Between the two of them they can claim 4 out of 7! "There are six things the Lord hates, seven that are detestable to him: haughty eyes, a lying tongue...a false witness who pours out lies and a man who stirs up dissension among brothers." (Proverbs 6:16-19) It is not his comb-over nor his plastic sons who stand behind him. It is not her pantsuits nor her creepy-crawly husband lurking in the shadows. It is not his million dollar casinos, nor her million dollar mansion in Chappaqua. The problem with both of them, and for that matter most politicians in general, is that "words really matter" - - but they don't seem to care. Ever since Richard Nixon's infamous Watergate debacle, words for most of our leaders have lost any semblance of sincerity. They have become tools to posture, to manipulate, to promise future illusions for present power. One writer observes, "Words themselves are at a historic low point in the advanced modern world. On the one hand, modern words suffer from inattention. Everyone is speaking and no one is listening. On the other hand, modern words suffer from inflation. Under the impact of the omnipresence of advertising and 'adspeak' words are nothing more than tools to sell products and agendas." Does this quote not describe both Hilary and Donald? She uses words for the purpose of filler space so she can dodge, squirm and deflect. Words are a way to hide for her. She is the master of "obfuscation". Don't know what obfuscate means? That's the point, it means to render something unclear and unintelligible. It is a sophisticated form of lying. While portraying an image of intelligence and transparency, her many words are darkening understanding. Donald uses words to incite and inflame: "I will win, everything is going to be great, jobs for everyone, and anyone who has anything against me must be the son or daughter of a motherless goat!" His words are not meant to inform or enlighten, but to hype. Everything is inflated, symbols full of hot air. While Hilary dodges, Donald attacks. While Hilary lies, Donald blasts. Both have contributed to the distrust that is at epidemic proportions. Words, just words. But "WORDS REALLY MATTER!" As one modern cultural critic writes, "Words are never mere words for us, for they are linked indissolubly to truth, freedom, worship and human dignity." The only way to have a relationship is with words. The only way to build trust is with words. If I promise you something and my actions prove the promise, trust is built. This is not just "words" it is reality. If you can't trust my promise, or my teaching, or my sentiment, you will see me as a fraud and trust is broken. Life is built or destroyed on words. I once heard the worst sin you could ever master is lying. If you become a good liar, you can get away with anything. Lying is like a thick bucket of whitewash paint that you can plaster over any dirty deed and no one will notice. Lying is the language of the devil. Words matter. How are your words? My wife has made mine become better, crisper, clearer. When we were first married she would often tell me, "Say what you mean, and mean what you say." That phrased changed my life, and made me both a better pastor and person. How are your words? Is everything awesome, unbelievable and o.k.? What does that even mean? We have become the people of "whatever", "it is what it is", "you know", and "dude". Are we not better than this? Words really matter, because the mishandling of them is what is destroying our country. When a President makes promises that "rates wont go up", or "we are creating shovel ready jobs", or "we are really angry with terrorists" and then rates go up, jobs creation is failing and terrorists keep bombing, people lose trust. Words really matter. "So Chris, who will you vote for?" I don't know, I really don't know. Do I vote for the obfuscator or fabricator? I just don't know? God help me.....
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Don't come around here no more - Don't come around here no more Whatever you're looking for - Hey! don't come around here no more I've given up, I've given up I've given up on waiting any longer (Tom Petty, “Don’t Come Around Here No More” circa 1985) There has to be more than this? This question welled up in my soul out of nowhere, and set me on a search for “real” meaning - - that to this day, I am in constant pursuit of. I just can’t stop, and quite frankly, that is why I blog, preach, read and wonder. As Socrates once quipped, “An unexamined life is not worth living.” That is why it puzzles me why people are so easily satisfied with banal, trivial, and fleeting things. Unexamination is our cultural epidemic. But who am I to talk? For the first 23 years of my life, I was, as C. S. Lewis wrote, “far too easily pleased" with the mud pies I was making and enjoying. That is until I saw Tom Petty in concert, where something was set aflame in my heart. It is not to be satisfied, now I search... The year was 1985 and he just released the album “Southern Accents” which was enormously popular; especially with my friends who liked his quirky and odd musical style. Many people call his music “stoner rock”. I was asked to accompany four of my friends to see him in concert, and we were all really jazzed up to see him (cool 80's lingo). The concert was in my hometown of Cleveland, and we made a night of it. I really don't remember who opened, or who I was with, but I do remember when Tom Petty first walked on stage. The crowd went crazy when all of his 130 pound skinny, scraggly-haired, bony-kneed frame came shuffling out on stage. All eyes were fixed on this singular gaunt man. And then it happened, the moment I will never forget, the moment that has been haunting me and causing me to question all the things we, as society, accept as true, real, popular, and praiseworthy. Tom Petty, with guitar strapped to his side, approached the microphone, and grabbing it with both hands, looked out on all of us and said, “Hello Cleveland!” The place erupted, people went berserk, and my friend next to me said this, “Can you believe it? He said Cleveland? He actually said Cleveland!” Right at that moment everything went into slow motion: I looked around and watched all these people willing to bow in worship to a skinny, skeletal man because he knew the name of the city he was performing in. I don’t know how to describe it to you, but it felt like the very pores and fabric of existence expected, no, demanded of me to join in the adoration as well. No questions were to be asked, I was to offer myself in total submission, with all of my senses and reason, to the worship of someone who simply knew what was patently obvious to us all, “We were in Cleveland...Yes, a five year old could figure that out.” But it was more than this, I felt like a tiny fish caught in a giant school of ignoramuses swimming to our certain death because both the cultural current and our human blindness was flowing and forcing all of us that way. I wanted out. I wanted to breathe. I wanted reason. I wanted to be a thinking man. As you read this, you may be thinking that going to a concert and applauding a great musician may not seem like a life-altering experience. But it was for me. I was pushed out, forced to look at everything anew. In that moment of time, I was tired of being, as Pink Floyd says, a cog in the machine. And that machine was not, as we are fooled to believe, the vast imperial, economic, monster of American greed and finance. The machine for me was this crowd of blind, amoral, independent and ignorant humanity. We all claim independence, and yet we all clap for a silly man who can say Cleveland. I started noticing this everywhere. People all think the same, react the same, get tattoos the same way, vote the same, get angry the same, watch movies the same, drink the same, look at porn the same...while we are all made to believe we are unique and special. All rebels, when in fact, when we are nothing more than reactionary robots. I wanted more. I wanted that for which I have been designed. And I still am searching for. That is primarily why I blog. People ask me, “Blogging on a consistent basis takes a lot of work. Why do you do it? People will get mad at you and you don’t need the headache?” I do it for three reasons:
