(Trust me, start with part one)
Let us continue, keeping the previous two posts in mind as we go. Although this time, we shall be using a more "down to earth" tale - that is, not one out of the bible and a work of fiction, although surely one which is played out far too frequently in our world.
**NOTE**
While this portion is compromised of a fictional work, I have known several (more than a couple) of people over the years whose lives (including my own, in places) would closely parallel it in many ways, if not almost completely. This is not based upon any of their individual lives or specific circumstances. That said, let us continue.
Like yourself, your cousin AJ is also Christian and has always been passionate about their faith; a faith that you both give credit too for saving their life - a life that saw much pain and addiction in earlier years. It is this past which sets the stage for the next period in AJ's life.
As is the case from time to time, life happens, and it does happen in an absolute flood of unpleasantness for AJ. Two close deaths in the family, a job loss and some real issues with their children have pushed AJ almost to the breaking point. Nothing seems to be going right anymore - their very world seems to be getting ripped apart on them and they find themselves feeling quite alone and alienated from everyone including their church family.
In comes Joe. Joe is a close friend of AJ's although Joe is not a believer at all and lives a life somewhat like the one that AJ left behind in their past. And in this time of misery, Joe makes sure they are there for AJ as often as possible. Which, in theory, is a good thing but Joe has a different way of dealing with life than what AJ has become accustomed too. Joe's prefered method involves large amounts of alcohol, drugs and sexual contact. And, seeing the pain their friend is in, Joe moves into action. They arrange to have AJ over for the night - the same night that some friends are coming over to party - and Joe makes sure a young, single friend is among the group.
As the evening progresses, the seemingly inevitable happens. AJ ends up getting drunk and stoned and Joe's young friend successfully seduces them. Overcome by grief from not only their current life situation but also falling into their old life, AJ is driven far into the other direction and away from not only other friends and family, but away from God as well.
So here is the question: who's fault is it? AJ's falling away and into old habits (and some new ones) - who is too blame? After all, AJ is a friend, family member and a fellow believer so we want to blame someone, do we not.
Is it the one who seduced them? How about the other party guests? How about Joe? What about you? We cannot forget to include the devil as a suspect either, can we?
Depending on who you are - where you have been, what you have seen and who you have known - you have your thoughts on this. However, before you come to a concrete conclusion, perhaps some more information may be helpful.
Joe. Joe has known AJ for some time and they are pretty close for the most part. While Joe does not hassle AJ about their beliefs, they do not share them at all. Oh, he has prayed a time or two in times of crisis but really, they have no use for any kind of religion. For the most part, they feel strongly that those who profess belief are merely obeying a set of rules that have been forced upon them by the church and that their "faith" is no deeper a belief than that of it might be sunny tomorrow. In addition, Joe's own life has been filled with no shortage of pain and misery and the way that they have learned to deal with it is by "numbing it" through more "carnal methods". They still have their pain, but they manage to get it blocked out for a while with each drink or encounter. Joe has no frame of reference for what true faith is or how deep it actually goes, anymore than they know how devastated AJ's old life left them. Joe really thought they were doing a good thing.
The mystery seducer. They did not know AJ before nor did they really know anything about them except that Joe said they really needed to let go and relieve some stress. They themselves, are not a believer and have amount the same mindset as Joe with regards to all things God. They were not in a relationship nor have they ever felt that they had a "problem" with their drug or alcohol use, even though it has caused them problems before. The other part guests are in the same area as they are. They are who they are and they do what they do. None of them intentionally were out to "bring AJ down" in any way, shape or form. They all just wanted to have a "good time".
You. After all, it is you who is looking for someone to lay blame on, is it not? Why is that, and did you yourself play a role in this scenario other than that of the "helpless bystander"? We will come back to "you" a bit later, but for now, do not go assuming you are too blame quite yet.
AJ. AJ had a rough life before coming to faith in Christ. Even after, they had long periods of fighting against their old ways of life with limited success - a way of life very similiar to Joe's current life actually. While they had been moving forward, there always seemed to be something holding them back - some old influence that just held on. You see, AJ had not actually ever dealt with their past, they merely buried it down deep inside - "out of sight, out of mind" as it were - which means they never actually ever gave any of it over to God at all. This also meant that the "old AJ" still held power over them and a lot of it. When grief lowered their defences, it was not hard for the old to retake control.
The devil. While active in the world and an enemy of the Church, he is not omnipresent like God - he is a finite, single, created being. He also does not have to lure believers away for the most part. Our own old sinful natures are more than willing to give in to temptation and temptation is everywhere around us on a pretty regular basis. So blaming him for all our fallings and failings is hardly accurate.
