2014 has been a crazy year I must say. Our world is filled with an amazing amount of brokenness, judgment, hurt, and bitterness. But, on the flip-side there are still many people in our society who seek to do good, love their neighbor, and live out their Christian faith on a daily basis. This post didn't come out as quickly as I would have liked, but I think the delay in the post allowed to really process and get to the root of this issue.
In case you haven't heard Los Angeles Clippers' owner Donald Sterling came under a lot of fire when the story broke that he asked his girlfriend not to bring African Americans to watch Clippers' basketball games. These comments created a MAJOR backlash against Sterling, and since then the NBA has fined him 2.5 million dollars and banned him from life. This is a very big story that touches on a deeper issue that is present in our American culture. Let's dive in here a little bit and prayerfully look at and see what we can learn together through this.
1) Recognize all the sin.
I will admit I am a saddened that we live in a culture where Mr. Sterling's comments and comments similar to his can garner a huge public outcry, but very few people have even bothered to mention that Mr. Sterling though married also has a girlfriend as well. Now, I don't want to dive into the nature of their relationship or speculate about it, but my thought is if you call someone your girlfriend that is more than just a casual business partner or acquaintance. I will say this, and I want everyone to understand and know that what he said was wrong and totally against Jesus' prayer in John 17 which states that his desire is human beings become united and not divided. My point is this, as Christians sin should outrage us, we shouldn't accept, make excuses for it, or try and get around. Our desire should be to eliminate it entirely. Mr. Sterling is a rich, flawed human being, who needs the grace and love of Jesus Christ just as much as the next person, and he is someone who we need to recognize and pray for both his views of minorities and at time his marital unfaithfulness.
2) All sin has the same eternal outcome.
In the days coming my hope is that people all over the world will look to live into solutions, forgiveness, and healing in terms of the race problem. There still is a major issue that permeates our country today, but I will say this issues of race are almost always a two way street, that is not always the case but it usually is. The deeper issue is that sin shouldn't be hierarchical in the mind of the Christian, but it often is.
Societal consequences to sin will be different. If I trip my brother when he's carry his lunch tray, then he'll get mad, I will get yelled at and disciplined, which is a fitting consequence for that action. However, if I decide to blow up a building that consequence will land me several years in a fairly high security prison, which is also a fairly fitting consequence for that sin. In God's eyes the difference is that all sin brings about the same result: separation from God. So, yes racism is a deep sin that a lot of folks struggle with today. But, racism, hatred, jealousy, gossip, lieing, etc. all bring about the same eternal consequence.
The question remains is racism a generational thing? Cultural thing? Family thing? I think those answers are different in many different circumstances, but my hope is that Christians young and old immediately began praying for the situation once it broke instead of quickly passing judgment on the issue.
3) Where do we go from here?
I don't really like or enjoy ideas, judgment, theology, etc that remain ambiguous. I like ideas and theology that are followed by action. I'm an action guy, and I think it's important for us to both live and talk about our faith. One big thing I hope everyone who reads this takes is that children are very much a product of their family. If parents and families live out hatred toward people, don't associate with those different from them, and teach their children these things then these kids will be adults who live this out and pass it on to their family. Make family development, deep conversations, family Bible study, and family mission opportunities a part of who your family is, the United States can be an incredible nation where all people are loved, cherished, and respected. But, if children live in households where this is not happening then they will grow up to be adults who practice the exact same thing.
Wednesday, April 30, 2014
Wednesday, April 16, 2014
Deception #5 Truth is not Absolute
Life can be very tricky, filled with people who desire to take advantage of us and even at times cause us harm. But, one area where I hope we as the body of Christ are consistent is our definition of truth. Pilate asked Jesus during his trial a hauntingly convicting question, "What is truth?" (John 18:38) This question is one that can cause much debating, thought, and discussion truth is one of the main cornerstones that we as Christians need to wrap our minds around. Once we understand and faithfully live out the answer to what truth is and all about, then our lives are going to become powerful and dynamic beyond our wildest beliefs and imagination.
Let's dive in!
1) Truth cannot be separated from God.
This is one of the most fundamental characteristics of God. I would say it would fall into a close second behind God is love. But, truth is woven very deep into the fabric of God's existence. The Bible does an amazing job of capturing both the actions and the heart of God. It is a book written through the hands of men and women, but what it communicates is life-changing truth which is inspired by and centered in God Himself.
The lesson behind all of this is that truth outside and separate from God is often few and far between. I don't want to necessarily say that only the words of the Bible are true, because we have seen a lot of new and great things come our way in terms of technology, medicine, architecture, etc. But, what I do want to say that the blueprint for your life, the example we are called to follow is right in the words of the Bible. If a cause, action, deed, or even words appear separate from the nature and heart of God or contradict the words of the Bible then they more than likely need to be avoided. Now, I will say that are certain examples in the Bible that if we take them literally we could be in trouble. These are examples spoken in metaphor or simile terminology. If we cut off our hand every time we sinned then we would have a society of people who just have stumps at the ends of their arms. No one would have arms, it is in cases like these that we are called to use our good judgment which God has blessed us with and the wisdom of the Holy Spirit to guide us.
2) Moral truths are absolute and objective.
