radiate the person of Christ. We can come up with all kinds of solutions, political arguments, structural changes, but we will have no life. Moving dead people with strings. But dead people always smell rotten regardless if they wear a conservative or liberal button. (2) Connection to the life and power of God is possible. It really is. And when it happens real change will happen. It really will. And people will stand up and notice. They really will. Last week my daughter made a strange comment, "Dad, I think our dog is a Christian?" I asked why, "He is kind, compassionate, and he listens. He doesn't bite people like our neighbor's dog, and he likes people. He really likes people...so he must be a Christian." She gets it, the true life of God is real in people who really know God. Do you? "He removed the high places...and broke in pieces the bronze serpent" (2 Kings 18:4) Grumbling and complaining about your life? No biggie, we all do it.
Well, if you are not careful, small moans of discontent can quickly lead to loud cries of vitriolic frustration and bitterness. This was the case in the Old Testament desert wanderings: "Where is the bread God? How about some water? Enough of this manna, we loathe this worthless food!" God became a villain to these grumblers, and their discontent led the Israelites to believe he really wanted them to die. But when they called his honey-bread sent from heaven "worthless, miserable food", they went too far. The very thing God sent to keep them alive, they spit upon with the poisonous words of an ungrateful rabble. So God matched their poison with a bit of his own poison. Venomous snakes were sent to bite the grumblers, and they started dropping dead like flies. Desperate, the people ran to Moses and begged him to pray to God for relief, "We have sinned, please take away these snakes!" Snakes, I hate snakes. God came to the rescue, as he always does, and devised a strange but wonderful plan. He told Moses to craft a serpent out of bronze, weld it onto a pole, and place it high for all to see. If a person was bitten and they looked up and saw the "Nehushtan" (bronze serpent on a pole) - - they would survive. All they had to do was look, and the poison was rendered useless. This was miraculous, spectacular, something to rejoice about and love God for. God often uses the unusual and miraculous to reveal his abundant mercy. But the saving power of the bronze serpent was meant to be for a limited time. After awhile, the snakes all disappeared, the people were healed and God's anger subsided. So what happened to the Nehushtan? Was it stored away in a Jewish museum? Did Uncle Tevye have it up in his attic? No, it was worse than that...for the next 400 years many of the Israelites continued to revere it as an object of worship. In 2 Kings 18:4 King Hezekiah finally decided to have it destroyed because people were bowing before it and bringing offerings to it. What was once a great gift given by God for his people to place their trust in him, turned into a idol that they used in replacement of God. That is what an idol is, a trade: exchanging God for any lesser thing that will give you what you want. The problem with this is that the power isn't in the thing, it is in the promise that is founded in the character of a loving God who gave the thing. But people like the thing. The thing is malleable, visible and appeals to my senses. It is easy to see a bronze snake on a pole, but God is invisible. God is also Holy and having a relationship with him often means I need to be willing to let him change me. In comparison, a snake on a pole is silent, it has no opinions, all I want from it is power. Power feels good. That is the essence of idolatry, getting what I want, when I want it, with minimal cost. God still is in the business of giving us great things. God still can do miracles. But we have to be careful not to just want these miracles in replacement of exercising faith in his character. Often theologians debate if signs, wonders, tongues, healings and phenomenal workings by God are over? Have they ceased? And any honest evaluation of scripture never says God and his miracles have ceased. (http://www.desiringgod.org/articles/signs-and-wonders-then-and-now) But signs are purposeful: to point to that which is important. The thing is meant to point to the character of God. That is what a sign does, it points. However, if all you come to church for is to see cool things, experience the "wow" of the miracle, or love the feelings you get from powerful praise and worship, you are replacing God with the thing. In Matthew 12:38-39 Jesus calls people who are searching for miracles "a wicked generation". They weren't wicked for wanting to see miracles, they were wicked because the one whom the miracles were pointing to was standing right before them and they weren't impressed. They liked the thing better than the man. How can we be impressed by the miracle and not be impressed by the Christ who created the miracle? Many people are because they like feeling over faith. (John 6:26) God sent the bronze serpent, the Nehushtan, so people would trust his word. God also sent the bronze serpent, the Nehushtan, so people would place their faith in the Word, the Christ. John 3:14-16 says, "And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, that whoever believes in him may have eternal life. For God so loved the world,that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life." Be careful, great things can quickly become idols. Ask yourself, do you find yourself talking more about the