Now remember, AJ "is" a child of God. The same God who choose to refer to AJ as His child. The same God who loves and disciplines His children. The same God who works out life's path and circumstances for the "good" of those who are His. God "is" love, after all...isn't He?
***To Be Continued***
Wednesday, April 30, 2014
Tuesday, April 29, 2014
Story Time - Part Two
Continuation of the previous post. If you did not see it, best to check it out to keep everything together.
===
Thousand of years pass by until we get to the fateful time in history when God has stepped down from heaven and taken the form of a man - Jesus, the Christ. All is good and happy when suddenly, and without warning, "bad men" grab the young messiah and drag Him away. They accuse Him of unspeakable things. They torture Him beyond what normal men could ever endure. God, the Father, is beside Himself with worry and anger. Then those people drag Jesus outside and infliict the most horrible form of execution on Him they know of - crucifixion. The Father is losing His mind as He watches helplessly as His Son dies at their hands. If He had of known this was coming He sure would not have let Jesus go down to that filthy planet in the first place - nasty, icky humans.
You may notice a few, uh, "flaws" in the above rendition.
If you are familiar with Scripture, you know that Jesus came down here to die in the first place and that the events of His birth, death and subsequent resurrection were foretold in prophecy hundreds and even thousands of years before any single detail ever came to pass. Both Father and Son knew what was going to happen all the way along, even smaller details like Peter's denial after Jesus' capture.
Quick question: who crucified Jesus?
"The Jews did. The Romans did. The Pharisees did. Humanity did. Satan did." Those are the standard answers, are they not. Here is a "not so standard" answer for you: God did.
"Whoa, whoa, whoa! What do you mean 'God did'?"
I mean, God did. Centuries before any of it came to pass, God gave the details of most every aspect of Jesus' birth, life, death, resurrection and return to numerous prophets. God also revealed why it had to be done in the first place - to save us and reunite us with God in the first place. So were any of the details a big surprise or shocker to God? Not hardly. He wrote them long, long, long before any of the people or players were on the scene. And the crucifixion was a major part of that plan. So yeah, God crucified Him. And in this we see a tie in to our possible slandering as mentioned in the first portion - blaming someone when it was not their fault in the first place.
And if it is God we are talking about, is it really blame? After all, you blame someone for something bad not for something good, just as you say something is someone's fault only when talking about something bad. If it is good, we usually credit them for it, not blame. So can it be blame if it is God? Would not "blaming" God imply that God has done wrong or evil - two things which He cannot do - and therefore, be a sin to do so?
***To Be Continued***
===
Thousand of years pass by until we get to the fateful time in history when God has stepped down from heaven and taken the form of a man - Jesus, the Christ. All is good and happy when suddenly, and without warning, "bad men" grab the young messiah and drag Him away. They accuse Him of unspeakable things. They torture Him beyond what normal men could ever endure. God, the Father, is beside Himself with worry and anger. Then those people drag Jesus outside and infliict the most horrible form of execution on Him they know of - crucifixion. The Father is losing His mind as He watches helplessly as His Son dies at their hands. If He had of known this was coming He sure would not have let Jesus go down to that filthy planet in the first place - nasty, icky humans.
You may notice a few, uh, "flaws" in the above rendition.
If you are familiar with Scripture, you know that Jesus came down here to die in the first place and that the events of His birth, death and subsequent resurrection were foretold in prophecy hundreds and even thousands of years before any single detail ever came to pass. Both Father and Son knew what was going to happen all the way along, even smaller details like Peter's denial after Jesus' capture.
Quick question: who crucified Jesus?
"The Jews did. The Romans did. The Pharisees did. Humanity did. Satan did." Those are the standard answers, are they not. Here is a "not so standard" answer for you: God did.
"Whoa, whoa, whoa! What do you mean 'God did'?"
I mean, God did. Centuries before any of it came to pass, God gave the details of most every aspect of Jesus' birth, life, death, resurrection and return to numerous prophets. God also revealed why it had to be done in the first place - to save us and reunite us with God in the first place. So were any of the details a big surprise or shocker to God? Not hardly. He wrote them long, long, long before any of the people or players were on the scene. And the crucifixion was a major part of that plan. So yeah, God crucified Him. And in this we see a tie in to our possible slandering as mentioned in the first portion - blaming someone when it was not their fault in the first place.
And if it is God we are talking about, is it really blame? After all, you blame someone for something bad not for something good, just as you say something is someone's fault only when talking about something bad. If it is good, we usually credit them for it, not blame. So can it be blame if it is God? Would not "blaming" God imply that God has done wrong or evil - two things which He cannot do - and therefore, be a sin to do so?