So now I search, but I know what I am searching for. And I also have come to see that the crowd doesn’t. For the most part they are caught up with chasing the shadows of entertainment, celebrity, political correctness, 401k balances, a cottage on the lake, fighting for the rights to sleep with who you want, kill human beings that are still in their mother's wombs, stopping terrorism, and trying to figure out how to lynch both Hillary and Donald on the same gallows. We are caught up and obsessed with secondary things... Chasing shadows, making mud pies, adoring a man who knows what city he is in -- there is sooooo much more to the world than this. I will concede one thing to Tom Petty, he was right when he said, “Don’t come around here no more. I’ve given up…” I have given up finding answers in the crowd. I have stopped going to the same old haunts of drink, debauchery, and popular sentiment that everyone else has set up camp at. I have found a new road, much narrower and yet much more wild and alive. Harder to follow, but easier to fall in love with. Difficult to fully grasp but when touched, even for a second, it is tastier, sweeter, lovelier than anything I have ever experienced. And I have found some better song lyrics written by a more insightful song writer than Tom Petty, and his name is Isaiah... Come, everyone who thirsts, come to the waters; and he who has no money,
come, buy and eat! Come, buy wine and milk without money and without price. Why do you spend your money for that which is not bread, and your labor for that which does not satisfy? Listen diligently to me, and eat what is good, and delight yourselves in rich food. Incline your ear, and come to me; hear, that your soul may live; Seek the Lord while he may be found; call upon him while he is near! "Christians have won an insufferable reputation for always dispensing answers, even when no one has a question." Os Guinness How would you like to raise six wild kids, all born in an eight year span, while your husband was a traveling salesman gone most of the week traversing the continental United States? You would have to be one tough cookie to do it. Well, my mom was one tough cookie! She was raised to be tough: Daughter of two German farmers who moved to a working class neighborhood in Dayton, Ohio. Her mom was a waitress at a bar while her dad worked in a factory. My mom had to take the public bus to school, and landed a job as a secretary immediately out of High School. She pretty much raised herself. So you could say, she grew up in the tough German school of hard knocks. Needless to say, raising six kids for her was a piece of cake. I was the easiest one of those kids, I was also the youngest, the baby boy. My sisters still claim I was her favorite. (Why shouldn't I be? I was the cutest, the happiest, the smartest and most peace loving. I was the most humble too!) So with a barrel-full of kids scampering around the house, she would be busy cleaning, cooking and watching "As the World Turns". She also would rarely answer the front door when people came calling. If she wasn't expecting a friend over, it was her habit to ignore the "Ding-Dong" of our loud, annoying doorbell. She told us not to answer it if it was a stranger; because more than likely it was one of the irritating Encyclopedia pushers, or Kirby vacuum cleaner sales nuts - - and she didn't have the time or patience to listen to some lousy sales pitch. For all intensive purposes, the Weeks' front door was considered "Closed for Business" to all unwanted visitors during the day. My German mom had better things to do. That is until that fateful day when the whole Treemont Fire Department came knocking in earnest on our front door...seven strangers outfitted in full fire gear, knock, knock, knocking on our front door - - a group my mom was more than willing and ready to open the front door, back door and second floor window to. Here is what happened: We lived in a beautiful English Tudor home nestled nicely in the middle of a quiet suburb of Columbus, Ohio called Upper Arlington. On this particular day, all six of the Weeks kids were scattered around the house playing games, running in the back yard or watching "Captain Kangaroo" on the television set. I was bouncing around the house as a four year old, doing things a four year old does. And then I had to go to the bathroom. I slogged up the stairs to the second floor bathroom - - closed the door, and locked it. The oak doors of our house were well made, and they also had a solid locking system that took a double turn of the bolt to secure it. I sat on the toilet, did my business, and then got ready to go back downstairs to do some more four year old things. I think I even washed my hands this time? But when I tried to open the door to leave, it wouldn't budge. It was locked - - and I forgot how to unlock it. I may have been a cute little guy, but I wasn't yet the brilliant problem solver that I am now. I was only four, give me a break? Anyhow after many attempts I started pounding, screaming and crying, "Mom, I am stuck! Mom, I am locked in! Mom, I am going to die! Mom, H-E-L-P !" Did I mention, I was also a bit dramatic? My mom came running and tried to open the door from the outside. It wouldn't budge. There was no way to unlock it from the outside. Talk about security, they sure did know how to make a door back in the day. Being a good non-emotional German, she was calm under pressure...but I wasn't, I had a lot of my dad's Italian/Polish passion. "Mom, get me out of here!" She tried to explain to me how to turn the bolt, but it still wouldn't move. And plus it was hard to see through my stream of hot tears. I tried and cried, tried and cried. Nothing. My sisters even came up to help calm me through the door. But to no avail - - I was an inconsolable wreck. This went on for a good hour. But the door remained closed, and I remained trapped in the upstairs bathroom alone. Poor little desperate guy, it still breaks my heart thinking about it. A brilliant idea popped into my mom's head, "I will call the fire department, they will know what to do." After she made the call, in mere minutes you could hear the wailing & whirring of the fire truck siren come screaming down the street, "YEee, YEee, YEee - - HOOONNK, HOOONNNK!" The whole department came to the rescue for a four year old boy trapped. While one team knocked on each entrance, front door, back door, side door; another team got out a giant ladder and extended it to the second floor window. They all were outfitted with both axe and helmet. One brave fire fighter climbed the ladder, and when he reached the window, luckily it was unlatched and he opened it with ease. He jumped through the window with extreme bravery. In the flash of a quick second, he found me. There I was, calmly playing marbles in our old porcelain bathtub. I guess I found something to do that a four year old loves to do, play with marbles in the bathtub - - I forgot all about my terrible, horrible predicament. I looked up at the fireman and said, "Hi, want to play marbles?" The deft fire fighter walked over to the door, and with the quick flip of the lock, it sprung open and my worried mom ran in to get her son with relief and gratitude. My sisters all laughed at me with cynical unbelief, "We were worried sick, and you are playing marbles? Figures???" All was well! Do you realize, you can't open the front door until people behind it are desperate? Do you realize the gospel can't enter into a heart until that heart is asking for it? Os Guinness in his book on Apologetics writes this, "...in our age most people are untroubled rather than unreached, unconcerned rather than unconvinced, and they need questions as much as answers - or questions that raise questions that require answers that prompt people to become genuine seekers." Pascal said in his 'Pensees' one of the main tasks of the Christian teacher is, "to arouse in man the desire to find truth." My German mom kept her front door closed to the knocking of the outside entreaties of the public, that is, until her little boy was trapped and she needed help. And then, because of her personal unsolvable dilemma, she was more than willing to open the door to those who had the answers she needed. As enlightened Christians, we do have the answers, but no one is asking because they think they are doing just fine. Our job in this smug age of luxury and distraction, is not to prove we have the right answers as much as to awaken people to their internal desperation. Everyone needs Jesus, they just don't know it. But when crisis comes calling, people will be hungry for God's peace; and they will find in the gospel a boy playing marbles in the bathtub. The soft and kind grace of God has always been there waiting. Most people are just too closed to it to appreciate it! Ironically, people are in need of a real crisis to bring them to God's peace. And until the crisis comes, the door bell will never be answered. Your job my Christian friend, is to arouse desire and desperation in the hearts of those around you, and until then, all doors will be as solidly locked as a second floor bathroom door was for my mom. A boy, a marble and a bathtub. I never knew my silly four year old ways could open up such windows of wisdom? I guess sometimes it takes 47 years to see it? "I care very little if I am judged by you or by any human court; indeed, I do not even judge myself. My conscience is clear, but that does not make me innocent. It is the Lord