It's been not quite two weeks since the entire nation was shocked by what happened at the Boston Marathon. Many questions, concerns, and worries came to many people after seeing the horrific actions that men did in setting off bombs at the marathon. The effects were devastating for many people, injured several, and even cost a few people their lives.
During tragic moments that touch both the nation or just our individual lives, many people are stuck asking the question why? As they ask this poignant question many people turn and ask God why did this happen? Well, to be perfectly blunt there are no very good reasons why two men would set off bombs at the Boston Marathon and kill some people and injure many other people they didn't know. However, in spite of all the pain, heartache, and turmoil these young men caused, we can be sure of a few things. That's what this blog post is here and designed to do: give us the things and areas we can be 100% sure about in this awful situation.
1) God is still in control and still cares. This sentence may be very difficult for people to grasp, especially those who were directly affected by the events in Boston last week. But, one of the truths in our Christian faith is that God cares deeply for everything that happens to us. When those bombs went off and poor Martin Richard went to his eternal home, I guarantee that God shed not one but several tears because earth lost somebody very special. The Bible tells us in Psalms that God cares for us deeply that he fashioned and created us in our mother's womb and that even the hairs on our head are numbered! That's how well God knows us. In the New Testament we're assured in the Gospel of Matthew that if God cares and clothes the birds of the sky and the lillies of the field how much more will he care for and take care of us! It is easy to point the finger and say God doesn't care in the midst of an awful tragedy, but I think from personal testimony, the word of God, and just everyone that was saved from being harmed or killed by the bomb one can say that God does care.
So, one can see that God does care about what happens to everyone! That leaves us with another very pressing question: can God do anything about it? Is he powerful enough to stop human beings from hurting each other? Well, to put it nice and simply the answer to that question is yes and no. God is powerful enough to part a sea, raise someone from the dead, cure leprosy, cause the lame to walk, and the dumb to speak. So, I don't think he lacks anything in the power department. But, one thing we have to remember throughout all of this and we'll look at this in part two, is that awful things that happen in our world today: Newtown, CT shootings, bombing at the Boston Marathon, etc. are done by human beings who had the choice not to sin, but decided against that choice. Could God have stopped them? Absolutely, God could have, why God didn't stop the bombing? I can't say for sure. But, one thing I do know without a shadow of a doubt is that God cares deeply, is crying with the victims families, and God still is in control of our entire existence. Part 2 is coming soon.
Friday, April 26, 2013
Friday, April 12, 2013
Satisfaction
Satisfaction is one of the biggest drivers in all of our decision making. After high school a lot of us go to college and some beyond, because we believe education will open up a door to a job that we enjoy doing and find satisfaction and fulfillment in doing. We spend time with people and develop relationships and friendships with people and even sometimes we'll have romantic relationships with people because we desire satisfaction and fulfillment. Those feelings are normal/common feelings for every human being, however the problem most of us run into from time to time is that we seek satisfaction in all the wrong places.
I will say that this blog post serves one purpose: to remind all of us that true satisfaction can be found in Jesus Christ alone. I'm not saying that you can't find joy and fulfillment in your achievements, your education, or even your hard earned money, but I want you to understand that all of those things are temporary. For one day money will be spent, certificates and degrees will be forgotten, and we will soon have retired or been replaced where we work. So, to find satisfaction in areas of personal achievement will produce a very roller coaster emotional existence in your spiritual walk. When things are going great, you'll more than likely praise God, or worse yet, you'll take the credit. When things are down, and the future looks bleak the sad reality is that a lot of people blame God for the bed they made. So, what I'm trying to encourage you in this blog post, is to not look to your achievements for your sense of satisfaction or identity. Understand that as a human being you will make mistakes, say things you shouldn't have said, and you will make poor decisions, but you will also make good decisions and experience success and joy. But, at the end of the day, the question I want to leave you with are you going to find lasting satisfaction in your achievements, your abilities, or even in something destructive? Or will you find satisfaction in knowing and loving the true, risen Savior of your soul and the entire world? The choice is entirely yours to make, but your decision does and will have real consequences either way. To finally illustrate how true satisfaction can be found in Jesus Christ alone, I want to share a quote from MVP, Super Bowl winning quarterback Tom Brady, "Why do I have three Super Bowl rings and still think there’s something greater out there for me? I mean, maybe a lot of people would say, ‘Hey man, this is what is.’ I reached my goal, my dream, my life. I think, ‘God, it’s got to be more than this.’ I mean this isn’t, this can’t be what it’s all cracked up to be … I love playing football and I love being quarterback for this team. But at the same time, I think there are a lot of other parts about me that I’m trying to find.” (Taken from http://spurgeon.wordpress.com/2008/01/10/tom-brady-super-bowl-rings-and-ecclesiastes/) This is a man who has it all, but still he's not satisfied. The choice is yours to make today.
