"For I tell you, unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven." Matthew 5:20
Christmas is my favorite time of the year. I love everything about it and the week of Christmas is the most exciting for me because there is so much fun stuff to look forward to. Except, this week.
This week of Christmas week 2016 has not lived up to the hype. It is partly due to losing my dad this year, but it is also due to seeing how Christians are treating each other over whether or not a church is having Christmas day services. Instead of Christmas joy, there have been Christmas trolls.
Trolls are those on social media who make it a point to try to pick fights with people. And, this week, over the issue of Christmas Day services, the trolls are coming from within the Church. This needs to stop.
I have seen people called idolaters and enemies of the cross of Christ because their church is not open on Sunday. I have seen people encourage people to find another church if their church is not open on Sunday morning. Do we not understand how social media works? Do we not understand that the world is watching how we treat one another? Even if people were to go to church for the first time on Christmas Sunday morning, why would they go to a church with social media trolls?
When did we get to the point when being open on a Sunday was what defined us as followers of Christ? Why are we calling people idolaters for wanting to have a Sunday off, especially when the night before most churches are having at least one service, some are having multiple services to celebrate the birth of Christ?
Jesus said that our righteousness has to surpass that of the religious leaders of his day. Their righteousness was self-righteousness. It was all about following rules and making sure you did your religious duties. They emphasized going to the temple at the appointed time and offering the right sacrifices. Their problem was that they did all of these things without any heart behind them. Jesus wanted people to hunger and thirst for a new righteousness, one that was not dependent upon what a person does; rather, a righteousness that was dependent upon what Jesus did.
Our relationship with Christ does not hinge upon whether we have church services on Christmas day. Our relationship depends upon Christ. Every church situation is different. If a church wants to have service on Christmas day, then by all means do that and it will be awesome. If a church does not, then by all means celebrate Christmas with your families at home or on the road. Having a church service or not does not righteousness make. Jesus took care of that. If our relationship with Christ depends upon a Sunday service, then maybe we should really examine our relationship with Christ. Are we worshiping him or worshiping worship of Him? They sound the same, but are very different.
Church, we have to stop trolling each other over an issue like this. This is a non-issue. We have to be the Church, showing grace and love to the outside world, but the only way we are going to be able to do that is to rest in the grace and love of Christ and show that grace and love to each other first.
Wednesday, December 21, 2016
Tuesday, September 20, 2016
Shutting off a phone
If you read the title of this post, you probably thought this was going to be another diatribe about our need to shut off our phones and pay attention to our kids and each other. Well, that is a good thought, but it is not what this post is about; not even close.
It's been one month. One month since my life changed forever. If you didn't already know, it's been one month since I said goodbye to my dad. That didn't hit me when I woke up this morning. Honestly, I've been so busy that I barely know it's September!
Over the last month, I've been busy catching up with things in my own life as well as dealing with everything that was left behind by the passing of my dad. Today, I had to take care of his cell phone. I had to go to the store to shut off his line. That may not seem like a big deal compared to picking out a casket or where he will be buried, but it was; it was bigger than I thought it would be.
My dad and I lived apart from each other for the past 12 years. We would see each other a few times a year when either he would come visit with mom or I would go to Arkansas to visit him. The times in between was spent on the phone. We would usually talk once a week and our conversations consisted of baseball and other sports, how the boys were doing, and world issues. He would usually have his phone readily available. He would also text me different things and maybe pictures of his latest hunting expedition.
Today was symbolic of the fact that those phone conversations and texts had come to an end. I miss my dad every day. There have been times since he passed that I have wanted to call him and tell him something cool that happened like winning a corn hole tournament or watching the Red Sox from inside and on top of the Green Monster. But, I can't do that anymore. I can't call him anymore. I can't roll my eyes on the other side of the phone when he says something ridiculous. Those days are over and that is hard to deal with.
It's been hard over the last month to deal with dad being gone. But, thankfully I have a greater Father who loves me more than my dad could ever have. God by His grace is getting me through even though there have been times when I want to scream. There have been times when I could not control the anger. There have been times when the tears came on without warning.
I know that my God cries with me. I know that Jesus my Savior knows what it is like to suffer loss. I am thankful for that. I am thankful that my line to God will never end even in death. But, I also know that it's okay to hurt. It's okay for those little moments to affect me more than I thought they would. Shutting off my dad's phone was hard and I'm okay with that. I'm okay with things being hard because I believe in a God who loves me through it.
It's been one month. One month since my life changed forever. If you didn't already know, it's been one month since I said goodbye to my dad. That didn't hit me when I woke up this morning. Honestly, I've been so busy that I barely know it's September!