who judges me." 1 Corinthians 4:3-4 It was a steamy Sunday summer afternoon, drops of sweat were rolling down my back. I was also engaged in a hot discussion with my brother-in-law over Christianity and culture wars. He loves to talk about philosophy, theology and how to apply both to everyday practical living. I do to. Needless to say, the sparks were flying. Getting into discussions with him is fascinating because he lives what he preaches - - for over 20 years he has been serving on the front-lines of the inner-city helping those who are caught in cycles of poverty, and trying to wake the suburban church up to the needs of the urban community. It is tough work, but my brother-in-law has given his life to it out of love for Christ. During our discussion he made the comment, "When it comes to addressing the LGBT community and their aggressive goals to make their lifestyle choices mainstream, Christians need to not get so angry. They need to love the LGBT community through sacrificial and subversive love, and not by reacting in simple political sound-bytes. Christians need to lead by learning to serve." I asked him two questions: (1) Which group of Christians is he talking about? (2) Is there ever a time when it is O.K. for a Christian to stand up and make their case for God's design in marriage and how this design is the best thing for a society? He paused a second and said, "I never thought about the first question. I guess I am speaking of Christians in general terms." I replied, "I am not sure we can speak of Christians in general terms because, while yes, there are some Christians who need to shut-up; there are also some who need to speak-up. You seem to be upset with the callousness of the first group, and I feel burdened to wake up the apathy and ignorance of the second." After this talk I personally felt like I needed more clarity on how different Christians approach the cultural issues of the day. Most of the time all Christians have been lumped into one monolithic group, but we aren't. In fact, many times one group of Christians are furiously attacking another group of Christians. And if we don't clarify the differences in the groups, sooner or later we are all going to be lumped into one giant nebulous mass that the media and popular culture at large has labeled as "The Haters." But we don't all hate, in fact I think many of us are quietly serving as Christ would have us serve, while there are some that are big haters and hypocrites. So here is my personal assessment on the 6 classes of Christians... (1) THE BRUTE: Motto - "Come out from her and separate!" The Brute is the Christian who is "intolerant" to anyone he disagrees with because he believes being friendly means being 'yoked-together'. So to stay pure, righteous, and holy from the evil world around them, they go on the attack. They do this to distance themselves from the wicked acts of society. They do this to prove their favored nation status with God. Sadly, many of these Christians really do hate. They are taught to believe the sinner becomes one with his sin. And if they were honest, the wrath of God being poured out on the wicked delights them. But their hatred doesn't stop there. They seem to hate all the other groups of Christians because they are not as sold out as they should be. It is this group, the Brutes, that the world seems to think is the majority Christian group - - when in fact, they are a tini-tiny little sliver of the larger Christian Church. The other Christian groups want nothing to do with "The Brutes" because they are an embarrassment to the name of Jesus. I knew alot of Brutes in my time, and they never seem truly happy. (2) THE DISILLUSIONED: Motto - "America has been uniquely blessed by God, and we all need to act like it." The Disillusioned is the Christian who bleeds "Red, White and Blue." They also think and believe there is a right way to dress and behave to procure God's blessing. They just don't realize how faded the America they once knew has become. They want the 50's back where everyone thinks and believes the same way. Anyone living outside the "unspoken and assumed" norms needs to be pointed out and shouted down. "How can people not see how wrong homosexuality, feminism, tree hugging, and not growing the church by the 'homogeneous unit principle' is?" I wouldn't call these Christians haters. They do probably hate liberals (The Advocates), intellectual progressives, late night talk show hosts, and more than likely the President. They hate how their world is being stolen from them right underneath their feet, they hate how everything they believe in is mocked. But they don't hate individual homosexuals, poor blacks and feminists; it is just their lifestyle that makes them furious. This is not hatred, it is red-hot disagreement - - there is a difference. The difference is this: They don't want the homosexual to rot in hell, but they do want them to be quiet. They do want them to get saved. But it frustrates them when these people can't see things the way they do. I also think they get frustrated with those Christians who kindly dialogue with these same people, and even find some of their opinions reasonable. I know a lot of the Disillusioned. Their world is slipping away from them, and they are scared. For the most part they really are good people, just sad and upset that the world is no longer what it once was. (3) THE COMPELLED: Motto - "We are to speak the truth with grace." The Compelled is the Christian who really believes God's Word is true, and it behooves the believer to direct his life by it. The hard part of this is finding balance between communicating truth and having compassion on those who are caught in sin. And make no mistake, the Compelled takes sin seriously, homosexuality included. The problem of taking sin seriously is that at times, to the non-Christian, it looks like hate. The main priority for the Compelled is to please God, and this often puts them at odds with the tastes & trends of the current culture. But they definitely are not haters. They are the first to reach out with an olive branch to the sinner so they can also extend to them the mercy of God. Their love is not loud because they are not trying to win political points; most of the time they don't want their left hand knowing what their right hand is doing. So while they are by far the Christian majority, the world barely notices them. One thing does infuriate them - - passionately political Christians. Both from the far right, The Brutes; and the far left, The Advocates. They both wrongly are using the name of Jesus to push forward their human agenda. (4) THE QUIET: Motto - "Why can't we all just get along?" The Quiet is the Christian who hates conflict of any kind. Peace is their main goal. While peace is noble, it will not make waves even when truth is at stake, and it hates when others make waves. This group does not hate, however they do look down on the trouble makers. Somehow this group believes if you ignore something long enough the problem will go away. Don't mess with the hive so you don't stir up the bees. So they are disappointed when the Compelled try to argue for God's perfect design for marriage because it causes conflict. They also are disappointed at the Advocate for pushing their agenda because it causes conflict. The simple problem with this group is that sooner or later you must take a side...and they don't want to. (5) THE CONFUSED: Motto - "Love makes the world go around." The Confused is the Christian who defines love in a naive, fuzzy, Utopian way. Love, to the Confused mind, believes people should be able to live anyway they want and God will never judge them. They believe love accepts every life-style choice. They believe love does not hate evil. These Christians don't hate because they believe love will never hate. What they don't realize is that they don't have a hot love, it is luke-warm. They really don't love God's design for life enough, because they don't hate those things that work against it, corrode and destroy it. This group is frustrated by those groups that really do hate sin. They believe their love is far superior to the hate of the righteous. But this kind of love can not make sense out of a man dying on the cross. Jesus hated sin enough to die. They may be nice, but they are not to be trusted to love you enough to protect you from evil. (6) THE ADVOCATE: Motto - "All those of you who feel marginalized & rejected by the majority, UNITE!! Together we will break our bonds, we will take over, fight!" The Advocate is the Christian who is tired of the status quo (a.k.a. patriarchal majority) because they believe the status quo is the product of tyrants and systemic evil. They believe, like Moses leading the Israelites out of the grip of Pharaoh; they must lead the oppressed minority to the promised land of progressive hopes and dreams. And by