Imposter in the dark

There is a phrase, "Nobody likes to have their baby called ugly." The truth is that what we do not like is anything that shows our ugliness. We live much of our life as impostors; posing to be what we are not.

Jesus understood that when he explained to his unbelieving brothers why the world hated him but not them.

John 7:7 The world cannot hate you, but it hates me because I testify about it that its works are evil.

This was not the first time that Jesus explained that his Good News was not as popular as one would expect. John 3:16 is a verse of great promise. However, there is a flip side to the promise of eternal life for those that believe. There must be those that do not believe. Just a few verses later Jesus explains, "And this is the judgment: the light has come into the world, and people loved the darkness rather than the light because their works were evil. For everyone who does wicked things hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his works should be exposed (John 3:19-20)."

Am I willing to stand in the light of Jesus and let him expose my ugliness? Or do I keep my facade and stay in the dark? Or another way to ask this question: Am I willing to have the world hate me for coming into the light or is the world and who I am in the dark too important to give that up (John 15:18-19)?

Social Justice and God’s Math

God’s ways are not our ways and thank God for that.  We look at things with our limited logic and think there is no way that 1 + 1 = 3 (our US government being the exception).  God looks at impossible equations and says, “watch and see my glory.”

A couple of the best examples of God’s math are found in the Gospels.  Not once, but twice, Jesus feeds thousands of people with just a few loaves of bread and fish.  Amazing as this was, many people still did not get it.

God is still doing amazing math today and we still do not get it.  It does not work out logically so we tend to see the problem as too large.  We often do not want to confront a large problem if it appears impossible.  This is especially true if the problem is not our own.  It’s easier to ignore it than to risk looking like Don Quixote fighting a windmill.

Economic Certainty

I hear on the news over and over again about the struggles of our country as we continue to face economic uncertainty.  This is great statement about the mindset of Americans and how capitalism has replaced Christianity as our value system.  Even in the best of times, our economic future is uncertain.  What is the old saying, “the only thing that certain is death and taxes.”

Unfortunately, unlike America, most of the world lives in extremely certain economic times.  Almost half the world lives on less that $2.50 a day.  Eighty percent of the world lives on less than $10 a day.  For these people, there is no economic uncertainty.  They have extreme poverty today and they are quite certain that they will have extreme poverty tomorrow and probably their entire lives.

I can stress about my 401k and all my savings that I no longer have in my future.  However, I’m not too worried about what I am going to eat tomorrow.  I can stress about the economy getting even worse and I can watch it all in my air-conditioned home on my wide-screen TV through cable provided to me for a measly $75 month.

Many people in have lost their jobs recently.  Many fear that they could lose theirs at anytime.  However, even if you lose your job, your home, and your cable TV, will you starve to death?

There is a reason Jesus tells us not to put our faith in wealth.  I like to tell myself that my faith is in God and not my money.  I’m sure most Christians would say the same.  If that’s true, think about the rich young ruler that came to Jesus looking for eternal life.

Luke 18:18-25 (ESV)
¹⁸ And a ruler asked him, "Good Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?" ¹⁹ And Jesus said to him, "Why do you call me good? No one is good except God alone. ²⁰ You know the commandments: 'Do not commit adultery, Do not murder, Do not steal, Do not bear false witness, Honor your father and mother.' " ²¹ And he said, "All these I have kept from my youth." ²² When Jesus heard this, he said to him, "One thing you still lack. Sell all that you have and distribute to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me." ²³ But when he heard these things, he became very sad, for he was extremely rich. ²⁴ Jesus, looking at him with sadness, said, "How difficult it is for those who have wealth to enter the kingdom of God! ²⁵ For it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the kingdom of God."

If ask the average Christian, if they should sell everything they have and follow Jesus, they will probably tell you that this passage is not suggesting that Christians do that.  They will probably tell you that this passage means that you should be willing to do that if called.  They may say that following Jesus should be more valuable to you than all of your possessions but this passage is a principle and not a practical application for all Christians to follow.

Ok, so let’s go with the principle concept.  In principle, if God were to ask you to sell everything you have and give it to the poor, would you?  How do you know if you could do it?  Better yet, how do you know if God were to ask you?  Are you assuming that God’s call for your life is to have your current standard of living?  Why would God not want you to give so much away that it dramatically lowered your personal lifestyle?  Why do you think that the eye of the needle is so large for you?

Maybe we should take this time of economic uncertainty and think more about the rest of the world and their economic certainty.  Maybe we should adjust our standard of living so that others can live.  Or I guess you can go to the fridge, get another cold drink, sit back in your lazy boy, and change the channel.

40 Days for Life

Tomball-Cypress believers sign-up here to participate: 40 Days for Life sign-up sheet.  Please submit a contact form for access.

You are invited to participate in "40 Days for Life" with other families in the Tomball-Cypress community as we ask the Lord to save lives from abortion and close the Planned Parenthood in Houston.  Planned Parenthood of Houston is currently being remodeled to house the largest abortion clinic in the Western Hemisphere including a partial-birth abortion facility.