Over the last month, I've been busy catching up with things in my own life as well as dealing with everything that was left behind by the passing of my dad. Today, I had to take care of his cell phone. I had to go to the store to shut off his line. That may not seem like a big deal compared to picking out a casket or where he will be buried, but it was; it was bigger than I thought it would be.
My dad and I lived apart from each other for the past 12 years. We would see each other a few times a year when either he would come visit with mom or I would go to Arkansas to visit him. The times in between was spent on the phone. We would usually talk once a week and our conversations consisted of baseball and other sports, how the boys were doing, and world issues. He would usually have his phone readily available. He would also text me different things and maybe pictures of his latest hunting expedition.
Today was symbolic of the fact that those phone conversations and texts had come to an end. I miss my dad every day. There have been times since he passed that I have wanted to call him and tell him something cool that happened like winning a corn hole tournament or watching the Red Sox from inside and on top of the Green Monster. But, I can't do that anymore. I can't call him anymore. I can't roll my eyes on the other side of the phone when he says something ridiculous. Those days are over and that is hard to deal with.
It's been hard over the last month to deal with dad being gone. But, thankfully I have a greater Father who loves me more than my dad could ever have. God by His grace is getting me through even though there have been times when I want to scream. There have been times when I could not control the anger. There have been times when the tears came on without warning.
I know that my God cries with me. I know that Jesus my Savior knows what it is like to suffer loss. I am thankful for that. I am thankful that my line to God will never end even in death. But, I also know that it's okay to hurt. It's okay for those little moments to affect me more than I thought they would. Shutting off my dad's phone was hard and I'm okay with that. I'm okay with things being hard because I believe in a God who loves me through it.
Thursday, June 2, 2016
A Gorilla and a Boy
By now we have all heard the story of Harambe and the boy. I would not be surprised if Disney is not developing a movie right now about this. It's been all over the news and social media with both sides weighing in. It's amazing how we are so quick to judge both parties involved when we really don't have all the facts. In the information age, we still remain grossly misinformed.
There is a petition going around asking for "Justice for Harambe." #justiceforHarambe is trending on twitter with many more voices weighing in. Some are saying that the gorilla was protecting the boy. They are saddened that a beautiful, endangered animal would be shot to protect a "brat" (as one protest sign said in the front of the zoo) who fell into the cage because his negligent parent was not watching him. Twitter user @lifeaseva said:
I wish more people were raised to have compassion, respect and education for animals. Maybe then #justiceforharambe wouldn't have to trend .
I wasn't going to weigh in on this issue, but since it's still being talked about, I might as well. I understand that this is a tragic event. I understand that many people were affected by it. What I don't understand is why are we spending so much time talking about a gorilla and not enough time being thankful that a young child was not more seriously hurt or worse? I do not think that the gorilla was trying to harm the boy, but the gorilla could very easily have harmed him because silver back gorillas are as strong as ten men put together. I can bench press close to 300 pound. Multiply that by ten. Would you want to be face to face with something that strong?
Here's the problem with our society: we have screwed up God's creation chain. We put animals at the top of God's created order. We put them on such a high pedestal that we are saddened more when an animal dies than when a person dies. How much time are we giving to the recent shootings on the UCLA campus? You barely hear of it because a gorilla is not involved.
How quickly we forget that we are created in God's image (Genesis 1:27), and that we are the only part of His creation with that distinguished title. Animals were created before us, but this is what God said to Adam and Eve after he created them: "Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth and subdue it, and have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over every living thing that moves on the earth" (Genesis 1:28). Did you catch that? God told man and woman to rule over creation. This was not meant to be a dictatorship, but a respectful care taking of creation. But, human beings were supposed to be at the top; anything else was against God's created order.
The boy who fell into that pit was created in God's image; therefore, that boy is more valuable than the gorilla who was not. Jesus didn't come and die for the animals; he came and died for people.
I love animals just as much as the next person, but I love people more. If any of my sons were to be in danger from an animal, I would do everything in my power to stop that animal. If that animal had to lose its life so any of my sons could live, then so be it.
Harambe was a beautiful animal that God created. His life ended tragically. But, his life ended to protect a boy who was created in God's image; a boy who Jesus died for on the cross.
Justice for Harambe needs to stop. He was an sentient being, but not at the top of God's chain. God created Harambe, but he created the boy better. Protecting a human being's life should always come first.
Tuesday, March 1, 2016
The Gospel of the Highly Favored
This is a post that has been on my heart for a few weeks now. I have gone back and forth in my mind about whether or not I should write it. But, I can't get it out of my head, so here goes.