progressive, there is really no difference between political progressives and theological progressives - - both want to fight for those who can't fight for themselves by using the tool of revolution, literary deconstruction and false idols of equality and tolerance. The Advocate, is not a happy person. Sadly, many of these Christians really do hate. And what they hate is the Christianity they grew up in and often were hurt by. Instead of discovering God's revealed truth they often are deciding upon what is true to the elite culture at this particular time. Anything tasting like "old school traditional religion", like studying the word, sharing the gospel, staying sexually pure, needs to be rejected and re-imagined. This group is the most vocal against the other groups of Christians. They don't want to be associated with any form of the faith they grew up in, so they do all they can to distance themselves from traditional Christianity. They are embarrassed by those who heed God's Word above man's. Especially progressive man's. And because of this, they will often advocate for the most ridiculous things (ie: Defending Islam) just so they wont be labeled as an ignorant Christian Brute. What they ultimately want is for all Christians to either join the revolution or shut-up. The majority had their day in the sun...now it is the minority's turn to set the agenda. CONCLUSION The biggest thing I want you to see is that the vast majority of Christians do not hate. They really don't! And those who do hate are the ones most likely to point the finger calling other people haters. If we are truly followers of Jesus we will not judge the hearts of men, but we will judge the action of sin. It is a tough balance, but it needs to be made. So, which group are you in? "Cleveland!!!!! This is for you!" Lebron James Cleveland, I am so proud!
This is not bandwagon jumping, it is more like crawling out from under a rock and feeling the sunshine on your face. Cleveland sports fans have waited a long, long, long, long, long,....you get the drift.....time for a champion. I am sure if you are not from Cleveland you are sick of hearing about it; if you are from Cleveland, born and raised in Cleveland, you probably think this NBA Finals win is a practical joke. "Did Kyrie really hit that three?" "Did Lebron finally quit whining about the ref's call, and start playing the way we know he can play?" "Did they really beat the 'Splash Brothers?'" The answer is yes, yes, yes! Cleveland fans, you can stop holding your breath, you can stop crossing your fingers, and you can stop letting people make fun of the flaming Cuyahoga River. The wait is over, the chase is completed, you finally are somebody. So what does it mean to be somebody? What do we win? Hmmmm, great question? Well, you win what every winner wins - bragging rights. You now get to stand in your kitchen, while your kielbasa and sauerkraut is sizzling on the stove, open the back screen-door, and shout loudly to the world, "We Won!! We are the best!" Then what? For a week you can raise your "Rolling Rock" long-necked bottle of beer and cheer on the Cavs. Then what? You can call your snarky cousin from California and rub the win into his nose. O.K., I will give you that. But I have to ask it one more time, "And then what....?" You know what is next: Talk about next year. Speculate about next year. Next year, next year, next year. When will chasing the dream ever stop? Never! "C'mon man. You are ruining the win. Stop throwing cold water on my hot heart of a Champion. Don't you care? Cleveland finally won! Don't you understand how unreal and unbelievable and unfathomable this is? Have you no heart for the horrid years of drought the sorry Cleveland fan had to endure?" Cleveland fan? I was a Cleveland fan when Greg Pruitt was carrying the pigskin with his signature tear-away jersey. I was a Cleveland fan when Julio Franco was playing shortstop for Chief Wahoo and his tribe. I was a Cleveland fan when the Michael Stanley Band was being played non-stop on WMMS radio. I actually had Brian Sipe's poster in my room! But tell me, what now? What does the Cleveland fan do now? Sports is great fun...but that is about it. It took me until about the age of 27 to grow up and realize this; but when I finally did, I saw how being a sports junkie is like playing a game of chasing shadows. Once you catch it it slips from your fingers. If you are a die-hard Lebron fan, do you realize he doesn't even know who you are? Don't get me wrong, I actually liked Lebron for a few short minutes - - but this win isn't about Cleveland as much it is about him. His pride, his ego, his pocket-book. After a few weeks all you are left with is your Rolling Rock and string of Kielbasa. Do you realize, while you are chasing more sports fame and glory, Glory himself has been chasing you? Ever since you have been born, God has been stalking you, wanting you. But far too often most of us have been glued to the TV. That emptiness you will feel in a few days is God trying to tell you there is more than basketball and the Browns. Life has meaning, is has a purpose, and it is more than bouncing a ball. It took me a long time to realize it, but while I was chasing empty dreams, God caught me on Highway 44 in Mentor, Ohio and showed me the more there is. I don't quite know how to explain it, but he impressed upon my heart how human beings are designed to bring honor and praise to his name. He designed us to be grown ups and mature beings of dignity. And not couch sitting, beer swilling lumps of clay. Church leaders over the centuries have always asked this question: "What is the chief end of man? Man’s chief end is to glorify God, and to enjoy him forever." How do we do that? Watch more basketball? There is nothing wrong with watching sports, the problem is thinking this is life. Life is Jesus Christ - - and until you find him your heart will be like a constant sink-hole of hopes and dreams impossible to satisfy. Have you ever tried to fill a sink hole? For a day or two, the dirt you put in will seem to fill it, but once again it will be washed into the empty void. Sports is like that. But when Jesus takes over, life begins to stick. The hole gets filled, you become more of who God created you to become. Right now as I write this blog, people are outside my office preparing for a funeral service. Their 71 year old mom died. Now they want me, a Cleveland sports fan, to perform the service and bring hope to a dreadful situation. As I meditated on my message I found the perfect thing to say to this broken, hurting family. Here it is, "My dear brothers and sisters. Fret not. I know that your loved one has just passed, I know you have watched her health fail the last few years. I know you have cried, weeped and wondered why? I know your pain, I too have watched the Browns, Cavs and Indians ruin my hopes and dreams every year. I know your hurt. But please listen....Lebron just won the NBA championship and all is well. Let's pray!" Well, the family is calling me out, I must get my tie on, and put on my blue jacket for the funeral service. I don't have time to revise my message - - so wish me luck! I think they will love it! Go Cleveland! Could Jesus be hoodwinked? Is he ever perplexed, with furrowed brow, wringing hands, as he watches the world turn? And I am not talking about your grandma’s favorite Soap Opera. My main query is wondering whether or not if God is ever dazed and confused or caught off guard when considering the actions of the human race? Personally, I think he is. But how can this be? God is Sovereign, he knows and sees all things. According to Isaiah 46:10 he is the one who “declared the end from the beginning.” So, theoretically speaking, he can never be caught off guard. Right? Some argue that God figures things out as he goes along. There is a teaching out there that says he is often surprised at some of reality’s unforeseen twists and turns - - and he certainly is perplexed at our quirky human foibles. For instance, in the last 20 years some progressive thinkers have implemented a curious new interpretive schematic called the “Redemptive Hermeneutic” when trying to understand the Bible. The Redemptive Hermeneutic teaches that “the moral commands of the New Testament do not always represent a perfect or final moral system for Christians.” They are rather a pointer that "provides the direction toward an ultimate destination, but its literal, isolated words are not always the destination itself.” In other words, at the time the Bible was written, God was still in the dark about a number of complex ethical issues. You could say, he was still working out his redemptive theology, along with our cooperation and insights, and it has taken the last 2,000 years for both of us together to come to the brighter light of interpretative truth. Two issues that these left-leaning cultural critics point at