Families in the Tomball-Cypress area have been led by the Lord to pull together families from our communities with convictions regarding the state of abortion in our nation and city. To take a moment in our lives and recognize the devastation of abortion on our land and with repentant hearts ask the Lord to bring life where death has been rampant.

40 Days for Life is a nationwide prayer and fasting movement RELYING ON THE LORD to end abortion and close abortion centers in our nation.  Please read the testimonies of clinics closing and innocent lives being saved on the "40 Days" website. You will be very encouraged!

We are gathering families (children are welcome at your parental digression) who want to participate on Friday February 27th and/or Monday March 2nd with fasting and prayer at the Planned Parenthood building in Houston. We will be praying in 2-4 hour blocks through out the 7am-5pm open hours of the building. The "40 day" event will be from February 25th- April 5th. We have chosen those days in February/March, but you are more than welcome to participate ANY day of the prayer vigil.

40 Days for Life is a peaceful and prayerful campaign to ask God to intervene.  This is not rally or picketing campaign.  In fact anyone interested in participating must sign a statement of peace that includes the following:

• I will only pursue peaceful solutions to the violence of abortion when volunteering with the 40 Days of Life campaign


• I will show compassion and reflect Christ’s love to all (abortion facility or Planned Parenthood) employees, volunteers, and customers


• I understand that acting in a violent or harmful manner immediately and completely disassociates me from the 40 Days of Life campaign


• I am in no way associated with Planned Parenthood or its affiliates by way of employment, informant, volunteer, client, or otherwise

While standing in the city right of way in front of (abortion facility or Planned Parenthood location):

• I will not obstruct the driveways or sidewalk while standing in the public right of way


• I will not litter on the public right of way


• I will closely attend to any children I bring to the prayer vigil


• I will not threaten, physically contact, or verbally abuse (abortion facility or Planned Parenthood) employees, volunteers, or customers


• I will not vandalize private property


• I will cooperate with local city authorities

If you are interested or have questions, please use the contact form on this blog.

Please feel free to pass this on to those who you know have a desire to stand for the innocent and who's hearts desire is to show compassion through prayer and fasting, relying on the Lord to move this mountain called abortion.

Matthew 18:19-20 (ESV)

¹⁹ Again I say to you, if two of you agree on earth about anything they ask, it will be done for them by my Father in heaven. ²⁰ For where two or three are gathered in my name, there am I among them."

Additional Resources:

Official 40 Days for Life website

Campaign Overview Report

Inspiring Case Study Video

Endorsements for 40 Days for Life

40 Days for Life News Coverage

Who’s the bigot?

Merriam-Webster’s Online Dictionary Definition:

a person obstinately or intolerantly devoted to his or her own opinions and prejudices ; especially : one who regards or treats the members of a group (as a racial or ethnic group) with hatred and intolerance

I hear this term thrown around quite a bit nowadays.  Especially after the voters passed Proposition 8 in California and now with Obama asking Rick Warren to give the inaugural prayer.

Faith and Doubts

If you are a believer in Jesus, do you ever doubt your faith?  If you doubt, does that mean you don't really have a saving faith or that your faith is weak?

I've had this discussion a couple of times with my ten year-old son.  He has been raised in a Christian home.  He accepted Jesus as his Lord and Savior when he was five.  This is young, but he has always been a very thoughtful boy and he was serious about this decision.  It was my blessing to be able to baptize him and a couple of years later his younger sister.

Now that my son is older, he's thinking more about his faith and what he believes.  Some things in the bible sound a little far out.  Once you learn that Santa Claus is just a nice story, you start to question other stories you've been taught, even ones you're taught in church.  So one night my son comes to me, with tears in his eyes, wondering if he can really be a Christian if he has these doubts.



I told my son, if he has doubts, he needs to seek out answers.  Like I said, my son is a very thoughtful young man.  I had to answer questions like,

Why did God create Satan if he knew he would rebel and be evil?

If I am saved and have the Holy Spirit in me, why do I still lose my patience with my little brothers and sisters and do mean things to them?

These are just a couple samplings.  I thank God for His Spirit to help me as a field these tough questions.  Amazingly enough, these types of questions will often come after I have studied a similar topic or listened to a teacherpreacher like John Piper talk about them.  I don't always give a great answer.  Piper makes answers to these types of questions seem so logical but they are much tougher when talking about them with your ten year-old son.

However, the best answer I gave my son was to take his doubts to God.  Read his bible, pray, but most importantly, remember what he knows to be true.  He has some great anchors of God working in his life to hold on to.  I wrote about one of these experiences this past spring.

My son is working out his faith.  He is so much further ahead of me than where I was at his age, in some ways, further than I am now.  It's scary for a father to watch his son work through his doubts?  What if he chooses not to believe?  All I can do is love him, teach him, lead by example, and be honest when I fail in my own faith.  God has to do the rest.  My son's faith is ultimately between him and God.

I was inspired to write this post because of a story I read about a man that has lost his faith.  You can read Dan's story here.  I don't believe anyone can snatch any believer from Jesus (John 10:28-29).  When I read Dan's story, it sure sounds like Dan had a saving faith, so how could he have lost it?  I don't know.  I don't know what was really in Dan's heart before and I don't know what is really there now.  Was he never really saved?  Or is he just now in a dark valley where he will eventually emerge more confident than ever in his faith?

