Crux Probat Omnia

A Visitor Goes to Church: "Nature Calls"

2010-11-23T09:20:00.000-05:00

Okay, so this Sunday my mom and dad asked me to go to church. I put them off for like six months. Now it's her birthday. How am I going to say no to my mom on her birthday? So of course, I am going to church. The guys joked that I would go in normal and come out a Bible thumper. Whatever.

So I meet them at church. Everyone was dressed in their Sunday best... sort of. Actually, it was kind of nice to see all different kinds of people. I was wearing shorts and flip flops and so were some other people. Not the people up front, but okay. No one looked at me strange because of what I was wearing. That was different. I'm impressed.

Anyway, I get in there and everyone is shaking hands and smiling and saying Churchy things. I can take about five minutes of "I haven't seen you since you were fifteen!" and "Taking in the sinful life are we?" before it is time to get some space. Bathroom. The bathroom will give me space.

I look around the "Narthex" (whatever THAT is) dedicated to someone in 1948 and did not see any bathrooms. Uh... how do I get out of here? Surely this place has indoor plumbing. No way am I going to an outhouse. It is embarrassing to have to ask to go to the bathroom, am I five? So I head in one direction of the "Narthex" through the sea of people and end up finally concluding that it is in the other direction. Great. Not impressed.

I finally get to the other side and there they inside! Awesome. There aren't obvious signs. Even Wal-mart has obvious signs as to the location of bathrooms. So I go in and want to immediately go out. Truck stops and Waffle Houses have nicer bathrooms. I thought "Cleanliness was next to Godliness"? Not for these people. I will need to get baptized just to get the ickiness off me from the bathroom. Not impressed.

Now I'm in there and the dude talked to me. I understand being friendly, but not in the bathroom. He stood there welcoming me to the church and inviting me to the next HULPTC meeting all while I was trying to do my business. If I knew what HULPTC was, I would have agreed to go just to get a moment of pee-ce (oh yeah). Seriously? Boundaries my friend, boundaries.

It was a whole lot of stress just getting to the bathroom. By then, I was hoping for a short church service. I was stressed out!

A Visitor Goes to Church: "Getting In"

2010-11-22T09:23:00.000-05:00

Ok, so I decide to go to church today. You know me, it is not my thing. For some reason, I decide to go. Maybe I was feeling guilty about the other night... who knows.

So I pull into the parking lot and there is a long section right in the front with "visitor parking" posted all over it. While I don't want people pointing at the "visiting sinner," I'd park close. The closer the spot to the door the faster I can bug out after the snore fest is over, but, I get to where the spaces are and they are all filled. Well that's good, at least I am not the only visitor. Then I notice the cars have those fish things on the back and cross bumper stickers and such. Man... those are regular church people parked in the visitor spaces. Hmmm... guess they didn't really want me to park there.

I find a place in the back. It was right next to a car with a whole school of those fish things (like 10 or so) on the back of their van. What is that all about? There was also a bumper sticker that talked about the guy working for a Jewish carpenter... also strange. Anyway, I get out of my car and head toward the building. I realize I don't know where to go in. Even McDonalds has signs to tell you where to go. I didn't know where to go in! Man... no way am I walking in on some healing thing or some kind of weird ritual... all because I walked in the wrong door. I might go in and be on stage with the swaying singing people... not me... oh no. I walked even closer to the building and got even more worried about what door I was supposed to go in.

So, I decided to head out. Guess church wasn't for me today.

The Most Dangerous Question

2010-10-25T14:11:00.000-04:00

"Why?"

"Why" is by far the most dangerous question. Why?

The question 'why' carries with it two possible motives. First, the question 'why' can be used because someone does not understand an issue, word, process or result. This is the purest form of the question which is needed in scientific endeavors, education, and other worthy pursuits. These purest form 'why' questions have very simple answers. To be honest, when we hear the question 'why,' we do not immediately assume that its use is this pure form of interrogative.

Examples:
"Why is the sky blue?"
Answer: God made it that way.

"Why are we going here for dinner?"
Answer: We have a gift card.

"Why do men like sports more than women?"
Answer: Testosterone

Second, the question 'why' carries all sorts of assumptions and baggage. It is this form of 'why' that we most often encounter and most often use. 'Why' can be used when the answer is well-known, but the asker would like to drive home a point. 'Why' can be used in place of judgmental statements. 'Why' can be used in place of criticism. 'Why' can also be used in response to deflect an incoming question.

Examples:
"Why are you wearing two different shoes?" Baggage: "You look ridiculous and have no fashion."
[known answer]
Answer: I couldn't find the match.

"Why did you do it that way?" Baggage: "I don't like what you did."
[judgmental statement]
Answer: I did my best.

"Why did you allow them to do that?" Baggage: "I am criticizing you for your decision making skills"
[criticism]
Answer: Why?
[deflection]

The PROBLEM is that we generally hate the word 'why' because it means that someone does not like something we have done or did not like the result. Actually, WE ASSUME that and most of the time our assumption is correct. Most of the time the person is being critical or judgmental and we don't like that! It is never fun to defend what you have done or said or put in place or allowed to happen. The person in the office or family or group that is always asking 'why' is seen as the agitator. Always asking why is frowned upon. We don't like to answer 'why.'

That's sad I think.

Why?

Because the group that shuns the question 'why' loses out on the opportunity for excellence.
Because the individual that is Defcon 1 when it comes to 'why' is impossible to talk to.
Because the people who dislike 'why' do not want to reflect.
Because a couple who struggles with 'why' will not work through problems.
Because the real reason for processes and decisions are never discussed.
Because the 'why' herald may have good ideas and are dismissed as unwarranted criticisms.

"Why" is the most dangerous question because it is the question that we dislike the most and at the same time need the most. "Why" will keep is honest, committed to excellence, improve communications, seek the best for each other, clear away false motives, remove barriers between people, and lead to openness for ideas. "Why" is the gateway for all that. If we can just answer it.

5 Things I Don't Understand

2010-10-18T21:27:00.000-04:00

#1 I don't understand why people don't believe in Bigfoot. Bigfoot is also known as Yeti, Sasquatch, Grassman, Windigo, Skunk Ape, Almas, and many others. I mean, this big hairy beast is spotted all over the world. Something with that many names has to be around. Go to any beach in Florida and you are bound to find some hairy looking beasts on the beach there as well. Besides, the Bible is filled with giants (Numbers 13:33) and hairy dudes (Genesis 25:25). I don't know. Why couldn't there be some people living out in the woods... like... super hairy Amish basketball players or something. Maybe I have watched too many weird TV shows or watched too many movies. Could it be that TV has an influence on us and what we believe? No... that can't be! TV is just entertainment. TV does not influence me one single bit. There is no way that the world has influenced me through the television and pushed my finite brain to a belief that I am unsure about. The Devil would never work that way.

#2 I don't understand why I don't sound like a Christian.
I was listening to the radio today, actually I was hitting the seek button while driving, and I happened upon what I must assume is a Christian radio station. I also hit a Hispanic station while radio surfing and listened to that para los pocos minutos. Anyway, I was listening to the Christian radio station and the person was talking about an event she put on in a park... I don't know what exactly, but began to speak about how she was amazed at the "divine appointments" that she had seen. She commented that "God spoke to her directly" during this event and so on. I must admit, I don't talk about "divine appointments" and "God speaking directly into my heart" and I don't call every person I meet in church "Brother" or "Sister" and seek out "mighty fellowship" with others. Some people sound like that and they talk like that all the time. They woke up in the morning and "God moved in their heart" to open the door and "Brother So-And-So" was there to "testify" that God gave them a "divine appointment" to go to McDonald's and such. I have been a Christian for like 25 years... why don't I sound like one?

#3 I don't understand what the big deal is with the Chilean miners.
Did I miss something? I get that a mine collapsed and people were stuck and all that, but... doesn't that happen in West Virginia all the time? What is the big deal? I understand that it would have been tragic if they had all died (I'm not totally heartless), but again, other tragedies happen and other people go through trials... what's so important about these particular miners? Oh, and the wife and the mistress showing up to greet the same miner is absolutely Biblical... Numbers 32:23 says, "and you may be sure that your sin will find you out." It is also quite hilarious and worth a Saturday Night Live sketch.

#4 I don't understand where boogers come from and why picking them is bad manners.
I can imagine the Garden of Eden. Adam is there. Eve is there. Adam and Eve are walking through the luscious Garden. Adam stops for a second and digs for gold up his nostril. Eve immediately says, "Don't do that... it's bad manners." Adam says, "How do you know, we haven't even sinned yet." Eve looks at God and says, "A little help here?" God of course laughs and says, "Its snot my problem!" Sometimes there is a little boogie in there and he's got to come out. What is the big deal?

#5 I don't understand how once a month ended up being "regular church attendance."
I've got nothing else to say on this one. If God is important in your life, wouldn't you want to show up at His house all the time? Just sayin'.

Klingon Proverbs and the Bible Part 2

2010-10-08T21:19:00.000-04:00

I present to you part deux of relating Klingon Proverbs (fiction... I think) to the Bible (definitely NOT fiction... no doubt). You can find a kernel of truth in other people's bowls of popcorn. You just have to make sure it squares with the Scriptures.

"Pity the warrior who slays all his foes."

For the Klingon Warrior, I can see how this would be a real downer. For the Christian person, the opposite is actually true. Pity is the person who keeps all his foes. We are commanded to forgive. Don't forget Jesus told in a parable, "Then the master called the servant in. 'You wicked servant,' he said, 'I canceled all that debt of yours because you begged me to. Shouldn't you have had mercy on your fellow servant just as I had on you?' In anger his master turned him over to the jailers to be tortured, until he should pay back all he owed. "This is how my heavenly Father will treat each of you unless you forgive your brother from your heart" (Matthew 18:32-35). And of course, there is always Matthew 6:14-15 to back up that passage (as if Jesus needed backup), "For if you forgive men when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive men their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins."

"A sharp knife is nothing without a sharp eye."

There are many tools in this life that are useless unless you know how to use them. This makes perfect sense to me, but without stretching the above proverb to passages that speak about "eye for eye" or alluding to flint knives in the Old Testament (ouch!)... I got nothing on this one.

"Brute strength is not the most important asset in a fight."

As soon as I read this, a vision of the best movie ever popped in my head. After William Wallace's family was killed, his uncle, Argyle, came. At a fire, William wanted his uncle to teach him to use a sword (he had revenge on his young mind). His uncle said, tapping on his forehead, "First you learn to use this." Drawing a sword into the firelight he promised, "Then, I'll teach you to use this." Way cool. How does that relate to the Bible? It doesn't, but any blog that can use the movie Braveheart as an example is going well.

I did however just have an epiphany. Discipline of the mind is the point of the Klingon Proverb and the example from Braveheart. Romans 8:6 says, "The mind of sinful man is death, but the mind controlled by the Spirit is life and peace." A mind filled with the Holy Spirit and disciplined by Him will be one full of peace. Now that is something to think about.

"You cannot loosen a man's tongue with root beer."

Ah good ole Worf. I thought his favorite drink was prune juice? Anyway, I got nothing for this one relating it to the Bible. Apparently, root beer was not the drink of choice for the Israelites as they trekked J through the desert or of Jesus at any time during His ministry. That's okay, everybody knows Jesus liked Dr. Pepper the best. As a side note, Judas liked Mr. Pibb. Besides all that, the proverb clearly indicates that whatever beverage would loosen a man's tongue is something best avoided. I wonder what type of beverage makes people do things they wouldn't normally do? What would we have to avoid?

"Act, and you may eat dinner. Think, and you may be dinner."

Imagine yourself in the woods. A wild hungry beast approaches. This Klingon Proverb applies in that situation. I have been learning recently that patience when dealing with people and situations is often a wise move. People often work things out for themselves while others are being patient. People's motives and true selves are revealed while others are being patient. Patience is a virtue and all that.

"Mere life is not a victory, mere death is not a defeat."

The Apostle Paul writes, "Death has been swallowed up in victory." "Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting?" The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ" (1 Corinthians 15:54b-57). He also says later in 2 Corinthians 5:4-7, "For while we are in this tent, we groan and are burdened, because we do not wish to be unclothed but to be clothed with our heavenly dwelling, so that what is mortal may be swallowed up by life. Now it is God who has made us for this very purpose and has given us the Spirit as a deposit, guaranteeing what is to come. Therefore we are always confident and know that as long as we are at home in the body we are away from the Lord. We live by faith, not by sight." Please note, all this only applies for the Christian.

"Perhaps today is a good day to die."
See above. For the Christian, death should have no fear. We can be sad about those we leave behind, but what awaits us is so far beyond what we can imagine! If death must come, I sure know where I am going. Do you? If you don't, today is NOT a good day to die.