to illustrate God’s growth in understanding, are “slavery” and “consensual homosexual unions.” The person who first presented this idea was the writer William Webb. He believes "our contemporary culture" has a better ethic than what is found in the words of the Bible. The Bible at the time of it’s writing wasn’t fully complete. God was still in process. And logically speaking, a God in process is not a God fully in the know. So when it comes to slavery, Webb says the bible at the time of the writing “approved of slavery with many abuses.” But now, after fighting all our civil rights battles, "our culture is much closer to an ultimate ethic than it is to the unrealized ethic reflected in the isolated words of the Bible" So God, along with us, is still learning. And if God is learning, he can be caught off guard. This approach can also be taken when it comes to supporting homosexual unions. As one pro-gay writer states, “The Bible routinely, clearly, and strongly classifies all sex acts outside of the bonds of marriage as sinful. But, because when the Bible was written there was no concept of gay people—let alone, then, of gay marriage—the Bible does not, and could not, address the sinfulness of homosexual acts within the context of marriage.” In other words, God was caught off guard again. He never considered the idea of a pure and loving homosexual relationship. It took the brilliant minds of the people living in the 21st century to bring to light the concept of noble ‘gayness’. In both cases, slavery and homosexuality, supporters of The Redemptive Hermeneutic want us to believe God was caught off guard. Or at least they want us to be gullible enough to accept the extremely arrogant idea that he is now pleasantly surprised with the results of our ever enlightened civility. Human history became his laboratory to help him flesh out his redemptive ethics and bring clarity to the new societal changes that he wasn’t able to foresee when he first had men pen the bible. God needed us to help him. How silly. How blasphemous. God wrote a perfect and flawless bible, as Proverbs 30:5-6 says, “Every word of God proves true; he is a shield to those who take refuge in him. Do not add to his words, lest he rebuke you and you be found a liar.” To say he didn’t give to us a fully complete canon is both patently offensive, and it paints the Holy Spirit’s work of inspiration as incomplete. The truth is God is more than clear about the sin of stealing humans and selling them as slaves (Exodus 21:16, 1 Timothy 1:10), and he is equally straightforward about the sin of homosexuality (Romans 1:26-27). God was not caught of guard, nor was he waiting for us to evolve to a new state of understanding. No, this teaching is nothing more than a bunch of ignorant fools casting God in the role of an idiot. And God is no idiot, and his Bible is infallible and true. However, I still think there is one thing that does have him confused...or at least it causes him untold frustration. This one thing is found in Luke 6:46... “Why do you call me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ and do not do what I say?” God is perplexed when human beings claim Christ as Lord, and yet treat him as chopped liver. You may wonder what is the big deal, we are giving him props, aren't we? Isn’t that really all that God wants? Our praise? When we call him Lord we are doing exactly what he told us to do. He loves it when we sing. He loves it when we pack our churches, pump up the volume and shout our lungs out. Doesn’t he? Aren’t we doing his will when we find the best looking people with the best voices leading "sold out" believers in praise? Why do we think singing and crying is being "sold out"? We are such silly people. Anyone can sing. Anyone can cry. Few obey. Let's slow it down a second: What do we mean when we call Jesus Lord? I’m not sure we know what we mean, but I know what God thinks it should mean. And listen closely, it will rock your world: “A son honors his father, and a servant his master. If then I am a father, where is my honor? And if I am a master, where is my fear? says the Lord of hosts to you, O priests, who despise my name...Oh that there were one among you who would shut the doors, that you might not kindle fire on my altar in vain! I have no pleasure in you, says the Lord of hosts, and I will not accept an offering from your hand. For from the rising of the sun to its setting my name will be great among the nations, and in every place incense will be offered to my name, and a pure offering. For my name will be great among the nations, says the Lord of hosts…Cursed be the cheat who has a male in his flock, and vows it, and yet sacrifices to the Lord what is blemished. For I am a great King, says the Lord of hosts, and my name will be feared among the nations.” (Mal. 1:6, 10-11, 14) Did you catch that? When you call Jesus Lord you are saying he is”Great!” You believe “He is to be feared.” And yet most of us pay him only lip service. God can melt mountains, and tear open skies! And yet we demand he serve us! How dare we. How dare we demand for him to let us sleep with whoever we want, how dare we demand for him to look past our sick deeds of lust. How dare we pervert his word to suit our needs and act as if he is the one who sanctioned it!!! And do you know what is even worse than all that? When we don't listen to him but presume upon him to listen to our prayers and expect him to obey us. Is Jesus God? Is he a great Lord? If he is, then...do what he says. "They set their mouths against the heavens, and their tongue struts through the earth. Therefore his people turn back to them,and find no fault in them. And they say, 'How can God know? Is there knowledge in the Most High?' Behold, these are the wicked." (Psalm 73:9-12) There is a new religion in town, and it rules the roost. In fact it has been this way for quite awhile now; I call it “Secular Elitism.” Believe it or not, this strange religious non-religion now demands worship, allegiance and obedience in every facet of our society. And if you don’t adhere to "S.E."’s dictates, you will be publicly shamed, scolded and ultimately silenced. This is our new modern day “Inquisition.” Christianity is partly to blame for this. Or I should say. . . “Bad Christianity” is. Recently, I was reading a couple of books on the history of Christianity in Western Europe and then it's migration to America. As one writer explains, “Sadly, we need to acknowledge the bad chapters in Christian history, especially when talking about the oppressive intolerance that was the norm for much of the 14th to 17th centuries...far from honoring truth and open debate, the orthodoxy of the previous centuries had ‘made truth dangerous’ in the sense that when the power of orthodoxy was coercive, there was no freedom to disbelieve.” The Catholic Church actually, as the same writer said, “claimed a monopoly on thought” and outlawed dissent. They said at the time, “error had no rights.” To force their truth down the throats of the people, the Inquisition in all of its tortuous forms was implemented and cruelly applied. Independent thinkers and people who didn’t fall in lockstep with church magisterium were put on the rack, property was confiscated, and even whole families were slaughtered. All because they didn’t believe and think as those in control wanted them to. As the years passed, reasonable people banded together to fight the dereliction of the church. Oppressive intolerance started to be overturned and righted by reason, science, the printing press and proper understanding of the “true teachings” of the scriptures through the influence of the Christian Reformation. A fresh wind of exploration and learning surged through Europe and America, individual thinking exploded, freedom of having new ideas and opinions broke upon the souls of men and women. As a result of tasting this new freedom, the fear of falling back to the old oppressive ways of thinking subtly caused doubt and cynicism to grow in how people viewed the church, and even the truth. Overtime new values began to take root: The Judaeo-Christian God, the majority’s deity, was replaced with an impersonal idea called “Freedom.” But this was a new type of freedom, the paranoid fear of oppressive rule mutated it. No longer is freedom defined as the ability to live rightly, it is now the right to live unhindered. Another word for this is “radical license”; where the lone individual must be allowed to think and do as he wants without submitting to the accepted rules and norms that are generally agreed upon by most reasonable people, and men and women of good-will. This new freedom insists, "People must never be expected to conform, even if it is good for them!" To stop oppressive intolerance from ever rearing its ugly head again, we now fear the behavior and choices of the non-vocal majority who simply want to be left