Not every statement is true and truth can be relative at times. Let me repeat that not every statement is true. I'm typing this up on a Tuesday, and if I write I typed this on a Friday that would be untrue. However, if I waited a few days and left that statement up there then it would be true that I typed it on a Friday. Certain truth statements do change for example, "Polio is an deadly, crippling disease." If you had said that 100 years ago, you would be 100% correct. But, thanks to gifts God blessed Jonas Salk with that statement is no longer true.
However, subjective truth cannot be applied to all areas of life. Especially in terms of morality there needs to be absolute truth. Because we live in a world where two things are true at the same time. 1) We live in a world that is filled with sin and brokenness. 2) Human beings can do some very bad but also very good things to each other.
The Ten Commandments found in Exodus 20 and Deuteronomy 5 are the best, most clear and concise outlines of moral truths. Jesus took these Ten Commandments and condensed them further by saying that we should love God with all we have and love our neighbor as ourselves. Living out the Ten Commandments and Jesus' new commands in Matthew 22 is not always the easiest, most-fun way to live, but it will lead to worthwhile relationships, a life filled with good decisions, and it will be a life that honors God. There has to be universal moral truths, that people live by and live into if not then are society borders on the chaotic and sociopathic.
3) Truth can only lead to one end.
There is only one final reality. All of the philosophies, mind-sets, and belief systems that are proposed by many different people all over the world have a similar goal (a final destination that ends in happiness, glory/etc.) But, all destinations and goals are all called something different and all have a different route to get there. The Bible is clear in John 14 that Jesus is the only way to get Heaven, so the tough truth and pill to swallow from that is if John 14 is right, then every other claim is wrong.
Now, I will say this message is not popular by any means. People don't like to be told they're wrong, probably ever, but that is the reality of what we face as Christians. Now, before anyone begins to drop words like exclusive or strict, let me say that Christ is for everyone. No one is denied access to the father, but they have to come on Jesus' terms. Let me explain truth in terms of the law. We are in a society that if someone steals something the resulting consequence is almost legal action. There is no alternate consequence or action, if someone steals, murders, vandalizes, etc. legal action is taken. The same thing happens with beginning a relationship with Jesus one of the many intended consequences is having your final end being Heaven. We've all taken tests, and we know that for each question on the exam there is one answer. A statement can't be true or false, choices A, B, and C cannot all be correct. The same thing is true about our final end, we cannot all believe different things, live different lives, and end up in the same place. It doesn't happen and cannot happen. The truth of Christianity is for everyone.
4) Living a life that aligns with moral and scripture truths brings about blessing and hope.
This will be the shortest of all the four points. But, I've never met anyone in my 27 years of life who has said, "I regret living too much like Jesus." It is a difficult, fulfilling life but it's a life that will be filled with blessings and hope. I'm not always talking about physical blessing, but if every action has a consequence the logical jump behind living a life of goodness, honesty, and blessing is that all those things would follow you.
Let's dive in!
1) Truth cannot be separated from God.
This is one of the most fundamental characteristics of God. I would say it would fall into a close second behind God is love. But, truth is woven very deep into the fabric of God's existence. The Bible does an amazing job of capturing both the actions and the heart of God. It is a book written through the hands of men and women, but what it communicates is life-changing truth which is inspired by and centered in God Himself.
The lesson behind all of this is that truth outside and separate from God is often few and far between. I don't want to necessarily say that only the words of the Bible are true, because we have seen a lot of new and great things come our way in terms of technology, medicine, architecture, etc. But, what I do want to say that the blueprint for your life, the example we are called to follow is right in the words of the Bible. If a cause, action, deed, or even words appear separate from the nature and heart of God or contradict the words of the Bible then they more than likely need to be avoided. Now, I will say that are certain examples in the Bible that if we take them literally we could be in trouble. These are examples spoken in metaphor or simile terminology. If we cut off our hand every time we sinned then we would have a society of people who just have stumps at the ends of their arms. No one would have arms, it is in cases like these that we are called to use our good judgment which God has blessed us with and the wisdom of the Holy Spirit to guide us.
2) Moral truths are absolute and objective.
Not every statement is true and truth can be relative at times. Let me repeat that not every statement is true. I'm typing this up on a Tuesday, and if I write I typed this on a Friday that would be untrue. However, if I waited a few days and left that statement up there then it would be true that I typed it on a Friday. Certain truth statements do change for example, "Polio is an deadly, crippling disease." If you had said that 100 years ago, you would be 100% correct. But, thanks to gifts God blessed Jonas Salk with that statement is no longer true.
However, subjective truth cannot be applied to all areas of life. Especially in terms of morality there needs to be absolute truth. Because we live in a world where two things are true at the same time. 1) We live in a world that is filled with sin and brokenness. 2) Human beings can do some very bad but also very good things to each other.
The Ten Commandments found in Exodus 20 and Deuteronomy 5 are the best, most clear and concise outlines of moral truths. Jesus took these Ten Commandments and condensed them further by saying that we should love God with all we have and love our neighbor as ourselves. Living out the Ten Commandments and Jesus' new commands in Matthew 22 is not always the easiest, most-fun way to live, but it will lead to worthwhile relationships, a life filled with good decisions, and it will be a life that honors God. There has to be universal moral truths, that people live by and live into if not then are society borders on the chaotic and sociopathic.
3) Truth can only lead to one end.