***To Be Continued***
Monday, April 28, 2014
Story Time - Part One
This is actually all from one long post but, for the sake of not making anyone go blind reading "that" much information on the screen at once, I am going to split this into a few parts. Below is the first one.
====
In the beginning, some time after God created "everything out of nothing", Adam and Eve were hanging out in the garden one fine sunny day, just enjoying each others' company. Suddenly (cue the menacing music), the serpent - aka Satan - appeared on the scene. He tricked the two unsuspecting humans into leaning against opposing trees, then he duct taped them securely into place (oh the many uses of duct tape). He poked them, prodded them, tickled them and pricked them. He screamed at them one moment then was their best buddy the next. He made each watch as he did horrible things to the other as he repeatedly tried to make them each take a single bite out of the forbidden fruit of the garden. They held firm for day after day after day. Eventually though, the crafty serpent forced them each to eat of it using a technique that resembled a cross between a Vulcan mind meld (Star Trek reference) and a Jedi mind trick (Star Wars reference). And in that fatal moment, they sinned and sin came into the world.
If you are not familiar with the story of creation and what many know as "the fall", then you may believe that first little tale. However, if you do know the actual story, then you know that the above is not even close to what happened. What actually happened was that "the serpent" offered the temptation and they (Adam and Eve) took it. No duct tape or Jedi mind tricks involved.
Many people blame Satan for sin being present in the world and for the "fall of mankind". But is he really to blame for it all? Do not get me wrong here, am no fan of his by any means and cannot say feel any affection for him in any sense of the word. However, I find myself wondering if we have been slandering him a bit in this and, knowing how much God dislikes slander, find it worth the mention. Satan did not force anyone to do anything, he merely made an offer. It was humanity (at the time) who accepted it. Now granted, one could argue that they had no concept of what a lie or what deception was in their innocence but they were still the ones who "did the deed" and disobeyed God in the first place. And God did come down heavy on Satan for his part in it, but came down hard core on Adam and Eve and God does not tend to level off punishment or judgement against those who do not deserve it. So whose fault is it, if we are going to lay blame? Ours. If we want to lay blame, it is our (humanity) own fault. That is, if we do intend to lay blame that is.
****To Be Continued***
====
In the beginning, some time after God created "everything out of nothing", Adam and Eve were hanging out in the garden one fine sunny day, just enjoying each others' company. Suddenly (cue the menacing music), the serpent - aka Satan - appeared on the scene. He tricked the two unsuspecting humans into leaning against opposing trees, then he duct taped them securely into place (oh the many uses of duct tape). He poked them, prodded them, tickled them and pricked them. He screamed at them one moment then was their best buddy the next. He made each watch as he did horrible things to the other as he repeatedly tried to make them each take a single bite out of the forbidden fruit of the garden. They held firm for day after day after day. Eventually though, the crafty serpent forced them each to eat of it using a technique that resembled a cross between a Vulcan mind meld (Star Trek reference) and a Jedi mind trick (Star Wars reference). And in that fatal moment, they sinned and sin came into the world.
If you are not familiar with the story of creation and what many know as "the fall", then you may believe that first little tale. However, if you do know the actual story, then you know that the above is not even close to what happened. What actually happened was that "the serpent" offered the temptation and they (Adam and Eve) took it. No duct tape or Jedi mind tricks involved.
Many people blame Satan for sin being present in the world and for the "fall of mankind". But is he really to blame for it all? Do not get me wrong here, am no fan of his by any means and cannot say feel any affection for him in any sense of the word. However, I find myself wondering if we have been slandering him a bit in this and, knowing how much God dislikes slander, find it worth the mention. Satan did not force anyone to do anything, he merely made an offer. It was humanity (at the time) who accepted it. Now granted, one could argue that they had no concept of what a lie or what deception was in their innocence but they were still the ones who "did the deed" and disobeyed God in the first place. And God did come down heavy on Satan for his part in it, but came down hard core on Adam and Eve and God does not tend to level off punishment or judgement against those who do not deserve it. So whose fault is it, if we are going to lay blame? Ours. If we want to lay blame, it is our (humanity) own fault. That is, if we do intend to lay blame that is.
****To Be Continued***
Friday, April 25, 2014
On His Feet Parenting
Timmy's bedtime is normally 8:30PM during the school week but as of late, Timmy has been a bit more of a handful at bedtime, insisting repeatedly that he should be allowed to stay up until midnight - he is older now after all. After weeks of arguing the point with him, his dad "finally gives in" and allows him to stay up on the condition that he still has to get up for school on time. "No problem" says a smug Timmy.