That's not the point of Dan's story.  The point is how he claims his wife and his pastor have responded to his story.  The response he describes is tragic and it's not how Jesus would call us to respond.  I'm not assuming Dan's story is true and I'm not assuming it's false.  I don't personally know any of those involved.  However, it is a story we all need to pray about.

Pray for Dan and that while he believes he has turned his back on Jesus, that he learns that Jesus will never turn his back on him.

Pray for Dan's wife and their children.  Whether these accusations are true or false and whether Dan ever comes back to the Lord or not, this experience their family is suffering through is heart wrenching.

Pray for Dan's church and community, for those that know Christ can respond in love and those that do not know Jesus will see a response in love where it appears love has been lacking.

Pray for yourself and your family.  Pray that God will give you the faith and wisdom to not fear your doubts but to embrace your doubts as you work out your faith and seek Him who promises to answer (Luke 11:9-10).

Why I'm still on the right

In many elections it is not surprising how people vote.  There are usually one or two key issues that people cling to and that sets their political mind set.  There is nothing wrong with that.  The reality is that there are so many issues with no real right or wrong  perspective that very few of us can all agree on every issue.  That's why our party specific primary elections can often be divisive.

In past elections, many Christians have tended to vote more conservatively because in general (not in all cases) the conservative platforms include moral positions that more align with a biblical perspective.  However, I have noticed a shift in that thinking among some Christians.  It's not a shift away from biblical perspectives but more a shift in which biblical perspectives cause more conviction in their political view.

Here's my attempt of an analysis of this shift and why I haven't shifted.  I'm going to be speaking in general terms so forgive me if I appear to be using a brush that is too broad.  However, I want to keep this thought process simple.

As mentioned in my previous post, a couple of the major moral political issues today are abortion and government recognition of gay marriages.  These issues have tended to pull Christians to the Republican side of the political spectrum because many Republican candidates take the pro-life and pro-heterosexual marriage platform stance.  There are also other biblical perspective issues such as the sovereignty of Israel but that issue tends to be less divisive across political lines.

Today, I think these two moral political hot topics are starting to take a back seat to another important moral political issue, which is injustice.  Christians see the injustice of the poor and the persecuted and they want justice.  This is an important biblical perspective and valuable morally political issue to address.

This is where the political shift has started to occur for many Christians.  The Republican party is pro-business.  By that I mean it's overall position is that the market will keep business in check, there needs to be very little if any governmental regulations over business.

The problem is that the goal for most successful businesses is to make a profit.  Greed becomes the god of many corporations.  Success is measured by revenue growth.  This is obviously not a biblical perspective (Matt 6:24, Luke 16:13).  Over the past decade we have seen the results of this greed with the likes of Enron and others.

Another important injustice issue outside of economics is the real issue of prejudice.  The big areas of concern in our country today are racial prejudice and sexual orientation prejudice.  I think prejudice crosses party lines but unfortunately more openly prejudice groups are identified as "on the right" politically.

Christian conservatives are often labeled as prejudice against gay and lesbians because of their belief that the Bible clearly labels this lifestyle as a sin.  Unfortunately, this perspective of this conservative Christian viewpoint is again a stereotype because some Christians address this issue in a non-Christian and hateful manner.

The abortion issue has also started to give way to injustice perspectives.  It is not that Christians that vote for the democratic ticket want to see babies killed.  It's that the pro-life movement is often perceived as a "persecuting" movement against the woman in crises.

These are the shifts I see in the Christian political perspective.  However, I still find myself on the conservative side of the equation for the reasons to follow.  I may not be seeing these perspectives correctly so if you are a Christian on the more liberal side of the political spectrum, please comment on this post.

I too am very concerned about the injustices in this world.  I believe that as a follower of Jesus I should fight the battle against these injustices.  However, as the title of this post indicates, I have not shifted my political position to the left with some of my brothers and sisters in Christ that have the same passion against injustice as I do.

Why?

Because I do not think that a political party or any government can or will address the injustices in this world.  Jesus never called a political movement to address the injustices of this world.  He called us, His followers, to address the injustices.  When we depend on the government we end up with communism on the left and fascist dictatorships on the right.

You cannot address the injustice of the poor by trying to redistribute the wealth.  The injustice to the poor is the lack of compassion for the poor.   The injustice of the poor will not be addressed until hearts of those with the wealth are changed.

The problem with trying to regulate compassion is that those in power in the government are just as much sinners as those they are trying to regulate.  Why do we have our current financial crises in this country?  We tried to regulate compassion by providing housing for those that could not afford it.  However, those in charge of the program were greedy and sought their own wealth at the expense of the rest of us.

What is a Christian then to do politically?  Give up?  Never.  I believe as Christians we are to engage our world, so that means we have to engage politically.  My dilemma then is how do I choose between worldly (imperfect) ideologies.  I try to keep it simple.