I have serious issues with the Gospel of the Highly Favored. If you don't know what I'm talking about, the Gospel of the Highly Favored (my title) is a message that has us at the center and God as the one who shows us His favor in the form of material things like new houses, promotions, new cars, more money, etc. Some have called it the prosperity gospel to use perhaps a more familiar term. There are a few pastors/leaders who are proponents of this gospel. I have heard some of their teachings and read some of their thoughts on their message and why they do what they do. And, to be honest, I have yet to be swayed by anything they say. The more I read, the more I disagree.
It finally came to a head a few weeks ago. I felt that it was my responsibility as a pastor to speak against false teachings that may be out there about who God is and what His word says. Now, I'm no expert on the Scriptures. There are men and women far more versed than me on what God's Word says. However, I do know that what comes out of the "highly favored" teachers mouths is not the Gospel that is found in the Scriptures.
Yesterday I listened to one of these teachers. I listened to a youtube video while I was working on some things. It was a 27 minute long message that he gave to his church. For 26 minutes he told story after story with some Scripture mixed in. The Scriptures were taken out of context to support his ideas. The last minute he finally mentioned Jesus. You read that right. For 26 minutes he rambled on not once mentioning Jesus, the cross, the resurrection, or a new life. He took the last minute to do that. But, you know what? The Jesus he mentioned was one that wanted to give you a new house, new job, promotion, more money, etc. The Jesus he told people to invite into their hearts was not the Jesus of the Bible; it was a Jesus of this teacher's own design.
Now, I'm not saying that God will not bless us with material things. I'm not saying that we are not highly favored by God. But, we are not highly favored in the way that this teacher talked about. Here's an example from Scripture of why this type of teaching is wrong. In Mark 10 there is a story of a rich young man who comes to Jesus to justify himself. He asks Jesus what he must do to inherit eternal life. Jesus told him to follow the commandment. The rich man confirmed he had done that since he was a boy. But, then Jesus had something else for him. He told the young man, "Go, sell everything you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me" (Mark 10:21). The rich young man thought he was already favored by God because he was rich and had followed the commandments. Well, he was partially right. He was favored by a god, his money. His money was his god and that is why Jesus told him to sell everything and give it away. And, what was the man's reaction to this? He walked away sad. He couldn't sell everything he had because he loved his money too much. Jesus offered him something better, but the rich young man was too content with his material possessions.
Now, here is where it gets interesting and how it relates to the prosperity teachers of today. The disciples couldn't believe what had just transpired. They said, "Who then can be saved" (Mark 10:26)? Now, why would they ask this? To the Jews of the first century, a man who was rich was highly favored by God. They thought that those people had an automatic ticket to heaven because their wealth showed how much God loved them. But, Jesus squashed that idea quickly. He said, "It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God...With man this is impossible, but not with God; all things are possible with God" (Mark 10:25, 27). Jesus wanted the people to know that to be highly favored by God is to know the One he sent. That's it. It's not about worldly wealth or possessions. It's about having a new life that is characterized by forgiveness of sins, the grace of God, and living for Him so that you might lead others to Him.
The Jesus the above teacher from youtube taught was a Jesus for the rich young ruler. The rich young ruler would go to that church. He would love it because it would justify his attitude and love for his money. But, according to the words of Jesus, he would be just as lost as he was in the first century.
In Psalm 44, the sons of Korah express their frustration over feeling abandoned by God. They use the words "rejected", "humbled", "devoured", "scattered", "reproach", "crushed", etc. Does this sound like a people who feel highly favored by God? They feel rejected by God, but read how they end this Psalm, "Rise up and help us; redeem us because of your unfailing love" (Psalm 44:26). They didn't ask for a new house or a new car (they didn't have cars back then). They asked for God's salvation. They acknowledged his unfailing love for them. They were satisfied with that.
The Gospel of the Highly Favored is no Gospel at all because the word "gospel" means "good news." The Gospel of the Highly Favored does not bring hope. Here's why: let's say you watched one the above teacher's telecasts. Let's say that everything sounded great to you because you were down on your luck. Your whole life could defined as "hard times." You needed a breakthrough and this teacher promised a God who would do that for you. So, you prayed the 5 second prayer at the end of the telecast to accept this Jesus into your heart. Now, let's say your situation did not get better. Let's say it got worse. Let's instead of a promotion, you lost your job. Let's say instead of a new car, your car got repossessed. Let's say instead of a new house, you are evicted because you can't make rent and are now homeless. Where does that leave you? Do you still want that Jesus you just prayed to? That Jesus you thought you were accepting was a Jesus who was going to change your situation. You thought that Jesus was going to make this life way better, but instead it got worse.
