Seeing ye have purified your souls in your obedience to the truth unto unfeigned love of the brethren, love one another from the heart fervently. (1 Peter 1:22) Have you ever met that deadly earnest person who constantly bemoans the state of the human condition by stating, "No one knows how to get deep anymore, all anyone talks about are frivolous things like sports, movies, hunting, nail polish color or what they ate for dinner the previous night. Why can't anyone talk about serious things, things that really matter?" What needs to be said to this person is some very simple but straightforward truth, "By your very comment you are revealing just how judgmental you are. And no one wants to open their heart a person like that? Your seriousness wears people out!" Talking to someone about NASCAR would be far more refreshing than having a knock-down, drag em' out debate on everything from "What's wrong with our stupid government" to "Why are most rich Christians hypocrites?" When you run into that person who only wants to talk about their opinions on what they think is important, it is better to run away than to get swept into their river of zeal and conviction dump. Proverbs 18:2 says, "A fool delights in airing his own opinion." I am not advising that we only talk about silly things, nor do I think it is right to just sit and laugh while the world all around us is hurting. I actually am arguing for learning something so much more important than winning arguments & enlightening the world with our brilliance....we all need to learn "How to Love Others through Normal Conversation." Always remember, relationships are sustained through enjoyment; not intensity of argument. By nature, the human heart likes to spend time with those who like them. That is the basis for every long-term relationship. In order to help you cultivate relationships based on delight, I want to use a illustrative metaphor that I have found really helps you improve your relationships with others. THE CAVE I guarantee if you master what I am about to share, people you love will feel loved and will want to share their lives with you in ways you have never experienced before. This is not a manipulative technique to get people to like you, it is a way to love each other "fervently from the heart." In other words, I want to offer you a chance to finally obey the Lord with your conversations. (See Ephesians 4:29) Each person is like a cave. Inside their hard exterior of defense and mistrust lies a fascinating life full of stories, opinions and deep dark secrets they have hidden and locked up in the cellar of their heart. To love deeply from the heart you need to first be invited in and taken down into the cellar by the person - - but this takes trust. Trust is easier to come by than you think and it involves two very necessary steps. If you skip a step you will get locked out. . . Come follow me. THE MEETING ROOM OF THE CAVE When you first meet a person, it could be either a stranger or someone you have known for years, they will usually invite you in to their cave to talk through "neutral topics" of conversation. Neutral topics are safe topics, they don't reveal too much about a person; but they a crucial in establishing initial trust. Neutral topics are ways people feel out the person without investing any of their heart. Step 1 is to honestly enjoy the topic. People wont share much of who they really are because they want to see if this relationship is worth the time and energy. It is at this point that many people fail gaining trust. If you view my "neutral topic" as silly, stupid, frivolous, or boring I will instantly write you off. So if I tell you I am a Cleveland Browns fan and you say, "I hate sports, they are all a waste of time." you have just communicated to me that you could care a less about me and what I am interested in. The Cleveland Browns may not mean that much to me, but the very way you deal with the topic reveals if you as the listener are really listening. Most people don't listen. They are too consumed with their own thoughts, opinions and insecurities to even care about what other people are saying. So instead of asking more about why I like the Browns, or asking if I am from Cleveland; most people will jump right to what they like. Or they will explain why they are a better Cleveland Browns fan than you. When you ignore or "one-up" the person talking, you will not be invited much further into a person's life during the remainder of the conversation. Maybe the reason all of your conversations seem silly and stupid is because no one wants to open up their heart to you? They don't trust you with it. But if you were to really listen, to "genuinely enjoy" the information that has already been shared, you will be invited deeper in. You could say something like, "So, have you been a Cleveland Browns fan for long? Why Cleveland, why not Detroit?" Your genuine interest is communicating safety. If you are safe, and continue to be safe, you will hear serious things of importance quicker than you think. DOWN TO THE CELLAR People want to share, but they want to be safe. Safety comes from not feeling judged, and knowing you will not be mocked, talked about to others or written off because the information you share is too uncomfortable for the other person to handle. Step 2 is communicating acceptance. This takes the three "E's" of communication: Empathy, Encouragement and Exhortation. Empathy is caring about what you just heard. Putting yourself in the other person's shoes. Empathy asks you to actually stop