"To those who are overly cautious, everything is impossible.""Impossible" is a word that is only used 13x in the Bible. That is probably because the Bible is a book that shows us what IS POSSIBLE. Throwing caution to the wind is not what makes things possible. Faith does. Matthew 17:20, "He replied, "Because you have so little faith. I tell you the truth, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, 'Move from here to there' and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you." Matthew 19:26 also says, "Jesus looked at them and said, "With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible." And finally Hebrews 11:6 says, "And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him."
"If winning is not important, why keep score?"
All I can think of is those news stories about sports teams not keeping score to help the development of the children. I believe it was Earl Pitts that called it the "Panty Waist Society" or something like that. I can imagine that this type of statement works for other things in the Bible:

If sin is not important, why would Jesus have come?

If God's name is not important, why would He say over and over to use it well?

If choice is not important, why would He allow us to NOT choose Him?

If once saved always saved was true, why Hell?

Klingon Proverbs and the Bible Part 1

2010-10-07T12:44:00.000-04:00

I love Star Trek. I can't help it. I grew up watching the Original Series and Next Generation. I will watch rerun after rerun and not blink an eye. Like I said, I can't help it.

My wife says I can relate anything to the Bible. That is mostly true. For some reason Klingon Proverbs popped in my head today and I wondered if I could relate any of them to the Scriptures. The Klingon Proverbs are of course fiction (and the Bible is certainly NOT), but do they contain truth anyway?

I will share with you some famous Klingon Proverbs and relate them to life and the Bible. I hope you have fun reading them and that they make you think a little as well.

"Only a fool fights in a burning house."

It seems obvious that the proverb recommends a person be aware of their environment. One should be aware of things around them and not come to useless harm. I could not help but relate Proverbs 13:16 which says, "Every prudent man acts out of knowledge, but a fool exposes his folly." If you know a house is burning... get out. If you know something is bad for you... stay away or get rid of it. Makes sense to me.

"A fool and his head are soon parted."
Foolishness and "ruin" are connected 3 times in Proverbs 1o. Jeremiah 17:11 has the same flavor as the Klingon Proverb. Living a foolish life is not helpful in one's life and does nothing for them or the people around them. I would consider the Godly life and the narrow path the wise way to live, but that is just me (and a bunch of other people called Christians).

"The wind does not respect a fool."
The word wind is used 125x in the Bible. The Bible does say in John 3:8 "The wind blows wherever it pleases. You hear its sound, but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going." Past that, there is no Bible in this one. The Klingon Proverb does seem to speak that there are things that happen in this life whether you are foolish or wise I suppose. Job knew that.

"Destroying an Empire to win a war is no victory. And ending a battle to save an Empire is no defeat."
Marriage popped in my head with this Klingon Proverb. Destroying your marriage to win an argument is no victory. Ending an argument to save your marriage is no defeat. I like that one. Philippians 2:3-4 also came to mind, "Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others."

"A leader is judged not by the length of his reign but by the decisions he makes."
The Bible, especially 1 and 2 Kings, records the lives of many... you guessed it... kings. One king may have this : 1 Kings 16:25-27, "But Omri did evil in the eyes of the LORD and sinned more than all those before him. He walked in all the ways of Jeroboam son of Nebat and in his sin, which he had caused Israel to commit, so that they provoked the LORD, the God of Israel, to anger by their worthless idols. As for the other events of Omri's reign, what he did and the things he achieved, are they not written in the book of the annals of the kings of Israel?"
Another may have this: 1 Kings 22:42-45: "Jehoshaphat was thirty-five years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem twenty-five years. His mother's name was Azubah daughter of Shilhi. In everything he walked in the ways of his father Asa and did not stray from them; he did what was right in the eyes of the LORD. The high places, however, were not removed, and the people continued to offer sacrifices and burn incense there. 44 Jehoshaphat was also at peace with the king of Israel. As for the other events of Jehoshaphat's reign, the things he achieved and his military exploits, are they not written in the book of the annals of the kings of Judah?"
When you are dead, what will people remember of you? What will be your legacy? It won't be HOW LONG you lived, but HOW you live your life that people will remember. The fruit of your life will be judged at the end... by people and God alike.

"Great men do not seek power; it is thrust upon them."
I like this one, but why can't "great" people seek power too? God did call Abram and Moses and David and disciples and none of them sought it. God thrust responsibility on them. I did think of a Bible verse about being a "great" person in God's sight... Matthew 20:25-28: "Jesus called them together and said, "You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their high officials exercise authority over them. Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first must be your slave-- just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many."

"If you cannot control yourself, you cannot command others."
1 Timothy 3:2-5, "Now the overseer must be above reproach, the husband of but one wife, temperate, self-controlled, respectable, hospitable, able to teach, not given to drunkenness, not violent but gentle, not quarrelsome, not a lover of money. He must manage his own family well and see that his children obey him with proper respect. (If anyone does not know how to manage his own family, how can he take care of God's church?)"

"Death is an experience best shared."
Luke 16:27-31, "He answered, 'Then I beg you, father, send Lazarus to my father's house, for I have five brothers. Let him warn them, so that they will not also come to this place of torment.' "Abraham replied, 'They have Moses and the Prophets; let them listen to them.' "'No, father Abraham,' he said, 'but if someone from the dead goes to them, they will repent.' "He said to him, 'If they do not listen to Moses and the Prophets, they will not be convinced even if someone rises from the dead.'" We must share with those we love what we know will happen after death.

Part 2 Tomorrow!

Bible Bathroom Humor

2010-10-05T16:58:00.000-04:00

[reprinted from Troy's Sermon "Life of David: Loving Your Enemies" February 2006]

THE PITIFUL PIT STOP

1 Samuel 24:1-4 records for us, "After Saul returned from pursuing the Philistines, he was told, "David is in the Desert of En Gedi." So Saul took three thousand chosen men from all Israel and set out to look for David and his men near the Crags of the Wild Goats. He came to the sheep pens along the way; a cave was there, and Saul went in to relieve himself. David and his men were far back in the cave. The men said, "This is the day the LORD spoke of when he said to you, 'I will give your enemy into your hands for you to deal with as you wish.'" Then David crept up unnoticed and cut off a corner of Saul's robe."

So, David hides in a cave as he is being chased by a maniacal Saul. Saul and his men almost comically stop outside the same exact cave! I can imagine David thinking that his time had run out and Saul had found he and his men. David and his men go far back in the cave. David did not realize that Saul was taking a potty break and did not know he had tracked David down. David’s men encouraged him to kill Saul while he was otherwise occupied. 24:5-6 describe the kind of person David was, "Afterward, David was conscience-stricken for having cut off a corner of his robe. He said to his men, ‘The LORD forbid that I should do such a thing to my master, the LORD’s anointed, or lift my hand against him; for he is the anointed of the LORD.’"

I do not think that women realize this, but there are unwritten rules for men in public bathrooms and it is expected that each man is to know these rules. Women’s rules for bathroom behavior is unknown to me. I do not think I have ever been in a women’s bathroom, but men’s bathroom behavior is something I know about:

Here are the unwritten rules:

RULE 1: When using a urinal, there must be an empty one between you and another fellow if at all possible (1,3,5 rule)

RULE 2: no talking

RULE 3: look straight ahead or straight up (fake stretch if you have to)... no eye contact

RULE 4: when waiting, look mostly at the floor until it is your turn

I think King Saul was following some of these unwritten rules while he was in the cave. He must have been looking straight ahead and not paying attention to anything else. David came up and cut a piece of his robe off and he did not even know! David was a skilled warrior and Saul was definitely occupied. I think about this situation if the roles were reversed. What if it had been Saul in the back of the cave and David the one entering and taking care of some business. I see from 1 Samuel 19-23 that Saul would not have hesitated to kill David. He would have snuck up and put a spear into him as he had tried so many times before.
I find it remarkable that David was "conscience stricken." In the deepest part of David’s feelings, he felt guilty and could not believe what he had done. He respected Saul for being the "Lord’s Anointed" as the king of Israel and the one that God chose to lead His people.

Something to think about the next time you tinkle.

Lessons from a Church Dinner

2010-10-04T09:17:00.000-04:00

Lesson 1: Somebody will bring mac-n-cheese. Church dinners are nice because many different tastes and food choices are given. A person who is a picky eater should never shy away from a church dinner. Somebody will bring something you like. You will not go hungry. Plus, there are usually 3 or 4 different mac-n-cheeses to try. You can compare the same dish brought by different folks and be a food critic for the day!

Lesson 2: One person needs to be in charge. There are so many details that need to be nailed down. Leadership by democratic committee may not be the best framework for a big church dinner. Somebody needs to be the "yes, no, here, and there" person. It is that way with many things sometimes... isn't it? Sometimes groups we are a part of just need one person who will make final decisions and make hard choices.

Lesson 3: Food brings people. People will not show up for a prayer meeting. 0 people will show up for 2 children's ministry planning meetings. People will be hit or miss for Bible Study. A Mission's Meeting may scrape for members... but oh how we bust at the seams for a church dinner. How sad that something that has far less eternal rewards trumps those that do.

Lesson 4: Name tags make everyone feel like "Norm" from Cheers. A name tag is the pathway out of our comfort zone that prevents us from talking to a stranger. We can interact with someone we do not know or are lightly acquainted with no apprehension... their name is on their shirt. Knowing someone's name and using it allows for greater conversation. Knowing someone's name and using it enhances social meetings and deepens fellowship.

Lesson 5: The "Come Join Us" sign out in front of the church does not really work. Every church does it. "Fish Fry, Sat 7:00, Join us!" "Homecoming Dinner, Sun 12:00 Come all!" We should be honest and realize that only those people in the church will be coming to those dinners. The people who would want to come and eat (those who are homeless and hungry) know that they may or may not be accepted. Is this church a generous and open one or a closed tight knit one? No one wants to enter church and get strange looks... nobody. It might work if the sign said "All poor people who are hungry welcome!" but then we are saying improper things! I do wonder how you advertise an actual free meal for people who really need it?

Lesson 6: Usually, 400 people eat and 10 clean up.

Top 3 Most Overrated Christian Virtues

2010-09-30T11:52:00.000-04:00

#1 Grace. So often we mess up and fall short of goals we have for ourselves. So often we are bombarded by our friends and family with mistakes and insults. We sin. They sin. It all effects us. And what Christian virtue should be our response? Grace.
What good is to show good to those who hate you?
What purpose is there in forgiving someone who certainly does not deserve it?
Why should we respond with gentleness when the situation is a prickly pear?
     God asks us to have grace with ourselves. God asks us to have grace with one another (Colossians 4:6). He asks us to have Grace in those situations because He first had grace for us (Ephesians 2:4-9). God showed us goodness when we were all still sinners going our own way.   God showed us grace when we did not deserve it. God blesses us with gentleness when we have been prickly pears.
     Perhaps gace is not overrated at all. It is grace that patches up marriages. It is grace that allows a child to forgive the mistakes of his or her parents time after time (and they don't even know they are doing it). It is grace that keeps us from slipping into anarchy in our personal lives because we are not held truly accountable by those we love for the mistakes we make. Grace is definitely not overrated... it makes the world go 'round.

#2 Perseverance. Perseverance is keeping... Oh, never mind.

#3 Hope. One of my favorite movies has a quote about hope. In the wildly popular movie The Postman, one character addresses The Postman in saying, "You have a gift, Postman. You give out hope like it was candy in your pocket." Is hope candy? What is the use of candy when you have no job or your parent is ill or your kid makes life changing mistakes? What is there good to hope for in this world?
   The answer to the last question is absolutely nothing. Hope in this world leads to disappointment. The Hope that a Christian talks about is not hope in a better job or in a neighbor or in their favorite baseball team. Hope for the Christian rests in Jesus Christ alone (1 Timothy 1:1).
   Jesus must be the source of our hope. Our world fails us. Our spouses fail us. Our investments fail us. We fail ourselves. Jesus never fails. Not one time since the dawn of "Let there be light" has God made a promise that He has not fulfilled. So many promises came true in Jesus Christ which is why He is the source and object of our hope. Hope is definitely not overrated... it makes the world go 'round.

Technological Spirituality: The Wheel

2010-09-19T16:43:00.000-04:00

THE WHEEL

The Wheel is one of the most important technological innovations. It allows for quicker travel. It allows for timely commerce. It also eventually allowed for the construction of gears and other machines that depend on wheel-like inventions.

The picture to the left shows a normal wheel. To me it looks like a wagon wheel. What are the parts of a basic wheel?

It has a central hub is that which the entire wheel is built around. It is the hub that allows the wheel to attach to the axle. The wheel hub is so important that we call transportation points hubs. We call the piece of technology where USB ports and other wires come together a hub. It is the point at which all parts connect. Next, the spokes spread out from the hub and provide strength for the wheel. I must assume that weak spokes mean a weak wheel. The spoke absorbs the weight and tension of the wheel movement. Next, the felloes is the part I thought was called the hoop or the rim. The felloes are supported by the spokes. It is the felloes that give the wheel its round shape. Finally, the rim is the point of contact of the wheel to the ground. So is the construction of a normal wheel.

What does this have to do with spirituality? The wheel is a perfect metaphor for the Christian life:

* The hub of the Christian life must be Jesus Himself. We must have a correct understanding of Jesus and faith in Him for the wheel of Christianity to exist at all. This means we must know what we believe and why. This means we must have basic faith in Jesus Christ.