Abortion is wrong.  God ordains life prior to conception (Psalm 139:13-16).  We have no right to terminate a life that God has ordained.  There are lots of deep arguments that could be made about rape and incest victims but that is not the political issue today.  President-elect Obama was quoted saying he would not want his daughters punished with a baby for making a moral mistake.  While this comment was off the cuff and maybe not how he really wanted to state it, that is the real issue.  Abortion is used today to undue a mistake, at the cost of an innocent baby's life.

As a Christian, I should actively pray and work for the women that find themselves in crises of a pregnancy and no means to support the child as well as pray and work to support those mothers and children when the child is born.  However, I cannot vote for a candidate that supports abortion as an option.

While Jesus never personally addressed the homosexual issue in the Gospels, Paul certainly lists homosexual actions along with other sinful actions (Romans 1:26, 1 Cor 6:9-11) .  Homosexual actions are also directly denounced in the Old Testament  (Leviticus 18:22, 20:13).

As a Christian, I should love my neighbor, including my gay and lesbian neighbors.  I cannot view their sin as any worse than my own sins.  However, I cannot condone their sin anymore than I can condone my own sin.  I cannot agree with a worldly political movement to condone the homosexual lifestyle as normal and God ordained.

As a Christian, I should give freely to those in need.  This is not just tithing to my church but giving wherever there is a need and not just money, but my time and my heart as well.  The government can't regulate this.  We know from our own welfare system and the socialist policies in many European countries that when the government tries to regulate giving (i.e. redistribution of  wealth) it does not fix poverty but creates dependency on the government.  Dependency on the government leads to an ever increasing size of government.

Christians in corporate America should live out their Christian faith.  They should work hard and voluntarily serve others in need with money and their time.  Government regulation can be a knee-jerk response to corrupt business practices that negatively hurts honest companies and the people that work for those companies.  Corrupt businesses will usually fail on their own in a free market.  In a government regulated market, corruption is protected (i.e. see Fannie Mae and Freddy Mac).

Make no mistake about it.  While Christ's Kingdom on earth has started, this physical world is still ruled by Satan (Matt 4:8-9, Eph 6:12).  Big government, either or the left or on the right, will never do the work that needs to be done by those that belong to the Kingdom of God.

There will be a government that will one day rule this earth with justice.  However, that ruler is Jesus when he returns.  Until he comes, I need to keep my spiritual passion deep and seek the Kingdom of God and it's justice, but I need to keep my worldly political perspectives simple, which for me if on on the right of center, rather than on the left.

Finally, once the votes are casts, God's will be done.  I congratulate President-elect Obama.  I will pray for him and our country and seek God's Kingdom regardless of which way our country's political winds blow.

Romans 13:1 (ESV)

¹ Let every person be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those that exist have been instituted by God.

The Question Song

1 Timothy 4:12 (ESV)

¹² Let no one despise you for your youth, but set the believers an example in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith, in purity.

My ten year-old son wrote this song about his internal wrestling with what it means to truly follow Jesus.  I thank God that He has blessed me with a son that has a heart that is seeking Jesus so deeply at such a young age.  I pray God equips me to disciple my children as they seek Him.

Why do I hurt a lot of people?

I know it's all a sin

But I have to remember, once Jesus was my age

And he never gave in.

Why do I have answers to questions

But I only answer them to me?

And then I see a lot of non-Christians

I don't know where I should be.

I wanna care

And I want to love

But it's just so hard to do.

I don't want to give in

And I don't want to die

All that I want to do is fly.

I only have one question for God

That if there's so much trouble on earth

Why in the world would he leave it be

When he can do something.

But I'm afraid

That he just might

Fire that question

Right back at me.

I don't want to give in

I don't want to die

I wanna love and care

And I don't know why.

I have a little voice

That wants me to

It's asking if I will

And I want to say I do.

I'm getting all confused

If I could say I do

If I should or not

Or if it's even true.

I think I should stop

And just not do it

Or maybe I'll keep going

On and on through it.

I just don't know

If I should go.

Back to Liberia - For now

Genesis 50:20 (ESV)
²⁰ As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good, to bring it about that many people should be kept alive, as they are today.

I don't know why I was born healthy and have enjoyed a life of physical and material blessings here in America.  I don't know why Moses Kollie was born in poverty in Liberia.  I don't know why his mother was killed by rebels when he was only weeks old.  I don't know why God let Moses lay trapped under his dead mother for a week causing him to live his childhood with a deformed hand.

The Lord's Prayer - Deliver us from evil

Matthew 6:13 (ESV)
¹³ And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.

Here Jesus asks us to pray that our Father not lead us into temptation.  However, this is exactly what the Holy Spirit did to Jesus at the beginning of His ministry.

Matthew 4:1 (ESV)
¹ Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil.

We also know that we are going to be tempted throughout the day.  Just turn on the TV, listen to the radio, walk out the front door and you are faced with temptation.  We live in a fallen world with temptation at every turn.  What does it mean to ask God not to lead us into temptation?  Even if we were to move into the desert we could never evade the temptations in our own minds.

There are avoidable temptations.  Maybe this prayer is for God to help keep us from walking down the slippery slope of temptations that we could and should avoid.

We don't have to watch those TV programs or movies that put impure thoughts in our heads, ready to pop out when we least expect it.  We don't have to let ourselves dwell on thoughts of envy, anger, or lust but we do.