alone to become the norm. In turn, the “Law of God & Rules for a Good Society” have been replaced by another impersonal idea we call “tolerance.” While this word may sound innocuous at first; like a fuzzy Tribble on Star Trek, after years of feeding it, tolerance has now grown into a hungry one-eyed monster devouring anyone that doesn’t tolerate it. Tolerance also has been redefined, no longer are we to simply dialogue with different ideas, we must now adopt and embrace every odd idea, inclination, and deviant behavior. In other words, the pendulum has swung completely to the other side! Where once “there was no freedom to disbelieve”, there is now “no freedom to believe in truth.” Error now determines rights. You want to be a girl even though you are a boy? More power to you! And we must now “silence” those who think a boy is still a boy. As a result, a new die of the old Inquisition has been made. If you try to argue truth in the public square you are laughed at by the “Elite”: this includes Progressive professors, media manipulators, establishment politicians who are now the defenders of the single aberrant, minority voice. And they will not tolerate the ideas of the majority. They say they are protecting the freedom of the individual, but in truth, it is another magisterial power play - - but this time their power is obtained through the back door, “If you vote for me and put me in power, I will fight for you against the majority.” And boy do they fight! They have no problem shaming a person that stands for something; they will call you judgmental, archaic, and accuse you of being infected with the virus of “intolerant oppression.” Boy does it work. Instead of putting people on the rack, they scold you in the media and social communities, and with the backing of the ignorant masses, the person standing on righteousness derived from God’s truth is excoriated and made a mockery. By appealing to the false fear that intolerant oppression will once again have its way; the Elite begin to believe they are the only ones standing on the higher moral ground. In their eyes, truth seekers are the reprobates, and they are scolded and shouted down into submission. (ie: Did you hear the President yesterday? If that wasn’t a scolding toward those who have a justified problem with Islamic terrorism, I don’t know what it was?) And then they silence you by joining their power together and in unison claim, “You are an intolerant bigot.” So now, the man who shot the 50 people isn’t the problem; it is those who say he is the problem that have become the problem. Decay in our society is no longer seen as coming from sick sexual perversions and unhindered greed and cronyism, but from the faith that fosters chastity, humility, marital fidelity and love for God. They are nothing more than the remnants of a dead past, they are now believed to be the fruits of oppressive intolerance. But you may say, “Hey, at least this new Inquisition doesn't put you on the rack or confiscate your property!” Oh really? They tax me to pay for the “unhindered freedoms” of others. They blame me for the destruction that was caused by the terrorists. I am shamed, scolded and silenced in our new age of tolerance. I once had a teacher named Sister Joan of Arc. In her classroom she was never wrong. We had to submit to her iron-fisted rule; no backtalk and no dissent. One time during chapel, two boys next to me were passing notes to girls and Sister Joan of Arc was furious. She blamed the whole class for this terrible violation of her hypercritical code of behavior - - and would even resort to physical punishment to put us all in our place. She shamed all the boys, she kept us in during recess and scolded us, we couldn’t talk back. I had to hold a book for 5 minutes straight out without letting it fall. I went home and told my dad about how I thought this was unfair. He had a meeting with the sister...she couldn’t shout him down. She couldn’t control him like she could a class of inferior 4th grade students she felt superior to. He put her in her place. The Elites want God kicked out of society so they can own the classroom. They make everyone submit - - no backtalk, no dissent, they are disappointed at our adherence to truth and healthy tradition. But God is there even if you don’t want to believe he is. Truth still is truth. A boy still is a boy. Islam is still idolatry and there is coming a day when we all will be put in our place. "As long as idolatry exists in the world, God's fierce anger will exist in the world." Rabbi Rashi This is the first time I have been asked to blog on a subject by more than four people in span of a few hours. "I was hoping you would have something to say about the shooting spree in Orlando?" I didn't because I was still trying to make sense out of it, and I also was waiting for backlash against conservative communities of faith who hold to the position that homosexuality is biblically considered a sin. And I didn't want to voice my opinion in a culture who think people like me are to blame. However, the first article I read this morning reported that the shooter's father believed and taught his son that, "God will punish those involved in homosexuality," saying it's, "not an issue that humans should deal with." In other words, those dancing at a gay bar deserve death by vigilante justice. We should show no pity, and shed no tears. Really? Is that how we should respond to this murderous rampage?!? The worst in American history? Many other questions came flooding to my mind: How do I feel about a gay bar being shot up? I am sure many people secretly believe "they had it coming to them?" How do I feel about about 50 innocent people being gunned down? How as a Christian community are we to respond because I want to love the person but not affirm the sin? I have four things to say to help give us some guidelines which hopefully will temper our opinions and allows us to voice them with reason instead of knee jerk reactions... (1) Jesus believes no one is innocent. (Luke 13:1-5) When Jesus was alive two tragic events happened that were on the front page news, and they were also 'hot topics' of discussion for people living at that time. (1) A group of non-Jews went to the temple to worship God and Pontius Pilate had them murdered in cold blood. (2) A giant tower unexpectantly fell over and killed 18 people. Jesus' disciples wondered if all these people died because somehow they were worse sinners than the average person? Because surely, God only punishes wicked sinners, right? So, in like fashion, I am sure many people are looking to Orlando saying, "the wicked sinners deserved it!" Listen to Jesus' response: "Do you think that these Galileans (Orlando gay bar customers) were worse sinners than all the other Galileans, because they suffered in this way? No, I tell you; but unless you repent, you will all likewise perish. Or those eighteen (50) on whom the tower in Siloam fell (who were gunned down) and killed them: do you think that they were worse offenders than all the others who lived in Jerusalem? No, I tell you; but unless you repent, you will all likewise perish.” Jesus is saying something devastating; there are no graded classes of sinners. We all are deserving the wrath of God (Romans 1:18). Ever since Adam sinned, wrath has been a constant shadow stalking us. Cancer, hatred, divorce, murder, lust, discord, adultery, and yes, homosexuality, are all results of a world under wrath. Wrath exists because this world of obstinate sinners (which includes you and me) does not want the righteous rule and help of God - so, he has let us have our way. Imagine leaving a daycare full of 3 year-olds alone for a week without adult supervision, sheer chaos. That is wrath, and we all deserve it because we all want a world without God. We have cast him aside, and now we must deal with it. Death is coming soon to a theater near you: Maybe not by a terrorist's bullet, but it is coming, so "Repent!" (2) Jesus died for all sinners. (John 3:16) What does this verse say? Who does God love? Everyone. Everyone. Including, believe it or not, the homosexual and the ISIS sympathizer. God loves them. And to win them to himself, he died for their sin. Read the bible, especially Romans 5:6-11, and tell me, who is left out Christ's work on the cross. No one. That is why... (3) Homosexuals need to hear about forgiveness, not more condemnation. (Luke 24:46-48) Our job is to show pity, compassion, patience and kindness to everyone. We never can justify the mass killing of a group of people, even if we are not O.K. with their lifestyle choices. As Christians, we never support the shooting of liars, thieves, porn addicts, and the proud, do we? Remember, homosexuality is no different than your gluttony! And I could never imagine us wondering how to view people being shot in a McDonald's as we do this Orlando case. We are to weep