music, the healings, the miraculous events, or the mercy of the risen Christ? Never replace a diamond ring for the love of a spouse. One is real, the other is just a thing. I can't believe it, someone read my blog and liked it. I am specifically referring to last weeks' post on "You Can't Handle the Truth." I was asked if I had anymore short, pithy statements to share and so I have decided to write a Part 2. Why is this jawdropping? Really, it isn't, but if you use the word jawdropping in your title, people will click on it. So in a way, the title I put on it was for sheer manipulative purposes...if you can't beat 'em, join 'em! (That is my first truth): Here are the rest... * The people who are the loudest about politics and who demand for the government to do more things for the disadvantaged, and aggressively picket for change, are often the very people who don't have any time to help their neighbor nor care for immediate family members in need. It is easier to look compassionate than to be compassionate...and most truly compassionate people are too busy helping people in need than promoting some revolutionary agenda. * Men do no want to go into combat with women, and most women in the service don't want to go either...the ones that do usually just want to prove a point that they are just as tough as men. And it is usually the few insecure women who feel like they have something to prove; and usually they only want to prove it when war isn't a real threat. People are always tougher when they are living under the luxury of long term peace. * The church is full of wonderful people. * Most women are more comfortable and attracted to a man a who is a little over weight than a buff health nut with rock hard abs. The reason is simple...the over weight guy isn't self-consumed, nor is he trying to prove anything; and all a woman wants is a man to be considerate toward them. * An atheist has really nothing to be angry about nor do they have anything to prove. If you do find one that is angry it is a sure sign they know God is real and they are fighting against their own subconscious belief. Not one single atheist really believes that when their mom dies they should treat it as another step in the evolutionary process, a series of random meaninglessness. They know in the depth of their soul, their mom's life has more significance than 70 years of trouble and then they are relegated to worm food. * Men would rather have a woman dress in a t-shirt, baseball cap and jeans than having them always needing to wear high heels, glittery blouses, dolled up hair, carrying a name brand purse while holding a miniature dog. If women would first ask their husbands what they really think is pretty, they would save themselves hours of headaches in front of the mirror. But most of the time, probably 98%, women dress up so other women won't judge them. * A large majority of women do not want to have a woman for a boss...men are too scared to give their honest opinion on this question because they don't want to be labeled as anti-women. * People nowadays are so addicted to their fake worlds that the real world seems boring, insignificant and a waste of time by comparison. * Marriage takes hard work. * If you have learned how to be self-controlled, you will never have to pay for a diet plan or special drink supplement to stay in shape. * Good parenting is God's discipleship plan...not cool new books, methods, classes or conferences. * When you speak in front of people, imaging the audience in their underwear doesn't help with nervousness, nor does it help you with your message. But there is one thing that does: You need to realize the audience wants you to do good - - the more comfortable you are speaking the more comfortable they are listening. * Busyness is not a sign that you are important, more often than not it is a sign you don't know how to say no. * Helping your children to learn how to be sad may be one of the best lessons they can ever learn. * When it comes to basketball, Players that make the jump from high school to college is 2.9%. Players that make the jump from college to pro is 1.3%. Players that make the jump from high school to pro is .03%. This means that all the money and time you spend on sending your children to camp, tournaments and year round basketball leagues better be for enjoying the immediate moment instead of investing in a future hope. * Students in High School date for three main reasons: (1) They don't want to be left out of the fun that it seems like everyone else is pretending to have (2) Having a boyfriend or girlfriend means you are a desirable person (aka, you are not a loser if someone is attracted to you) (3) It is easy access to cheap sex. Note - - rarely do students date because they really see a long term future with the other person. It does happen once in a while though. * Good parenting is the kind that allows your children to blame you, and get mad at you for sticking your nose in their business. Appreciation doesn't show up until they are around 24. * Having a special needs child for a sister will change your life for the better. * If a man is addicted to pornography he will have a very difficult time knowing how to talk to, encourage, and lead his own daughter. * If you could ask any pastor what the number one sign is when you know a person is a true follower of Christ, the answer is simple, "A person has zero expectations and is impossible to insult or offend...in fact, they like to be told the truth. Even if it hurts." |
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