The second half of this verse is a prayer for our Father to carry us through the temptations we do face.  These are temptations from the evil in our own hearts and temptations from Satan himself.

This part of the Lord's prayer is a great reminder that we cannot face the temptations of this world alone.  We are promised that we will not face any temptation that is beyond our ability.  However, we are are also taught that we must wear the full armor of God to resist the schemes of the devil.  We can never be so cavalier as to think we can resist the evil in this world on our own.

Jesus added this last verse because evil is real, Satan is real, and we need our Father's protection.

P.S. Are you protecting your own children?

The Lord's Prayer - Forgive us our debts

Matthew 6:12 (ESV)
¹² and forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors.

My debts are already forgiven.  This is the message of the New Testament.  Good News!  The debt you owe has been paid.  So why is Jesus teaching me to ask for forgiveness of my debts when He has already covered these debts on the cross?

When Jesus died on the cross, he did pay the eternal price for my debts.  If I claim Jesus as my Lord and believe he rose from the dead for my justification, then I am saved from eternal death into eternal life.  However, I still manage to sin everyday.  I still manage to choose my way over God's ways in my thoughts and actions.  My eternal destiny is secure, but my fellowship with my Lord and my fellowship with my brother and sisters in Christ is hindered.

1 John 1:5-10 (ESV)
⁵ This is the message we have heard from him and proclaim to you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all. ⁶ If we say we have fellowship with him while we walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth. ⁷ But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin. ⁸ If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. ⁹ If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. ¹⁰ If we say we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.

I think where I often fail in this part of my prayer life is meditating long enough for God to reveal to me where I am missing the mark.  When I do take the time to listen to God's Spirit in me, He does remind me were I fall short of the glory of God.  For me, these usually fall into the categories of pride and selfishness.

Psalms 139:23-24 (ESV)
²³ Search me, O God, and know my heart! Try me and know my thoughts! ²⁴ And see if there be any grievous way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting!

Prior to thinking about this post and thinking about what to write, I probably would have told you that I don't have a hard time with forgiving others.  I don't lay awake at night harboring ill will towards anyone for a wrong that's been done to me.  I'm an extremely easy going guy and I let most things run off my back.  If I do get upset, I get over it quickly.

However, this word "debt" is interesting.  If I truly forgive someone of a debt (a wrong done to me) then the next time they offend me, shouldn't my reaction be the same as if it is the first time they've offended me?  My problem is, if someone does me wrong a second time, I still remember the first time and I am doubly offended.  Did I really forgive that first debt?

For example, a co-worker upsets me by saying something brash and condescending.  I'm upset but because it's my nature, I get over it and I don't dwell on it.  However, a month later this person says or does something again that irritates me.  It's not just the latest incident that gets under my skin.  It's that incident and all the previous incidents.  It's not one debt but an accumulation of debt.  I've never really wiped clean the previous debt.

I don't know about you, but I don't think under my own power I can really give someone a clean slate over and over, whether I tell myself I forgive them or not.  Each wrong is still accumulated in my thought process.  The debt increases, it never really returns to zero.

Just as the clearing of my debt to God is only possible by the grace of God, my ability to erase the debt caused when others hurt me is also only available by the grace of God.

Ignorance is No Excuse

Ignorance is not bliss. It can actually be quite dangerous. See if you can follow me as I point out two examples.

This weekend a verse came to my mind. It was not one of the very few that I have memorized (I am convicted to do much better at this). It was one that I probably heard quoted in a sermon sometime but I don't know when. The gist of what I remembered was, "to whom little is given, little is expected and to whom much is given, much is expected."

As I thought about this passage I thought about how much Christians in other countries have little but have to suffer much and how Christians in this country, that have much, suffer little. I started to find myself on my soapbox again about how God has given Christians much in this country and expects much, yet we give little compared to our persecuted brother and sisters around the world.

I went to look up this passage that I roughly remembered so I could write a blog post on this conviction I was feeling. I found the verses in Luke 12:42-48.

Luke 12:42-48 (ESV)
⁴² And the Lord said, "Who then is the faithful and wise manager, whom his master will set over his household, to give them their portion of food at the proper time? ⁴³ Blessed is that servant whom his master will find so doing when he comes. ⁴⁴ Truly, I say to you, he will set him over all his possessions. ⁴⁵ But if that servant says to himself, 'My master is delayed in coming,' and begins to beat the male and female servants, and to eat and drink and get drunk, ⁴⁶ the master of that servant will come on a day when he does not expect him and at an hour he does not know, and will cut him in pieces and put him with the unfaithful. ⁴⁷ And that servant who knew his master's will but did not get ready or act according to his will, will receive a severe beating. ⁴⁸ But the one who did not know, and did what deserved a beating, will receive a light beating. Everyone to whom much was given, of him much will be required, and from him to whom they entrusted much, they will demand the more.

Imagine my surprise. What I thought I was remembering as scripture is not really there. Now I'm not saying that American Christians should not be convicted to do more to support their persecuted brothers and sisters. Actually, more than likely, our own time will come. My point is, I was making up scripture in my head based on some input I had received somewhere. That's dangerous.