Let's compare this to the Jesus of Scripture. The Jesus of Scripture promises suffering. The Jesus of Scripture says the road is narrow. The Jesus of Scripture says that if you want to follow him, you have to take up your cross daily and follow him after you deny yourself first (Luke 9:23). The reason he says this is because he also says this world is not our home. The Jesus of Scripture promises fulfillment and satisfaction, but he won't do it the way the world does it. He wants to be the one who satisfies us. He says, "Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness for they will be filled" (Matthew 5:6). Before that he says, "Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven" (Matthew 5:3).
Jesus did not come to change your situation here. He may do that. And, you might be blessed financially because of him. But, your situation here is not his main goal. His main goal is to change you not your situation. He wants to make us all children of God (John 1:12-13). And, when we are children of God, God sees us like he sees Jesus, perfect. He loves us like he loves Jesus. He shows us grace upon grace. He shows us his unfailing love and never ending mercy. I'll take that over being "highly favored" here because all the things we know here, we can't take with us. But, we can always take Jesus with us.
The Gospel of the Highly Favored (again, my title) is not the Gospel. It's not life-changing. It's not eternity changing. It won't even change you. So, if there is no real power in it, why listen to it? Why support those who teach it? I'd rather deny myself, take up my cross, and follow the real Jesus.
I have serious issues with the Gospel of the Highly Favored. If you don't know what I'm talking about, the Gospel of the Highly Favored (my title) is a message that has us at the center and God as the one who shows us His favor in the form of material things like new houses, promotions, new cars, more money, etc. Some have called it the prosperity gospel to use perhaps a more familiar term. There are a few pastors/leaders who are proponents of this gospel. I have heard some of their teachings and read some of their thoughts on their message and why they do what they do. And, to be honest, I have yet to be swayed by anything they say. The more I read, the more I disagree.
It finally came to a head a few weeks ago. I felt that it was my responsibility as a pastor to speak against false teachings that may be out there about who God is and what His word says. Now, I'm no expert on the Scriptures. There are men and women far more versed than me on what God's Word says. However, I do know that what comes out of the "highly favored" teachers mouths is not the Gospel that is found in the Scriptures.
Yesterday I listened to one of these teachers. I listened to a youtube video while I was working on some things. It was a 27 minute long message that he gave to his church. For 26 minutes he told story after story with some Scripture mixed in. The Scriptures were taken out of context to support his ideas. The last minute he finally mentioned Jesus. You read that right. For 26 minutes he rambled on not once mentioning Jesus, the cross, the resurrection, or a new life. He took the last minute to do that. But, you know what? The Jesus he mentioned was one that wanted to give you a new house, new job, promotion, more money, etc. The Jesus he told people to invite into their hearts was not the Jesus of the Bible; it was a Jesus of this teacher's own design.
Now, I'm not saying that God will not bless us with material things. I'm not saying that we are not highly favored by God. But, we are not highly favored in the way that this teacher talked about. Here's an example from Scripture of why this type of teaching is wrong. In Mark 10 there is a story of a rich young man who comes to Jesus to justify himself. He asks Jesus what he must do to inherit eternal life. Jesus told him to follow the commandment. The rich man confirmed he had done that since he was a boy. But, then Jesus had something else for him. He told the young man, "Go, sell everything you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me" (Mark 10:21). The rich young man thought he was already favored by God because he was rich and had followed the commandments. Well, he was partially right. He was favored by a god, his money. His money was his god and that is why Jesus told him to sell everything and give it away. And, what was the man's reaction to this? He walked away sad. He couldn't sell everything he had because he loved his money too much. Jesus offered him something better, but the rich young man was too content with his material possessions.
Now, here is where it gets interesting and how it relates to the prosperity teachers of today. The disciples couldn't believe what had just transpired. They said, "Who then can be saved" (Mark 10:26)? Now, why would they ask this? To the Jews of the first century, a man who was rich was highly favored by God. They thought that those people had an automatic ticket to heaven because their wealth showed how much God loved them. But, Jesus squashed that idea quickly. He said, "It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God...With man this is impossible, but not with God; all things are possible with God" (Mark 10:25, 27). Jesus wanted the people to know that to be highly favored by God is to know the One he sent. That's it. It's not about worldly wealth or possessions. It's about having a new life that is characterized by forgiveness of sins, the grace of God, and living for Him so that you might lead others to Him.
The Jesus the above teacher from youtube taught was a Jesus for the rich young ruler. The rich young ruler would go to that church. He would love it because it would justify his attitude and love for his money. But, according to the words of Jesus, he would be just as lost as he was in the first century.