comparing or evaluating the failures of others, and simply care. Don't you long for someone to really care about you without putting their spin on your situation? We all do. Did you know we all sin? Did you know we all have rotten bones of memories and regrets hidden deep down in our heart? Empathy understands that, and doesn't judge. Encouragement is finding the words that lift up and communicate hope. It actually shines light in the cellar and says, "Jesus can fix this. No worries, you are still loved." Oh do people long to hear that...just once! That is the whole point of the bible, "That God came to rescue us while we were yet sinners." And finally, after you have proven yourself safe, Exhortation may be asked of you. In fact, you may be the only one who has ever been given the chance to speak honest truth into a person's situation. If you are safe, you will be trusted and so will your words. It may take years to get to this point, but love is patient. We always want quick fixes, but remember, the sin that has been etched in stone over years cannot be erased in a day. Take your time, if God can wait, so can you. CLOSING WORDS Always remember, real conversation takes hard work. And to arrogantly say "no one is serious" is often just a smokescreen to make yourself feel better. The honest truth is that most arrogant people don't have the patience to listen. But if you are to love deeply from the heart, like the bible commands, you have to at least try. So this holiday season, enjoy small talk, listen close, and take your chance when you are invited in. This may be the first year people finally see you as a real Christian? Who knows?
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Potlicker: A derogatory term referencing a person's low-class social status that comes from the deep American South. This insult arose from the depression era when people were so poor and hungry that many of the destitute children would knock on peoples doors at dinnertime and beg to “lick the pots” just to get a little bit of food eat. An urban term for "ungrateful pest." _________________________________________________________ I know a man who really loves his children. However he often refers to them in the oddest of terms; he calls them a bunch of "potlickers." I will secretly listen in on the conversations he has with his children and at the points when they are really driving him crazy he says, "Shape up you little potlickers!" Or when he buys his children some candy at Speedway and they complain that he bought the wrong kind he says, "Just eat it you ungrateful potlicker." One time my kids came walking down the hallway and he turned to them and said, "What are you potlickers up to today?"
Potlicker? What in the world is a potlicker? Boy, it sure doesn't sound too good? After doing some extensive research I have found that the basic idea of a potlicker is an "ungrateful pest." The image that comes to my mind when I hear this term is a dirty orphan kid who is starving; and he goes from house to house just asking to lick the bottom of his neighbors pots while wearing a downcast look. But in his pitiful pleas what he really is expecting is a full meal in return. And then after he gets a full meal or a loaf of bread out of pity, he then steals some eggs from the person's chicken coop as he runs away: "You little potlicker, get back here!" (If you have ever saw the "Little Rascals" you may have seen the one episode where some criminal midgets dressed as orphan babies and stole ladies jewelry - - that is the image I have when I hear "potlicker.") An ungrateful pest - - that's what he is. I have a funny feeling that many moms and grandmothers feel this same way about some of their children on Thanksgiving Day. After slaving all morning over the turkey, and then putting the final touches on the giant Thanksgiving spread; the family comes to the table, stuffs their faces, and then most of them fall asleep on the couch while watching the Lions lose on TV. Guess who gets to clean up? Mom. And while she is scraping of the last of the congealed mashed potatoes into the garbage disposal, she has one thought flash across her mind..."My lousy kids are a bunch of potlickers!" What does the mom want? Gratitude, simple unprovoked gratitude. Is it too much to ask to have the kids come kneeling before her in humble submission telling her how great a cook she is, how wonderful the meal was, and how "thankful" they are for being able to eat to their hearts content while the rest of the world starves? Is that too much? Isn't that what Thanksgiving is all about? Actually....no! That anger and expectation for gratitude is not gratitude at all, it is a demand of payment for services rendered. Gratitude is something completely different - - it is something that comes from an informed mind and changed heart; it rises above feeling and actually sets the calibration for how a person looks at life. It is more than just offering a "thank you" to make mom feel better while you go back to the couch to snooze. It is the realization that everything I have, every good gift, is a direct touch of love towards me from the "Father of the Heavenly Lights!" (James 1:17) Let me explain this from a theological position. I am a pastor and I know that just mentioning the term theology always impresses the potlickers who read my blog. Just kidding. THE DEBTORS ETHIC What mom wants is the child to respond to what theologians call the "Debtors Ethic." Listen to how John Piper explains the "debtors ethic": "The debtor’s ethic says, 'Because