There is only one final reality. All of the philosophies, mind-sets, and belief systems that are proposed by many different people all over the world have a similar goal (a final destination that ends in happiness, glory/etc.) But, all destinations and goals are all called something different and all have a different route to get there. The Bible is clear in John 14 that Jesus is the only way to get Heaven, so the tough truth and pill to swallow from that is if John 14 is right, then every other claim is wrong.
Now, I will say this message is not popular by any means. People don't like to be told they're wrong, probably ever, but that is the reality of what we face as Christians. Now, before anyone begins to drop words like exclusive or strict, let me say that Christ is for everyone. No one is denied access to the father, but they have to come on Jesus' terms. Let me explain truth in terms of the law. We are in a society that if someone steals something the resulting consequence is almost legal action. There is no alternate consequence or action, if someone steals, murders, vandalizes, etc. legal action is taken. The same thing happens with beginning a relationship with Jesus one of the many intended consequences is having your final end being Heaven. We've all taken tests, and we know that for each question on the exam there is one answer. A statement can't be true or false, choices A, B, and C cannot all be correct. The same thing is true about our final end, we cannot all believe different things, live different lives, and end up in the same place. It doesn't happen and cannot happen. The truth of Christianity is for everyone.
4) Living a life that aligns with moral and scripture truths brings about blessing and hope.
This will be the shortest of all the four points. But, I've never met anyone in my 27 years of life who has said, "I regret living too much like Jesus." It is a difficult, fulfilling life but it's a life that will be filled with blessings and hope. I'm not always talking about physical blessing, but if every action has a consequence the logical jump behind living a life of goodness, honesty, and blessing is that all those things would follow you.
Wednesday, April 2, 2014
Deception Number 4: Sticks and Stones will Break my Bones, but Words will Never Hurt Me
Let's face it words can hurt. They can hurt a lot, and one of the most damaging things we can do to another human being is discourage them. As a church, as followers of Jesus Christ, I hope our goal has been and will always be to build people up. The sad reality is that is not always the case, but our hope is together that we can continue to inspire and encourage all of us to speak and act in ways that build each other up rather than tear down. What I want and desire to leave you with today is some incredible truths about our speech and some things to think about when we communicate and converse with each other.
1) You don't need to have it all together all the time.
Our current society and even in our current churches we've become very private people. Our troubles, hurts, and struggles are often not discussed and when discussed can be met with hurtful words and emotions. I will say at the onset of this, this is not an easy thing to do, to be open, real, honest, genuine, and conceal hurt and pain involves taking some major risks. But, the question remains what is the upside? Why, be open and vulnerable when it can lead to heart ache?
Well, my thought process is this, can we really have meaningful, deep friendships and relationships with people if we only remain on the surface emotionally? If we really desire to live out our unconditional love for our friends and family shouldn't they know of our struggles and pain? Well, this is not easy to do, and some of you may even disagree but I believe that being open and real with each other and honest of our life situations will lead to very satisfying, deep relationships.
2) Think before you speak and you will eliminate a lot of hurtful things you say.
James 3:9-11 states, "9 With the tongue we praise our Lord and Father, and with it we curse human beings, who have been made in God’s likeness. 10 Out of the same mouth come praise and cursing. My brothers and sisters, this should not be. 11 Can both fresh water and salt water flow from the same spring?" It is difficult to believe that our tongue can be used for such great purposes as praising God but also such negative things as cursing our neighbor? Let me be clear about all of this, as long as sin is still in our world, people will say nasty things about each other and to each other.
However, we can greatly improve our witness for Jesus to the world when we as Christians begin to honor each other with our speech. It won't be easy, because life brings at us people who just grate us on and try us to our last nerve, but if we are followers of Jesus we are called to love even those people. I want you to try something with me, the next time someone says or does something that would cause you to speak unkindly quietly count to three and see what happens. Most of our most hurt things that we have said have come impulsively. That three second delay will cause you to cool down and will allow you to see that more than likely what you were about to say probably wasn't worth it.
3) Speak to people's potential, gifts, and at times shortcomings.
I wouldn't be in full-time ministry today if it hadn't been for wise, mature Christians who pointed out gifts and abilities that I had that would allow me to become a ministry leader. God uses people all the time to communicate His truth to His creation. Be a part of that. Allow God to speak through you to others. But, do not take this task lightly. Make sure that you have been in prayer about what you're going to say and who you are going to say it to. God can and will use you to shape and mold other human beings. But, this doesn't and won't happen if you haven't first prayed for them and prayed for wisdom from God.
One final note, people don't like to be told of their shortcomings. It is not easy to tell someone that what they're doing or desiring to do doesn't match up with their gifts. The tough reality is that a lot of people do need to learn and be redirected to a path that better suits their gifts. So, if you are called to or see someone who needs redirecting, make sure you have a place to redirect them to pursue. Don't drop the bomb and not have a positive redirection that they can pursue.
We speak on average over 15,000 words a day. In 2014 let's make a promise to begin eliminating the hurtful, mean, and unkind things that we say to others or about others. Remember that Jesus died for everyone and loves everyone.
1) You don't need to have it all together all the time.
Our current society and even in our current churches we've become very private people. Our troubles, hurts, and struggles are often not discussed and when discussed can be met with hurtful words and emotions. I will say at the onset of this, this is not an easy thing to do, to be open, real, honest, genuine, and conceal hurt and pain involves taking some major risks. But, the question remains what is the upside? Why, be open and vulnerable when it can lead to heart ache?