The first night, Timmy is excited at "getting his own way" and watches all kinds of tv shows until midnight, when he wanders into bed. 6:30AM seems to come earlier than normal and Timmy has some issues getting up and out the door on time. He is not detered though. That night, he again stays up until midnight although he is not quite as energetic as he was the night before. It takes a few extra rousings to get Timmy up in the morning and his school day seems so very long. Timmy's dad asks how things are going when he gets home and, defiantly, Timmy says they are going great, no problems at all and his dad leaves it at that. Night three is not near as pleasant. To make matters worse, Timmy watches somethinng he should not have and finds the little sleep he gets filled with nightmares. 6:30 may as well have been 2:00AM when the alarm rings. He crawls out of bed, barely alive. He cannot focus as school and fails a test he should have easily aced. By the time he gets home, he can barely think clearly anymore.
At 8PM he has his pajamas on and is heading to his room. His dad inquires about what he's doing. Timmy confesses that maybe dad knew what he was doing with the 8:30 bedtime and that getting what he wanted, really, in the end was not a good thing after all - not even close.
Like Timmy's dad, God is an "on His feet" kind of parent to His children. The Bible tells us that He is jealous for us - He is not fond of having anything come inbetween us and Him. When we start to push back or rebel a bit, He points it out to us but He does not go over the top. If we continue to be stubborn though, He will "allow" us to get our "own way" and do what we want. Unfortunately though, it does not typically only take a few days for us to figure out that us getting our own way and doing our own thing, was not a good thing in any respect (sometimes we do learn quick, but is not the norm), but we do tend to learn eventually. How wonderful it would be if we only went through this once, but that is (very unfortunately) a rarity. More often than not, we have at least a few times which our rebellious nature wins out over wisdom and common sense. But much like the "prodigal son" (Luke 15:11-32), when we hit that wall we find that He has been anxiously awaiting our return - with open arms...but YOU do have to stop running away first.
The first night, Timmy is excited at "getting his own way" and watches all kinds of tv shows until midnight, when he wanders into bed. 6:30AM seems to come earlier than normal and Timmy has some issues getting up and out the door on time. He is not detered though. That night, he again stays up until midnight although he is not quite as energetic as he was the night before. It takes a few extra rousings to get Timmy up in the morning and his school day seems so very long. Timmy's dad asks how things are going when he gets home and, defiantly, Timmy says they are going great, no problems at all and his dad leaves it at that. Night three is not near as pleasant. To make matters worse, Timmy watches somethinng he should not have and finds the little sleep he gets filled with nightmares. 6:30 may as well have been 2:00AM when the alarm rings. He crawls out of bed, barely alive. He cannot focus as school and fails a test he should have easily aced. By the time he gets home, he can barely think clearly anymore.
At 8PM he has his pajamas on and is heading to his room. His dad inquires about what he's doing. Timmy confesses that maybe dad knew what he was doing with the 8:30 bedtime and that getting what he wanted, really, in the end was not a good thing after all - not even close.
Like Timmy's dad, God is an "on His feet" kind of parent to His children. The Bible tells us that He is jealous for us - He is not fond of having anything come inbetween us and Him. When we start to push back or rebel a bit, He points it out to us but He does not go over the top. If we continue to be stubborn though, He will "allow" us to get our "own way" and do what we want. Unfortunately though, it does not typically only take a few days for us to figure out that us getting our own way and doing our own thing, was not a good thing in any respect (sometimes we do learn quick, but is not the norm), but we do tend to learn eventually. How wonderful it would be if we only went through this once, but that is (very unfortunately) a rarity. More often than not, we have at least a few times which our rebellious nature wins out over wisdom and common sense. But much like the "prodigal son" (Luke 15:11-32), when we hit that wall we find that He has been anxiously awaiting our return - with open arms...but YOU do have to stop running away first.
Wednesday, April 23, 2014
Social Media Updates continued
While many do see updates done on social media, not all do so this post is another made up of postings from my page.
You are within a great river and you have choices. You can try and swim against the current but it will not do you much good. Matter of fact, it will do you no good at all. You will expend a staggering amount of energy and yet will continue to move downstream and, since you are trying to swim upstream, your back will be towards any obstacles in the flow. You will not see the rock or the log coming so you will caught totally off guard - unable to avoid you will take serious damage repeatedly. You may choose to do nothing. While you will not expend much energy, you will get beaten off of every rock, log and obstacle in the flow. The other choice is to surrender to flow of the waters and allow them to carry you along with only slight effort on your part - swimming with the current and only expending extra energy when an obstacle appears before you. It will take far less energy and you will see what lies ahead of you far more often, perhaps even being able to avoid the obstacle all together.