you have done something good for me, I feel indebted to do something good for you.' This impulse is not what gratitude was designed to produce. God meant gratitude to be a spontaneous expression of pleasure in the gift and the good will of another. He did not mean it to be an impulse to return favors. If gratitude is twisted into a sense of debt, it gives birth to the debtor’s ethic—and the effect is to nullify grace." Gratitude is like love, I shouldn't love my wife because it is my duty. Nor do I love my wife simply because I am emotionally stirred and enamored by her face over a candle-light dinner. I love her because I both want & will to love her. Love in this case is an act of the whole self: Mind, heart, will, emotion, decision and soul. I love her expecting nothing back in return. It is unconditional. Thanksgiving operates in the same way. I am not thankful because God wants me to be, I am thankful because of who God is and what he means to me. Consider for a second the "Christmas Card Dilemma" every woman faces around this time of year. (Men don't seem to worry about this too much!) The question arises around the holidays, "Should I send out the same 500 Christmas Cards, or not worry about it so I can use that time to do other things? Hmmm, if I don't give Marcia a card and she gives me a card I will look ungrateful, so I better get her a card. But every time I get a card from Marcia it has the same silly Christmas tree on it, so I know she is just sending it to be nice. But if I don't send back to her the same silly Santa card she will think I am a jerk. So, I guess, I better send my 500 cards?" Don't you see, this Christmas Card exchange is often done mainly out of guilt and not gratitude. It is not thanksgiving, it is paying back a debt for services rendered. Some people do it out of genuine delight, but many don't. In the same way I don't say thanks to God because he will think I am an "ungrateful potlicker" if I don't; I give thanks to Him because I want to. But it gets better, God asks us to give thanks ultimately for our own good. Giving thanks changes us, makes us better people, happier people. In the same way loving him turns out to be for our own good as well. How can giving thanks actually be something good for the one saying thanks? Read Psalm 138 and come to church this Sunday to find out. Unless of course you are an "ungrateful potlicker" and decide not to come! It is hard to be a Christian these days. When it comes to political debate and trying to discuss what is wrong with our world, a true Christian will often be attacked from both sides. True Christianity demands for me to be a person of mercy, to cry and weep for the broken-hearted...we are to be "channels of God's peace." True Christianity also demands for me hate evil; we must be honest about what is in the heart of man. In John 2:24 it even says, "Jesus did not entrust himself to men because he knew what was in them." In other words, as scripture says, "we must be wise as serpents and innocent as doves." This is a very difficult tight-rope to walk, especially when it comes to the political hot-topics of the day. No matter what side you take, someone on the internet or your college poly-sci classroom will either call you a "Cold Hearted Bigot" or "Weak Willed Softy." Let me give you a prime example of this. Earlier this week after my last blog-post I had someone write me because they really are trying to make sense out of this crazy world. Here is the conversation we had, and I will keep their name anonymous to protect the innocent. If you have any problems with our line of reasoning, attack me, I am used to people disagreeing with with me. (Darin Niemi is my friend if that tells you anything?)... Anonymous: "Hey, if you are ever looking for something to write, I'm sure you don't need to look but just in case, I'd love to hear your thoughts & Scripture gleanings on taking in or not taking in refugees. If you already posted something I missed it. Thanks again." Chris W: "Wow, I will really think long and hard on it." Anonymous: "Only if you have any interest." Chris W: "I do, but I know it is both tricky and volatile. Even having a discussion with the Mexicans I love here in the United States over the topic of immigration really fires them up. Add to that the possibility of covert terrorists and the discussion ramps emotions up. And then trying to fit that into Old Testament teaching on caring for the alien adds a whole number of issues...so, yes it interests me and scares me at the same time...." Anonymous: "Haha! I understand that fear. It is something that I've been approached on numerous times lately in the secular world & I haven't really known what to say. I am a compassionate person by nature & being a woman God made me to want to wrap my arms around people in those situations & nurture them. This situation is soooo complex though! On one hand I feel so blessed & compelled to help out of my abundance but on another I feel like a pawn in their evil game. Honestly I feel like situations like the Mexican immigrants are so vastly different than the current refugee crisis. Those families were/are looking for a better life for their families. For opportunity. To embrace a new culture & become part of it. To give back. Ok, so I loooove many of those Mexican families!!! I always have & always will. I'm not sure I can think objectively when it comes to them. Anyways, in the world I currently walk in they are looking for a reason to criticize my Christianity. Not necessarily me as a person but my