Well, my thought process is this, can we really have meaningful, deep friendships and relationships with people if we only remain on the surface emotionally? If we really desire to live out our unconditional love for our friends and family shouldn't they know of our struggles and pain? Well, this is not easy to do, and some of you may even disagree but I believe that being open and real with each other and honest of our life situations will lead to very satisfying, deep relationships.
2) Think before you speak and you will eliminate a lot of hurtful things you say.
James 3:9-11 states, "9 With the tongue we praise our Lord and Father, and with it we curse human beings, who have been made in God’s likeness. 10 Out of the same mouth come praise and cursing. My brothers and sisters, this should not be. 11 Can both fresh water and salt water flow from the same spring?" It is difficult to believe that our tongue can be used for such great purposes as praising God but also such negative things as cursing our neighbor? Let me be clear about all of this, as long as sin is still in our world, people will say nasty things about each other and to each other.
However, we can greatly improve our witness for Jesus to the world when we as Christians begin to honor each other with our speech. It won't be easy, because life brings at us people who just grate us on and try us to our last nerve, but if we are followers of Jesus we are called to love even those people. I want you to try something with me, the next time someone says or does something that would cause you to speak unkindly quietly count to three and see what happens. Most of our most hurt things that we have said have come impulsively. That three second delay will cause you to cool down and will allow you to see that more than likely what you were about to say probably wasn't worth it.
3) Speak to people's potential, gifts, and at times shortcomings.
I wouldn't be in full-time ministry today if it hadn't been for wise, mature Christians who pointed out gifts and abilities that I had that would allow me to become a ministry leader. God uses people all the time to communicate His truth to His creation. Be a part of that. Allow God to speak through you to others. But, do not take this task lightly. Make sure that you have been in prayer about what you're going to say and who you are going to say it to. God can and will use you to shape and mold other human beings. But, this doesn't and won't happen if you haven't first prayed for them and prayed for wisdom from God.
One final note, people don't like to be told of their shortcomings. It is not easy to tell someone that what they're doing or desiring to do doesn't match up with their gifts. The tough reality is that a lot of people do need to learn and be redirected to a path that better suits their gifts. So, if you are called to or see someone who needs redirecting, make sure you have a place to redirect them to pursue. Don't drop the bomb and not have a positive redirection that they can pursue.
We speak on average over 15,000 words a day. In 2014 let's make a promise to begin eliminating the hurtful, mean, and unkind things that we say to others or about others. Remember that Jesus died for everyone and loves everyone.
Monday, March 17, 2014
On Human Trafficking
Last night was powerful. It was a night filled with worship, praise, education, emotion, and a lot of information was thrown at us in a very short period of time. What this blog post is designed to do is to help unpack a little bit of what we learned and saw last night at the Human Trafficking Event over at Central Pres. Please know that I'm here for you all to answer questions, voice concerns, and dialogue with you all no matter what. Here's what we can learn from last night.
1) Be careful wherever you are, and whoever you are.
Now, I will say this Chambersburg, PA is a fairly safe town. But, that's not to say there aren't risks here or wherever you go. The truth of the matter is that our world is broken and sinful and in desperate need of being saved by the cleansing blood of Jesus Christ. With that being said there are some very evil people in our world today, and we need to be as Jesus reminded us in Matthew 10:16, "Be as wise as serpents and innocent as doves." Our hope last night was not to scare anyone or make anyone become paranoid, but rather the goal was to raise awareness about how we as the body of Christ can both be extremely careful and protect ourselves and loved ones. The other goal was to dialogue and communicate how we as Christians can stand up against evil and speak truth and grace into every situation. So, we encourage you to dialogue with your young people, pay close attention to their friends, social media contacts, changes in behavior, etc. make sure you pray regularly for your young people, and finally make sure you're always prepared to show tough love when a certain situation or person doesn't seem right.
2) Become the voice to the voiceless.
The one question which swirling around in my mind a lot last night was, where is the church? If 27 million are enslaved the church needs to stand up and be a voice for the voiceless. I will say this, some of us may never come in contact with someone we know or see someone getting sold. Let's hope and pray that never happens to us or a loved one. But, there are lots of people in our community who don't have enough to eat. There are many people in Chambersburg who are homeless, uneducated, unemployed, and many people who aren't capable of speaking up for their basic needs or rights. You can be that voice. You can be the light in someone's darkness, one of the main ways/reasons why people willingly enter human trafficking situations is because they don't have enough money to provide for themselves or their family. You can help decrease the amount of people trafficked each year by being faithful in giving to your food bank, church, mission organizations, volunteering your time, and above all spending time in prayer.
3) Sex was created for marriage.
One of the big mistakes people can make is by using/engaging in sex outside of its intended purpose. This is something that is forgivable, but it can lead down a very slippery slope. If you take nothing else away take this incredible truth/lesson away that sex is an incredible gift if used in the right way and a potentially dangerous weapon to yourself if used in the wrong way. Many of our young people will have questions and other young people saying things to them that can both support and contradict the Bible, but one of the best lessons I've learned is that it's better to wait and as Erin (the youth director from Central reminded us last night) MODEST is HOTTEST!
It may be uncomfortable, but please don't shy away from discussing these things with your young people. They're looking for answers, and my hope is that they can find them through either their parents or their church. If you have any questions at all about last night or what was presented please don't hesitate to ask.
1) Be careful wherever you are, and whoever you are.