I will say that this blog post serves one purpose: to remind all of us that true satisfaction can be found in Jesus Christ alone. I'm not saying that you can't find joy and fulfillment in your achievements, your education, or even your hard earned money, but I want you to understand that all of those things are temporary. For one day money will be spent, certificates and degrees will be forgotten, and we will soon have retired or been replaced where we work. So, to find satisfaction in areas of personal achievement will produce a very roller coaster emotional existence in your spiritual walk. When things are going great, you'll more than likely praise God, or worse yet, you'll take the credit. When things are down, and the future looks bleak the sad reality is that a lot of people blame God for the bed they made. So, what I'm trying to encourage you in this blog post, is to not look to your achievements for your sense of satisfaction or identity. Understand that as a human being you will make mistakes, say things you shouldn't have said, and you will make poor decisions, but you will also make good decisions and experience success and joy. But, at the end of the day, the question I want to leave you with are you going to find lasting satisfaction in your achievements, your abilities, or even in something destructive? Or will you find satisfaction in knowing and loving the true, risen Savior of your soul and the entire world? The choice is entirely yours to make, but your decision does and will have real consequences either way. To finally illustrate how true satisfaction can be found in Jesus Christ alone, I want to share a quote from MVP, Super Bowl winning quarterback Tom Brady, "Why do I have three Super Bowl rings and still think there’s something greater out there for me? I mean, maybe a lot of people would say, ‘Hey man, this is what is.’ I reached my goal, my dream, my life. I think, ‘God, it’s got to be more than this.’ I mean this isn’t, this can’t be what it’s all cracked up to be … I love playing football and I love being quarterback for this team. But at the same time, I think there are a lot of other parts about me that I’m trying to find.” (Taken from http://spurgeon.wordpress.com/2008/01/10/tom-brady-super-bowl-rings-and-ecclesiastes/) This is a man who has it all, but still he's not satisfied. The choice is yours to make today.
Friday, March 29, 2013
Holy Week
One of the biggest weeks in our entire Christian existence is right now as we embark on Holy Week. The week of the Last Supper, arrest, betrayal, Cross, and ultimately Jesus triumphantly rises from the dead, but this week can easily lose its meaning and we can become very calloused toward Holy week, Good Friday, and Easter Sunday. This entry is designed to allow us to not lose focus and passion during this incredible, life-changing experience. Let's dive a little deeper and rediscover what is going on during Holy Week.
One of the things that most astonishes me about Holy Week is that Jesus was never shy about His death and resurrection. When He was arrested in the Garden not one time did Jesus yell, "Surprise! Oh wow! I didn't see this one coming." In fact, almost the exact opposite occurs. Christ almost from the beginning of his ministry tells his disciples that the time is coming when He will suffer and die. When that time did come all of His disciples left the scene. What this shows us is something very interesting. The disciples by abandoning Jesus after His arrest, trial, punishment, and eventually crucifixion had non-verbally communicated that Jesus had failed. Jesus hadn't delivered them the way they expected, in fact on Good Friday the disciples believed that Jesus had done the exact opposite, He had failed, because instead of delivering them. He was being crucified on a Cross. To give the disciples credit, and I don't think we do this enough. They didn't fully know the end of the story. The disciples weren't aware that death would not have the last word. It wasn't until they Jesus that things changed for them. So, I hope we understand that living on this of history, we do have the privilege of seeing that Jesus though killed on Friday does come back on Sunday. I hope we remember that the first Good Friday was anything but good for those who followed Jesus.