* The spokes of the Christian life must then be Bible reading, prayer, service, Sunday church attendance, teaching Sunday School, efforts in sanctification, and any other practice of the faith. These are those things that provide strength for our faith in Jesus Christ. It is these things that allow us to absorb the tension of the world and remain in tact.

* The felloes of the Christian life is the Holy Spirit... because it is in Him that we find the shape and purpose of the Christian life. He gives us understanding and direction. Even Jesus said that we would not be complete without the Spirit. He is our Counselor that leads us.

* The rim is the point of contact with the ground... which is of course evangelism. Our point of contact with the world must always be as a representative of Jesus Christ.

So, hitch up your wagon partner, and gitty up for wagon wheel spirituality!

Top 5 Movies of 2010 so far

2010-09-18T16:20:00.000-04:00

Book of Eli (January 15, 2010)
This movie will make you think. It is a post-apocalyptic movie with Denzel Washington and Gary Oldman. I saw this in the theater and got it on Netflix. I would have loved to see any extra features on the DVD.

Bounty Hunter (March 19, 2010)
Ugly Jennifer Aniston and Gerard Butler star in this romantic comedy. A romantic comedy in my top 5? Yes, it was good and does make it into the top 5... so far... the year is not over yet.

How to Train Your Dragon (March 26, 2010)
A family movie that is a must see. It was excellent. Excellent story. Excellent voice talent. An all around wonderful flick. Believe it or not this would be my runner up for best movie so far this year. It really was that good!

Despicable Me (July 9, 2010)
Another family movie that is a must see. It was excellent. Excellent story. Excellent voice talent. Great jokes and humor.

Inception (July 16, 2010)
Perhaps the best movie of the year (so far) and definitely Leonardo DiCaprio's best movie ever. And that is saying a lot considering I am comparing it to "Catch Me If You Can." which I loved. Great original story. Excellent special effects. Great acting. Good twists. I also liked Michael Caine's character.

TV Shows I Miss

2010-09-14T22:47:00.000-04:00

FLASH FORWARD (ABC)
Apparently this brilliant show got cancelled for the 2011 season and will not return. If anyone from ABC is reading this (and I know you are), I am at a loss for words. That show was a winner. If you could have Flashed Forward yourselves, you would have seen a banner season 2!

LOST (NBC)
Probably the best TV show ever. Can they make a spin-off called FOUND?

PERFECT STRANGERS (ABC)
Cousin Larry and Balki were a muchly watched show on Friday nights in the early 1990s in my home of origin. If I ever see reruns on TV, I will do the dance of joy!

DEXTER'S LABORATORY (CN)
I know they show reruns on Boomerang and I am probably too old for genius Genndy Tartakovsky's brilliant first work, but it stands as animated awesomeness. And I just found out Samurai Jack (also by Genndy Tartakovsky) is getting a feature film by JJ Abram's crew. Awesome!

ANYTHING STAR TREK (NBC, CBS, UPN)
Somebody...Anybody... New Star Trek... Please!

FRIENDS (NBC)
Funniest show ever.

SLIDERS (FOX, SCI-FI)
I think I got into this show its final season and caught up via Netflix and rentals. This was a good show with lots of potential. Five seasons is respectable, but more is needed!

HIGHWAY TO HEAVEN (NBC)
Looking back on it, probably way too much bad theology, but a riveting staple TV show when I was growing up. Michael Landon did great work in writing and directing.

JERICHO (CBS)
Two seasons was not near enough for this show.

JEREMIAH (SHOWTIME)
Two seasons was not near enough for this show either.

Robot Future

2010-09-12T23:32:00.001-04:00

Human ingenuity has always been amazing. Ever since Tubal-Cain in Genesis 4, human beings have been pushing the envelope with technology. Countless movies from The Terminator (1984), I, Robot (2004) to Surrogates (2009) warn us about the future that might be built and destroyed because of technology.

I have read two articles recently that makes me think the future depicted in science fiction is not far away. One was about synthetic skin that can feel. I can imagine burn victims or a person with CIPA would love this. I also saw an article that ought to make Stan Lee do the Myposian Dance of Joy.

"Crawling up vertical walls like Spider-Man could soon be a reality thanks to a new material being developed at Stanford University. The rubber-like fabric is covered with thousands of tiny hairs, like the feet of a gecko, that vastly increase the surface area and create a sticky "one-way adhesive." A small robot, called Stickybot, fitted with the textile on its feet can climb up smooth surfaces like glass or metal. Researchers are currently working to make the material strong enough for humans." The full article can be found by clicking here.

All of this seems so promising. I'll bet that's what they said at the beginning of the Tower of Babel project.

My Decision about Flaming Korans

2010-09-09T12:17:00.000-04:00

My last two posts have shown you a little of what my thought process has been this week as I reflected on the church in Gainsville and their God given mission to burn Korans on September 11. I have had to peel away quite a bit of bias and personal opinion in this case.

To be honest, the decision I came to I don't even like! Yet I believe it is the Godly one.

All my searching and praying led me through the issues and the questions to one basic thought:

Is burning Korans consistent with Scripture and what I know to be God's will? I thought of Acts 19:19 and countless passages about love. I thought of Jesus overturning tables in the temple and cursing a fig tree (radical to be sure). In the end, I found Romans 12:9-21 which sums up many of the issues with the Koran burning and directs my attitudes and thoughts.

Romans 12:9-21:
"Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good. 10 Be devoted to one another in brotherly love. Honor one another above yourselves. 11 Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord. 12 Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer. 13 Share with God's people who are in need. Practice hospitality. 14 Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse. 15 Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn. 16 Live in harmony with one another. Do not be proud, but be willing to associate with people of low position. Do not be conceited. 17 Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Be careful to do what is right in the eyes of everybody. 18 If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone. 19 Do not take revenge, my friends, but leave room for God's wrath, for it is written: "It is mine to avenge; I will repay," says the Lord. 20 On the contrary: "If your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink. In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head." 21 Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good."

The verse directs me in several areas:
(1) It is okay to have Godly-hatred towards evil and I must not accept it
(2) I must have spiritual fervor and not be complacent
(3) I must not take revenge for something that has been done to me or my people
(4) I must answer enemies with love

It is not loving (though satisfying) to burn Korans. The burning of Holy Books and flags is what the enemy does. Christians must be guided by God's Word. God's Word directs His people not to burn Korans.

Working Through A Moral Dilemma

2010-09-08T20:00:00.000-04:00

Issue: Dove Christian Outreach Center in Gainesville, Florida plans on burning Korans (Qurans) on September 11 as a protest against the influence of Islam in the United States. Their desire is to wake up Christians and the United States to the mounting evil threat posed by Islam.

STEP 1: DEFINE THE ISSUE COMPLETELY

Who?

What?

When?

Where?

How?

Why?

STEP 2: DEFINE THE MORALS OR ETHICS AT STAKE?

STEP 3: RECOGNIZE YOUR PRECONCIEVED NOTIONS AND BELIEFS

Emotional	Spiritual	Cultural	Background	Intuition

STEP 4: WHAT ARE THE OPINIONS OF OTHERS?

U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has called plans by a small Florida evangelical church to burn copies of the Koran on September 11 a "disrespectful, disgraceful act."

The top U.S. military commander in Afghanistan, General David Petraeus and NATO Secretary-General Anders Fogh Rasmussen have warned that the planned torching of the Muslim holy book by the 50-member Dove World Outreach Center could endanger Western troops.

New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg said Tuesday he defends the church's right to burn the books. He said that while he finds it distasteful, the First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution protects even unpopular speech.

Iran has warned the planned Koran burning could lead to uncontrolled emotions in Muslim countries.

'The Gainesville plan is idiotic and dangerous,'" said Farhana Khera, executive director of Muslim Advocates.

"We believe strongly this is something God has called us to do," said Wayne, associate pastor at the Dove World Outreach Center in Gainesville, where a large police presence is powerless to stop the event. A spokeswoman for the Gainesville police department and Alachua County sheriffs office voiced concerns for safety as tensions mounted ahead of the planned weekend burning.

Reverend Larry Reimer of The United Church of Gainesville said it was important to know that Jones and his followers represent virtually no one. "I believe they had 30 people at their service last week," he said. Reimer said he has gathered 25 clergy from Gainesville, including Jews, Christians and Muslims, who will be reading Jewish, Muslim and Christian texts this Sunday in a show of inter-faith solidarity.

STEP 5: WHAT DOES THE BIBLE SAY?

Is there a command or verse that matches the exact circumstances and informs God’s will?

Is there a story about the exact circumstances that explains through action about God’s will?

Is there a command or verse that informs God’s will based on an eternal principle that transcends circumstances?

Is there a story that explains an eternal principle that informs God’s will?

STEP 6: BASED ON THE BIBLE, WHAT IS THE MORAL COMMAND(S) THAT RELATE TO THIS DILEMMA?

STEP 7: PRAY, MAKE A DECISION, CHANGE YOUR ATTITUDE, OBEY.

Flaming Korans and My Take On It

2010-09-07T22:38:00.000-04:00

[All of Troy's comments are in italics to avoid confusion]

About 2 hours from where I live, a potential firestorm is brewing that many people are talking about and thinking about. I know a lot of people are wondering...
... what is right?
... what should I think?
... what if my church did that?
... what does my minister think?
Well, here's one OPINION.
Two blogs from the church's website in Gainesville, Florida are telling about the proposed Koran burning on September 11. If you did not know, the Koran is the holy book of Muslims.

They state:
The Koran teaches that Jesus Christ, the Crucified, Risen Son of God, King of Kings and Lord of Lords was NOT the Son of God, nor was he crucified (a well documented historical fact that ONLY Islam denies). This teaching removes the possibility of salvation and eternal life in heaven for all Islam's believers. They face eternal damnation in hell if they do not repent.

Most of what they state here is true. The Koran does deny the deity and death of Jesus Christ. But, so do many other people in the world who have no connection with Islam (Islam is not the ONLY one). Muslims will not enter Heaven based on their beliefs because Jesus is the only way. It is the same with any other religion.

They state:

The Koran does not have an eternal origin. It is not recorded in heaven. The Almighty God, Creator of the World, is NOT it's source. It is not holy. It's writings are human in origin, a concoction of old and new teachings. This has been stated and restated for centuries by scholars since Islam's beginnings, both Moslem and non-Moslem.

They speak the truth that Allah and the Christian God are not one and the same. People who say they are fall into 3 categories: misinformed, ignorant, liars. Christians do hold that the Holy Bible is the inspired Word of God and believe it holds this position by itself.

They state:
The Koran's teaching includes Arabian idolatry, paganism, rites and rituals. These are demonic, an ongoing satanic stronghold under which Moslems and the world suffer.

Actually, as I understand Islam, Mohammad was trying to get the Arabic people away from idolatry and paganism by offering one god. As to the satanic nature of the Koran, would not any holy book of any religion that draws someone away from God be an opportunity for Satan? It certainly can be used by Satan. Anything can!

They write:
The earliest writings that are known to exist about the Prophet Mohammad were recorded 120 years after his death. All of the Islamic writings (the Koran and the Hadith, the biographies, the traditions and histories) are confused, contradictory and inconsistent. Maybe Mohammad never existed. We have no conclusive account about what he said or did. Yet Moslems follow the destructive teachings of Islam without question.

To be honest, I am unsure about these details. Mohammad's family members took over leadership after his death so I cannot imagine that they waited 120 years to write stuff down. I do know that Muslims sure do follow the teachings without question. I hope that I follow Jesus Christ in the same manner. I hope that my faith permeates my life.

They state:
Mohammad's life and message cannot be respected. The first Meccan period of his leadership seems to have been religiously motivated and a search for the truth. But in the second Medina period he was "corrupted by power and worldly ambitions." (Ibn Warraq) These are characteristics that God hates. They also led to political assassinations and massacres which continue to be carried out on a regular basis by his followers today.

From my study of Islam, these statements would be correct. Mohammad perhaps began with pure motives, but it developed into armed murderous war very soon. Mohammad sought to change the fabric of his Bedouin (herding, mobile, polytheistic) lifestyle and did it with religion. He took up arms when he did not get his way. He did this from the beginning. Make no mistake, Islam is a bloody religion. Of course, Christians have a little thing called the Crusades which bloody our hands as well.

They state:
Islamic Law is totalitarian in nature. There is no separation of church and state. It is irrational. It is supposedly immutable and cannot be changed. It must be accepted without criticism. It has many similarities to Nazism, Communism and Fascism. It is not compatible with Western Civilization.

I believe this statement to be 90% factually accurate and 10% opinion. The theocratic (religion + government) nature of Islam is its greatest strength and danger. Israel was just as strong and itself was a theocracy before Saul and David in the Old Testament.