The second example of ignorance being dangerous comes right from this scripture that I mis-remembered (Roger Clemens taught me that word).

This passage talks about rewarding the faithful steward (v 43) and punishing the one that actively abuses others (v 46) and the one that knows God's will for their life but does not act on it (v 47). However, the one that is ignorant of God's will for their life is punished as well (v 48).

I'm going to assume that most of you are not purposely abusing and hurting others. However, how many of us ignore God's calling for our lives because we prefer our own course? How many of us don't know God's calling for our lives?

I heard a sermon from John Piper the other day titled Holy Ambition. Do you know yours? Ignorance is no excuse.

Carrying Your Own Cross

First, I want to say that I truly appreciate all of the encouraging comments I've received on my recent posts as I wrestle with God over what He wants me to do about the plight of the poor. However, this is not just about me. This is much bigger than a question about how much of my disposable income should be given to charity. This is about all of us, Christ's body, seeing the problem with Jesus' eyes, not just when we read about it, but it should be part of our every thought and every dream.

Warning - I am going to attempt to put a visual in your mind that will never leave. Stop reading now if you'd rather not think about it.

The stadium in the picture above is Kyle Field. The seating capacity is 82,600. Every week, during football season, this stadium is packed with Aggie football fans. That is a lot of people. That is more people than the entire population in most small towns in America.

Every week, all year long, 98,000 children quietly die directly from starvation or indirectly from their inability to resist common diseases. That number is small compared to the number that are suffering, hurting, and crying but just not dead yet.

This football season, when you see a packed stadium, remember that a stadium full of children died because of starvation this week and thousands more are just waiting their turn.

Each of us has a different calling from God on what to do about this issue. I am also well aware that this is just one of many problems in our world. As Christ's body we are full of different parts and different roles. However, we each do have a part and a role.

Luke 14:27
27 "Whoever does not carry his own cross and come after Me cannot be My disciple.

Carrying our own cross does not mean carrying our own problems and burdens. Our own problems and burdens are to be handed over to Jesus. Our cross is the spiritual and physical problems and burdens of others.

It is obvious that God is telling me that my cross includes the starving children around the world. It's not so obvious yet, all that He wants me to do about it, but I'm seeking. I encourage you to know your cross, but more importantly, to actually pick it up and carry it.

If you're living a comfortable life most days, chances are there may not be a cross on your shoulder. If you're living under your own stress most days, chances are there may not be a cross on your shoulder because your shoulders are already weighed down with your own burdens.

This is not just about me. It's much bigger than that.

How do you celebrate Christmas?

I ran across this video today and had to post it.

My wife and I talk about ways to celebrate the "true spirit of Christmas" each year.  We've often thought about cutting way back on the presents and focusing more on Jesus.  However, each year, our Christmas has more and more stuff.

We do focus on Jesus at Christmas.  We go to church on Christmas Eve.  This year I wrote a Christmas story, taking a quick bible tour from Genesis through the Gospels, and we read it as a family.  We visit a local assisted living center each year with one or two other families and sing Christmas carols to the elderly residents on Christmas morning.

However, with all of this, the presents steal the show.  Its not our kids fault.  They're kids.  If you load up the tree with presents, that's going to be the highlight of the day.  Christmas stories and carols to lonely, elderly strangers are ok, but the new Wii is the bomb.

I believe the problem we experience with Christmas is the problem with many churches today.  We preach and teach spiritual messages from the Bible but we mix in so much consumerism, that the spiritual message is forgotten behind the "church experience".

This Christmas, we're going to do something about the consumerism.  This Christmas, we're going to join the Advent Conspiracy.

What if we start a Worship Conspiracy and truly have Christmas all year long.  After all, this message is too good to celebrate only once a year.

Luke 2:10-11 (ESV)
¹⁰ And the angel said to them, "Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of a great joy that will be for all the people. ¹¹ For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.

The rest of the story

Has this ever happened to you... You're reading your Bible and come across a familiar passage.  You are subconsciously nodding along, recognizing the truths you are reading.  And then, POW!  Where did that verse come from?  God lays a new truth on you that has been there all along, you just missed it until now.

I had that experience this weekend.

I came across this familiar passage in Luke:

Luke 12:22-31 (ESV)
²² And he said to his disciples, "Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat, nor about your body, what you will put on. ²³ For life is more than food, and the body more than clothing. ²⁴ Consider the ravens: they neither sow nor reap, they have neither storehouse nor barn, and yet God feeds them. Of how much more value are you than the birds! ²⁵ And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life? ²⁶ If then you are not able to do as small a thing as that, why are you anxious about the rest? ²⁷ Consider the lilies, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin, yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. ²⁸ But if God so clothes the grass, which is alive in the field today, and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, how much more will he clothe you, O you of little faith! ²⁹ And do not seek what you are to eat and what you are to drink, nor be worried. ³⁰ For all the nations of the world seek after these things, and your Father knows that you need them. ³¹ Instead, seek his kingdom, and these things will be added to you.

This is a great passage about stress and worry.  God is sovereign.  He will meet all of your needs.  Seek His Kingdom and everything else will be taken care of.