In Psalm 44, the sons of Korah express their frustration over feeling abandoned by God. They use the words "rejected", "humbled", "devoured", "scattered", "reproach", "crushed", etc. Does this sound like a people who feel highly favored by God? They feel rejected by God, but read how they end this Psalm, "Rise up and help us; redeem us because of your unfailing love" (Psalm 44:26). They didn't ask for a new house or a new car (they didn't have cars back then). They asked for God's salvation. They acknowledged his unfailing love for them. They were satisfied with that.
The Gospel of the Highly Favored is no Gospel at all because the word "gospel" means "good news." The Gospel of the Highly Favored does not bring hope. Here's why: let's say you watched one the above teacher's telecasts. Let's say that everything sounded great to you because you were down on your luck. Your whole life could defined as "hard times." You needed a breakthrough and this teacher promised a God who would do that for you. So, you prayed the 5 second prayer at the end of the telecast to accept this Jesus into your heart. Now, let's say your situation did not get better. Let's say it got worse. Let's instead of a promotion, you lost your job. Let's say instead of a new car, your car got repossessed. Let's say instead of a new house, you are evicted because you can't make rent and are now homeless. Where does that leave you? Do you still want that Jesus you just prayed to? That Jesus you thought you were accepting was a Jesus who was going to change your situation. You thought that Jesus was going to make this life way better, but instead it got worse.
Let's compare this to the Jesus of Scripture. The Jesus of Scripture promises suffering. The Jesus of Scripture says the road is narrow. The Jesus of Scripture says that if you want to follow him, you have to take up your cross daily and follow him after you deny yourself first (Luke 9:23). The reason he says this is because he also says this world is not our home. The Jesus of Scripture promises fulfillment and satisfaction, but he won't do it the way the world does it. He wants to be the one who satisfies us. He says, "Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness for they will be filled" (Matthew 5:6). Before that he says, "Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven" (Matthew 5:3).
Jesus did not come to change your situation here. He may do that. And, you might be blessed financially because of him. But, your situation here is not his main goal. His main goal is to change you not your situation. He wants to make us all children of God (John 1:12-13). And, when we are children of God, God sees us like he sees Jesus, perfect. He loves us like he loves Jesus. He shows us grace upon grace. He shows us his unfailing love and never ending mercy. I'll take that over being "highly favored" here because all the things we know here, we can't take with us. But, we can always take Jesus with us.
The Gospel of the Highly Favored (again, my title) is not the Gospel. It's not life-changing. It's not eternity changing. It won't even change you. So, if there is no real power in it, why listen to it? Why support those who teach it? I'd rather deny myself, take up my cross, and follow the real Jesus.
Monday, December 21, 2015
Making Memories with Star Wars
I'm sure by now that most of the country and a lot of the world has seen Star Wars The Force Awakens. It was an amazing movie and definitely worth the wait after I first heard it was being made about two years ago. This post is not about the movie itself, but how this movie was about making memories with my boys.
When I was young, Star Wars was already out and making a lot of money for that time period. I vaguely remember seeing Return of the Jedi on the big screen. My mom took me because I was very much into Star Wars. I have shown my kids all of the movies (of course I showed them the original three first and then the prequels. What kind of a dad do you think I am?). I wanted to share Star Wars with them hoping they would enjoy it as much as I have throughout my entire life.
When the tickets to the new movie went on sale, I was tempted to get tickets opening night, but the time would not work for my kids to go because I wanted them to experience Star Wars on the big screen. So, I decided to wait a couple of days so that we could all go together. I am glad that I did.
They had so much fun watching the movie and as I am typing this, my two youngest are pretending to be characters from the movie. I love hearing them acting as though they belong in a galaxy far, far away. I love the fact that I could make memories with them that hopefully they won't forget.
Now, I know some people have not seen Star Wars nor do they like it. And, that's okay. What this post is about is not necessarily about Star Wars, but about making memories with my kids. We live in such a fast-paced world. We are always plugged in and I have a tendency to stare at my phone way too much. I feel like that my kids are going to forget what my face looks like and think that my face is the back of my phone. I challenge myself to spend less time with my phone and more time making memories.
Now, you may say, "How does watching a movie constitute making memories?" It's not about the movie; it's about sharing something together. It's about finding common ground and reliving it over and over. It's about talking about it after the movie is over and reminiscing about our favorite parts. Kids will love whatever their parents love because kids want their parents' approval and love. My kids don't have to like everything I do, but I always want them to know that no matter what, they have my love and approval. And, the only way they are going to do that is through time spent together making memories that will last.
I hope that this new year that is coming, we can all unplug a little more and spend more time with those we love and care about. Let's spend time making those memories together. We can share them through our social media tools, but let's make the memories first.