beliefs. If I say "no" to giving charity to refugee's then I have no idea what Jesus was all about & I need to read the Bible more etc.... But, isn't there a place for wisdom too? Anyways, I suppose this actually isn't much different than most of the current cultural issues. Here's the conundrum I find myself in most days....I want people to love my Savior but I can't change who He is to make His ways easier to swallow or more politically correct. They have to align themselves with HIM not the other way around. The chasm is sooo wide sometimes I just feel a little hopeless." Chris W: "Hey,, I have an idea. Can I approach this subject by using what you just said but make you anonymous? Your questions are spot on and I could title my blog post along the line of "walking a tight-rope", a serious Christian considers their role in being a redemptive agent in a broken world. I wont use your name ,but I will use your questions as a way to illustrate the tension of trying to express the love of Christ in a world gone mad." Anonymous: "Absolutely. That IS exactly how I feel. Like I'm trying to express the love of Christ in a world gone MAD!!! Yes!! I am looking forward to this." So... after thinking long and hard on this issue of refugees, my answer is very nuanced and complex. Here it is, are you ready for it?
"I have no idea what to do?" I am not an expert, I am not daily monitoring the situation of terrorism and I don't fully understand all the issues over in Syria. Nor do you. So instead of knee-jerk reactions, we must be open to conversation. Jared Doty, with his own twisted brand of humor, hit the nail on the head with a post he put on Facebook yesterday "This just in! Complex issues are typically not handled well on Facebook." He is sooo right on. We have every right to discuss and wrestle with what is a righteous response to complex political issues; but we must be careful with thinking we can really figure out the whole thing. Some people will be so open hearted about letting in refugees to the country, but they wont have people over for dinner they don't like. And then there are those who don't trust the government for anything, but they sure want the government to have more police patrolling the streets. I know as Christians God has set up systems that each have different roles and responsibilities. In Romans 13 God has sanctioned the sword for the purpose of subduing evil in society. But in Matthew 5:39 we are to turn the cheek when I am personally offended. Being a Christian is tricky because sin has made everything so complex, You want a better world, pray for your leaders (1 Timothy 2:1-2), don't repay evil for evil with your enemies (1 Peter 3:9), and when you come across a difficult situation or event ask God for wisdom and he will give it (James 1:5). I can hear it now, "So, you didn't answer the question, what do you think about the refugees?" I told you, I don't know - - I am praying for our leaders that they will make wise choices. Is it a cop-out? Yes, but I also know I don't really know anything. And stop acting like you do! Another terrorist attack, another shocking display of human hatred, and of course more fodder to offer to the on-going debate of war and retaliation: "To bomb or not to bomb, that is the question?" Emotions boil red-hot on both sides, and so do the opinions of what to do. War Hawks say we must "pay back force with overwhelming force," diplomats call for caution and measured attacks to contain the terror from spreading, and then you have the bleeding-hearts who call for "love!" Who are the bleeding hearts? Well let me give you a perfect example... Last Saturday, one day after the Paris attacks, Madonna had a concert in Stockholm, Sweden. Here is what she said to the audience: “There are people who have no respect for human life, and there are people that do atrocious, degrading and unforgivable things to other human beings, but we will never ever, ever change this world that we live in if we do not change ourselves, if we do not change the way that we treat one another on a daily basis.” So far, so good...and then she added, “We must start treating every human being with dignity and respect, and this is the only thing that will change the world… Only love will change the world, but it’s very hard to love unconditionally, and it’s very hard to love that which we do not understand or that which is different than we are, but we have to or this will go on and on forever.” You see, love is like a magic potion to people like Madonna. If we just show more unconditional love to the sniper on the roof-top and the teenage Jihadist with a C-4 vest strapped to his chest, they will see the love in our eyes and immediately lay down their weapons. And then, maybe just maybe, we can share a nice cold Coca-Cola together with arms linked in harmonious solidarity. Join with me, "I'd like to teach the world to sing in perfect harmony. Grow apple trees and honey bees, and snow-white turtle doves..." I'm sure that will help the Parisians who had a loved one shot down in cold blood feel much better. The fatal flaw in the bleeding-heart's reasoning is they think all people are cut out of the same moral cloth. To them human brokenness is not caused by the workings of sin on a depraved heart; but rather it is because a person never received the love and hugs they needed at an early age. So in their mind all we have to do is smile more, give them some money, and tell them we love them. Oh yeah, and to top it off we could give them all back stage passes to Madonna's