Holy Week shows us many things. It really does. It shows us that death is not as strong as life, and it shows us just how fickle human beings can be. But, one of the main things that Holy Week shows us is how God feels about us. If God just liked (likes) us Holy week would have never happened. If God just loves us, then Holy Week would have never happened. God is 100%, over the top, madly in LOVE with us! God has told us that in His word, communicated it through the teachings of Jesus, but the Cross and the Resurrection show it so clearly how God feels about you. God loves you so MUCH, because that should have been you in Jesus' place. So, whenever you're down or feeling a little blue, look back to the events of Holy Week and understand that God is 100% crazy about you.
One of the things that most astonishes me about Holy Week is that Jesus was never shy about His death and resurrection. When He was arrested in the Garden not one time did Jesus yell, "Surprise! Oh wow! I didn't see this one coming." In fact, almost the exact opposite occurs. Christ almost from the beginning of his ministry tells his disciples that the time is coming when He will suffer and die. When that time did come all of His disciples left the scene. What this shows us is something very interesting. The disciples by abandoning Jesus after His arrest, trial, punishment, and eventually crucifixion had non-verbally communicated that Jesus had failed. Jesus hadn't delivered them the way they expected, in fact on Good Friday the disciples believed that Jesus had done the exact opposite, He had failed, because instead of delivering them. He was being crucified on a Cross. To give the disciples credit, and I don't think we do this enough. They didn't fully know the end of the story. The disciples weren't aware that death would not have the last word. It wasn't until they Jesus that things changed for them. So, I hope we understand that living on this of history, we do have the privilege of seeing that Jesus though killed on Friday does come back on Sunday. I hope we remember that the first Good Friday was anything but good for those who followed Jesus.
Holy Week shows us many things. It really does. It shows us that death is not as strong as life, and it shows us just how fickle human beings can be. But, one of the main things that Holy Week shows us is how God feels about us. If God just liked (likes) us Holy week would have never happened. If God just loves us, then Holy Week would have never happened. God is 100%, over the top, madly in LOVE with us! God has told us that in His word, communicated it through the teachings of Jesus, but the Cross and the Resurrection show it so clearly how God feels about you. God loves you so MUCH, because that should have been you in Jesus' place. So, whenever you're down or feeling a little blue, look back to the events of Holy Week and understand that God is 100% crazy about you.
Wednesday, March 20, 2013
On Finances!
Let's be honest finances can be a very sticky topic for most people. I know for me they can be, money is such a confusing thing, because I firmly believe we all think that more money will often make us happier when that is hardly ever the case. One thing I do believe is important is to develop a right and powerful perspective on money that will guide the way we live. This topic shouldn't be pushed under the rug or dealt with at a later date, because like it or not our issues with finances aren't going away. Let's take a good hard look at two things to remember about our finances.
1) Finances and money are nothing more than temporary created things. One of the most common topics discussed in the New Testament is in fact it is mentioned over fifty times in the New Testament alone! Needless to say the writers of the New Testament had a lot to say about money, it was an issue back then and it continues to be an issue today. Jesus gives us parables about a lost coin and a master who gave his servants talents. We're told to give to Caesar what is Caesar's, and we are clearly told that the root of all evil is for us to love money. That just scratches the surface on the Bible's teaching about money. Before we go one let me preface the remainder of this blog post by saying that these two ideas present, won't make money problems or difficulties go away. The purpose of the ideas is to help us develop a healthy, Christ-like perspective on money and finances.
We all have at some point in time in our lives wanted to keep up with the Jones, buy that new boat, or dump more money into our IRA. Let's face having financial security is not a bad thing, but it can become a bad thing when it is the very most important thing in your life. The studies have shown that money is one of if not the main contributor to failed marriages in this country. We need to get a grasp and understand money. Money is something that everyone needs, let's face it we need money to feed ourselves, clothe ourselves, put gas in our car, etc. But, money is something that never will satisfy us. I've been around for awhile, and I've never met anyone who spent their life striving and giving everything they had to get more money, advance in work, get more things, and at the end of the day I think we all can agree those are the most miserable people around. Money does provide our needs but should never be the basis of our identity and self-worth. If that were the case then Jesus, the Son of God, would be a failure because he had no money to his name. Understand that it is important to work hard, do your best, and provide for your loved ones. But, your job and your money should never affect your relationship with your family, your friends, and with your God.