Thanks Star Wars for reminding me of this.
When I was young, Star Wars was already out and making a lot of money for that time period. I vaguely remember seeing Return of the Jedi on the big screen. My mom took me because I was very much into Star Wars. I have shown my kids all of the movies (of course I showed them the original three first and then the prequels. What kind of a dad do you think I am?). I wanted to share Star Wars with them hoping they would enjoy it as much as I have throughout my entire life.
When the tickets to the new movie went on sale, I was tempted to get tickets opening night, but the time would not work for my kids to go because I wanted them to experience Star Wars on the big screen. So, I decided to wait a couple of days so that we could all go together. I am glad that I did.
They had so much fun watching the movie and as I am typing this, my two youngest are pretending to be characters from the movie. I love hearing them acting as though they belong in a galaxy far, far away. I love the fact that I could make memories with them that hopefully they won't forget.
Now, I know some people have not seen Star Wars nor do they like it. And, that's okay. What this post is about is not necessarily about Star Wars, but about making memories with my kids. We live in such a fast-paced world. We are always plugged in and I have a tendency to stare at my phone way too much. I feel like that my kids are going to forget what my face looks like and think that my face is the back of my phone. I challenge myself to spend less time with my phone and more time making memories.
Now, you may say, "How does watching a movie constitute making memories?" It's not about the movie; it's about sharing something together. It's about finding common ground and reliving it over and over. It's about talking about it after the movie is over and reminiscing about our favorite parts. Kids will love whatever their parents love because kids want their parents' approval and love. My kids don't have to like everything I do, but I always want them to know that no matter what, they have my love and approval. And, the only way they are going to do that is through time spent together making memories that will last.
I hope that this new year that is coming, we can all unplug a little more and spend more time with those we love and care about. Let's spend time making those memories together. We can share them through our social media tools, but let's make the memories first.
Thanks Star Wars for reminding me of this.
Thursday, December 3, 2015
Prayer, What is it good for?
Recently I was visiting my parents in Arkansas. Every time I go to Arkansas, I always have to go see my brother from another mother, Ryan Johnson. We just hang out and talk. We also have to geek out on the latest trailers from movies and even watch a Seinfeld episode or two. We share a common love for Seinfeld. One of our favorite episodes is the Marine Biologist. If you have not seen that episode, you are missing out on one of the funniest television episodes in tv history. In that episode, Elaine is meeting a famous Russian writer with her publishing firm. She tells Jerry about it and they begin talking about Leo Tolstoy. Jerry tells Elaine that Tolstoy's original title for his book War and Peace was War, What is it Good For? Elaine thought he was joking, but he convinced her that he was telling the truth. Later, Elaine is upset with Jerry because she made a fool out of herself in front of this Russian writer because she insisted that what Jerry had told her was true.
Prayer has become like this Seinfeld episode, at least in the eyes of the world. After the incidents in San Bernadino yesterday, some public figures were criticized for tweeting prayers for the victims of the shootings. The headline from the New York Daily News said, "God Isn't Fixing This." It was critique of public officials who are perceived to do nothing but offer up prayers to a God that more and more people don't believe in. The growing consensus is becoming, "Prayer, what is it good for?"
This really made me stop and think this morning as I was reading through social media and reflecting on the changing culture around us. It made think about how I pray and how we are praying as Christians. I thought to myself, "Are we praying to safe?"
Take the refugee controversy for example. We pray for these refugees, but are we praying that God will use us as the Church to be a part of ministering to these refugees? We pray for horrors in our world, but are we praying that God would use us to be a voice of hope and peace?
I think one of the reasons that more and more people are viewing prayer as a negative and powerless thing is because we our prayers are powerless. We pray from a distance and ask God to keep us at a distance. We don't want to be part of the front lines because we like our safe lives. But, is that what we are called to be? Are we called to be safe?
I just finished a book about the friendship between C.S. Lewis and J.R.R. Tolkien. The book also talked about their time in World War I and how those times shaped their great works The Chronicles of Narnia and The Lord of the Rings. Those stories inspire us because they tell of tales of courage in the face of hopelessness and despair. They tell tales of a lion named Aslan who is not safe, but good and tales of a hobbit who carried a great burden to save the world. What is also so great about these tales is that they are tales of the Christian faith. But, the faith they tell of is not a safe faith. It is a faith that is willing to take action. It is a faith that prays that the great God of the Scriptures will use us to bring hope and peace to a fallen and dark world.
I believe in that God. I believe in praying to that God. I believe in praying that God would use me to be part of His expanding kingdom even if it means that safety is left behind. If we don't start praying to that God with the attitude of "God use me no matter what," then people are going to keep asking the question, "Prayer, what is it good for?" and the answer will be "Absolutely nothing."