Opinion = irrational

Opinion = similarities to Nazism, Communism, Fascism (what doesn't... pretty broad categories here)

They state:

Islam is not compatible with democracy and human rights. The notion of a moral individual capable of making decisions and taking responsibility for them does not exist in Islam. The attitude towards women in Islam as inferior possessions of men has led to countless cases of mistreatment and abuse for which Moslem men receive little or no punishment, and in many cases are encouraged to commit such acts, and are even praised for them. This is a direct fruit of the teachings of the Koran.

Theocracy is in fact opposed to democracy. Islam does teach morals so I'm not sure about he truthfulness of all that. Women certainly are looked at differently and in my American view... poorly. Yet, that is my American (cultural) view. Some may look down on my belief that a woman should not preach. That is a religious conviction of mine.

They state:

A Muslim does not have the right to change his religion. Apostasy is punishable by death.

100% true. It is commanded in the Koran and practiced. We had a case here in Florida about a young girl running from her family up north because she converted to Christianity. Don't forget the terror of that teenage girl.

They state:

Deep in the Islamic teaching and culture is the irrational fear and loathing of the West.

100% true. Don't forget, Islam is BOTH religion and government. Therefore, if the West makes a political move... they see it as a religious one. For us they are different. For them, it is one and the same. Politically "the West" and other parts of the world have been enemies. Thus, enemies of Islam. This is why a President or Premier or Secretary of State cannot make political moves in the Middle East without taking religion into full consideration. You deal with both.

They state:

Islam is a weapon of Arab imperialism and Islamic colonialism. Wherever Islam has or gains political power, Christians, Jews and all non-Moslems receive persecution, discrimination, are forced to convert. There are massacres and churches, synagogues, temples and other places of worship are destroyed.

100% true. The tenets of Islam state that all should convert or die. The Great Commission also tells Christians to go and convert the world, but death is not part of the equation... but it has been part of the practice... make no mistake. The Dark Ages were called the Dark Ages for a reason.

Well, to be honest, this post is longer than I would like it to be. I hope perhaps this post has shed a little light on Islam and the church in Gainesville. To be honest, I am still reading about the church and forming my opinion. I am searching the Scriptures (not the ones they sight exactly) to see what my God-informed opinion should be.

Won't you do the same?

Look Around You

2010-09-07T20:14:00.000-04:00

Look around you O Christian

What is it you see? What do you hear?

This world is stripped of its glory

Full of death and hate and fear.

Man has come to a point

Sodom and Gomorrah reign supreme

What is it on Earth?

What good can anyone glean?

God denied Himself; He came to Earth

He was God, He was Man, truly divine

He lived and died for all

He said, “Not My will but Thine.”

It is because of this

That many souls should be lit

Look around you O Christian

Be in it, but not of it.

Revolution

2010-09-06T20:16:00.000-04:00

“REVOLUTION”

“Revolution” is a great word. One of the first times I can recall it being used in history class was in regards to the French Revolution which gave birth to the American Revolution. And for some reason the movie ‘V for Vendetta’ pops in my head, but I cannot seem to remember why. If you have seen the movie, you probably get my reference. If you haven’t, shame on you… it is a great flick.

What is a revolution? A revolution is the challenging of the status quo and a radical change to a new way of doing things. It was a revolution to go from farming to industry; I guess that’s why they call it the Industrial Revolution. It was a huge change to give women the right to vote and allow them the same access to society as men have had… hence the Sexual Revolution. A revolution is a huge climactic shift in the way life is run.

Make no mistake, Jesus brought revolution. He says in Matthew 10:34-40, “⁴Do not suppose that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I did not come to bring peace, but a sword. ³⁵ For I have come to turn "'a man against his father, a daughter against her mother, a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law-- ³⁶ a man's enemies will be the members of his own household.' ³⁷ "Anyone who loves his father or mother more than me is not worthy of me; anyone who loves his son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me; ³⁸ and anyone who does not take his cross and follow me is not worthy of me. ³⁹ Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it. ⁴⁰ "He who receives you receives me, and he who receives me receives the one who sent me.” Blam. Give me liberty or give me a boot overboard. Jesus Himself states that He came to change the way people relate to one another and most importantly… how we relate to God. The way to God is opposite of what we thought… less is more… greatest is least… finding means losing. None of it makes sense.

Before Jesus, we were dependent on sacrifices to get to God. Before Jesus, members of a household would all hold the same religion in most cultures. Before Jesus, greatness meant wealth and power and the amount of servants one had. Yet Jesus brings a spiritual life to all that would follow that means taking up a cross (self-denial), humbleness, and a whole host of other life altering attitudes. Anyone can become a Christian and it is not up to a father or mother or government to decide who can and cannot come to God. Jesus brought a revolution in providing personal access to God.

Life seems to be topsy-turvy when it comes to what Jesus feels is important. The World says money, stepping on others, pleasures of the flesh, power, and self are the be-all of existence. Yet Jesus says it is a life spent with God in humble service and peace that brings greatness. What a revolution!

Pictured Heaven

2010-09-05T20:12:00.001-04:00

The pictured Heaven in Your Word

Is all that I desire

The ultimate peace and rest and love

Is all that I require.

Lord, I long for this promised place

With streets of gold

That reflect inconceivable bright

In the penetrating glory from Your throne

The pictured Heaven in Your Word

With the Crystal Sea, stretching all the way

My grandpa is catching fish there now

And I will join him someday.

Lord how glorious You must be

In my flesh I truly cannot imagine

How big, how bright, how tall

Just one small handbreath must be.

The pictured Heaven in Your Word

I will wait my whole lifespan

And before I go, my God my King

I’ll bring as many with me as I can.

As For Me

2010-09-04T20:13:00.000-04:00

As For Me

As for me and my house

We will serve the Lord.

As for me and my walk

Christ and I are in one accord.

As for me and my heart

Inside is only love.

As for me and my sight

It will only look above.

As for me and my brain

Christ will always be the thought.

As for me and my sin,

That, Christ has already bought.

As for me and my zeal,

Only for Christ it will be.

As for me and my chains,

Christ has set me free.

Grace

2010-09-03T20:11:00.000-04:00

Grace

Our Lord is grace

Grace extends to all

All can know Him

Him who lives is loving

Loving through the centuries

Centuries He has existed and cared
Cared for man only

Only for us He is

Is He your God?

Minority Report

2010-09-02T09:07:00.000-04:00

Every so often, an issue comes up in a church that is an absolute pain in the butt to deal with. Most of the time it is tied to a particular person, but the really gnawing issues are not tied to any one person, but are linked to differences in opinion or differences in interpretation of Scripture.

To be honest, there are several issues that often chafe a minister's day when he (yes I said just "he"... we'll get to that in a minute) must deal with the issue. One might be when someone calls whose parent is a "member" of the church, but hasn't attended for 55 years and wants a personal intimate funeral using all the facilities and a cherry on top and wants to be assured that the beloved luke warm parent is indeed in Heaven. Another might be the congregation recommends a person for elder or deacon who is obviously not qualified. Still another would be women teaching in the church. It is this last one which comes up every so often and one that has come up recently for me.

ISSUE / RELATED ISSUES:
1) What is the leadership role of women in the church?
2) What is the leadership role of men in the church?
3) Can a woman teach or have authority over a man?
4) What does the Bible teach about the issue of men and women in leadership?
a) Are those passages binding in today's world?
b) Are there societal issues that should be addressed with this issue?

I have found myself in the minority often in this issue. At what point does a person who holds a minority view decide that he or she is in fact wrong? If everyone else looks at an issue, looks at the Bible, and comes up with a different opinion... when does one admit that they are wrong?
Or, does one simply not give in and hold true to one's convictions.

Thoughts?

Somebody Else's Blog

2010-09-01T12:04:00.000-04:00

FROM DOUG WILSON'S BLOG

Suppose that an American daisy-cutter bomb had been dropped on Mecca, and blew up their sacred rock. Suppose further that through a series of circumstances, a Southern Baptist gentleman proposed building a Christian chapel on the lip of that crater. We would be justified in suppposing this man to be any number of things, but one of the things he emphatically would not be is a moderate.

The fact that he would not be a moderate would not make him a terrorist, of course. It would just make him not a moderate. He would be doing something provocative, and he would be doing it on purpose. If he denied being provocative, this would simply make him a dishonest non-moderate. A real moderate would have stayed home.

Our secularists tend not to see this because they have made the fatal mistake of believing their own propaganda. All religious differences, they think, are mere denominational differences, and they are prepared to unbend liberally when it comes to such denominational distinctives, considered as such. They say, for example, that a free country should allow their Christians to debate whether to baptize with heads upstream or downstream. And then, with a patronizing pat on the head, we are sent on our way in order to debate how many angels our faith community thinks could fit on the head of a pin.

Religion, to them, is false, irrelevant, and pie-in-the-skyish. That being the case, they will treat forays by believers as believers into the political realm as blasphemous outrage, or as impossible contradiction. As a general rule of thumb, it is an outrage when Christians do it, and impossible when Muslims do it.

But on the eve of the Spanish Armada, a Roman Catholic Englishman could not be simply treated as one who believed in Purgatory, for example. Being a Catholic in that setting was a political act. When John of Leiden ascended to the throne of David in the Munster rebellion, to be an anabaptist within a fifty mile radius was a political act. We think that different churches are all listed in the yellow pages, so that we can know what time their services are, and that's it. But it is anachronistic to impose that mentality on those periods of (most of) history when politics and religion mingled in public together. The two cannot really be separated.

The rise of the secularist heresy, and the voluntary quiesence of Christians in the West, created an optical illusion. It looked like politics and religion were separated, when what had actually happened is that secularism established her religion, but with a stripped down liturgy and creed so that people would believe that it was somehow a-religious. "Perhaps if we call it secular, then people won't notice how pervasively religious it is."

This technique was brazen, and it is the kind of thing that can sometimes work . . . for a time. It is like Christians calling their churches "non-denominational." But Grace Chapel, a designated non-denominational place of worship, is also, as it turns out, denominated (named) as Grace Chapel. Abraham Lincoln once asked how many legs a sheep would have if we call the tail a leg. Five, the answer came back. No, he replied, calling the tail a leg doesn't make it a leg. Calling it secular doesn't make it secular.

Secularism pretended for a time to be neutral about the basic religious concerns, and it was actually anything but neutral. Creating a religion of man is not the same thing as abandoning religion. And so after a time, the pretension wears thin, the contradictions start working their way to the surface, the old alliances and treaties are violated, and the old immanent gods no longer answer when we cry out in their temples.

This is why it is a political act to be a Muslim in America today. To be a Christian in America today is also a political act. It cannot be depoliticized by any ecclesiastical wish or theological whim. Meredith Kline has no wand to wave that will make any faithful Christians fit into this collapsing secular order. This is because our secularist overlords have lost their faith in the ghosts of Jefferson and Voltaire, and have also lost the doctrinal rigor of their convictions, and are wobbling along as best they can. In this crisis of secularist confidence, to be a Christian at all is a political act of defiance. The same goes for the Muslims -- because secularist idols can be challenged by other idols, as well as by the true God. The Muslims, however, have been quicker to see the situation, and quicker to exploit it than have Christians.

If the secularist state could somehow continue on, unruffled, for the next three centuries, a lot of Christians could continue on with their compromises with it. Sure. And if the sky fell, we would all catch larks.

But that is not our situation. Bricks are already falling out of their wall. Their towers are already swaying back and forth. The corrosive acids of their relativism have eaten away all the strength of their three-hundred-year-old mortar. Many of us do not yet see this. So? When the walls of Jericho fell down, I dare say that there were more than few Israelites who were caught flat-footed. But ready or not, here we come.

MTV Celebrity Deathmatch (Bible Edition)

2010-08-28T21:56:00.000-04:00

MTV Celebrity Deathmatch (Bible Edition)

Who would win between two legendary Bible prophets? These Old Testament men of faith are pitted against one another in a one time only event.

	MOSES	ELIJAH
Height	5 cubits	5 cubits
Reach	2.1 cubits + shepherd’s staff	2.3 cubits
Age	84	40ish
Education	Egyptian Royal University	Southern Judah Community College
Hometown	Midian	Gilead
Corner	Joshua son of Nun	Elisha son of Shaphat

Moses and Elijah face off. Moses has Joshua in his corner and Elijah has Elisha in his corner. The two men face off. One certainly older than the other. Both being equal in the minds of many as the greatest prophets of the Old Testament.

Elijah begins by calling on his raven friends to swoop down and dive bomb the elderly Moses. Instead of dive bombing Moses, they land and try to feed him snacks. Oooh, bad move on Elijah’s part. Moses turns his attention to his opponent and heaves two large tablets at Elijah. What a throw! The tablets smash on near Elijah, but only scare him a little.

Joshua encourages his mentor from outside of the ring. Elisha does the same, not wanting to be outdone by Joshua. Joshua then makes a bald joke at Elisha’s expense. Two bears run into the ring and rush against Moses, but aim also for Joshua. Moses calls down hail and pelts the bears out of the ring! Moses slams down his staff and the water in Elijah’s corner turns to blood. No drinks for Elijah during the round break.

DING!