concert and they will really feel the love! The book of Proverbs says there are three types of people in the world: The Wise, the Foolish, and the Evil. And for each type you must learn to approach them in different ways. The Wise person wants to grow, learn and be a productive member of society. So they are both open to knowledge and responsive to love and kindness. Give them a gun and they will want to protect the innocent. The Fool is a tricky person to deal with. They may want to do and be good, but they lack the self-control. By and large they are followers, prone to manipulation and often slaves to their own desires and passions. The Fool needs clearly defined boundaries,; which includes the threat of punishment for deeds done wrong and rewards for deeds done right. Propaganda works on the fool, so does brainwashing, and often many of the Jihadists are fools owned and controlled by group number three, the Evil. The Evil person hates. And in their hatred they want to hurt others; give them a gun and they smirk. Here is the problem with the Evil person -- they are masters of deceit. They lie and manipulate in order to kill and destroy. Love will not compel them, in fact love communicates weakness, an easy target, a sap. That is why you must be prepared to fight and stop evil because it is both devious and dangerous. Believe it or not there are people out there who will kill your baby and feel good about it. The bleeding-heart cannot understand the depth of darkness in an Evil person's heart. They don't get it. Hate is real, so they are not prepared to face off the evil that stands lurking at the door. If we listen to the bleeding-hearts and let them decide how to protect the population we put all of those we love in extreme danger. Yes the bleeding-heart means well, but they can become a pawn for evil because they also influence the Fool. And a majority of the populace who vote are Fools, they vote with their hearts. So what do we do? Find a Wise person and arm them. Peace through strength. Maybe we need to bring back what Proverbs has been screaming for centuries, "The fear of the Lord is the beginning of Wisdom." Yes the bible really does know what it is talking about. Imagine all the people Living life in peace... You may say I'm a dreamer But I'm not the only one I hope someday you'll join us And the world will be as one John Lennon "Imagine" John Lennon was not a Christian, he didn't believe in hell nor did he accept the orthodox teaching about heaven. But he sure did long for it. Throughout his celebrated song "Imagine", John opines for the harmony of all things including humanity, nature and Carl Sagan's vast and glorious cosmos. His song has become the ultimate vision of a perfect community for every inspiring progressive. John's dramatic vision of heaven sure is a wonderful dream -- impossible to achieve -- but wonderful none-the-less. Progressives like John, are a funny lot; the more they sing something, and the more taxes they can get their hands on, the more they think they can make all their dreams come true. Most of them have been raised on Disney movies really believing Jiminy Cricket was both real and right when he sang: When you wish upon a star Makes no difference who you are Anything your heart desires Will come to you And their wish these days is utter and complete tolerance for anything and everything; including and accepting any individual person's sexual proclivities all the way to giving full political and monetary support to every minority group's demands, regardless of how extreme or ridiculous they are. That also means insults, disagreements and dirty looks are no longer to be tolerated from the majority group in this evolving utopia known as the United States of America. College campuses, like Missouri, Yale and Ithaca, are the front lines where these new Jiminy Cricket coalitions are being formed. If their dreams don't come true quick enough, (i.e.: the complete abolition of racial hatred and Mexican Halloween costumes) then this new army of Disney dreamers will take matters in their own hands...they will fight, shout down, spit upon, ridicule and throw off campus anyone who doesn't want their unique brand of peace and harmony. They demand for the old laws to be re-written and authority to be overthrown. Utopia must be taken by force, and John Lennon's heaven will be, must be, pushed through using the government's legislative strong arm process. Here is one case in point from an article I found in the Los Angeles Times: "At USC, a white male speaker, apparently frustrated by the discussion on tolerance, questioned the need for diversity training for guest lecturers and whether one student was human at all. He told the packed room that 'you guys don't understand how endowments' and university finances work. Several students groaned, and Cynthia Blondeel-Timmerman, a junior, told the speaker she found the term 'you guys' offensive. 