Now, I will say this Chambersburg, PA is a fairly safe town. But, that's not to say there aren't risks here or wherever you go. The truth of the matter is that our world is broken and sinful and in desperate need of being saved by the cleansing blood of Jesus Christ. With that being said there are some very evil people in our world today, and we need to be as Jesus reminded us in Matthew 10:16, "Be as wise as serpents and innocent as doves." Our hope last night was not to scare anyone or make anyone become paranoid, but rather the goal was to raise awareness about how we as the body of Christ can both be extremely careful and protect ourselves and loved ones. The other goal was to dialogue and communicate how we as Christians can stand up against evil and speak truth and grace into every situation. So, we encourage you to dialogue with your young people, pay close attention to their friends, social media contacts, changes in behavior, etc. make sure you pray regularly for your young people, and finally make sure you're always prepared to show tough love when a certain situation or person doesn't seem right.
2) Become the voice to the voiceless.
The one question which swirling around in my mind a lot last night was, where is the church? If 27 million are enslaved the church needs to stand up and be a voice for the voiceless. I will say this, some of us may never come in contact with someone we know or see someone getting sold. Let's hope and pray that never happens to us or a loved one. But, there are lots of people in our community who don't have enough to eat. There are many people in Chambersburg who are homeless, uneducated, unemployed, and many people who aren't capable of speaking up for their basic needs or rights. You can be that voice. You can be the light in someone's darkness, one of the main ways/reasons why people willingly enter human trafficking situations is because they don't have enough money to provide for themselves or their family. You can help decrease the amount of people trafficked each year by being faithful in giving to your food bank, church, mission organizations, volunteering your time, and above all spending time in prayer.
3) Sex was created for marriage.
One of the big mistakes people can make is by using/engaging in sex outside of its intended purpose. This is something that is forgivable, but it can lead down a very slippery slope. If you take nothing else away take this incredible truth/lesson away that sex is an incredible gift if used in the right way and a potentially dangerous weapon to yourself if used in the wrong way. Many of our young people will have questions and other young people saying things to them that can both support and contradict the Bible, but one of the best lessons I've learned is that it's better to wait and as Erin (the youth director from Central reminded us last night) MODEST is HOTTEST!
It may be uncomfortable, but please don't shy away from discussing these things with your young people. They're looking for answers, and my hope is that they can find them through either their parents or their church. If you have any questions at all about last night or what was presented please don't hesitate to ask.
Thursday, March 13, 2014
#3 of Life's Deceptions: You Have to do God's Work
Life is already tiresome, exhausting enough, don't make life harder than you need to be. This is one of the more subtle deceptions that you will see in our world today, because what happens in this deception is it looks like you are doing something good, but in the end it can be damaging to both you and the person you're witnessing to.
Let me explain about this deception, many excellent people fall into this deception because they believe God's work needs to be done by them. We are as followers of Jesus Christ called to be like God. We're called to point people to God. But, we're not called to do God's work. Most specifically we as Christians and followers of Jesus aren't called to judge others or save others, that's what God does, has been doing long before we entered the picture, and will continue to do long after we leave the scene. So, the question remains what exactly are we as Christians called to do? What is the Christian life all about? Well, let's dive in!
Jesus in Matthew 7:1-2 states, "Do not judge, or you too will be judged. 2 For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you." I will say the beauty of this verse is there isn't any real grey area here. It is black and white. Our job is not to judge others, to make them feel bad about their sinfulness, or errors. But, our goal is to allow the Holy Spirit to work through us, speak through us, and draw people to become more like Jesus each and every day. There is a fine line to walk between not judging people and saying every single behavior is okay. Be very diligent about being in prayer and ask for wisdom when confronting someone who's behavior is sinful. Make sure always that you are encouraging people, pointing them to Jesus, praying for them, and above all doing our best to make sure their behavior is changed. Let me just make sure it is perfectly clear at the final judgment you won't be judging others on their sin, God will be. Your goal is to not to judge but rather to be faithful, and Jesus reminded us in Matthew 22 what we're called to be faithful to, "You should love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength, and love your neighbor as yourself." You don't have to do God's work, love God, love your neighbor, be faithful and committed to doing that, and the rest will fall into place.
You are called not to judge, and you are also called not to save people. Saving people is God's job, and only God is strong enough to save people from their sins. However, the amazing part is we as human beings do have a role in the matter. We as Christians know the instructions and the way to salvation our job is to hand and tell people where to find it. It would be like if someone handed you a treasure map to the most glorious, beautiful, and satisfying treasure ever. The treasure was vast enough to be for everyone, you didn't put the treasure there, but you know how to find it, and you know where to show others where it is. That's your goal in God's salvific activity, show people where to find it. It's up to them ultimately, but if God has anything to do with it they will enjoy the immense satisfaction of this treasure. I'm reminded of the parable of the sower for this, and the sower's job is not to make the seed grow or take root, all the sower is responsible for is to sow the seed. Be faithful in loving people, encouraging people, and sowing the seed that's your job. Leave the rest up to God.
Let me explain about this deception, many excellent people fall into this deception because they believe God's work needs to be done by them. We are as followers of Jesus Christ called to be like God. We're called to point people to God. But, we're not called to do God's work. Most specifically we as Christians and followers of Jesus aren't called to judge others or save others, that's what God does, has been doing long before we entered the picture, and will continue to do long after we leave the scene. So, the question remains what exactly are we as Christians called to do? What is the Christian life all about? Well, let's dive in!