Prayer has become like this Seinfeld episode, at least in the eyes of the world. After the incidents in San Bernadino yesterday, some public figures were criticized for tweeting prayers for the victims of the shootings. The headline from the New York Daily News said, "God Isn't Fixing This." It was critique of public officials who are perceived to do nothing but offer up prayers to a God that more and more people don't believe in. The growing consensus is becoming, "Prayer, what is it good for?"
This really made me stop and think this morning as I was reading through social media and reflecting on the changing culture around us. It made think about how I pray and how we are praying as Christians. I thought to myself, "Are we praying to safe?"
Take the refugee controversy for example. We pray for these refugees, but are we praying that God will use us as the Church to be a part of ministering to these refugees? We pray for horrors in our world, but are we praying that God would use us to be a voice of hope and peace?
I think one of the reasons that more and more people are viewing prayer as a negative and powerless thing is because we our prayers are powerless. We pray from a distance and ask God to keep us at a distance. We don't want to be part of the front lines because we like our safe lives. But, is that what we are called to be? Are we called to be safe?
I just finished a book about the friendship between C.S. Lewis and J.R.R. Tolkien. The book also talked about their time in World War I and how those times shaped their great works The Chronicles of Narnia and The Lord of the Rings. Those stories inspire us because they tell of tales of courage in the face of hopelessness and despair. They tell tales of a lion named Aslan who is not safe, but good and tales of a hobbit who carried a great burden to save the world. What is also so great about these tales is that they are tales of the Christian faith. But, the faith they tell of is not a safe faith. It is a faith that is willing to take action. It is a faith that prays that the great God of the Scriptures will use us to bring hope and peace to a fallen and dark world.
I believe in that God. I believe in praying to that God. I believe in praying that God would use me to be part of His expanding kingdom even if it means that safety is left behind. If we don't start praying to that God with the attitude of "God use me no matter what," then people are going to keep asking the question, "Prayer, what is it good for?" and the answer will be "Absolutely nothing."
Friday, November 20, 2015
From Cups to Refugees
It's funny how quickly things change, but still remain the same at the same time. It's one of life's great paradoxes. Two weeks ago, evangelical Christians thrust themselves into the spotlight once again. Maybe some would say they were forced into the spotlight and if you remember correctly, what forced them into the spotlight was a red cup sold by Starbucks. Those darn cups! How dare they not put the entire Gospel message on their cups so that everyone will know just how merry every Christmas should be! But, then again, they are a company that is about selling coffee not the Gospel.
Then we switched gears when Syrian refugees were trying to come into our country because the President said we should welcome at least 10,000 of them. Evangelicals reacted again with some saying that there is no way we should welcome Syrian refugees because of what happened in Paris. Then some said we should only let Christian refugees and exclude the Muslim refugees.
It seems more and more that evangelicals are being defined for what they are against rather than who they for. Also, we are becoming more and more dependent on the outside world to proclaim the message of Christ for us that we become upset when they don't (even though they were never meant to do it in the first place). The Starbucks cup incident was an incident that should never have happened. Who cares if Starbucks has a red, blue, orange, apricot, or yellow cup at Christmas time? We also like to make it a point to say Merry Christmas to any unsuspecting employee of a chain store who has to say, "Happy Holidays" to us. Have we ever stopped to think that there are some employees who don't want to say, "Happy Holidays," but are doing it because they need the job and they will be fired if they don't? Also, is saying Merry Christmas bringing someone closer to Christ? What I have observed through this incident is that we have become lazy followers of Jesus. We want others to do the work for us. If this is not true, then why do we get so upset when places like Starbucks don't put Merry Christmas on a cup? We are not called to be lazy, but to be ambassadors. Paul said in Acts 20:24, "But I do not account my life of any value nor as precious to myself, if only I may finish my course and the ministry that I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify to the gospel of the grace of God." Paul did not consider living life apart from Christ or doing anything other than testifying to the Gospel worth anything. Paul worked hard at testifying to the Gospel that had saved his life and changed his life. He did not rely on gimmicks, cups, or retail stores to testify; he testified himself through his life and words.
The refugee crisis is not as easy to deal with. There is a legitimate concern about letting refugees in because terrorists could pose as refugees to sneak into this country. But, on the other hand, these are people who need help. They are running for their lives while living in fear that they may never have a place to call home ever again. Imagine that. Imagine if you never had a place to call home ever again. Imagine if you had to live your life on the run with your children, hoping and praying that somebody would help you. I'm not saying that we should open our borders or close them. I am saying that we need to think long and hard about how we can help people who desperately need it. Also, how are Muslims going to know Christ if we say to them at our borders, "Christians only please. Muslims, you are on your own." That's what Jesus did right? Peter told the Gentiles to go home didn't he? Actually, Peter did not treat the Gentiles like he should have and Paul rebuked him for it.