'This isn't a men's issue,' she said." She demanded an apology. Don't you see, poor Cynthia, a card carrying member of the "Progressive Dreamakers Club", will not tolerate any one who may tarnish her desire to have the world the way way she wants. Men no longer can call women "you guys." Blacks can not be considered racist, and the first amendment only applies to the politically progressive. Political correctness is really getting silly and tyrannical. But what is more tragic than that, in all this arguing for peace, no one really understands how true peace is obtained. No one really knows how to fix the brokenness of the human heart. The use of intimidation, bull-horn rallies, mockery and government programs to change people will never work; they are only band-aids for the real problem, Sin. Sin is killing all of us, sin is why we are all at each other's throats, black on whites, whites on black, and heaven is only available to those who are sinless. All sin, not just intolerance, but all sin must be eradicated, including sexual impurity, idolatry, hatred, discord, arrogance, pride, and unbelief must be destroyed as well. This calls for more than just racial reconciliation, this calls for heart transformation. Dreaming that your wishes will come true is putting the cart of heaven before the horse of crucifixion: You must first die to your sin. So before you point your finger at someone else, before you demand for others to change and treat you fair, ask yourself, "Am I without sin?" Only those who have accepted Christ's forgiveness can really hope for heaven. And what I find interesting, only those who have been forgiven can really forgive others. They are the ones who can look past other people's insults and never demand their just due. And to be honest, what really is our just due? All my wishes to come true? No. Everyone to treat me with respect? No. To have full access to government subsidies? No. Our just due is Hell. My grandfather, Charles Borromeo Weeks 1, was a war hero. Not only did he help carry a few wounded men to safety under German artillery fire in the Argonne Forest, but he sustained permanent scarring on both his legs from mustard gas poisoning. WW1 was fought in the trenches, a living hell on earth where rats thrived, mud covered every inch of space, and mustard gas hovered ready to burn any open skin. My dad told me of a conversation he had with my grandfather as a teen when he asked him, "Don't you feel that your scars were an awfully high price to pay for a war that was fought so far away?" He said my grandfather got quiet for a second, turned to my dad and said, "Son, it was my duty. Our freedom is not cheap. nor are we deserving. I serve because I can." A few years later my dad entered the military as an MP in the Army. He said the same thing to me, "Serving was an honor and a duty." Both of these men would not consider themselves heroes. Nor would they allow others to place them on some saintly pedestal were they were considered to be a cut above other human beings. Have you noticed, that is how we treat soldiers these days; as someone better, special? Yes, we need to be grateful for the men and women who protect us, we need to care for their needs when they are home...but serving out of duty is being replaced by serving out of getting something in return. For my dad and grandfather, and many other men and women who were grateful to serve, the military was their chance to give back to a country they loved. Duty defined for them was an "obligation, a debt to be paid, a chance to give back." Soldiers are simply regular people in uniform who take duty serious. However, duty no longer seems to be enough, more and more people go in to get something out. This is not just true in military service, but in all of life. As an employee, do I owe my boss or does my boss owe me? Sure I work for a paycheck, but I also should get all the time off I want, the best benefit package available, ample coffee breaks and consistent compliments. Asking simply for a hard days work from an employee seems almost mean. Children no longer will do dishes because they part of the family - - they demand 20 bucks. I know of a dad that would give his son $10 dollars for every touchdown he scored. What happened to playing for love of the game and duty to my teammates? Some of you reading this may be thinking that I am callous toward those in the military, I am not praising them enough? On the contrary, I admire men and women who serve out of duty more than anything. However, I believe flattery and pious praises toward others does more harm than good. Let me give you an example of what I am trying to say by using my own line of work... I am a pastor at a church. One of my "duties" is to visit the sick and dying. When I go to see a person at the hospital on the death bed, more times than not, the family will thank me and express great appreciation for my visit. There are also other people who express extreme appreciation for what I do...and often it is those who don't want to go to the hospital and visit their friends and family dying. They don't like the smell of the hospital and they feel awkward around death. So they will look at me and say, "It must be so hard visiting people who are dying, you are such a good pastor, I could never do what you do." In other words, they don't want to do what I do. I don't go because I am a great man, I go because I want to serve Jesus and the people he loves. It is my duty. By flattering me, people will use praise as a way to distance themselves from duty. And believe you me, pastors love to be flattered. So do soldiers. So do employees, so do kids. Pat me on the back enough times and I will do your work for you. (Like Tom Sawyer persuading his friends to whitewash the fence through flattery). But flattery cheapens the beauty of duty. And it ignores the fact that all of us are called in some measure to serve. Are you grateful for your country, or does the government owe you? Do you pay taxes, support and pray for your leaders, thank the men and women in uniform - - or do you flatter? I thank God for my dad and grandfather, they are two of my heroes; but they would never