You can choose to fight against God, you can choose to do "nothing" or you can willingly and intentionally follow Him and His will. Your choice, so do not go blaming Him if you end up splattered on a boulder.
===
We who claim to follow Christ, know that we have been set free. It is what we have been set free from and for that sometimes gets lost in the translation. The righteousness that God requires we, the Church, have by faith Christ - we do not have to strive to obtain it because our best efforts would fall dreadfully short anyway. However, this does not mean that we cease to obey God. We are not condemned for our sin but that does not mean we should just go for it and sin our little butts off every chance we get. "...Shall we go on sinning so that grace may increase? By no means!.." ~ Romans 6:1-2
We are set free from following the "sinful nature" - it is deceased and will not grow in strength unless we feed it. We are set free to pursue an intimate relationship with God and follow what the Spirit of God desires. Continuing to rebel against God feeds the old and works against what the Spirit desires.
Like it says in Galatians 5:13 "You, my brothers and sisters, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the flesh..".
===
If the roughly 7.2 billion people on this planet all agree, wholeheartedly, that something is totally impossible and God says it is possible, do you know what that means? It means 7.2 billion people were dead wrong.
"...with God all things are possible.” ~ Matthew 19:26
===
You are within a great river and you have choices. You can try and swim against the current but it will not do you much good. Matter of fact, it will do you no good at all. You will expend a staggering amount of energy and yet will continue to move downstream and, since you are trying to swim upstream, your back will be towards any obstacles in the flow. You will not see the rock or the log coming so you will caught totally off guard - unable to avoid you will take serious damage repeatedly. You may choose to do nothing. While you will not expend much energy, you will get beaten off of every rock, log and obstacle in the flow. The other choice is to surrender to flow of the waters and allow them to carry you along with only slight effort on your part - swimming with the current and only expending extra energy when an obstacle appears before you. It will take far less energy and you will see what lies ahead of you far more often, perhaps even being able to avoid the obstacle all together.
You can choose to fight against God, you can choose to do "nothing" or you can willingly and intentionally follow Him and His will. Your choice, so do not go blaming Him if you end up splattered on a boulder.
===
We who claim to follow Christ, know that we have been set free. It is what we have been set free from and for that sometimes gets lost in the translation. The righteousness that God requires we, the Church, have by faith Christ - we do not have to strive to obtain it because our best efforts would fall dreadfully short anyway. However, this does not mean that we cease to obey God. We are not condemned for our sin but that does not mean we should just go for it and sin our little butts off every chance we get. "...Shall we go on sinning so that grace may increase? By no means!.." ~ Romans 6:1-2
We are set free from following the "sinful nature" - it is deceased and will not grow in strength unless we feed it. We are set free to pursue an intimate relationship with God and follow what the Spirit of God desires. Continuing to rebel against God feeds the old and works against what the Spirit desires.
Like it says in Galatians 5:13 "You, my brothers and sisters, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the flesh..".
===
If the roughly 7.2 billion people on this planet all agree, wholeheartedly, that something is totally impossible and God says it is possible, do you know what that means? It means 7.2 billion people were dead wrong.
"...with God all things are possible.” ~ Matthew 19:26
===
Easter 2014
FaceBook (social media) updates from the Easter 2014 weekend.
==
Tomorrow is Good Friday. For you, it may merely be an extra day off work or school, or perhaps just another day. However, for those within the Christian Church, it is (or should be) far more. For us, it is a day we celebrate even though many would wonder why one would celebrate. It is the day in which - historically speaking - that Jesus was crucified - executed for crimes He did not commit. So why celebrate something like that? Simple: He did not have not too give His life, He choose to give it. And in doing so, He paid a debt that no mortal man ever could have hoped to pay - a debt that belonged to humanity in the first place.
So, if you are saved and heading out to a church service for Good Friday tomorrow, remember why you are there - what it cost to allow you to be there in the first place and what it is you truly have because of it. If you are heading out and are not saved, perhaps take moment to really ponder what was done for you - yes, you - and what is available to you because of it.
===
This past weekend, many of us celebrated the Easter season and many of us celebrated it with the knowledge that the events that took place in years gone by allowed us to have eternal life. But what is eternal life? Is it 'merely' that we live forever - living a life even after our physical bodies have gone back to the dust?