with those who weep. Remember, we should never rejoice at the murder of the "situationally" innocent. Morally, no one is innocent. But that doesn't mean they deserve to be shot down in cold blood either. (4) Islam is a religion of angry thugs. If you don't believe me, read the Koran. Ask women how they live when Islam is given free riegn like Iran, Saudi Arabia, Afghanistan and Pakistan? Their theology does not paint Allah as compassionate, he is known as "Capricious", meaning - - he does what he does without remorse. Jehovah is a God of love, he sent his Son to die. Allah is a gangster. Islam is a curse. And if you are a Muslim, ask yourself two things: What does your scriptures teach about infidels? (this includes Jews, Christians and Unbelievers) If Islam is a religion of peace, why don't you do all you can to rid this world of terrorism? Christians are quick to disavow our radicals: We stand up and condemn churches like Westboro Baptist, they are a complete embarrassment to us. Are you equally embarrassed and full of rage concerning your Muslim brothers who kill? Than say something!!!! "Yeah, but wasn't Muhammed Ali a man of peace?" You don't really know Muhammed Ali if you believe that. A final word: Are guns the cause? That is for "the people" and politicians to battle about; but we must admit high capacity machine guns do increase the potential to fuel more serial slayings. Like alcohol and date rape - rape is the sin, alcohol lubricates the lust that causes it. So, think! Don't react. Love people, show compassion for the dead. And repent from your sin before you judge another person. Jesus said, "first take the log out of your eye!" (Luke 6:41). God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Since, therefore, we have now been justified by his blood, much more shall we be saved by him from the wrath of God. (Romans 8:9-10) WANTED: people looking for truth. Hence, I write. Hunters for true truth (that which accurately describes and corresponds to what really is) must always begin by answering three core questions: (1) Does God Exist? (2) If yes, what is he like? (3) And how does a human gain his approval? Shelving these questions to be answered at a later date - when my hair is gray and I have nothing else to do - is a sign you really are not a genuine hunter, you are just a player, a poser, an impostor. Psalm 14:1 and 53:1 agree, "The FOOL has said in his heart, 'There is no God.'"
Foolishness is never becoming, nor does the fool want truth. Answering the first question is not as easy as it may seem. Oh sure, evidence for the presence of God is everywhere abundant, but getting people to acknowledge the evidence is where the difficulty lies. Over the centuries, arguments for and against the existence of God have raged; the topic has attracted and involved some of the most brilliant minds mankind has ever produced. This battle has not ceased, and it will never stop because from a Christian perspective, answering this question adequately and convincingly, ultimately depends on the work of the Holy Spirit to awaken a spiritually blind man. "Can a blind man lead a blind man? Will they not both fall into a pit?" (Luke 6:39) Mere human reason and logic will not suffice nor satisfy, it can't raise the dead. So, needless to say, I am not going to go into the limitless arguments for and against his existence on this blog. I will only say this, "If God doesn't exist, the rock group Queen was right when they sang, 'Nothing really matters.'" Let us then, "Eat, drink and be merry, for tomorrow we die." (I Corinthians 15:32). But the human heart cannot survive on such terminal despair, it longs for meaning, it demands for an eternity to chase buried hope. Even the atheist can't and will not live in accordance to his belief in a meaningless world; worth can not be found in something that lasts no longer than a blink and ends in a groan. Everyone knows God is. (Romans 1:19) That takes us to question 2: What is God like? Scripture says he is, "Holy, Holy, Holy." This means he is completely separate, without blemish or spot, wholly pure. He lives among a tempest of fire, ready to burn up the smallest threat of stain. Oh there is so much more to say about him, but his other character qualities will not shine as bright, nor compel us to drop to our knees in worship, until this concept of Holiness is adequately understood. Holiness is an awesome and terrible barrier we all must face. "For I am a great King, says the Lord of hosts, and my name will be feared among the nations." (Malachi 1:14) I am convinced, if this primary truth of God (holiness) is not met with honestly, secondary subsequent truths (love, mercy, kindness, joy) will never be arrived at nor savored. Proverbs 1:7 says, "The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom and knowledge." I have experienced this first hand. For 23 years of my life I viewed God as a harmless being who was easy to dupe. Like a blind and senile old uncle in the sky with a big bank account - - God was a patsy; I could play him like a fiddle for one hour on Sunday to get from him what I wanted. And in course, his Son Jesus was my cool frat-bro who was in on the scam. All I had to do was use his name to procure material pleasures. But then the dark year came when God's terror struck me and my family. Through a very serious crisis, I came face to face with the stark reality of my spiritual nakedness. I was desperate in my need to be purged from sin because his uncompromising holiness was bearing down hot and heavy on me - I was exposed, I couldn't hide: "See that you do not refuse him who is speaking. For if they did not escape when they refused him who warned them on earth, much less will we escape if we reject him who warns from heaven. At that time his voice shook the earth, but now he has promised, “Yet once more I will shake not only the earth but also the heavens.” This phrase, “Yet once more,” indicates the removal of things that are shaken—that is, things that have been made—in order that the things that cannot be shaken may remain. Therefore let us be grateful for receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, and thus let us offer to God acceptable worship, with reverence and awe, for our God is a consuming fire." (Hebrews 12:25-29) God has a way of shaking things - - as Hebrews says, "He can shake the earth, the heavens and even the silly arrogance and pride of a 23 year old boy." That's right, I was spiritually a small-minded boy; a boy never considers his personal responsibility. He lets mom and dad clean up his messes. But sin is personal; between a singular man or woman and God -- parents are forbidden to step in and help the shameful child out. I had to answer alone for my offenses against Holiness. It was just me left unprotected before the burning gaze of God. I was guilty, the verdict was in, my heart was poisoned by sin. It has always been my native condition, not just my individual actions. Throughout this intense spiritual cross-examination, I realized religion is a farce. You CANNOT compare good deeds with bad - holiness always sees past individual actions and reveals the corrupted soil that they ALL grew out of. Every good farmer knows, a tree is of a certain kind before it bares fruit of it's kind. My sins were born out of a prior condition: I sinned because I was a sinner. And I knew his Holiness demanded for my sin to be judged; his fiery wrath was directed against me, it was my "Just Desserts." (Def: something that is deserved or merited.) Up until that time I assumed heaven was my rightful inheritance; I heard enough silly jokes to imagine that the pearly gates were attended by Saint Peter, and with a nod and wink, access from the fun loving apostle was always granted. But those were just jokes, funny lies to make people laugh. And for some reason boys mistake funny lies for quasi-truth. Adults know better. And as God was bringing me deeper into the true truth of his Holy light I began to realize what I truly deserved, my just desserts were hauntingly described in Isaiah 66:24, "And they shall go out and look on the dead bodies of the men who have rebelled against me. For their worm shall not die, their fire shall not be quenched, and they shall be an abhorrence to all flesh." Faith believes the whole of God's word, not just the promises of reward, but of judgement too. It is easy to believe God will bless me, in fact a silly boy presumes upon heavenly delights (surely Muhhamed Ali, Prince, and Ghandi made it in?). But believing in the promises of judgement is when faith becomes real, for it requires an adult mind to comprehend the deadly seriousness of God's warnings. Confession understands and agrees that I deserve this: - worms, fire, physical abhorrence and eternal humiliation. For the first time in my life, God's Holiness began to brand me with a red-hot iron of conviction. It scorched