let flattery stick because they really believed the freedoms they had were amazing. They really believed they lived in the greatest country of the world, they really believed they weren't owed a thing. Sadly, we are losing the meaning, virtue and beauty of serving out of duty these days. Pedro bought me a leaf blower, I can't believe it, it is my very own! Usually I borrow Brent Nelson's gear, but not this year, not this time. I have my own blower, it's not a hurricane, but it's enough. Enough to tackle my problems, enough to blow my leaves. Leaves love my yard. They land in gutters, cracks, cement and even my dog's ear. But now I have my very own blower, the one Pedro bought me. Slowly, gently I take it out of the garage, pour the best blend of Gas/Oil mix I can find, and then I fire it up! Vroom, vroom! Leaves, you haven't got a chance. Even my lazy dog comes to check out my new machine. You can see it in his eyes, he's impressed. Leaf by leaf, pile by pile, the lawn turns green. Every leaf is like a thought, a whisper, a memory. Good bye Mr. Leaf, you were not invited to my lawn party. Go home, be gone. My leaf blower won't trifle with you any longer. There is nothing like the fall, a red flannel, and a fine working leaf blower. Simple pleasures fill the soul. Why does one blower mean so much to me? Why shouldn't it? I never had my very own: It may not impress the cutting crew across the street, but that isn't the goal. The goal is leaves, and with my blower they leave. Take that cutting crew. And by the way, Pedro bought it for me. Well, the job is done. And this time my shoulder doesn't ache, my back is straight... however I can't hear too good. And look, my lawn is green and my dog's ears are clean. Time to put my wonderful new blower back safely in the garage. What am I to learn from this gift? Pedro really cares! In the book "Miracles" by C.S.Lewis, he makes a very interesting comment on the nature of God's creative work...listen very carefully: "The theologians certainly tell us that He created nature freely. They mean that He was not forced to do so by any external necessity. But we must not interpret freedom negatively, as if Nature were a mere construction of parts arbitrarily stuck together. God's creative freedom is to be conceived as the freedom of a poet: the freedom to create a consistent, positive thing with its own inimitable flavor." I want you to key on the phrase "its own inimitable flavor." This means that everything God has created has a distinct nature all of it's own. Honey is made to be sweet, water is meant to be wet, and grass is green. And each aspect of nature has also been designed to have a unique proportionality to it. An ocean is enormous and provides the perfect environment for millions of creatures to live and thrive; but when the ocean turns nasty it can't be stopped as it crushes and destroys everything in it's path. It is both majestic in it's wonder and awesome in it's dread. God made it that way. This same unique design and proportionality God has also assigned to scripture. It was given to be an eternal blessing for all mankind; a doorway inviting us into the life of God himself: "Blessed is the man who delights in the law of the Lord, and on his law he meditates day and night. He is like a tree planted by streams of water that yields its fruit in its season, and its leaf does not wither. In all that he does, he prospers." (Psalm 1:1-3) "Faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of God." (Romans 10:17) But just as the Bible is a great gift given to bless us, we must remember, it also has a proportional potential to curse. So please, handle it with care, because if it is abused, dismissed, mocked or perverted it can be dreadfully dangerous! "Danger, danger Will Robinson, hazardous material!" Here are some verses to prove the point... “For the lips of a priest ought to preserve knowledge, because he is the messenger of the Lord Almighty and people seek instruction from his mouth. But you have turned from the way and by your teaching have caused many to stumble; you have violated the covenant with Levi,” says the Lord Almighty. “So I have caused you to be despised and humiliated before all the people, because you have not followed my ways but have shown partiality in matters of the law.” (Malachi 2:7-9) "Do not add to his words, lest he rebuke you and you be found a liar." (Proverbs 30:6) Peter the Apostle got it! In 2 Peter 3:16, he strongly warned his listeners that if "you twist and torture the text it will lead to your destruction." The Greek word for destruction is 'apolia' which means a loss of being or wholeness. In other words if you handle it right, the scriptures bring wholeness to your life and body; but in a proportional way, if you ignore and even impugn scripture you will start getting "soul rot." I offer two modern day examples... 1) Amy Winehouse: On the plane as my wife and I traveled back home from Israel we watched a documentary on Amy Winehouse, the singer who was one of the top performing artists in 2005-2011. Amy was raised in Jewish home, went to Hebrew School every Sunday, and when she died her family "sat shiva"; which means to participate in a week long mourning period where those close to her didn't shower or change their clothes. But when it came to her life, Amy admitted to her friends that her love for drugs and parties had a stronger pull on her than seeking the blessing of God. Her story is devastating. Watching this 2 hour documentary was like being under the spell of a bad dream. Her willful choice not to follow what she knew to be "right and true" left her vulnerable to the ravaging effects of sin and death. Casting aside God and the wisdom found in his word sends one quickly down to feet of Sheol. Sadly, Amy experienced depravity in all of it's noxious color. 