I've heard many lessons and sermons on this passage and I was nodding along as I read.

Then, I had to read the rest of the story...

Luke 12:32-34 (ESV)
³² "Fear not, little flock, for it is your Father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom. ³³ Sell your possessions, and give to the needy. Provide yourselves with moneybags that do not grow old, with a treasure in the heavens that does not fail, where no thief approaches and no moth destroys. ³⁴ For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.

Can you see the verse that struck me between the eyes?  Verse 32 is comforting.  Verse 34 is a truth that is often preached and well known.  Who's going to argue with that?

However, what is up with verse 33?  Sure, I know that Jesus challenged the rich young ruler to sell everything and give the proceeds to the poor.  That's because He was dealing with that rich guy's heart.  But who is Jesus talking to here?

I am more than happy to claim the "don't worry, be happy" message here, but can Jesus really be talking to me about selling my possessions and giving to the needy?  He must mean I need to be prepared to do that if "called." 

Right?

Or does He mean what He says?

Red Letter Theology

2 Timothy 3:16 (ESV)¹⁶ All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness,

I was reading some blog comments the other day about Christianity and homosexuality. One of the comments in support of accepting the homosexual lifestyle as an acceptable Christian lifestyle was that Jesus never condemned homosexual behavior in the Gospels. The point being made was that since Jesus was silent on the issue, this overrides whatever may have been stated in the Old Testament or in Paul's Epistles.

I've seen this logic used more than once and it's been gnawing at me for the last couple of weeks. I think what bothers me so much about this errant view of the Bible is that I've used this logic myself in the past to justify my own sins. It's a favorite practice of Christians to lean on the parts of the Bible that agree with our views on life but not on the parts of the Bible that disagree with our own bias.

My point here is not to argue the homosexual issue (I've raised that issue in a couple of other posts and comments if your interested - God Loves Gays, Seinfeld, Comment). I'm not saying that there cannot be strong arguments on both sides of a particular interpretation of scripture. My point here, is that you should not use Jesus' silence on an issue in the Gospels to override other biblical principles and truths.

There are probably many positions on the scope of the authority of scripture. For my case against what I am calling "red letter theology" I'll just assume a couple of broad views. One view is that all scripture is the infallible, inerrant word of God. An opposing view would be that the Bible was written by men, highly spiritual men, but men that had a personal and cultural bias included in what they wrote. Therefore, the Bible is not without its faults and is not infallible and inerrant.

If you hold to the first view, then you cannot put more weight on the Gospels and less on the rest of the Bible. It is all God inspired and it is all God's words, whether written in red or black ink. There is a NewTestament  covenant that has replaced the Mosaic law. However, we know this because the Bible declares this. Not because there are issues in the Old Testament not addressed in the New Testament.

If Moses said it, God said it. If Paul said it, God said it. If you don't believe this then you have to admit that you do not hold to the infallibility and inerrancy of the Bible.

The other broad view is that Bible is holy but not infallible and inerrant. However, even with this view, putting more weight on the Gospels than on other parts of the Bible is not logically sound. The Gospels were not written by Jesus. They were written by men that could have just as much personal and cultural bias in their accounts of what Jesus said as Paul has in his letters.

If you disagree with how a principle discussed in the Bible should be applied in our culture today, then do your homework and pray. God did not intend for His truth to be hidden from those that seek it. However, don't take the lazy way out by declaring everything is good that wasn't explicitly called out as evil by Jesus in the Gospels.

Let's not forget, Jesus made a point about speaking against man-made pharisaic interpretations of the Old Testament. If silence is to be given more weight to a particular view, then the case should be made that silence means agreement, not opposition.

What Am I On The Earth For?

Do you ever ask yourself this question?  Did you come up with a good answer?  Do you know why you are here?  Do you know your purpose in life?

I think the older we get, the more important this question becomes to us.  Some may say that's quite tragic.  If we have a purpose in life, wouldn't it be much better to know that purpose when we're 20 rather than figuring it out when we're 60? 

I agree, it's tragic if you squander your purpose for your first 20 years of your life (I think I squandered much more than 20).  However, I'm not sure that means you don't still have a unique purpose at 60.

The problem is that the younger we are, the less we seem to care about a true purpose.  As we get older and see the end starting to approach, we naturally get more reflective.

There are quite a number of people and groups (religions, etc.) that will gladly offer to help you find your purpose.  I did a Google search and here is a small sampling:

Personal Development Expert, Steve Pavlina - write down any self-purpose you can think of on a piece of paper.  Keep doing this until something you write down resonates with you so deeply that you cry.
Bahá'í Faith- In summary, the spiritual reason for our life on earth is to provide us with a training ground; our life is a period of growth during which we focus on the development of our innate spiritual and intellectual capacities.
Want to Know . info - ...you can start to find and develop your own purpose and intentions by stopping for a moment and asking yourself two questions: "What is most important to me in my life? What are my deepest values and beliefs?" Consider inviting divine guidance and your own inner wisdom to help you with this.
Atheist, Aaron Ross Powell - The atheist, on the other hand, sees this life, the one each of us is currently living, as all we get. Death is final. Thus we need to make the most of life and instill great value in every moment because those moments are of limited quantity.
Purpose Driven Life, Rick Warren - The purpose of your life is far greater than your own personal fulfillment, your peace of mind, or even your happiness. It’s far greater than your family, your career, or even your wildest dreams and ambitions. If you want to know why you were placed on this planet, you must begin with God. You were born by his purpose and for his purpose.