The second round begins and Elijah looks thirsty. Moses looks hungry for victory. Would Heaven send victory down like manna? Moses calls forth a plague of locusts, frogs, and gnats and sends them at Elijah who looks on with courage. Elijah calls down fire from heaven and burns up the locusts, the frogs, the gnats, and the ring!

The two prophets stare off at one another across the bare scorched ground. Moses calls forth water from a nearby rock and sends a flood towards Elijah. Elijah took his cloak, rolled it up and struck the water with it. The water divided to the right and to the left, and not a drop touched him.

DING!

The third round begins with the two prophets slipping in the mud like two pigs… well… never mind. Both men struggle to stay upright. Moses falls and almost breaks a hip. Joshua wants to run in and save him, but must be strong and courageous from the sidelines. Elisha hopes he will do doubly well when it is his turn.

Elijah laughs, but falls himself. Elijah raises his hand and a chariot of fire appears and he hops on. The chariot flies around and around swooping down on Moses. Moses calls a pillar of smoke down and Elijah cannot see the elderly lawgiver. Elijah gets caught up in the whirlwind and the smoke creeps away. The whirlwind takes Elijah away. Moses looks on.

DING!

Draw.

Tips for Visiting a Church Without Being Noticed

2010-08-26T10:03:00.000-04:00

Here are some things you can do when you visit a church if you just want to check everything out and you don't really want to get to know people or have a lot of awkward conversations.

First, bring the BIG coffee table Bible. Back in the day, every family used to have the 15 pound coffee table Bible. It was usually hard backed and leather bound. Make sure you bring that with you and hold it in front of you. This accomplishes two things. First, you appear so holy that everyone will think you belong there. Second, it is a barrier to anyone who gets near you and you can fend off the deacons with it when they try and get offering from you.

Second, wear an outlandish feathery hat (this applies to ladies only... unless you are trying to pull off a flaming homosexual vibe... which also works... see number three below). Every church has a "crazy church lady." If you appear to be a "crazy church lady" then you will be avoided by the "normal" church people. It also helps if the hat matches your dress and shoes and handbag and gloves and you pass out expired candies to the kids.

Third, wear a T-shirt that says,"I'm A Sinner, How Bout You Join Me." It is a common fact that church people avoid sinners like the plague. Even though Jesus associated with tax collectors and sinners, sanctified souls do not. It helps if your shirt is accompanied with tattoos or spikes of some kind. Spikes really work.

Fourth, sit up on stage after the helpful greeter says "come in and sit anywhere!" Most churches will have some kind of chair on stage for ministers or other officiants. Just jump up there and sit down. You will initially be talked to when they ask you to sit in the pews, but after that... smooth sailing.

These four tips are sure fire ways to ensure that you visit a church and can do so unnoticed. I promise.

8 Books on My Shelf I Think You Should Read

2010-08-24T12:09:00.000-04:00

"Well Duh! Our Stupid World and Welcome to It."
by Bob Fenster

"The Practice of the Presence of God"
by Brother Lawrence

"Quiet Talks About the Tempter"
by S.D. Gordon

"Map of Bones"
by James Rollins

"The Story of Christianity" Volume 1
by Justo Gonzalez

"Theology of the Pain of God"
by Kazoh Kitamori

"The Life and Teaching of Jesus Christ"
by James S. Stewart

"Not the Cross but the Crucified: An Essay in Soteriology"
by H.E. Mertens

Why is the Bible not here? Because it is in my heart, not on my shelf.

Emotions

2010-08-22T14:05:00.000-04:00

Anger is being falsely accused
Annoyance is being asked the same question several times
Contempt is Pennsylvania
Disgust is the worst word ever
Irritation is loudness when driving
Anxiety is paying for retirement
Embarrassment is him on stage blowing kisses to the girls
Fear is burying a child
Helplessness is sitting next to her hospital bed
Powerlessness is is bathing her while she hurt
Worry is not having enough money
Doubt is a luxury I cannot have
Envy is a red Dodge Viper with black leather seats
Frustration is giving a child the same instructions daily
Guilt has been paid for
Shame is a motivation to change... sometimes
Boredom is her asking every 5 minutes what there is to do
Despair is being left behind a year
Disappointment is leaving without saying anything
Hurt is that friends are scarce
Sadness is not talking to the friend for years
Agitation is being hungry on a diet
Stress is people not doing what they should be doing
Shock is someone revealing pent up emotions
Tension is speaking the truth in love
Amusement is television and movies
Delight is talking with them over a meal

Elation is child birth
Excitement is dancing with a girl for the first time
Happiness is death
Joy is knowing the call and fulfilling that call
Pleasure is Dr. Pepper and a Mr. Goodbar
Caring is a cold washcloth when having a headache
Affection is kissing
Empathy is working a job you do not like
Friendliness is saying hello first
Love is picking self before the other person
Courage is going back even when you don't want to
Hope is prayer verbalized
Pride is I can do it and I don't need your prayers
Satisfaction is a lawn well mowed
Trust is on the ring finger, but not really
Content is accepting what God gave as what was needed
Relaxed is BiPAP Auto M Series
Serene is sitting on the bank with the pole
Politeness is listening intently when it is your own stupid fault
Surprised is moving back home

Books I Want to Write

2010-08-20T17:10:00.001-04:00

"Job 13 Ministry"
A book about abusive churches and how it affects the staff people that work in them. The book would be divided into three sections.
Section 1: Characteristics of a Job 13 Church
Section 2: Living Through a Job 13 Church
Section 3: Recovering from a Job 13 Church
After the unfortunate success of the Job 13 Ministry book, a consulting firm would be set up to aid ministers and other church staff in recovering from rough ministries. It would also focus on sabbaticals for ministers to aid them in their ministries.

"969"
A fictional thriller about an archaeologist who races to find Methuselah's bones before an evil genetics firm does. The plot winds through the jungles of South America to the plains of the Middle East. Can the group of historians save the day?

"Parables Jesus Didn't Tell"
A look at the parables of Jesus in the New Testament and tell them in a different way... changing the stories. The retelling of the story highlights Jesus' original point and the purpose of each parable. The parables could also be related to modern situations (including technology) and see how the eternal parables of Jesus still apply.

"Him and Her Talk About the Bible"
This book would be written with my wife. Men and women think differently about a whole range of topics. It might be neat to take a passage and see how a husband and wife think about the same passage from different gender perspectives. It would be a two column format so you could read their thoughts side by side.

[All ideas presented in this Blog are intellectual property of Troy Borst 2010]

Bowing Out Gracefully (A Complaint)

2010-08-19T23:43:00.000-04:00

I am in a complaining mood...

When you wish to leave a job, you write a polite letter and give the company two weeks notice or whatever is agreed upon at the time of hiring. Right?

If you wish to close an account with a bank, you must go to a local branch and inform them of your desire to have what money belongs to you and you no longer wish to bank with them. Right?

A marriage relationship can even be ended, but one must file documents and have many conversations about it. It is often a long and drawn out process. Right?

If all of these situations are correct, and they are, why is it that people can "up and leave" a church and not tell anyone? Why do people leave a Christian community often without telling why or even having a conversation? Is not the Body of Christ more important than a job or a bank account? Is it not at least in some kind of realm with marriage?

For those of you who have done that... shame on you. You left the people in that Christian community without whatever talents you were using. You left the person in charge of the nursery without a worker. You left the visitation group without a partner. You left the VBS director without a volunteer. You left someone else having to cover your class.

Please write the minister a note if you feel the need to change churches.
Please tell the person in charge of whatever areas you volunteer for that you plan on visiting other churches to find a new church home.
Please inform those people who partner with you that you are excusing yourself from the fellowship.
Please.

The Colony Part V

2010-08-19T11:17:00.000-04:00

I have watched around 5 episodes or so of the Discovery Channel's show The Colony. One of the cast stated in the beginning of the show in an interview that it would be his faith in Jesus Christ that would get him through the toughest of times. I assumed that meant he was a Christian. I realize now that was a bit naive... because Mormons call themselves Christians and they are not.

Anyway, this self-proclaimed Christian has led the way since the first show in being "amped up" (the colonists word) when stressful situations come about. He has provoked fights as well. I have also noticed that he has a potty mouth. To be honest, he is no better or worse than any of the other colonists. The Discovery Channel obviously beeps the words, but he gets beeped as much as anyone.

What language is appropriate when frustrated... even in such a stressful situation and faced with death? This is a tough one... sort of. It is a tough one not because of the Scriptures (which is quite clear), but because of how we treat it.

What does the Bible say about language? Again, it is pretty clear...

Exodus 20:7, Deuteronomy 5:11 "You shall not misuse the name of the LORD your God, for the LORD will not hold anyone guiltless who misuses his name."

Psalm 139:19-20, "If only you would slay the wicked, O God! Away from me, you bloodthirsty men! They speak of you with evil intent; your adversaries misuse your name."

Proverbs 10:19 "When words are many, sin is not absent, but he who holds his tongue is wise."

Proverbs 12:18 "Reckless words pierce like a sword, but the tongue of the wise brings healing."

Matthew 5:34-37 "But I tell you, Do not swear at all: either by heaven, for it is God's throne; or by the earth, for it is his footstool; or by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the Great King. And do not swear by your head, for you cannot make even one hair white or black. Simply let your 'Yes' be 'Yes,' and your 'No,' 'No'; anything beyond this comes from the evil one."

Ephesians 4:29 "Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen."

The verses that speak about our language go on and on in Scripture. It is quite clear that dirty language, taking the Lord's name in vain (in any form), harmful words, or any type of language meant to swear or curse is a sin. It is a sin each and every time we say bad words. I said before this is a tough one. It is not tough because of the Bible. Dirty language = sin. Yet, when faced with an attacker in a disaster situation, I probably/might/could call him a *&^%$ rather than "oh you bad person you." The *&^%$ would perhaps scare them away (or anger them further). Using nice words, "get thee away from me and mine you baddy" we would assume would not be effective.

We do not consider bad language a horrible sin. Christian people say "Oh My God" "OMG" (even children), "Jesus Christ" and ten other incarnations of the Lord's name in vain and we frown upon it, but not like murder or stealing. We consider it a bad habit that should be broken in the process of sanctification. I can imagine in a disaster uber-stressful setting that bad language would be rampant.

Does this mean the person who curses is not a Christian? No.

Does bad language impact a person's witness as a Christian? Yes. Absolutely.

Would the bad language make a bad situation even worse? Possibly.

Is it always a sin to curse... even when being attacked and such? Yes.

Just because one is in a stressful "end of the world" at the "end of your rope" situation does not mean that morals or standards change. Wrong is still wrong and a *&^%$ word is still a *&^%$ word.

The Colony Part IV

2010-08-17T12:00:00.000-04:00

When faced with people coming to steal their food and supplies, should the Christian person defend him or herself even unto deadly force?

This is one of those questions that will divide good Christian people. The Bible states several things when it comes to taking another's life. Most of the time when thinking about questions like this, we will cite Exodus 20:13 which states plainly, "You shall not murder." But to be honest, the verse has nothing to do with our subject. The Hebrew word "ratsach" means killing someone with premeditation. The Greek word means to "commit murder." The Latin word means "to slaughter." Killing someone and murdering them are two different things. An auto accident can occur in which someone is killed... not murdered. However, one might use the car as a weapon and kill someone on purpose... this would be murder and called vehicular homicide. The Sixth Commandment (Exodus 20:13 above) states that we shall not kill someone on purpose and with premeditation.

So what about our initial question? When faced with people coming to steal their food and supplies, should the Christian person defend him or herself even unto deadly force? The Bible actually speaks to this I believe. I offer the following Bible verses when thinking on this subject...

Exodus 22:2-3 states, "If a thief is caught breaking in and is struck so that he dies, the defender is not guilty of bloodshed; but if it happens after sunrise, he is guilty of bloodshed."

Numbers 35:10-29 lays down, "Speak to the Israelites and say to them: 'When you cross the Jordan into Canaan, select some towns to be your cities of refuge, to which a person who has killed someone accidentally may flee. They will be places of refuge from the avenger, so that a person accused of murder may not die before he stands trial before the assembly. These six towns you give will be your cities of refuge. Give three on this side of the Jordan and three in Canaan as cities of refuge. These six towns will be a place of refuge for Israelites, aliens and any other people living among them, so that anyone who has killed another accidentally can flee there. "'If a man strikes someone with an iron object so that he dies, he is a murderer; the murderer shall be put to death. Or if anyone has a stone in his hand that could kill, and he strikes someone so that he dies, he is a murderer; the murderer shall be put to death. Or if anyone has a wooden object in his hand that could kill, and he hits someone so that he dies, he is a murderer; the murderer shall be put to death. The avenger of blood shall put the murderer to death; when he meets him, he shall put him to death. If anyone with malice aforethought shoves another or throws something at him intentionally so that he dies or if in hostility he hits him with his fist so that he dies, that person shall be put to death; he is a murderer. The avenger of blood shall put the murderer to death when he meets him. "'But if without hostility someone suddenly shoves another or throws something at him unintentionally or, without seeing him, drops a stone on him that could kill him, and he dies, then since he was not his enemy and he did not intend to harm him, the assembly must judge between him and the avenger of blood according to these regulations. The assembly must protect the one accused of murder from the avenger of blood and send him back to the city of refuge to which he fled. He must stay there until the death of the high priest, who was anointed with the holy oil. "'But if the accused ever goes outside the limits of the city of refuge to which he has fled and the avenger of blood finds him outside the city, the avenger of blood may kill the accused without being guilty of murder. The accused must stay in his city of refuge until the death of the high priest; only after the death of the high priest may he return to his own property. "'These are to be legal requirements for you throughout the generations to come, wherever you live."