2) Rob Bell: For the past 17 years I have been fascinated with the life and times of this "Artist/Preacher" from Grand Rapids. In a short few years he garnered a tremendous following and grew a newly planted church into a mega-church of 11,000 members. He was truly a 'tour de force' in the religious life of Grand Rapids. But over time as he played with the doctrines of inerrancy & inspiration, as a child would with a box of Legos, it eventually led him to start questioning many of the core doctrines of the faith. After writing a comedy of 'exegetical' errors known as Love Wins, he soon left his church to pursue new religious adventures in California. Rob quickly turned into a fellow court jester with the snarky L. A. comedian Pete Holmes to becoming one of Oprah's religious bell hops. And now in his current pursuits he is fast morphing into another New Age guru cut out of the same fabric as Wayne Dyer, the mystic who sold metaphysical secrets on PBS during their weekend long fundraising campaigns. As both of these cases illustrates, .turning from God, his Word, and his Ways, is a dangerous proposition. Humiliation becomes the bi-product of twisting scripture. And "Soul Rot" will always be the human experience of treating God's Holy Word with contempt. How do you treat the Word of God? Do you ignore it, pass it off as insignificant, or does it guide you daily? Be warned - in proportion to its ability to bless, it also has the potential to curse. "God is not mocked." 8 days and 8 nights in the Holy Land; and I feel like I was left with more questions than answers. How can so many different people practicing so many different faiths all believe they own exclusive rights to God? It puzzles me how a person can have red hot zeal for the Creator while at the same time express unmitigated hatred toward their fellow created brothers simply because they differ in tradition? I don't see how prayers and Molotov Cocktails can mix, but in the Old City of Jerusalem, they sure seem to? Is not God love? Shouldn't his followers be as well?
"Religion, religion everywhere and not a drop to drink!" Can people make claims on God? If I grow my beard long, or wear black garments with tassels dangling low, or chant evening prayers in a Arabic verse is God then obligated to become my soul possession? Is he a genie dwelling in a religious bottle ready to appear to the next person who rubs the lamp the correct way? Can I coerce the Almighty to take my side? Does the most pious man win sole rights to God's heart? Everyone in Jerusalem sure seems to think so: From the woman dressed in a white head scarf who kisses the stones where Jesus may have stood to the priest waving incense over a grave from long ago. The Jews may own the Wailing Wall, but the Christians own the Tomb. The Muslim Salat may be shouted five times a day across the Old Jerusalem streets, but the Catholic Nun is caretaker of the upper room. So who is right? God's pie surely is big enough to go around? One day while visiting Bethlehem on the West Bank, I asked a Palestinian Christian how they survive as a community when it seems the Muslims own the majority share in Palestine? His answer caught me off guard, "We are the chosen people. Every group that is oppressed is the chosen. The Jews are no longer chosen, they had their chance, but we are the new chosen. Just like the millions living on the streets of South America, and the urban poor in the big cities of America, God dwells with the desperate and downtrodden, they are true chosen." Again, another person claiming special privilege, another slice off the side of God. So many opinions, so much fire and flame. So much anger. But in this grand tug-o-war no one seems to care about what God thinks. Does he have a right to choose who will be his? Does he have a say? John the Apostle seems to think so, " But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God, who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God." (John 1:12-13) The invitation to gain an interest in Him is clear: Faith in the Son. Personal striving and racial claims mean nothing - - you can not curry favor with God through effort or heredity. God must first seek you out first, he chooses whom he wishes, and his choice is not based on. . . - Blood: Who your daddy is. - Will of the Flesh: What you have done for him lately. - Will of Man: Building great Cathedrals, kissing stones or crying at a picture of Mary. God, through his Spirit, opens eyes and hearts of who he will to believe. He possesses us, we don't make claims on him. God is not impressed with how long I grow my beard or how dedicated I am to my morning prayers. He wants me to simply receive him...to love him. And when you love him you stop hating. You don't fight for rights, you don't raise your flag and say, "This part of God is mine!" You don't need to win because you know deep down inside you are his. He makes claims on me, I become his child. I am at peace. Are you at peace? Or are you comparing, arguing, fighting, hating, striving, and proving? God will not give himself to the pride of man, he is not a piece of real estate to fight over, you cannot place your flag of ownership on him. He will only make claims on you. Has he? |
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