me. Try really contemplating the reality of hell, just for a second, it will change your life. Boys will try to ignore it and run from it like they do from heavy chores; adults know they must face it head on...they count the cost and the wise ones surrender. (Luke 14:31-33). Biblical teaching says hell is fair punishment, eternal condemnation is "just desserts" for offending the Eternal Holy God. It is painful. And it is perpetual, the offender is always under the presence of Holiness without the protection of righteousness. This is wrath, it is not meant to restore but condemn. It is punitive. It is right. This past week a horrendous crime captured the attention of America; a college student was found raping an unconscious woman behind a dumpster. He tried to run away, but two men caught him. His case went to trial, he was found guilty, but his dad begged the judge for leniency because, "20 minutes of action" shouldn't condemn a man to years in prison. Sadly, to the horror of the woman's family and friends, the judge went light on the student's sentencing. Instead of giving him 14 years in prison, which he was legally allowed to do; he gave the student only 6 months! The judge delivered this sorry answer for his decision, "a harsh prison sentence would have severe impact on him." Isn't that the point? Justice is meant to have an impact. A major crime was committed! The privileged father felt otherwise, he wrongly assumed his son was entitled to behave like a beast but be treated like an angel. A woman's life was shattered! The stupid, lust driven student did this. Justice and punishment is not designed to be nice in his case. It is meant to shock and break the callous shell of the criminal fool's heart. And so is hell! Sinners have violated, polluted, and perverted infinite beauty, wonder, and God's perfect world. Condemnation is by definition designed to be eternally punitive, it is meant to vindicate God's holiness. So, now question 3 comes into play. After rightly understanding the horror of Holiness, this last question begs to be answered with the sobriety of an adult mind: "Tell me, can I escape this? How do I gain God's favor and avoid his wrath?" No long explanations are needed here, just a solution. Something to grab hold of, something to throw my desperate, guilty soul upon. Here it is, "While we were yet sinners, Christ died for us." Approval is found in the death of the Son. Jesus ate my just desserts. Incredible! Absolutely, utterly, incredible. I'm speechless... Those who are honest, surrender. And they also know there is only one option open. They look up, hold out their limp arms, and cry, "Lord Jesus, I have sinned against the Holy God, Save me!" "Hortensio, though her father be very rich, any man is so very a fool to be married to hell?" Taming of the Shrew When it comes to our obsessive tendency to assign blame when things in the world go haywire, doesn't it seem like men always get the shaft? Are we too soft toward women? Should we place some of the responsibility of our problems at the feet of the femme fatales of the world - - those evil women who seduce poor naive saps and lead them to their destruction and the rest of the world with it? (Proverbs 5:1-5) 2 weeks ago, I wrote a blog that received a number of comments. One of which seemed to think I was harping on men while giving women of the world a pass. As I looked back on what I wrote, I think the comments were accurate. I did only point out the selfish behavior of the men of our society while letting women off the hook. I did paint men as irresponsible adolescents. Silly little boys not willing to grow up: Fools, fops, nitwits and buffoons. And you know what...I will not retract my writings. Men are to blame. Men are the problem. Men are the fools. And since I am a male, I also am included in this indictment. Oh, I know, some of you men out there vehemently disagree - - you are up in arms when every television show paints the dad as the dummy, or the straight guy as the loudmouth jerk, or the white man as the bigoted dolt. But tell me, when was the last time you told a women how you really felt? When is the last time you stood up to your wife and disagreed with her, or have you been reduced to silence because you don't want to hurt her feelings? Is that her fault or yours? Do you complain or stay quiet when your wife takes another selfie, posts on Instagram her latest lo-calorie meal, or spent 4 hours on her iPhone looking at what different things she can do with a mason jar on Pinterest? Do you keep buying closets full of princess dresses and dolls and Frozen paraphernalia because your little girl blinks her big brown eyes? That lack of self control is on you bro! When was the last time you had the guts to tell your 18 year old daughter considering the military that she isn't as strong as 90% of the boys in her grade, or pointed out how silly it is when women try to prove they can be just as intimidating on the front lines in combat as the men in her platoon? (See the silly comments by the winner of the Miss U.S.A. Beauty Pageant). You won't say those things because you don't want to be labeled as a chauvinist. Is that the woman's fault, or yours? You are scared to tell the truth. You are afraid to point out that Hilary is only able to make it as a candidate because she is a women. It is your fault for letting your wife's emotions make you cancel your plans to go camping with your son so you help her do laundry on Saturday. Don't blame women, blame yourself. Eve may have eaten the apple first, but God still blamed Adam...he didn't have the guts to tell her no. Why do so many of our daughters swoon for Justin Bieber? Milk toast dads let them. Why are boys overweight and lazy? Dads don't push them. See, men are to blame. I would even say feminism is mostly a reaction against absent fathers and selfish tyrannical dads. I will take it one step farther - - I believe homosexuality often is born from the lack of male attention when boys are growing up. (Or a perverted uncle who has been left unchecked out in the barn.) Again, it is the man's fault. You want to stop date rape? Dads need to teach daughters that drinking parties are not wise choices because they are infested with brutal drunk men who are not there simply for deep conversation. They also need to tell their daughters that wearing barely any clothing to a party is not smart, it just isn't. If a daughter is drawn to drunken men it often is a tell-tale sign that the dad they know is probably a lust driven fool himself? Fathers have the sole responsibility to teach sons that drunkenness is not manly, and treating drunk women as their helpless prey is Satanic, it is the height of wickedness, and it is the poison of a twisted shrunken soul. Frat boy foolishness is often the outgrowth of fatherly failure. Don't you see? It all starts from men. God first loved us...so likewise, dads should follow suit, and love, love, love. I am by no means downplaying the role of moms...but I do think moms are dying for a man to follow. The only reason a feminist will resist that last statement is because they have never been led by a truly loving man. I feel sorry for feminists, transgenders, orphans and casualties of divorce - - the greatest gift a child could receive is to be under the training and protection of of fierce man who fully loves you. (And we need to not let women like Beyoncé ruin the word 'fierce", she isn't fierce, she is insecure). All of this feminist and progressive angst and anger against men is born from an unfulfilled longing, the hope of having a godly father deferred. So can a woman be a villain? Sure, but mature men can handle it. Confident men are not threatened or worried - - they have nothing to prove. My dad loved baiting my sister, while at the dinner table he would look at me and say, "Chris, you need to cut the lawn, and remember, only us men can handle the hard work so you better do a good job." My sister Steph would stand up, and say, "I can do anything Chris can do. I am not a weak girl!" So she would run out the front door and the next thing I know she would be revving up the mower and for the next two hours she would be out cutting the lawn. My dad would look at me and say, "See, it works every time." He loved my sister, and she loved him; but somehow our world made her feel like she needed to compete to be someone of worth. She didn't. We were best friends, and after she was done cutting the lawn my dad would compliment her on her good work. Often remarking, "Steph, you know I was just kidding. I know you can do it, and don't let any man tell you different." I think the real villain is the woman who is duped; the one who really believes she needs to compete to be complete. I always wonder, "Did she ever feel loved by her dad?" Probably not. See, men really are to blame. |
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