For those that believe - those who call themselves Christian - we know that there is more to life than just what we see here and now. There shall come a day in which all people shall stand before the Lord, regardless of whether they followed Jesus or not and give an account of their lives on earth. For the believer, while this time may be a bit unnerving (putting it mildly) it is not a time of fear for the penalty for what we have done is waived. Not so for those who spent their lives in rebellion against God. Those people will have no defense and will face the full penalty for their actions. Since both are present, eternal life cannot be that we live after death for all who are created shall continue to live a life after after this portion is done. The "where" and quality of that life on the other hand is a different story.
Jesus actually told us what eternal life is in John 17:3: "Now this is eternal life: that they know you, the only true God..". We are all born into this world missing a piece for we are born "spiritually dead" and separated from God right from the get go. But after we are "born again" - born of Spirit - that missing is piece is added and we are re-united with One who created us in the first place. You see, there is far more to "eternal life" than merely "life after death" and it is not something we have to wait until we are dead to receive.
===
==
Tomorrow is Good Friday. For you, it may merely be an extra day off work or school, or perhaps just another day. However, for those within the Christian Church, it is (or should be) far more. For us, it is a day we celebrate even though many would wonder why one would celebrate. It is the day in which - historically speaking - that Jesus was crucified - executed for crimes He did not commit. So why celebrate something like that? Simple: He did not have not too give His life, He choose to give it. And in doing so, He paid a debt that no mortal man ever could have hoped to pay - a debt that belonged to humanity in the first place.
So, if you are saved and heading out to a church service for Good Friday tomorrow, remember why you are there - what it cost to allow you to be there in the first place and what it is you truly have because of it. If you are heading out and are not saved, perhaps take moment to really ponder what was done for you - yes, you - and what is available to you because of it.
===
This past weekend, many of us celebrated the Easter season and many of us celebrated it with the knowledge that the events that took place in years gone by allowed us to have eternal life. But what is eternal life? Is it 'merely' that we live forever - living a life even after our physical bodies have gone back to the dust?
For those that believe - those who call themselves Christian - we know that there is more to life than just what we see here and now. There shall come a day in which all people shall stand before the Lord, regardless of whether they followed Jesus or not and give an account of their lives on earth. For the believer, while this time may be a bit unnerving (putting it mildly) it is not a time of fear for the penalty for what we have done is waived. Not so for those who spent their lives in rebellion against God. Those people will have no defense and will face the full penalty for their actions. Since both are present, eternal life cannot be that we live after death for all who are created shall continue to live a life after after this portion is done. The "where" and quality of that life on the other hand is a different story.
Jesus actually told us what eternal life is in John 17:3: "Now this is eternal life: that they know you, the only true God..". We are all born into this world missing a piece for we are born "spiritually dead" and separated from God right from the get go. But after we are "born again" - born of Spirit - that missing is piece is added and we are re-united with One who created us in the first place. You see, there is far more to "eternal life" than merely "life after death" and it is not something we have to wait until we are dead to receive.
===
Monday, April 21, 2014
Image is Everything
Let's try something: I will say (write) something and you see what kind of picture pops into your mind initially. Do not try to think first, just go with first images. Got it? Okay, here we go.
God.
Saved or unsaved, that will bring a certain image to mind. What image it brings can, and does, play a huge role in our lives. Let's try another before moving on.
Jesus.
Again, we should have an image of not only appearance but character and behaviors in our minds. And again, this will affect us and our lives a great deal.
So what did you picture when you first thought of God before you had a chance to try and think of "the right image"? Did you picture some old guy, sitting in a cloud - lightning bolt in hand - just waiting for a chance to "smite" someone? If you did, then who you pictured would be more akin to Zeus than the God of the Bible. (The Greek gods were not good by the way - most were almost like naughty super heroes with mental issues - seriously unstable - plus they could die and stay dead, not a great feature in a god if you ask me.)
Maybe that is not what you pictured. Maybe you pictured some "entity" far, far, far away - totally removed and unconcerned with measly details of human life. If so, that hardly lines up with the passionate, compassionate, involved and concerned image of God that the bible portrays. Never far removed from the affairs of man. Involved in every tiny detail, not just the grand expansive ones. After all, He refers to us as His children and as the "apple of His eye".