2) Use money as a blessing
If you're reading this right now, you're blessed. There is no other way to say it. If you have a computer and can afford to pay for the Internet, then you're doing okay financially. Most people throughout the world have worries and concerns about whether or not they'll have enough food to eat. We often have concerns about our Internet being too slow, we didn't get a sale for the latest style of shoes, or and this is one of my favorites we don't have enough room for all of our stuff. The ironic part is that if I wanted to start a storage bin business in Zimbabwe, I would more than likely go bankrupt within a few months, a surplus of things is not a worldwide problem.
So, where does that leave us? Well, first of all I don't want you to feel bad for having things. But, those excess things you don't need, that shirt which hasn't been worn since 2009, those shoes which were last year's style, or that PlayStation video game, do you need to keep those? Sure, they may not be the VERY best anymore, but someone can use them and benefit from them. So, instead of practicing a lifestyle of hoarding why don't you practice a lifestyle of giving away and blessing others. The exact same thing is true of our finances, do we really need to eat out several times a month? Or could we cut back a little so others could benefit. There is a world filled with hurting people who need the love of Jesus and a little dose of our generosity let's strive to give them just that!
1) Finances and money are nothing more than temporary created things. One of the most common topics discussed in the New Testament is in fact it is mentioned over fifty times in the New Testament alone! Needless to say the writers of the New Testament had a lot to say about money, it was an issue back then and it continues to be an issue today. Jesus gives us parables about a lost coin and a master who gave his servants talents. We're told to give to Caesar what is Caesar's, and we are clearly told that the root of all evil is for us to love money. That just scratches the surface on the Bible's teaching about money. Before we go one let me preface the remainder of this blog post by saying that these two ideas present, won't make money problems or difficulties go away. The purpose of the ideas is to help us develop a healthy, Christ-like perspective on money and finances.
We all have at some point in time in our lives wanted to keep up with the Jones, buy that new boat, or dump more money into our IRA. Let's face having financial security is not a bad thing, but it can become a bad thing when it is the very most important thing in your life. The studies have shown that money is one of if not the main contributor to failed marriages in this country. We need to get a grasp and understand money. Money is something that everyone needs, let's face it we need money to feed ourselves, clothe ourselves, put gas in our car, etc. But, money is something that never will satisfy us. I've been around for awhile, and I've never met anyone who spent their life striving and giving everything they had to get more money, advance in work, get more things, and at the end of the day I think we all can agree those are the most miserable people around. Money does provide our needs but should never be the basis of our identity and self-worth. If that were the case then Jesus, the Son of God, would be a failure because he had no money to his name. Understand that it is important to work hard, do your best, and provide for your loved ones. But, your job and your money should never affect your relationship with your family, your friends, and with your God.
2) Use money as a blessing
If you're reading this right now, you're blessed. There is no other way to say it. If you have a computer and can afford to pay for the Internet, then you're doing okay financially. Most people throughout the world have worries and concerns about whether or not they'll have enough food to eat. We often have concerns about our Internet being too slow, we didn't get a sale for the latest style of shoes, or and this is one of my favorites we don't have enough room for all of our stuff. The ironic part is that if I wanted to start a storage bin business in Zimbabwe, I would more than likely go bankrupt within a few months, a surplus of things is not a worldwide problem.
So, where does that leave us? Well, first of all I don't want you to feel bad for having things. But, those excess things you don't need, that shirt which hasn't been worn since 2009, those shoes which were last year's style, or that PlayStation video game, do you need to keep those? Sure, they may not be the VERY best anymore, but someone can use them and benefit from them. So, instead of practicing a lifestyle of hoarding why don't you practice a lifestyle of giving away and blessing others. The exact same thing is true of our finances, do we really need to eat out several times a month? Or could we cut back a little so others could benefit. There is a world filled with hurting people who need the love of Jesus and a little dose of our generosity let's strive to give them just that!