Proverbs 6:30-31 tells us, "Men do not despise a thief if he steals to satisfy his hunger when he is starving. Yet if he is caught, he must pay sevenfold, though it costs him all the wealth of his house."

Ecclesiastes 4:12 recounts, "Though one may be overpowered, two can defend themselves. A cord of three strands is not quickly broken."

Luke 12:39 records Jesus saying [way way out of context], "But understand this: If the owner of the house had known at what hour the thief was coming, he would not have let his house be broken into."

It seems to me based on these verses from the Bible (admittedly almost all Old Testament passages) that there is a logic to answer the initial question. If a person is coming into your home at night, the intruder is free game for any type of retaliation that you bring against them (Exodus 22:2). They come at night and are attempting to do things unseen and will most likely seek your life and limb. As I see it, when confronted at night, one may defend themselves unto death. Are you guilty of bloodshed? Yes. Are you guilty of killing? Yes. Are you guilty of murder? No.

If the thief comes in the daytime, it is more likely they are a thief like Proverbs 6 describes and you must fend them off. They are hungry and in need... we should not hate them, but pity them. In any of this, I would say do your best to defend yourself (Ecclesiastes 4:12, Luke 12:39), but do not defend yourself with the express purpose of killing the other person. As I see it, when confronted in the day, one may defend themselves, but not necessarily unto death. Are you guilty of bloodshed? Yes. Are you guilty of killing? Yes. Are you guilty of murder? No.

The word "self-defense" does not occur in the Bible as far as I can tell. In the end, I guess I do not know what I would do until the situation came up. I know what I would do at night... most definitely. I wonder what I would do during the day. The TV show The Colony remarks that security is a primary need in an apocalyptic disaster. I would whole heartedly agree. One should present a strong defense in order to aid those in your group.

The Colony Part III

2010-08-16T14:38:00.015-04:00

Should a Christian person share all they have and be open, or would one's own survival trump in such circumstances?

As I reflect on my questions from the initial Colony post, I understand that this question is almost the same as the previous. Getting down to the base of the question, at what point, in a devastating uber-disaster does one's goals and aims become more important than others? To be honest, as I look at the word "safety" and other such words in the Bible, it is quite clear that "safety" and "security" comes from God in dangerous times. He can and will bless those in peril with safety and security.

I guess in the end for this question, the answer is the same as for the last one. If you have the power to help, you should. I suppose the hang-up I have is that one cannot predict if safety and security and peace will come from doing the right thing. That makes it a hard situation and one that is easy to write about in the comfort of home and not in an actual disaster ridden apocalyptic world.

The Colony Part II

2010-08-15T21:34:00.000-04:00

What responsibility for others, such as sick, elderly, or injured, would a person have in a disaster situation where your own safety and health is in peril?

My first thought with this question is... does the Bible have a comparable situation? Keeping in mind the TV show... the only thing that came close was the Flood in Genesis 7-9 and everyone drowned except Noah, Mrs. Noah, their sons, and daughters-in-law. I suppose that is one answer.

I then wondered about the word "disaster" in the Bible. It is used 119x in the Bible and all in the Old Testament (NIV). I perused the 119 times and found Proverbs 3:25-32 which says, "Have no fear of sudden disaster or of the ruin that overtakes the wicked, for the LORD will be your confidence and will keep your foot from being snared. Do not withhold good from those who deserve it, when it is in your power to act. Do not say to your neighbor, "Come back later; I'll give it tomorrow"-- when you now have it with you. Do not plot harm against your neighbor, who lives trustfully near you. Do not accuse a man for no reason-- when he has done you no harm. Do not envy a violent man or choose any of his ways, for the LORD detests a perverse man but takes the upright into his confidence."

It would seem to me based on this verse, common sense, and perhaps some "neighbor" verses in the New Testament, that a Christian person is bound to help the elderly, the sick, and the injured if they have the power to do so (here lies a gray area which I will leave gray). If you have medical supplies, you must use them not only for yourself, but also for others. In the TV show The Colony, the cast did this when travelers appeared. It was in their power to help and they did so. The travelers came back with friends and physically harmed the colonists and took more supplies. In the "real world," someone may have died.

The fact that the travelers came back and pillaged the colonists does not change the fact that helping was the right and moral thing to do. Who ever said the moral thing always turned out to be painless? The circumstances or the result of right actions do not change what was right and wrong in the first place.

The Colony

2010-08-11T13:36:00.000-04:00

As a super fan of post-apocalyptic movies, I could not resist Discovery Channel's new "reality" TV show. The Colony is a "real life" example of The Postman + WaterWorld + 12 Monkies + I Am Legend. A disease has struck and there are people stranded in a square block radius around which the show is taped. The people were dropped into an area devastated by Hurricane Katrina and must live out 50 days or so. Apparently I am hitting season 2 of the show... I am so sorry I missed season 1. I suppose that is what Netflix is for!

On the very first show, one of the cast, a carpenter by trade, remarked very candidly that it would be his faith in Jesus Christ that would see him through the worst of the times and allow him to endure. Only being 2 episodes into the season, I am quite interested to see how the self-professed Christian handles himself.

The first episode already showed him being a good neighbor to some vagrants who later came back and physically trounced the cast. It was specifically his "love thy neighbor" actions that endangered everyone around him. They lost water, food, medical supplies, and were physically harmed specifically because of his Christian attitude and action. Hmmmm. This may seem like a silly post, but under what circumstances does our Christian faith or virtue or attitudes need to take a back seat to practical needs and a sinful world. I know the answer, do you?

Thinking about such a situation (and having just watched BBC's Survivors TV Show)...

What responsibility for others, such as sick, elderly, or injured, would a person have in a disaster situation where your own safety and health is in peril?

Should a Christian person share all they have and be open, or would one's own survival trump in such circumstances?

When faced with people coming to steal their food and supplies, should the Christian person defend him or herself even unto deadly force?

What language is appropriate when frustrated... even in such a stressful situation and faced with death?

What types of activities are acceptable to survive and provide for one's family or group?

Clue

2010-08-10T09:58:00.000-04:00

Colonel Mustard. With the candlestick. In the Library.

My sister and I played many games of the board game Clue when we were younger. We played with my parents who probably had one of the first editions printed. The one we played with is called "vintage" on the internet.

Anyway, for those of you who grew up in a dull environment, Clue is a game in which players ask questions to determine "who done it." The answer involves a person, a tool, and a place. It is hours of good time family fun. The game is only won when a player can guess all three aspects of the game correctly. Each of the parts of the answer is important.

To be honest, the Gospel is much like the game of Clue. The Gospel Message involves a person, a tool, and a place. The person is certainly Jesus Christ. Jesus was the long awaited Messiah of the world. He was the plan from the beginning of time (and before that). No other person has fulfilled or can fulfill the prophecies and place of Jesus as God's Son (John 3:16-17). Jesus is the only way of salvation.

The tool is one that has become fancied as jewelry to many and is revered by others. It is often tattooed and placed on buildings. The cross was the absolutely worst way to die and is the origin of our word "excruciating." I once thought that being drawn-and-quartered was the worst way to die, but being crucified edges it out. The wooden cross was the tool used by the Romans to execute criminals in a most horrific and humiliating way. The tool of Jesus to bring salvation to all people was the cross of crucifixion (Philippians 2:8; Hebrews 12:2) in which he shed much blood, endured much pain, and died.

The place is one that is memorialized by several names. In Latin it is called "Calvary" (not cav-alry by the way). In Aramaic, the name was "Golgotha" which appears in all four Gospels. Both names mean "the place of the skull." The place in which Jesus died was an executioner's hill. The place on which Jesus' cross was placed was a placed steeped in the blood of many. It would have reeked of death.

Life is certainly not a game, but one might think of life as a battle or game of souls. On one side God is playing for the souls of those He has created and loves so dearly. The game has already been won. He is moving the final pieces in place before the end of the game. Satan is on the other side cheating, lying, and attempting to win and in the end will probably flip the board game over in disgust before being punished forever. Game over.

Jesus Christ. With a cross. On Golgotha. He done it.

Walking the Road

2010-08-09T08:10:00.001-04:00

I’m walking along the lonely road

Not a care to see

Jesus comes up to me many times

Can I please set you free?

What should I say? What should I believe?

He says He died for me

Me, I say?

Your sins I died to relieve.

I’m walking along the lonely road

Many cares to see

Jesus comes up to me many times

Can I please set you free?

It’s my way, I know where I am going

It’s my life, my vocation, my route

I can row my own boat thank you

I know where the river’s flowing.

I’m walking along the lonely road

Many cares to see

Jesus comes up to me many times

Can I please set you free?

He comes to me again, a hard time in life…

He comforts me when I tell Him not to

Who is this Man to me?

I realize that He is not just a Man

Who died for me long ago

Lord Jesus be my Guide, and please set me free.

Slate

2010-08-08T08:02:00.002-04:00

“SLATE”

When you hear the word 'slate,' what do you think of? Several things come to mind for me. I first think of Fred Flinstone’s boss at the quarry in the classic TV cartoon. His name was Mr. Slate and he was a slave driver of a boss. I then think back to the days when I watched Little House on the Prarie… oh yes… and I think of the slates and chalk that the kids took to school in those days. Ok, stop laughing that I used to watch Little House on the Prairie. You are odd if you didn't watch that wholesome hour of TV. I am sure there are some closet NKOTB fans or Saved by the Bell fans out there that should shrink in their seats. We all have our shame…

Then, for some reason, I think of the Latin phrase (I am pretty sure it is Latin) “Tabula Rasa.” “Tabula Rasa” means “clean slate.” A clean slate is a brand new chance. It is a do-over. It is beginning a new life with no handicaps. With God, we have the opportunity to have a ‘clean slate.’ Psalm 103:11-12 says, “For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is his love for those who fear him; as far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us.” That is a clean slate if I have ever heard of one.

There is a huge problem with this whole hunky dory God-given forgiveness that we peddle as Christians. The problem is not with God. He holds up His end of the bargain and does give us a clean slate. Just so you know, the issues we have with God and His Way are never His fault, but always fall squarely upon us. God does give us a clean fresh slate, but we look at it and we still see the remnants of what was written because we use a dirty eraser. For us, we still remember our sin. Our eraser is not as good as God’s.

We deal with guilt.

We deal with earthly consequences of our sin.

We deal with the unending temptation to do it all over and again and write our life with the same hand as it was.

So what is the answer? Honestly, I am not so sure. Somehow the power and fortitude and ability to get past sin must come from God. We can’t seem to do it on our own. And maybe that is how it should be. Life was never meant to be lived out on our own, but in constant tandem with Him. Only a life in constant contact with Him will be able to write a new story on our fresh slate.

What you learn in 4,383 days

2010-08-08T00:01:00.031-04:00

As of today, I have been married 4,383 days.
In 4,383 days I have learned...

Your wife will never act the way you want her too, and she is allowed.

Children forgive and forget almost anything if they truly love you.

If you give up on one marriage, you have absolutely no right nor should you ever get married again.

I change very slowly.

That I wish Jesus had been married just to see how He would have been a husband.

Love your wife as "Christ loved the Church" is impossible, but a worthy goal.

Laundry never ends.

Ignoring things helps, but only for awhile.

I would be a vastly eviler, awfuller, lowlier, lonelier, and more sinful person without her.

I should have waited a few years to mature before getting married.

Marriage is about dependence, a hard lesson for an independent person.

Marriage is about putting the other person first, even when you don't want to.

When your wife feels she is not defended by you, it ticks her off mightily.

When she says to be honest, she doesn't really mean it.

Personality differences are exacerbated by marriage 100 fold.

The only way my marriage will survive is if both people are under the authority and lordship of God.

Tact

2010-08-07T14:57:00.000-04:00

Tact (noun)
1. a keen sense of what to say or do to avoid giving offense; skill in dealing with difficult or delicate situations.
2. a keen sense of what is appropriate, tasteful, or aesthetically pleasing; taste; discrimination.

Believe it or not, tact, is a once used word in the Bible. You won't find it in the King James Version, but you can in the NIV. It can be found in Daniel 2:14, "When Arioch, the commander of the king's guard, had gone out to put to death the wise men of Babylon, Daniel spoke to him with wisdom and tact." The Hebrew word as far as I can tell means "to counsel" or perhaps "wise counsel." The situation was a stressful one. King Nebuchadnezzar had a dream and wanted it interpreted and found no help among his advisors until Daniel came on the scene. Daniel interpreted the dream of Nebuchadnezzar and saved the day. It was his sense of tactfulness that also seems to have won the day. He was able to maneuver himself into a position to help. Daniel spoke with Arioch and the king with tactfulness that enabled him to change their minds. I cannot help but notice that the context of the use of the word "tact" is a highly charged political situation.