Okay so maybe you picture Him as being there and involved but He just lets everything slide - the good, the bad and the ugly. We do what we want, when we want and He does not really care one way or the other - we get patted in the back no matter what. The Bible tells us that He loves us and we, who are saved, are adopted into His family as dearly loved children (Ephesians 1:5). It also tells us that He disciplines those He loves (Hebrews 12:6). So it is not overly likely He is going to let us just do our own thing without there being consequences involved for that would show indifference, not love. Oh, He will not go for overkill and He will give us chance after chance to figure it out on our own, but when we are obviously not getting it, He will - and He does - step in. With any luck we learn fast, but sometimes we do not - we get stubborn - and He starts upping the consequences in the here and now to save us from ourselves.
Those are just a few things that may, or may not, come to mind when we think of Who God is. But it does not take much to realize how our image of Him could easily influence our faith and our very lives.
I would end here, but I also included Jesus in our list above so we will hit on a couple with Him specifically in mind.
So what about it, what do you picture? Is it the image of the solemn, slow moving, robed monk like figure - always talking softly and slowly? Of the many things the Pharisees said about Him, one was accusing Him and the disciples of being gluttons and drunks - hanging out with the people on the "wrong side of the tracks" (Matthew 11:19). Chances are, if the "monk" image were correct, they probably would not have said that. They likely would not have had anywhere near as major an issue with Him actually. Biblically speaking, Jesus was more like the "common man" than any higher or ultra religious class.
What about when He returns - He is returning after all. What do you picture? Is it the image of some kind of 1960's era hippie with flowers in His hair spouting off about peace and love? If that's the case, allow me to make a brief suggestion. Take a few and go through the Old and New Testaments and read what it says about how things are going to go down when he returns - the day of Lord. That day will not be a "rainbows and ponies" kind of day - He is not coming back with a bouquet of flowers, but a sword as He returns to take back what is rightfully His - namely, the Church. The day He cleared the temple (John 2:13-16) will pale by comparison.
I have only shown a few and surely there are probably as many views as there are people to have them for we are all different after all and, unfortunately so, we tend to try and make Him out to be how we want Him to be as opposed to how He really is. Considering just how massively an impact our view of God can influence our life, our approach to sin and rebellion against God, our approach to God Himself and every other imaginable aspect, it is actually pretty important for us to have an actual, true picture of Whom it is we really serve.
Just something to think about.
God.
Saved or unsaved, that will bring a certain image to mind. What image it brings can, and does, play a huge role in our lives. Let's try another before moving on.
Jesus.
Again, we should have an image of not only appearance but character and behaviors in our minds. And again, this will affect us and our lives a great deal.
So what did you picture when you first thought of God before you had a chance to try and think of "the right image"? Did you picture some old guy, sitting in a cloud - lightning bolt in hand - just waiting for a chance to "smite" someone? If you did, then who you pictured would be more akin to Zeus than the God of the Bible. (The Greek gods were not good by the way - most were almost like naughty super heroes with mental issues - seriously unstable - plus they could die and stay dead, not a great feature in a god if you ask me.)
Maybe that is not what you pictured. Maybe you pictured some "entity" far, far, far away - totally removed and unconcerned with measly details of human life. If so, that hardly lines up with the passionate, compassionate, involved and concerned image of God that the bible portrays. Never far removed from the affairs of man. Involved in every tiny detail, not just the grand expansive ones. After all, He refers to us as His children and as the "apple of His eye".
Okay so maybe you picture Him as being there and involved but He just lets everything slide - the good, the bad and the ugly. We do what we want, when we want and He does not really care one way or the other - we get patted in the back no matter what. The Bible tells us that He loves us and we, who are saved, are adopted into His family as dearly loved children (Ephesians 1:5). It also tells us that He disciplines those He loves (Hebrews 12:6). So it is not overly likely He is going to let us just do our own thing without there being consequences involved for that would show indifference, not love. Oh, He will not go for overkill and He will give us chance after chance to figure it out on our own, but when we are obviously not getting it, He will - and He does - step in. With any luck we learn fast, but sometimes we do not - we get stubborn - and He starts upping the consequences in the here and now to save us from ourselves.
Those are just a few things that may, or may not, come to mind when we think of Who God is. But it does not take much to realize how our image of Him could easily influence our faith and our very lives.
I would end here, but I also included Jesus in our list above so we will hit on a couple with Him specifically in mind.
So what about it, what do you picture? Is it the image of the solemn, slow moving, robed monk like figure - always talking softly and slowly? Of the many things the Pharisees said about Him, one was accusing Him and the disciples of being gluttons and drunks - hanging out with the people on the "wrong side of the tracks" (Matthew 11:19). Chances are, if the "monk" image were correct, they probably would not have said that. They likely would not have had anywhere near as major an issue with Him actually. Biblically speaking, Jesus was more like the "common man" than any higher or ultra religious class.