Monday, March 11, 2013
On Trouble with the Curve
Movies entertain us, inspire us, frighten us, cause us to cheer, and movies whether we like or not affect who we are. It is important very important for us as Christians to understand how movies affect us and what message the movie is sending to us. This movie, Trouble with the Curve, is no longer in theaters, but when you approach a Blockbuster or Redbox kiosk, there is a great chance you will have the opportunity to rent Trouble with the Curve. I saw it recently and here's what I thought.
Trouble with the Curve is a story about a baseball scout, Gus Lobel played by Clint Eastwood, and his trip to scout a high school baseball talent. Lobel we find out is a very talented, but old baseball scout for the Atlanta Braves. Lobel for the Braves had brought in lots of past talent in years past, but one of the criticisms some of the other scouts had against Lobel is he didn't know how to adapt to all of the game's new technology and new ways to scout baseball talent. Lobel often rebuffs and pays little attention to these criticisms, this is classic Eastwood. But, people in the Brave's front office are worried about him, so his daughter Mickey is called to join him as he scouts what many people believe to be the number one pick in the draft.
Mickey joins her dad in scouting this young talent, and during their few days scouting, the viewer sees a very complicated relationship between a father and daughter. We learn how their relationship has evolved and been affected by events over the years. As they scout the talent, they bump into one of the best talents Gus has scouted, Johnny played by Timberlake. Johnny was a talented pitcher, who sadly got traded in the minors, and due to the trade Johnny blew his arm out in the minors. Johnny befriends Mickey and we get to see their friendship grow, and we see Johnny encourage Mickey to live life to the fullest and spend less time worrying about her career as a lawyer. Johnny encourages Mickey to pursue what she loves, and that causes Mickey to ask some serious questions. If you enjoyed Moneyball, there's a good chance you will enjoy Trouble with the Curve.
In terms of family friendly, I would give the movie 2.5 stars out of five. There are scenes in the movie which show smoking, drinking, and there are a few scenes that take place in a bar. In terms of language the movie does have a few incidents when strong language is used. But, the movie is a touching story about love and America's past time. It is at times slow in the plot, and Eastwood's diction could drastically be improved, but the movie is definitely worth a see. I would recommend this as a rental. I'd give it 2.5 stars out of 5.
Trouble with the Curve is a story about a baseball scout, Gus Lobel played by Clint Eastwood, and his trip to scout a high school baseball talent. Lobel we find out is a very talented, but old baseball scout for the Atlanta Braves. Lobel for the Braves had brought in lots of past talent in years past, but one of the criticisms some of the other scouts had against Lobel is he didn't know how to adapt to all of the game's new technology and new ways to scout baseball talent. Lobel often rebuffs and pays little attention to these criticisms, this is classic Eastwood. But, people in the Brave's front office are worried about him, so his daughter Mickey is called to join him as he scouts what many people believe to be the number one pick in the draft.
Mickey joins her dad in scouting this young talent, and during their few days scouting, the viewer sees a very complicated relationship between a father and daughter. We learn how their relationship has evolved and been affected by events over the years. As they scout the talent, they bump into one of the best talents Gus has scouted, Johnny played by Timberlake. Johnny was a talented pitcher, who sadly got traded in the minors, and due to the trade Johnny blew his arm out in the minors. Johnny befriends Mickey and we get to see their friendship grow, and we see Johnny encourage Mickey to live life to the fullest and spend less time worrying about her career as a lawyer. Johnny encourages Mickey to pursue what she loves, and that causes Mickey to ask some serious questions. If you enjoyed Moneyball, there's a good chance you will enjoy Trouble with the Curve.
In terms of family friendly, I would give the movie 2.5 stars out of five. There are scenes in the movie which show smoking, drinking, and there are a few scenes that take place in a bar. In terms of language the movie does have a few incidents when strong language is used. But, the movie is a touching story about love and America's past time. It is at times slow in the plot, and Eastwood's diction could drastically be improved, but the movie is definitely worth a see. I would recommend this as a rental. I'd give it 2.5 stars out of 5.