Jesus in Matthew 7:1-2 states, "Do not judge, or you too will be judged. 2 For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you." I will say the beauty of this verse is there isn't any real grey area here. It is black and white. Our job is not to judge others, to make them feel bad about their sinfulness, or errors. But, our goal is to allow the Holy Spirit to work through us, speak through us, and draw people to become more like Jesus each and every day. There is a fine line to walk between not judging people and saying every single behavior is okay. Be very diligent about being in prayer and ask for wisdom when confronting someone who's behavior is sinful. Make sure always that you are encouraging people, pointing them to Jesus, praying for them, and above all doing our best to make sure their behavior is changed. Let me just make sure it is perfectly clear at the final judgment you won't be judging others on their sin, God will be. Your goal is to not to judge but rather to be faithful, and Jesus reminded us in Matthew 22 what we're called to be faithful to, "You should love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength, and love your neighbor as yourself." You don't have to do God's work, love God, love your neighbor, be faithful and committed to doing that, and the rest will fall into place.
You are called not to judge, and you are also called not to save people. Saving people is God's job, and only God is strong enough to save people from their sins. However, the amazing part is we as human beings do have a role in the matter. We as Christians know the instructions and the way to salvation our job is to hand and tell people where to find it. It would be like if someone handed you a treasure map to the most glorious, beautiful, and satisfying treasure ever. The treasure was vast enough to be for everyone, you didn't put the treasure there, but you know how to find it, and you know where to show others where it is. That's your goal in God's salvific activity, show people where to find it. It's up to them ultimately, but if God has anything to do with it they will enjoy the immense satisfaction of this treasure. I'm reminded of the parable of the sower for this, and the sower's job is not to make the seed grow or take root, all the sower is responsible for is to sow the seed. Be faithful in loving people, encouraging people, and sowing the seed that's your job. Leave the rest up to God.
Wednesday, February 26, 2014
On Life's Great Deceptions #2: You are the Lead in the Story.
If you did not get a chance to read my first post, on life's great deceptions, I would encourage you to do so. Because, I firmly believe that many of us live under the false notion that we will always have more time. That post in a way, sets up a lot of what I'm hoping to do with this series of posts.
As we dive in, let me be perfectly clear. Life is filled with many truths but also many deceptions. Most of the deceptions that we see in our society are very subtle deceptions, if lies were big, bold, and glaring the truth of the matter would be that no one in their right mind would believe them. So, that's what our journey is all about, we want to look at some big deceptions our society has led us to believe.
This is absolutely huge. Because our society is fueled with the message that you are the lead in the story. The story we are discussing here in this post is the story of your life and how it has unfolded and will continue to unfold in the future. Your life plays out like a story. There is a goal in your story. Your story has antagonists, difficulties, struggles, hardships, comforts, and of course it has joys as well. But, one thing is true for all of us reading this, you are not the main character or protagonist, God is.
I will fully admit I don't know everything, and there are many, many people in the world that are smarter than I am. But, I have seen in my brief time on this earth that people for the most part live their lives one of two ways, they either live life basing their goals, decisions, words, actions, and time on making themselves great and known or they either live life making someone or something else great and known.
So, my challenge to you in looking at this deception is to really and honestly ask yourself, "How do I want to live? Will life be all about me? Or will life be something more?" Because the reality is I've seen that living all for yourself and trying to make your name is an attractive way to live only in the short term, but in the long run it often leads us feeling empty and unsatisfied. Because, the danger about living all for you is that all your thoughts, goals, words, and actions are often geared to satisfying yourself and having yourself fulfilled. This is not me saying that you should avoid all things and areas of life that will leave you satisfied, what I'm saying is that they cannot be the most important thing in your life. There has to be something greater. Working in the church both now and in the past, growing up in the church, and being around a lot of people I've seen many people live all for themselves, and the sad reality is that they never got what they were looking for: lasting satisfaction. They wanted so badly to be the lead in their story, they did everything to make that happened, and for awhile they were, but at the end it left them empty and unsatisfied.
Probably the best Biblical example of someone so desperate to be the lead in their story comes in Matthew 19:16-22. This is the real life account of the rich, young man approaching Jesus and asking Him what must he do to inherit eternal life. All the physical tasks and commands the man had obeyed, but when Jesus asked the man to do something big, sell everything and give it all to the poor, the man went away sad and broken. Jesus essentially asked the man to resign/give-up being the lead in his story, and the man wasn't able to do so.
So, the question remains how to live? This is not necessarily an easy thing to communicate in a blog form, but we'll try. This won't be a 20 minute fix or anything like that, but I guarantee this will be one of the most worthwhile things you do. What we're saying here is that to live all for God, the first step is to change the way you think and what you view is most important in your life. For everyone how this process unfolds will be different, but there will be a few common threads throughout everyone's journey.
1) You won't be able to do it on your own. If you try just all by yourself to live a life that is focused on others, God, social justice, etc. you will fail every time. Because, the truth is you were never meant to live this life alone. Jesus promised in John 14 that a comforter was coming, the disciples were in awe at Pentecost, when they were able to speak every language, because the Holy Spirit is designed to guide, lead, and direct you. Without being connected to the Holy Spirit, your life transformation, shift in thinking, and your life in general will not work in the long run. You may be able to get by for awhile, and you may even make a difference. But, just as a cell phone, Kindle, or laptop you need to be plugged into to your power source to make it for the long haul or the marathon that is this life. Your relationship with God and the power God gives to you is your power source.