Like I said, "tact" was only used once in the Bible... so is it not mentioned in the New Testament? The New Testament talks about tact in other ways. Ephesians 4:15 says (completely out of context), "Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will in all things grow up into him who is the Head, that is, Christ." 1 John 3:18 says, "Dear children, let us not love with words or tongue but with actions and in truth." I am pretty sure that these verses are speaking about what we would term as "tactfulness." Christians love to say to one another that we should always "speak the truth in love." Easy to say, but hard to do. A modern Christian definition of "tact" could then be "truth in words framed by love."

Being "tactful" seems like...

... beating around the bush (which I do not do)

... lying to spare someone's feelings (which I do not do)

... covering over someone's failure to their detriment (which I do not want to do)
... personal politics

... a good leadership quality to have

... it would be unhealthy at times in certain situations with people who need directness

... indirect un-needed communication

What does tactfulness accomplish?

... You can insult someone and they aren't sure what you just said.

... You can give criticism and have it be constructive and not destructive.

... You can bring up an uncomfortable issue in a relationship you are comfortable in.

So the biggest question of all... how does "tactfulness" actually work? I have no idea. In the end, after thinking a whole lot about "tact," it feels like a way of communicating that means you don't say what needs to be said.

Thoughts from anyone?

More Leadership Struggles

2010-08-06T17:06:00.000-04:00

The fifth quality of a Level 5 leader, as described by Jim Collins, is that he or she has right people in the right jobs and moves the wrong people out of the organization. This is quite evident in the movie 300 with King Leonidas. King Leonidas is an exemplary leader and fits most of Jim Collins' qualities of a leader.

It is most evident in his interaction with the would-be physically deformed Spartan solider Ephialtes (played by Andrew Tiernan):
Leonidas: "A fine thrust [with a spear]… Raise your shield, raise your shield as high as you can. Your father should have told you how a Phalanx works. We fight as a single impenetrable unit. That is the source of our strength. Each Spartans protects the man on his left by the neck with his shield. A single weak spot and the Phalanx shatters. By the neck Ephialtes. I am sorry my friend, but not all of us were meant to be soldiers. If you want to help the Spartan victory, clear the battlefield of the dead, tend the wounded, bring them water, but as for the fight itself… I cannot use you." (42:36-43:46)

Leonidas knew the requirements of battle and while he praised Ephialtes ability with a spear, it was his natural inability with the shield that kept him from the battlefield. Using Ephialtes in the field under battle stresses would have meant death to another. Leonidas had to make the decision to keep Ephialtes from the field and kept a disaster from happening.

In addition, before the final battle, Leonidas moves another in his organization to a different job. Dilios, introduced as the narrator of the story, is also a part of it. Before the final battle, Leonidas takes Dilios to the side:
Leonidas: "Dilios, let’s take a walk… One of the finest… but you have a talent unlike any other Spartan. You will deliver my final orders to the council, with force if necessary. Tell them our story. Make every Greek know what happened here. You have a grand tale to tell… of victory" (1:26:51-1:27:45).

It was this decision to move one of his finest soldiers out of the battle field and into the political arena at home that ensured that the upcoming sacrifice of the 300 would not be in vain, but would be lauded by a proper herald. At that moment, Dilios’ battlefield prowess was outweighed by his skill with the spoken word.

So, how does one do that? I have been thinking a lot about leadership recently. The rhetoric needed in this area involves skills of observation, tact, and the ability to make difficult decisions. Not everyone who is hired is right for their job. Not everyone who volunteers has the skills necessary to succeed. Leonidas used honest words with both men. Leonidas was firm in his decision with both men. Leonidas backed up his decision with logic and solid thinking. In the end, it was Leonidas who was ultimately responsible and had to act accordingly and move people accordingly.

Moving Forward

2010-08-04T10:32:00.000-04:00

I am now convinced that one of the most difficult aspects of leading in a church is adding NEW IDEAS and getting those ideas to grow roots. I suppose all people are creatures of habit, but I seriously doubt there is any other organization on the planet more stuck in its ways than the local church.

Our mission is to go out and reach non-Christians with the message of Jesus Christ. Traditionally, Churches have always been slow to adopt ideas that would reach the unbeliever. Why is this? The most obvious answer is that we do not want to wholeheartedly adopt a secular approach to do sacred things. We are called to be separate from the world. Our message would certainly be lost if we look just like the world we are trying to change.

I have a napkin sitting next to my computer with doodles and writing all over it. The doodles are a wonderful idea for my church. It would add safety, security, increase servant-hood, allow for better tracking of people, impress visitors, make my job harder and more rewarding, and lay groundwork for future growth.

Will this idea, like so many others, be met with gusto and then be dropped?
Will this effort sound good at the beginning and then be dropped because it just won't work?
Is this idea for the church even worth it?

Change is so very difficult. As I think about it, it is the job of a leader to identify the changes and direction an organization needs to take and then implement those changes. I must answer the preceding questions... not any one else. I must see an idea to the end if I am to be any kind of leader that is worth my calling. I must know if an idea will work or not. I must analyze the idea to see if the effort and changes are worth going through. I must be in prayer and consult the Holy Spirit about such things.

This all rests on my shoulders as the leader.
I am responsible.
I am the change agent.
After all, the napkin is sitting on my desk.

Christian Radio Wack-a-doos FOLLOW-UP

2010-08-03T09:35:00.001-04:00

So, I sent the following email to SpiritFM, a local Christian radio station:

Hello folks (Carlos and Abby I guess)!

I would first like to mention I enjoy the morning show on the radio. I listen to it with my kids often and we all enjoy it!

I am a minister in Tampa and have heard a few things over the past few weeks that brought a question to my mind (if you care to answer… you certainly don’t have to!). I do not know how radio works or how show preparation is done. Do you all (the DJs) have a filter or standard or person who checks the Bible lessons that you present on the air? I am speaking of the thoughts of the day and other Scripture lessons that are presented on air. I know the station is Catholic based… do the priests look over the devotional thoughts and Bible interpretations?

Thanks for all the encouragement you hand out like candy! I appreciate your ministry! Thank you.

Troy Borst

I received the following timely and impressive response:
Troy,

First of all, thank you for listening and for emailing. Carlos and I can only grow as Christian broadcasters through the questions and comments from listeners. We select the Thought for the Day based on the readings for the day (which is a "Catholic thing" - there is a book called the Magnificat that lays out each day of the year and has reflections, prayers, intentions and scripture focused around a theme - much like a devotional.) From there, Carlos either goes from his own knowledge or references his Bible. He uses the Life Application Study Bible.
Are you referring to one day's reflection in particular or is it an overall concern? It's an interesting position we're in - interpretation of the Bible is often times based on personal experience, so we take the risk of getting it wrong (we try to avoid that by praying for the wisdom of the Holy Spirit), BUT listeners love the reflections and prayer time, so I can't see us just reading the verse and moving to prayer with out some kind of reflection.
I hope you don't sense any anger or offense in my words. We appreciate any and all comments. I'd really like you to elaborate, as we know how important it is to lead people in the truth, not how we see it, but how God intends it.
Sincerely,
Abby

Christian Radio Wack-a-doos

2010-08-02T11:57:00.000-04:00

I have encountered a few strange thoughts while listening to Christian radio the last few weeks. I have not considered that Christian radio DJs might be a source of false teaching. Normally I would consider Christian DJs as a good source of encouragement and Christian thought. Yet, my experiences this past few weeks make me wonder.

I will give the three examples I have encountered:

First, while reflecting on Mark 6:37-42 the DJs had an interesting thought. Mark 6:37-42 says, "But he answered, "You give them something to eat." They said to him, "That would take eight months of a man's wages! Are we to go and spend that much on bread and give it to them to eat?" "How many loaves do you have?" he asked. "Go and see." When they found out, they said, "Five-- and two fish." Then Jesus directed them to have all the people sit down in groups on the green grass. So they sat down in groups of hundreds and fifties. Taking the five loaves and the two fish and looking up to heaven, he gave thanks and broke the loaves. Then he gave them to his disciples to set before the people. He also divided the two fish among them all. They all ate and were satisfied..." The Spirit FM DJs' lesson was that just like the disciples went out among the crowds and gathered the resources for Jesus' lunch, so we as the Church must go out into the community and gather resources to the church to help those in need. Huh?! The passage never once even meant that or even hinted at that.

Second, while asking for money, the Director of Giving for the JoyFM shared Isaiah 52:7 which says, "How beautiful on the mountains are the feet of those who bring good news, who proclaim peace, who bring good tidings, who proclaim salvation, who say to Zion, "Your God reigns!" She then proceeded to tell the audience that if they feel their feet are ugly and in need of a pedicure, that they should give money to the radio station which is spreading the Good News... and the woman's feet would become beautiful. She then sort of insinuated that giving the money that one would have spent on pedicures to the station would accomplish the same goal. Huh?! The passage never once even meant that. Plus, I tithe and give and I still have ugly feet.

Third, Hebrews 12:1 says, "Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us." The DJs (my favorite ones in the Tampa area) then stated that many times we compare ourselves to others in our spiritual walk and we should not do this. The verse says that each of us has a specific race marked out for each of "us" and no one can judge each other's race. Huh?! This one is a little debatable, but the explanation seemed awfully self-centered in its explanation. The Christian race certainly is marked out, but many aspects are in stone and "our" race must conform to "it", not the other way around (I am not explaining this well and am still thinking on it).

I guess I am reminded that every lesson we ever hear should be framed within the Scriptures. I am also reminded of Acts 17:10-11 which says, "On arriving there, they went to the Jewish synagogue. Now the Bereans were of more noble character than the Thessalonians, for they received the message with great eagerness and examined the Scriptures every day to see if what Paul said was true." We need to be careful of advancing interpretations of the Bible that may not line up with proper theology and doctrine. As a minister, I face this all the time. DJs face this and I don't know what their filter is for advancing right theology and Christian thought.

A series of questions can help figure out if a devotional thought is proper and worth sharing:
Filter for advancing right Christian thought:
(1) Is my devotional thought confirmed by other Scripture?
(2) Has this devotional thought been shared in trusted commentaries?
(3) Is this devotional thought supported by the Hebrew or Greek words?
(4) What does my minister/elder think?

In the end, be careful of your sources of Christian thought. They may not all be right.

OR MAYBE NOT

2010-07-31T20:50:00.001-04:00

Verses I wish were in the Bible OR MAYBE NOT

And Jesus said to them, "Seriously folks, don't bother becoming a follower of mine if thou wilt only doest it half way."

Judas asked, "Is it okay to say OMG and considereth this not taking Thy name in vain?" Jesus replied, "Stupid Judas, saying OMG is horrible. Don't do it."

Zaccheus pulled Jesus to the side and asked, "Lord, I have to lie at my job. Is that okay?" Jesus looked at Zaccheus with a weird expression, "Lying is never acceptable Zaccheus."

The Pharisees and teachers of the law came to Jesus and asked, "Rabbi, who should we vote for in the election?" Jesus answered simply, "Lordship extends to all aspects of life... even politics."

The prophet Isaiah had a dream. In that dream he saw crowds and crowds of people who thought all religions were the same and all roads lead to God's mighty throne. And those crowds went to the down escalator into Hell, because they were mistaken.

Thou shalt not quit going to church and then show up six months later expecting people to remember your name.

Thomas saw a cute Greek girl as they entered the town. He asked, "Jesus, should I marry that girl?" Jesus replied sternly, "Do not date someone who is not a follower of mine... you'll end up with a crappy marriage and have no hope. Do not date someone or marry someone who is not a Christian!" Thomas listened to Jesus and married a fellow believer and spared himself all kinds of heartache.

Jesus said to His followers, "If someone comes to you and asks for a handout, give to them no matter what. If they want to cheat God's people and steal My money, that is on their conscience... and trust Me, I'll deal with them in the end."

And Jesus said, "Turn the other cheek." "All the time?" Peter questioned. "No," Jesus said, "Sometimes people need to get punched out."

And Timothy (says the Apostle Paul), "Ensure the wives of ministers are well cared for. They often go unnoticed."

"Now the overseer must be above reproach, the husband of but one wife... and by that I mean no divorce..., temperate, self-controlled, respectable, hospitable, able to teach..."

"Only watch 2 hours of TV a day if you must at all (don't worry, this will make sense one day)... it draws you away from Me."

"Only make the joke that ministers work one day a week once. It is only funny once and then insulting the rest of the time."

Jesus looked out at the crowds and said, "Mormons are not Christians. Don't let them fool you."

"Ties and suits should not be worn to church. They are uncomfortable."