Wednesday, March 6, 2013
On the Church
I know some of you reading this title will be like, wait a minute, A Christian Perspective on Church?! Brian has lost his mind! We don't need any Christian perspective on the church! You're wasting your time on this go to more important, juicy items such as politics, entertainment, scandals, or even gossip. But, the church?! Yes, the church. It is so important that we have a right theology of the church, because it is our experience in the church that largely shapes our Christian journey and identity. So, the questions remain how should we perceive the church? What is the proper role of the church in the 21st century?
The word church appears over 100 times, all in the New Testament and mostly in the Pauline epistles. The outpouring of the Holy Spirit on Pentecost in Acts 2 was the beginning of the church as everyone was amazed that the disciples could speak to them in their own language. In its early days the church was small, not established, and searching for its place in society. There were no boards, bishops, councils, or even elders. But, as Luke recalls in Acts 2 they knew what was most important, "44 All the believers were together and had everything in common. 45 They sold property and possessions to give to anyone who had need. 46 Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts,47 praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved." (Acts 2:44-47) During its early years the church also experienced much persecution at the hands of the Roman government. 11 of the 12 disciples ended up dying horrible, gruesome deaths because of their faith. The church had to go into hiding and meet in secret in people's homes for fear they could be arrested and at times even put to death.
All of that changed when Constantine came to power in the early third century. The church no longer had to be in hiding. They didn't have to be afraid. The church was now at the center of society, persecution was a thing of the past, and little did people know at the time the church would largely would never be the same.
If we fast forward to our modern "western" church two things in particular stand out which I think need to be looked at: 1) Break from the cookie-cutter mindset 2) Return Jesus to His rightful place in our lives.
Church today has become easy, convenient and most people can fulfill their weekly requirement in one hour and sometimes even less. We have come to expect the same thing each week we come into worship. From week to week we see the same format, we expect the same things, and we've become very comfortable in worshiping God. We like to worship God this way because it has become safe, easy, and comfortable for us to do so. The ironic part is we worship a God who is anything but safe, and an experience with Him should make us feel a lot of different emotions and comfortable is not one of them. To recover a life-changing experience of worship, I would encourage all people in churches reading this to look to worship in many different ways: traditional worship with hymns, prayers, and the word preached. But, also look to worship in new and different ways and see how God will speak to us when we worship God in dance, art, silence, lectio divina, and seek to worship God in non-traditional places. One final note: one of the biggest poisons in our church today, is the attitude that our way of worship is superior over other forms of worship. We need to as a church judge less and embrace more. Our goal should be to expand our horizon of worship and be open to where God will lead us.
In Exodus 20 God gave Moses the Ten Commandments. The very first commandment is that you shalt not have any other Gods before the one true God. If we truly live this out, and place God at the top of our lives then everything else will fall into place. Our worship will be pure, and we will live out lives that are effective and influential. When God is truly Lord of our lives, our words, our actions, our time, our checkbook, and our worship will be pure and our church will be truly a city set on a hill. This commandment was given first because if one follows this commandment everything will fall into place: including the church.
The word church appears over 100 times, all in the New Testament and mostly in the Pauline epistles. The outpouring of the Holy Spirit on Pentecost in Acts 2 was the beginning of the church as everyone was amazed that the disciples could speak to them in their own language. In its early days the church was small, not established, and searching for its place in society. There were no boards, bishops, councils, or even elders. But, as Luke recalls in Acts 2 they knew what was most important, "44 All the believers were together and had everything in common. 45 They sold property and possessions to give to anyone who had need. 46 Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts,47 praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved." (Acts 2:44-47) During its early years the church also experienced much persecution at the hands of the Roman government. 11 of the 12 disciples ended up dying horrible, gruesome deaths because of their faith. The church had to go into hiding and meet in secret in people's homes for fear they could be arrested and at times even put to death.
All of that changed when Constantine came to power in the early third century. The church no longer had to be in hiding. They didn't have to be afraid. The church was now at the center of society, persecution was a thing of the past, and little did people know at the time the church would largely would never be the same.
If we fast forward to our modern "western" church two things in particular stand out which I think need to be looked at: 1) Break from the cookie-cutter mindset 2) Return Jesus to His rightful place in our lives.