You'll notice that the first four statements are more about "you" and the statement from Rick Warren is more about "God".  However, even with the "Purpose Driven Life" explanation, there is still an open question.  If my purpose is for God's purpose, then what is God's purpose?  Does he have a purpose or a task, specifically for me?

Personally, I believe God does have a specific purpose and specific tasks for each of us.  However, I'm not sure we'll ever know all of God's plans for us on this earth until after our time here is done.  I don't think we'll know everything because part of our purpose is to keep seeking.  The key is to seek from God, and he'll make his purpose for you today, known to you today, while tomorrow brings a whole new adventure.

Matthew 6:33-34 (ESV)
³³ But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.
³⁴ "Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.

Jesus is talking about God providing your daily necessities if you seek God's kingdom and his righteousness today.  I don't think I am stretching the context here to make my point.  Isn't knowing your purpose in life, a necessity of life?

Enough preaching...

This is an open question for everyone, Christians and non-Christians alike.  We all are searching for meaning to our life.

So what's your definition of the purpose of life?  More importantly, what is your specific purpose for being here?  Have you thought about it?  Are you searching for it?  Have you found it?

What if the Church Was Invisible?

I came across this great post about the church, or rather what the church shouldcould be. Jeromy from Mending Shift has graciously allowed me to re-post it over here on Seeking Things Above. Let me know what you think. If this message resonates with you, drop by and visit Mending Shift and give Jeromy a shout.

What if we, as the church, were invisible? What if we had no church buildings? No signs declaring a church location? No denominations or headquarters? No mega weekend gatherings? No Christian radio presence? No Christian stores? No Christian bumper stickers or other outward personal identifying stuff? What if the Yellow Pages didn’t have a “church” category and if you Googled “church” it came up with no search results? What if there was no such “thing” as the church? Would there still be a church?

What if we, as the church, were invisible? What if we simply lived the life of Jesus, speaking and displaying his love to the people we knew and came in contact with on a daily basis? What if we as followers of Jesus simply did just that? What if we gathered quietly in homes to break bread and encourage each other in Christ; where our goal would be to simply live as agents of God’s restoration, serving God and the “other” in real and tangible ways? What if church were not a weekend thing, but a people who radically lived behind the cultural scenes bringing God’s kingdom to earth?

What if God’s church was more like a tiny mustard seed instead of trying to be the biggest oak tree on the hill? What if Jesus’ church was more like a tiny amount of yeast…itself unnoticed, yet quietly transforming and restoring people and, in turn, culture? What if the Holy Spirit’s church sought to be the last and the least—a servant? What if the church daily sought self-death—dying to itself and loosing its life in order to find it—instead of doing all it can to save its life? What if God’s church chose to sit down in the least honored seat of society and culture, instead of clamoring and fighting for the most prestigious one? What if the church “thing” disappeared and all that was left was the church—people who realize they are forgiven and loved by God and who actively want to be a part of his restorative and healing work in lives of other’s?

In other words, what if the church was invisible—or even better: visible, yet invisible? What if?

Radical Christianity

About six years ago, I was sitting with my then four-year old son watching TV.  On the screen they showed one of the recently captured terrorist.  His hair was ruffled, his eyes were puffy, and he looked like an overall wreck.  To me, he looked like he was breathing, so he looked like he was doing too well.  My four-year old on the other hand, he asks, "Do you think that man knows that God loves him?"

Wow.  I remember thinking back then how awesome it was that God can speak directly to your heart through your own child.  I'd like to say that I've been praying for terrorists for the past six years but that would be a lie.  My epiphany on loving my enemies lasted all of a day or two.

How can I love someone that would kill innocent women and children?  How can I love someone, that if I was ever in the wrong place, at the wrong time, they would kill me and my family because I'm an American or because I worship Jesus and not Allah?  How could God ask me to do that?

I guess maybe...because the cross is bigger than their sin...and without the cross...my sin is just as great.

I blogroll this site called, There's Something Deep Inside.  On it there's a post about this site called, Adopt a Terrorist for Prayer.  This brought back memories of when God spoke to me about loving my enemies through the innocent eyes of my son

Now this is radical Christianity.

Join the fight - stop TV violence

Join the fight to stop violence? Sounds like an oxymoron doesn't it? OK, so what I mean is, join the blog campaign to at least raise the awareness that violence on TV is hurting our children and our families.

If you're interested in joining the campaign, visit A Campaign for Non Violence on TV and submit an article expressing your concern. I've joined the campaign and have an article posted on the site. At a minimum, visit the blog to learn more about this important issue.

Thank you to Jenisle for sponsoring this important awareness campaign. Now that's a good reason to blog.


Visit Jenisle's other blogs while you're at it.

Random Thoughts
The Little Children
Working Abroad
The Clamor of Kalingna
Gewgaw Writings