"Yes people," Peter replied, "You must be baptized under the large amount of water all the way in public after placing faith, repenting of sins in prayer, confessing faith in public, all for the forgiveness of sins and the gift of the Holy Spirit and no you don't have to speak in tongues to ensure it is real and yes once is plenty unless you are just doing it like everyone else at church camp then you are just getting wet so when you are baptized understand it is very important and necessary for being saved because it is the mark of the new covenant that you are a Christian. And after live faithfully and don't quit."

Babies

2010-07-29T08:48:00.000-04:00

I had the opportunity to hold a baby the other day. To be honest, I am not much into holding other people's babies. It feels weird to me. Babies deserve hugs and kisses and I can't do that to someone else's kid. I hug and kiss my own kids... that's it. It's me. Anyway, the one I was holding is quite special in my heart so I was able to hold him (no, no kisses though).

Babies are interesting. If you are ugly, they will cry when they see you. If you have a sweet spirit, they will be drawn to you. If you are funny, they will laugh. If you do something odd, their brows will furl. If they see something new, it goes right into their mouth. Babies have no reason to be dishonest and haven't the capacity for anything other than natural reactions. They sleep when tired. Cry when you don't do what they want.

Okay, everyone knows where this is going. Matthew 18:3 states, "And He said: 'I tell you the truth, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.'" You knew that was coming.

Why Jesus said that:
1. Children are honest and full of faith
2. Children do not hold anything back
3. Children are mostly eager to learn
4. Children are blank slates ready for instruction

I had an additional thought to everything you knew I was about to write. Jesus says we must be "like little children" to ENTER the Kingdom of Heaven.
What about once I get there?
Do I stay like a little child?
Do I remain in that frame of mind and with that kind of faith?

I absolutely love the Scriptures because it is the inspired Word of God and truly gives all answers. 1 Peter 2:2-3 answers all these questions through the Apostle Peter by saying, "Like newborn babies, crave pure spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow up in your salvation, now that you have tasted that the Lord is good." We must not remain as children in our faith, but grow as children grow.

So, the Apostle Peter builds on what Jesus said:

1. We must grow and expand our ability to be honest and full of seasoned faith

2. We must learn to speak to the heart of the situation and discern what needs to be said

3. We must be willing to learn

4. We must build on the lessons God forges on our slates

"Growing up in our salvation" is pure Holy Spirit inspired genius. We cannot stay as spiritual babies. We cannot remain immature. We cannot have blind faith always. We cannot continue to whine to God to get what we want. Growing up in our faith is a needed and natural part of walking with the Lord.

I think that we must be intentional about our spiritual growth.

I think we must accept the challenges of faith that come our way.

I think we must endure the valleys of faith and celebrate the mountains

I think perseverance produces lasting grown-up faith.

Yard Sale Mentality

2010-07-27T11:55:00.000-04:00

So, my children have decided that they would like to have a yard sale. They spent 5 minutes and collected a few toys and then asked if we could go outside and do the sale. Uh... need more preparation.

I wonder if Adam and Eve had a yard sale back in the day? "Come get our old stuff from when we were in the Garden of Eden!" "Used fig leaves 1 drachma!" The worst yard sale would have been Noah and Mrs. Noah after the flood trying to sell their accumulation from the ark. Also, I wonder if Lot ended up selling his "pillar of salt" at a yard sale later in his life?

What is the point of a yard sale? Normally, the point is to get rid of stuff you don't want and make a little money at it in the process so you can go buy more junk you don't need.

I am so proud of my kids. They have a new yard sale mentality. They want to have a yard sale for a specific reason. They want to do it and give the money to the church to help poor people. That was their idea. I think Jesus would like that particular way of thinking. After all, He did say to the rich young ruler, "If you want to be perfect, go, sell your possessions and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me" (Matthew 19:21). He also said in Luke 12:33-34, "Sell your possessions and give to the poor. Provide purses for yourselves that will not wear out, a treasure in heaven that will not be exhausted, where no thief comes near and no moth destroys. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also."

The kids have the right idea. Sell our stuff and give the money to God. Jesus would.

Praying To Santa Claus

2010-07-25T19:25:00.000-04:00

So, I am watching the season finale of the latest BBC incarnation of Doctor Who. One scene of the show centers on a little girl knelt by her bedside.
Her eyes are closed.
Her hands are prayerfully together.
She begins her prayer... Dear Santa...
Huh?
Dear Santa?
I understand that Europe considers itself post-Christian, but praying to Santa Claus seems a little far fetched at first. What do you mean "at first"? I have thought a little more on this and I can see where the writer of the program is coming from.
Well, think about Santa Claus:
1. He seems to be ageless
2. He knows when you've been bad or good
3. He gives good things to those who are good and bad things to those who are bad
4. He can do miracles
5. There are rituals when it comes to interacting with him
6. He has supernatural helpers

Was I describing Santa Claus or God? I forget. It makes total sense for a post-Christian British writer to have a little girl praying to Santa because in the end to them, he is just as fictional as God. Prayer for people who are not Christians is not a divine interaction with God Almighty. For them, God or Allah or Santa are all the same... fake nothings.

How sad.

On a related note, America is not quite there yet. How do I know? Despicable Me came out in July of 2010 and this movie also has a prayer scene. The cute little orphan girls are shown at their beds in a similar pose as the character in Doctor Who. The difference? We catch the orphans already praying and have no reference who they are praying to. It could be God, Santa, Vishnu, or the Tooth Fairy. They pray and then get into bed. Americans are just ignoring God I guess, not replacing Him with Santa.

P.S.
If you didn't know, prayer is much more effective than a letter to the North Pole.

Schlaf

2010-07-23T09:08:00.001-04:00

For some reason, when I woke up this morning at 7:54am, I wondered if sleeping in was a sin. Yes I agree, 7:54am is NOT sleeping in, but I wondered nonetheless. Then another even more scarier question popped in my head which I need to think through... "Do we/can we sin while we sleep?" According to an online poll at the National Sleep Foundation, most of us get more than 6 hours of sleep each night. As a side note, the site also mentions that giraffes go weeks without sleep. Weird. While I sleep, do I sin? And if I do, am I guilty of that sin? How do I ask for forgiveness for something I did while I was asleep?!

Sleep is a state of unconsciousness.
Sleep is a state of voluntary inactivity.
Sleep is natural.
Dreaming would be the most obvious avenue of sin while sleeping.

The Bible does mention sleep. Proverbs 6 is full of wisdom against too much sleep which is a mark of laziness, a path to being destitute, and a sign of being unprepared. But, it does not mention what happens while sleeping. We have one verse that does and this verse I will skip every single time I teach face-to-face. Since I cannot see your face and you cannot see the embarrassment on mine, we'll go ahead with this one. Deuteronomy 23:10-11 says, "If one of your men is unclean because of a nocturnal emission, he is to go outside the camp and stay there. But as evening approaches he is to wash himself, and at sunset he may return to the camp." Such things happen while sleeping and notice (without reading the embarrassing verse again) that the man was unclean and had to remain outside the camp. It does not, however, mention that such a thing was a sin.

On the other hand, dreams are a part of each night we sleep. Ecclesiastes 5:3 states, "As a dream comes when there are many cares..," Dreams are the working out of conscious thoughts and feelings and stimuli. Again, while I sleep, am I responsible if I dream Freddy Krueger, purple haired shoe models, Elmo and I robbing a bank, or anything else that we might draw out as sinful?

[time thinking]

In the end, I suppose all of this comes back to the fact that we all have a sinful nature. Let's just say that the Apostle Paul was an expert on the sinful nature. He said, "I know that nothing good lives in me, that is, in my sinful nature. For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out" (Romans 7:18). Better still he says later, "Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit of life set me free from the law of sin and death. For what the law was powerless to do in that it was weakened by the sinful nature, God did by sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful man to be a sin offering. And so he condemned sin in sinful man, in order that the righteous requirements of the law might be fully met in us, who do not live according to the sinful nature but according to the Spirit." (Romans 8:1-4).

Will I ever have sinful dreams? Well, probably. Will those sinful dreams define me? No, certainly not. In the end, sin is sin whether it is one of commission, omission, conscious, unconscious, voluntary, or involuntary. The sinful nature is simply something we must be aware of as human beings. We struggle against it day... and apparently at night as well.

Back to some of my questions (please feel free to chime in with a comment!)

While I sleep, do I sin?

Yes, I can, but it is not a regular occurrence.

And if I do, am I guilty of that sin?

If any sin is in our lives, we are guilty. It is the nature of sin.

How do I ask for forgiveness for something I did while I was asleep?!

The same way I do other sins. Prayer. Asking for forgiveness. Asking God to sanctify my mind and heart. Being aware of sinful dreams I've had so as to not live them out!

What do you think... I'm still working on this one...?

$19.99

2010-07-22T10:02:00.000-04:00

I was talking with my youngest son this morning and he asked me an interesting question, or rather, made an interesting observation. He asked me why everything on TV or toys in the store are all $19.99. Why is $19.99 so special? I told him, as simply as I could, that saying something is $19.99 makes it sound like it is not $20.00 even though it is. People think $20 is at times over the limit, but $19.99 sounds cheaper. Also, you visually see the 19 first and then see the .99 (a key)... making it sound cheaper than it really is. It is a mind game. It is the same with putting something 2 for $4. Most people then pick up 2 and the store has sold double the merchandise. Guess what... it was 1 for $2. All mind games. Plus, I just saw Leonardo DiCaprio's new movie "Inception" last night so I am already thinking about "mind games."

Make no mistake, mind games are everywhere. CS Lewis wrote about mind games in his wonderful fictional work, The Screwtape Letters. It is a book written from a senior tempting demon to a junior tempting demon learning to tempt human beings. In one section of the book, CS Lewis writes:
"Aggravate that most useful human characteristic, the horror and neglect of the obvious. You must bring him to a condition in which he can practice self-examination for an hour without discovering any of those facts about himself which are perfectly clear to anyone who has ever lived in the same house with him or worked in the same office."

Satan and his minions are all about mind games. Temptation is a mind game. Sin many times is a mind game. The sobering thought is that temptation and sin (and Satan) play for keeps. It is no game, but a struggle for the soul. The word "mind" is used 121x in the Bible, but perhaps the most instructional time it is used when the Apostle Paul says, "Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is-- his good, pleasing and perfect will" (Romans 12:2).

If indeed Satan is out to play mind games, what should we do? How do we "renew our minds" to defend against tempting mind games? (This list is for me... maybe make your own)

Be honest with ourselves about ourselves through prayer

Commit ourselves to apologizing and forgiveness

Be aware of thoughts that lead to sin... to stop our thought process before it starts

The AfterLife

2010-07-21T11:15:00.000-04:00

So, I have been re-watching an old scifi series from the early 2000s, named Farscape. It was one of the most original science fiction shows the SyFy Channel has put on. It broke from the normal template of science fiction shows enough to make it worthwhile. I have re-watched the first season so far. I was interested to note that in one of the episodes ("The Flax"), there was an extended conversation between characters about the afterlife. In a nutshell, the heroes are in peril and one of them must temporarily die. So, as they are preparing, a conversation comes up about death:

John Crichton: "When Sebaceans die what do you guys believe happens, do you believe in heaven and hell... all that jazz? Humans believe, well some believe that there is this bright light, and you end up somewhere else with your friends, family, relatives... all the people that died before you... does that ring a bell?"

Aeryn Sun: "Sebaceans believe when you die you go nowhere you see nothing."

John Chrichton: "Guess I will find out in a minute, huh?"

Later...

Aeryn Sun: "What did you see?"

John Crichton: "Huh?"

Aeryn Sun: "After the kill shot when you were dead, what did you see? Did you see the things that humans believe?"

John Crichton: "No, all I saw was black. Maybe Sebaceans are right and there is nothing after this. Maybe I wasn't supposed to die that time?"

It is interesting to me that the show presents two basic views about death. The first from John Crichton is the belief that there is a Heaven and Hell after this life. The second is from Aeryn Sun which is basically nothingness... the soul is annihilated after death. Reincarnation also seems to be quite a popular belief around the world, but Farscape didn't cover that one in this episode.

The character John Crichton certainly does not have Christian tendencies, so my question is, are Heaven and Hell beliefs a common human one? George Barna, Barna Article, certainly may think so. He writes, " Belief in life after death, like the existence of God, is widely embraced: 8 out of 10 Americans (81%) believe in an afterlife of some sort. Another 9% said life after death may exist, but they were not certain. Just one out of every ten adults (10%) contend that there is no form of life after one dies on earth. Moreover, a large majority of Americans (79%) agreed with the statement "every person has a soul that will live forever, either in God’s presence or absence."

Interesting. Perhaps the belief in the afterlife is quite widespread. Yet, the path to that afterlife is what is probably mostly debated. However, as I tried to teach my children at dinner the other night, the path to Heaven and Hell is quite clear from the Bible. Jesus said in John 14:6, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me." If Jesus had not said this, or said it in a different way, there could be a rousing debate. He didn't. We cannot. The only way to Heaven with God is through Jesus.

John Crichton did not have that hope.