Church today has become easy, convenient and most people can fulfill their weekly requirement in one hour and sometimes even less. We have come to expect the same thing each week we come into worship. From week to week we see the same format, we expect the same things, and we've become very comfortable in worshiping God. We like to worship God this way because it has become safe, easy, and comfortable for us to do so. The ironic part is we worship a God who is anything but safe, and an experience with Him should make us feel a lot of different emotions and comfortable is not one of them. To recover a life-changing experience of worship, I would encourage all people in churches reading this to look to worship in many different ways: traditional worship with hymns, prayers, and the word preached. But, also look to worship in new and different ways and see how God will speak to us when we worship God in dance, art, silence, lectio divina, and seek to worship God in non-traditional places. One final note: one of the biggest poisons in our church today, is the attitude that our way of worship is superior over other forms of worship. We need to as a church judge less and embrace more. Our goal should be to expand our horizon of worship and be open to where God will lead us.
In Exodus 20 God gave Moses the Ten Commandments. The very first commandment is that you shalt not have any other Gods before the one true God. If we truly live this out, and place God at the top of our lives then everything else will fall into place. Our worship will be pure, and we will live out lives that are effective and influential. When God is truly Lord of our lives, our words, our actions, our time, our checkbook, and our worship will be pure and our church will be truly a city set on a hill. This commandment was given first because if one follows this commandment everything will fall into place: including the church.
Monday, March 4, 2013
A Christian Perspective on The Family Part 1
Families are crazy! Let's face it all of our families have their own little quirks and antics, but the family is something we all have in common. Everyone has a family. Some of us have families that we're proud of and others families that we'd rather not mention. But, regardless our family is there, so the questions remain what is a healthy Christian perspective on the family? If we're unsatisfied with the current status of the family in the United States where do we want the family to go?
One thing I think is fairly universal for all of us is we don't want to recapture or strive to recapture the family as portrayed by many examples in the Old and New Testament. There are very few families which have it all together in the Bible. Even Mary and Joseph, the family which the God of the universe chose to have His born into weren't a picture perfect family. They forgot Jesus at the temple (Luke 2:44), and Joseph even planned to divorce Mary when he thought she had been unfaithful to him (Matthew 1:19). There are other examples of far more colorful actions that families in the Bible have done to each other. Ham laid with Noah after he was drunk (Genesis 9:24) Jacob tricked his father and stole Esau's birthright (Genesis 27). Judah slept with his daughter-in-law Tamar (Genesis 38). Joseph's brothers sold him into slavery in Genesis 37, and Eli's sons turned against the Lord. As you can see there are many examples of dysfunctional families in the Bible. If you throw in the facts that many husbands especially in the Old Testament had more than one wife, most marriages were arranged, and most girls were married at a very young age around 12 or 13, and I think it is safe to say we don't want to recapture those qualities of a family.
But, what do we want to recapture? How should a Christian family operate and function in 2013? Well, there is no one right answer to that question, however, here are a few things and ideas that will hopefully get you and your family on the right track. These are not ideas or steps that will automatically fix every problem, but these are suggestions from a Christian perspective I think will allow your family to be strong and effective.
1) Understand the role of child, parent, and spouse. I've seen way too many out of control kids today, because their parents want to be a friend rather than a parent. Your child has enough friends and if you're that short on friendships you begin to turn to your children that may be a sign you need to join a club, go play Bingo, or switch something up. Proper roles will allow your family to realize their full potential in the sight of God.
In Proverbs 22:6 we are told that if we train up a child in the way they should go, when they are old they won't depart from it. If we're faithful in being a parent to our child and teaching them the difference between right and wrong, how to work hard, and if we pass on our faith to our children in word and deed, those are things that will stay with them for a LIFETIME. We've been casting a lot of responsibility it is not just on the parent, it is a two way street. When family members live faithfully into their role as parent or child everyone wins. However, the responsibility is not just on the parent, it is a two way street. Children are called to honor, love, and respect their parents (Exodus 20:12). Which sometimes can be a tall task, but it can be accomplished. If it feels like your children aren't respecting you at this moment. Do not lose hope! These things do take time.