2) Difficulty will be present. Jesus promised us at the end of John 16 that in this world we will have trouble, but please don't stop there. Please don't base your entire theology, thinking, or life on the first part, because Jesus concludes the verse by saying that He has overcome the world. Know this that if trouble, heartache, betrayal, and even death didn't leave the Son of God alone, they will not leave you alone. So, what I would tell you is to prepare now for trouble. Prepare by being grateful every single day. Prepare by making sure your loved ones know how you feel about them. Prepare by being so in love with Jesus that no matter what happens your faith won't be shaken.
3) One of the driving forces in living a life that focuses on lifting God up above everything else, is investing in people. One of the common themes in the gospels is that Jesus lifts up people who are down, gives value to people who the world sees as valueless, and His ministry is not primarily focused on making people happy but a major portion of his ministry is focused on making broken people whole. Things can be replaced and often become obsolete. People forget award winners. Offices will one day be reassigned, and I'm not saying these things should be totally abandoned, but rather make sure that you fully know and understand that they cannot be the most important thing in your life. God is doing something incredible in this world, and being a supporting character in God's story is the most satisfying way to live. Invest in people, prepare for trouble, and never disconnect from your power source.
As we dive in, let me be perfectly clear. Life is filled with many truths but also many deceptions. Most of the deceptions that we see in our society are very subtle deceptions, if lies were big, bold, and glaring the truth of the matter would be that no one in their right mind would believe them. So, that's what our journey is all about, we want to look at some big deceptions our society has led us to believe.
This is absolutely huge. Because our society is fueled with the message that you are the lead in the story. The story we are discussing here in this post is the story of your life and how it has unfolded and will continue to unfold in the future. Your life plays out like a story. There is a goal in your story. Your story has antagonists, difficulties, struggles, hardships, comforts, and of course it has joys as well. But, one thing is true for all of us reading this, you are not the main character or protagonist, God is.
I will fully admit I don't know everything, and there are many, many people in the world that are smarter than I am. But, I have seen in my brief time on this earth that people for the most part live their lives one of two ways, they either live life basing their goals, decisions, words, actions, and time on making themselves great and known or they either live life making someone or something else great and known.
So, my challenge to you in looking at this deception is to really and honestly ask yourself, "How do I want to live? Will life be all about me? Or will life be something more?" Because the reality is I've seen that living all for yourself and trying to make your name is an attractive way to live only in the short term, but in the long run it often leads us feeling empty and unsatisfied. Because, the danger about living all for you is that all your thoughts, goals, words, and actions are often geared to satisfying yourself and having yourself fulfilled. This is not me saying that you should avoid all things and areas of life that will leave you satisfied, what I'm saying is that they cannot be the most important thing in your life. There has to be something greater. Working in the church both now and in the past, growing up in the church, and being around a lot of people I've seen many people live all for themselves, and the sad reality is that they never got what they were looking for: lasting satisfaction. They wanted so badly to be the lead in their story, they did everything to make that happened, and for awhile they were, but at the end it left them empty and unsatisfied.
Probably the best Biblical example of someone so desperate to be the lead in their story comes in Matthew 19:16-22. This is the real life account of the rich, young man approaching Jesus and asking Him what must he do to inherit eternal life. All the physical tasks and commands the man had obeyed, but when Jesus asked the man to do something big, sell everything and give it all to the poor, the man went away sad and broken. Jesus essentially asked the man to resign/give-up being the lead in his story, and the man wasn't able to do so.
So, the question remains how to live? This is not necessarily an easy thing to communicate in a blog form, but we'll try. This won't be a 20 minute fix or anything like that, but I guarantee this will be one of the most worthwhile things you do. What we're saying here is that to live all for God, the first step is to change the way you think and what you view is most important in your life. For everyone how this process unfolds will be different, but there will be a few common threads throughout everyone's journey.
1) You won't be able to do it on your own. If you try just all by yourself to live a life that is focused on others, God, social justice, etc. you will fail every time. Because, the truth is you were never meant to live this life alone. Jesus promised in John 14 that a comforter was coming, the disciples were in awe at Pentecost, when they were able to speak every language, because the Holy Spirit is designed to guide, lead, and direct you. Without being connected to the Holy Spirit, your life transformation, shift in thinking, and your life in general will not work in the long run. You may be able to get by for awhile, and you may even make a difference. But, just as a cell phone, Kindle, or laptop you need to be plugged into to your power source to make it for the long haul or the marathon that is this life. Your relationship with God and the power God gives to you is your power source.
2) Difficulty will be present. Jesus promised us at the end of John 16 that in this world we will have trouble, but please don't stop there. Please don't base your entire theology, thinking, or life on the first part, because Jesus concludes the verse by saying that He has overcome the world. Know this that if trouble, heartache, betrayal, and even death didn't leave the Son of God alone, they will not leave you alone. So, what I would tell you is to prepare now for trouble. Prepare by being grateful every single day. Prepare by making sure your loved ones know how you feel about them. Prepare by being so in love with Jesus that no matter what happens your faith won't be shaken.