What about when He returns - He is returning after all. What do you picture? Is it the image of some kind of 1960's era hippie with flowers in His hair spouting off about peace and love? If that's the case, allow me to make a brief suggestion. Take a few and go through the Old and New Testaments and read what it says about how things are going to go down when he returns - the day of Lord. That day will not be a "rainbows and ponies" kind of day - He is not coming back with a bouquet of flowers, but a sword as He returns to take back what is rightfully His - namely, the Church. The day He cleared the temple (John 2:13-16) will pale by comparison.
I have only shown a few and surely there are probably as many views as there are people to have them for we are all different after all and, unfortunately so, we tend to try and make Him out to be how we want Him to be as opposed to how He really is. Considering just how massively an impact our view of God can influence our life, our approach to sin and rebellion against God, our approach to God Himself and every other imaginable aspect, it is actually pretty important for us to have an actual, true picture of Whom it is we really serve.
Just something to think about.
Sunday, April 13, 2014
Oh Well
Something that God has been talking about to me over the last few days can best be described by the words "apathy" and "indifference" and this in more than one regard.
Sin. None of us are perfect. While we may be being transformed into the likeness of Christ, we all have our weaknesses and shortcomings, not to mention the "old self" always trying to regain some measure of control in our lives. Now, sometimes, when we do something we know we should not, we are overwhelmed by that failing - initially. If it happens again, however, that repulsion may be less than it was the first time until, after repeated fallings, we become indifferent to it and that sinful behavior becomes an accepted part of our life. Yes, I did say that that sin becomes accepted.
Service. Many of us take part in some form or fashion of service to our fellow human beings. Sometimes it is within the church, an outside organization, or even something smaller and more personal that most people will never know about. Chances are, when we first began doing <whatever>, we were excited (maybe nervous) and it was all about God. However, after a while, that excitement may have dwindled and the focus on Whom we were doing it for in the first place, may have faded from view. We now merely go through the motions - becoming indifferent to what true motives and focus should be.
The Word. This is Palm Sunday and soon it shall be Good Friday, then Easter. Many of us know the verses in the Gospel about this time of year in history quite well. That can actually be a problem as, in our familiarity with them, we may have hit the point where we all but merely pass over them mindlessly. We no longer truly appreciate the Biblical account of events or take any real note of the words of Jesus said during this critical point in time. And this is not limited to merely this portion of Scripture, but extends to all of it. We become so familiar that we actually become indifferent.
So a challenge is in order perhaps. Take a look, a real look, at your own life (in all areas) and heart. Are there places where you have become indifferent where surely you should not be so? Are there any sins that have become habit or accepted as part of the normal routine? Is your focus and motive where it should be in what you do? Have you read the Word "for the first time" recently?
I pray that those who would read or hear this would have their eyes opened to truly see and their ears and hearts opened to not only hear, but listen as well.
Sin. None of us are perfect. While we may be being transformed into the likeness of Christ, we all have our weaknesses and shortcomings, not to mention the "old self" always trying to regain some measure of control in our lives. Now, sometimes, when we do something we know we should not, we are overwhelmed by that failing - initially. If it happens again, however, that repulsion may be less than it was the first time until, after repeated fallings, we become indifferent to it and that sinful behavior becomes an accepted part of our life. Yes, I did say that that sin becomes accepted.
Service. Many of us take part in some form or fashion of service to our fellow human beings. Sometimes it is within the church, an outside organization, or even something smaller and more personal that most people will never know about. Chances are, when we first began doing <whatever>, we were excited (maybe nervous) and it was all about God. However, after a while, that excitement may have dwindled and the focus on Whom we were doing it for in the first place, may have faded from view. We now merely go through the motions - becoming indifferent to what true motives and focus should be.
The Word. This is Palm Sunday and soon it shall be Good Friday, then Easter. Many of us know the verses in the Gospel about this time of year in history quite well. That can actually be a problem as, in our familiarity with them, we may have hit the point where we all but merely pass over them mindlessly. We no longer truly appreciate the Biblical account of events or take any real note of the words of Jesus said during this critical point in time. And this is not limited to merely this portion of Scripture, but extends to all of it. We become so familiar that we actually become indifferent.
So a challenge is in order perhaps. Take a look, a real look, at your own life (in all areas) and heart. Are there places where you have become indifferent where surely you should not be so? Are there any sins that have become habit or accepted as part of the normal routine? Is your focus and motive where it should be in what you do? Have you read the Word "for the first time" recently?
I pray that those who would read or hear this would have their eyes opened to truly see and their ears and hearts opened to not only hear, but listen as well.
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