I would recommend you do two things. First, pray about your struggle and desire for your kids to respect you. Let's face it, feeling disrespected is not a fun feeling at all! No one wants that, and I know that God wants to work on both your heart and your children's heart to change. Begin today by asking him to do just that. Second, and I think this is most important: model the kind of respect you want from your children. Human beings are very receptive to the behaviors all around us, and let's face it we often become like the people with whom we associate. It may not be a fast transformation, but I would bet you'll see a transformation.
Proper roles are crucial in understanding the family from a Christian perspective. There are very few instances of families, in current or Biblical times, that ran into trouble when they lived into their role of parent or child. There are many more parts coming, and we'll break them up a little bit, but I think this is a good foundational piece for all families live into your identity in the family: if you're a parent act like one, train your child, love them, teach, and model good behavior. If you're a child love your parents, respect them, obey them, and try your best to get along with your siblings. That's all for now folks.
One thing I think is fairly universal for all of us is we don't want to recapture or strive to recapture the family as portrayed by many examples in the Old and New Testament. There are very few families which have it all together in the Bible. Even Mary and Joseph, the family which the God of the universe chose to have His born into weren't a picture perfect family. They forgot Jesus at the temple (Luke 2:44), and Joseph even planned to divorce Mary when he thought she had been unfaithful to him (Matthew 1:19). There are other examples of far more colorful actions that families in the Bible have done to each other. Ham laid with Noah after he was drunk (Genesis 9:24) Jacob tricked his father and stole Esau's birthright (Genesis 27). Judah slept with his daughter-in-law Tamar (Genesis 38). Joseph's brothers sold him into slavery in Genesis 37, and Eli's sons turned against the Lord. As you can see there are many examples of dysfunctional families in the Bible. If you throw in the facts that many husbands especially in the Old Testament had more than one wife, most marriages were arranged, and most girls were married at a very young age around 12 or 13, and I think it is safe to say we don't want to recapture those qualities of a family.
But, what do we want to recapture? How should a Christian family operate and function in 2013? Well, there is no one right answer to that question, however, here are a few things and ideas that will hopefully get you and your family on the right track. These are not ideas or steps that will automatically fix every problem, but these are suggestions from a Christian perspective I think will allow your family to be strong and effective.
1) Understand the role of child, parent, and spouse. I've seen way too many out of control kids today, because their parents want to be a friend rather than a parent. Your child has enough friends and if you're that short on friendships you begin to turn to your children that may be a sign you need to join a club, go play Bingo, or switch something up. Proper roles will allow your family to realize their full potential in the sight of God.
In Proverbs 22:6 we are told that if we train up a child in the way they should go, when they are old they won't depart from it. If we're faithful in being a parent to our child and teaching them the difference between right and wrong, how to work hard, and if we pass on our faith to our children in word and deed, those are things that will stay with them for a LIFETIME. We've been casting a lot of responsibility it is not just on the parent, it is a two way street. When family members live faithfully into their role as parent or child everyone wins. However, the responsibility is not just on the parent, it is a two way street. Children are called to honor, love, and respect their parents (Exodus 20:12). Which sometimes can be a tall task, but it can be accomplished. If it feels like your children aren't respecting you at this moment. Do not lose hope! These things do take time.
I would recommend you do two things. First, pray about your struggle and desire for your kids to respect you. Let's face it, feeling disrespected is not a fun feeling at all! No one wants that, and I know that God wants to work on both your heart and your children's heart to change. Begin today by asking him to do just that. Second, and I think this is most important: model the kind of respect you want from your children. Human beings are very receptive to the behaviors all around us, and let's face it we often become like the people with whom we associate. It may not be a fast transformation, but I would bet you'll see a transformation.
Proper roles are crucial in understanding the family from a Christian perspective. There are very few instances of families, in current or Biblical times, that ran into trouble when they lived into their role of parent or child. There are many more parts coming, and we'll break them up a little bit, but I think this is a good foundational piece for all families live into your identity in the family: if you're a parent act like one, train your child, love them, teach, and model good behavior. If you're a child love your parents, respect them, obey them, and try your best to get along with your siblings. That's all for now folks.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)