3) One of the driving forces in living a life that focuses on lifting God up above everything else, is investing in people. One of the common themes in the gospels is that Jesus lifts up people who are down, gives value to people who the world sees as valueless, and His ministry is not primarily focused on making people happy but a major portion of his ministry is focused on making broken people whole. Things can be replaced and often become obsolete. People forget award winners. Offices will one day be reassigned, and I'm not saying these things should be totally abandoned, but rather make sure that you fully know and understand that they cannot be the most important thing in your life. God is doing something incredible in this world, and being a supporting character in God's story is the most satisfying way to live. Invest in people, prepare for trouble, and never disconnect from your power source.
Wednesday, February 19, 2014
On Life's Great Deceptions: You'll Have More Time
I will say I am really excited about what this is all about and the future this series has. My goal from the get go is for people to engage in honest discussion, think deep thoughts about their own lives, and above all move closer to God. This series is designed to be a blessing, a source of wisdom, and a legacy that I'll pass down to my lovely daughter and by the will of God all her siblings. Life can be a very rewarding but also a very trying time. I hope these pieces of wisdom, perspective, and guidance will bless everyone who reads them.
Life's Great Deception Number One: You'll have more Time
One of the most transforming times in my life was when I served as a volunteer Hospice chaplain about three years ago. I will often refer to that experience and lessons learned in this series, but I wanted to draw your attention to that time in my life. I won't use any names or a lot of physical descriptions to describe anyone. But, I think this first idea will help put a lot into perspective.
I hope we as Christians and followers of Jesus Christ will be intentional about encouraging all to use effectively one of the best gifts we've ever been given: time. Now, I will say that the best gift of all is salvation, but one of the best gifts you've been given and you can give people is time.
Let me illustrate this with a great example of how our memories work. I am 27 years old. I can look back at my life and tell you about a few items, toys, new things I bought or was given. But, I could sit here and write for hours about great memories I've had during vacations, at Christmas time, playing sports, dating Lara, spending time with my family, slumber parties, and the list can go on and on. We strive all too often to acquire new things, but in reality what will really satisfy us is quality time with the people we love. Time is a gift, so please don't waste it.
Later on I'm going to expound on this thought, but a HUGE lie that society might not necessarily feed you, but a lie that you almost internally feel is that you'll always have more time. Don't believe you'll always more time to make a relationship right, tell loved ones how you'll feel, get right with God, live out your faith, tell a lost loved one about your relationship with Jesus, etc. Now, I will say often times there is more time, I don't want to cast gloom and doom with this post, but I want you to know that you shouldn't always count on the future, because it can be so unpredictable.
As someone with a lot of life ahead of you, my hope and perspective is that you see every day not as a drudge or burden. But, rather my hope is that you see every day as a gift. Christ came as He said John 10:10, "So that we could have life and life to the fullest." Don't wait to start living life, don't go to bed angry with anyone, and make sure you use this incredible gift.
Let me close by saying this, one of the most effective uses of your time is through prayer, scripture reading, worship, fellowship with other Christian, evangelism, and discipleship. I've never met a single person, in my short life that has said, "I've spent too much time in prayer and discipleship." Spending time with God and getting to know God is time well spent:). Let's strive together to live each and every day effectively and powerfully knowing that time is one of the best gifts we've been given and can give. Because we never really know of the time any of us has left.
Life's Great Deception Number One: You'll have more Time
One of the most transforming times in my life was when I served as a volunteer Hospice chaplain about three years ago. I will often refer to that experience and lessons learned in this series, but I wanted to draw your attention to that time in my life. I won't use any names or a lot of physical descriptions to describe anyone. But, I think this first idea will help put a lot into perspective.
I hope we as Christians and followers of Jesus Christ will be intentional about encouraging all to use effectively one of the best gifts we've ever been given: time. Now, I will say that the best gift of all is salvation, but one of the best gifts you've been given and you can give people is time.
Let me illustrate this with a great example of how our memories work. I am 27 years old. I can look back at my life and tell you about a few items, toys, new things I bought or was given. But, I could sit here and write for hours about great memories I've had during vacations, at Christmas time, playing sports, dating Lara, spending time with my family, slumber parties, and the list can go on and on. We strive all too often to acquire new things, but in reality what will really satisfy us is quality time with the people we love. Time is a gift, so please don't waste it.
Later on I'm going to expound on this thought, but a HUGE lie that society might not necessarily feed you, but a lie that you almost internally feel is that you'll always have more time. Don't believe you'll always more time to make a relationship right, tell loved ones how you'll feel, get right with God, live out your faith, tell a lost loved one about your relationship with Jesus, etc. Now, I will say often times there is more time, I don't want to cast gloom and doom with this post, but I want you to know that you shouldn't always count on the future, because it can be so unpredictable.
As someone with a lot of life ahead of you, my hope and perspective is that you see every day not as a drudge or burden. But, rather my hope is that you see every day as a gift. Christ came as He said John 10:10, "So that we could have life and life to the fullest." Don't wait to start living life, don't go to bed angry with anyone, and make sure you use this incredible gift.
Let me close by saying this, one of the most effective uses of your time is through prayer, scripture reading, worship, fellowship with other Christian, evangelism, and discipleship. I've never met a single person, in my short life that has said, "I've spent too much time in prayer and discipleship." Spending time with God and getting to know God is time well spent:). Let's strive together to live each and every day effectively and powerfully knowing that time is one of the best gifts we've been given and can give. Because we never really know of the time any of us has left.
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