We cannot live in fear and the way some Christians are responding to the refugee crisis is out of fear, understandable fear, but fear nonetheless. Psalm 27:1 says, "The Lord is my light and my salvation, whom shall I fear?" Do you know who wrote that Psalm? King David. Did you know that King David spent his time as a refugee, running for his life from King Saul who wanted to kill him? David spent time among the Philistines, a people not his own. He sought refuge there because Saul and his army were trying to kill him.
The Sons of Korah wrote in Psalm 46:1, "God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in time of trouble." Did you catch that? God is our refuge. Do you know what that means? We are refugees! God wants to be our place of refuge, and He wants to be the place of refuge for those Syrians who are running for their lives. He wants to be a place of refuge for Syrians Muslims that some Christians don't want to let in this country.
I am not trying to oversimplify the issue, but I am calling us to think a little bit deeper about it. We are called to be different. We are called to live lives of trust in the Almighty God who loves us and cares for us. And, guess what? He loves and cares for those refugees too.
Then we switched gears when Syrian refugees were trying to come into our country because the President said we should welcome at least 10,000 of them. Evangelicals reacted again with some saying that there is no way we should welcome Syrian refugees because of what happened in Paris. Then some said we should only let Christian refugees and exclude the Muslim refugees.
It seems more and more that evangelicals are being defined for what they are against rather than who they for. Also, we are becoming more and more dependent on the outside world to proclaim the message of Christ for us that we become upset when they don't (even though they were never meant to do it in the first place). The Starbucks cup incident was an incident that should never have happened. Who cares if Starbucks has a red, blue, orange, apricot, or yellow cup at Christmas time? We also like to make it a point to say Merry Christmas to any unsuspecting employee of a chain store who has to say, "Happy Holidays" to us. Have we ever stopped to think that there are some employees who don't want to say, "Happy Holidays," but are doing it because they need the job and they will be fired if they don't? Also, is saying Merry Christmas bringing someone closer to Christ? What I have observed through this incident is that we have become lazy followers of Jesus. We want others to do the work for us. If this is not true, then why do we get so upset when places like Starbucks don't put Merry Christmas on a cup? We are not called to be lazy, but to be ambassadors. Paul said in Acts 20:24, "But I do not account my life of any value nor as precious to myself, if only I may finish my course and the ministry that I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify to the gospel of the grace of God." Paul did not consider living life apart from Christ or doing anything other than testifying to the Gospel worth anything. Paul worked hard at testifying to the Gospel that had saved his life and changed his life. He did not rely on gimmicks, cups, or retail stores to testify; he testified himself through his life and words.
The refugee crisis is not as easy to deal with. There is a legitimate concern about letting refugees in because terrorists could pose as refugees to sneak into this country. But, on the other hand, these are people who need help. They are running for their lives while living in fear that they may never have a place to call home ever again. Imagine that. Imagine if you never had a place to call home ever again. Imagine if you had to live your life on the run with your children, hoping and praying that somebody would help you. I'm not saying that we should open our borders or close them. I am saying that we need to think long and hard about how we can help people who desperately need it. Also, how are Muslims going to know Christ if we say to them at our borders, "Christians only please. Muslims, you are on your own." That's what Jesus did right? Peter told the Gentiles to go home didn't he? Actually, Peter did not treat the Gentiles like he should have and Paul rebuked him for it.
We cannot live in fear and the way some Christians are responding to the refugee crisis is out of fear, understandable fear, but fear nonetheless. Psalm 27:1 says, "The Lord is my light and my salvation, whom shall I fear?" Do you know who wrote that Psalm? King David. Did you know that King David spent his time as a refugee, running for his life from King Saul who wanted to kill him? David spent time among the Philistines, a people not his own. He sought refuge there because Saul and his army were trying to kill him.
The Sons of Korah wrote in Psalm 46:1, "God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in time of trouble." Did you catch that? God is our refuge. Do you know what that means? We are refugees! God wants to be our place of refuge, and He wants to be the place of refuge for those Syrians who are running for their lives. He wants to be a place of refuge for Syrians Muslims that some Christians don't want to let in this country.
I am not trying to oversimplify the issue, but I am calling us to think a little bit deeper about it. We are called to be different. We are called to live lives of trust in the Almighty God who loves us and cares for us. And, guess what? He loves and cares for those refugees too.
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