Hollywood's Perception of Christianity

Recently, on a Monday evening, I watched a fairly new show called Perception which airs on TNT.  The premise of Perception is that a brilliant professor of neuroscience, Dr. Daniel Pierce (played by Eric McCormack), helps a former student and now FBI agent (played by Rachael Leigh Cook) solve crimes.  The twist is, this brilliant professor  is also a paranoid schizophrenic and regularly halucinates individuals who help him arrive at the identity of the culprit - thus the title Perception.  His "perception" is much different than that of the people around him, but it is his "unique" perception that gets the job done.

As with most crime dramas, someone is murdered and the rest of the show is devoted to finding out "whodunnit."  This particular episode turned out to be centered around a young man who claimed to hear God speak to him.  I rolled my eyes when I figured this out, as Hollywood's depiction of Christians tends to either leave me arguing with the television and determined to send a letter to the network (which I never actually do) or sitting there in stunned silence at the fact that anyone could get even the  basic tenets of Christianity so wrong.  This episode did not produce anything different.  The "hero" of the show, the brilliant professor, was not only skeptical of all things Christian, but had a good rant about the myth that all religions represent.  The only redeeming scene was when one of the professor's halucinated characters pointed out that Dr. Pierce's belief that no religion was based in any kind of reality was rich coming from someone who is often not in touch with reality himself.  Aside from that, it was typical Hollywood blather.

The more I thought about this, the more I realized that the problem with Perception is that the writers have the wrong perception (profound, isn't it?).  There could be several reasons for this.  They could be too lazy to do their homework about Christianity.  They could be writing from the perspective of someone who has been hurt by "religious" folks.  Perhaps they don't like what they see on the surface whenever "Christians" make the news (most often the "not-so-stable" fringe element).  Or they could really be antagonistic toward the faith and are all too pleased to make Christian characters look like 1) narrow-minded racist, judgmental, fundamentalist, hateful bigots;  2) dogmatic, anti-science people who come straight out of the dark ages; or 3) Stepford-esque mindless followers who have been taken advantage of by a "wolf in sheep's clothing" (my personal favorite).  Yeah, I could go on and on about Hollywood's skewed "perception" of Christians.

Problem is, it wouldn't really be fair to lay all the blame on the beautiful people...

Truth be told, there are plenty of Christians in church every week who have just as skewed a perception of their faith.  If we, as Christians, were truly living out what Jesus commanded, there would be a lot less to ridicule and make fun of.  We have this extraordinary Savior who wants His followers to live extraordinary lives in Him, but it turns out the followers aren't following all that well.  We're too busy either building our own "spiritual" kingdoms or arguing with each other about how many angels can fit on the head of a pin.  Can't imagine where Hollywood writers get their ideas about Christians...*cough, cough*

I read a short little book today called Epic Jesus written by Frank Viola.  It reminded me how amazing Jesus Christ really is.  It is kind of sad that I had to be reminded that Christianity was never intended to be a religion, but a living, vibrant organism based in relationship with Jesus who is, in fact, our life.  The long and short of it is that unless and until we stop focusing on everything but Jesus Himself, we will continue to play the parts that Hollywood has written for us.  Parts with no power and no depth...a joke, really.  And SO not funny.

That Picture In My Mind

Idealization.  I have struggled for most of my life with idealization.  You know, it's when you picture something a certain, amazing way, when in reality it doesn't bear much resemblance to that picture in your mind.  Family gatherings, for example.  For years, I pictured family holiday gatherings being something straight out of a Normal Rockwell painting when in truth, the actual event never lived up to my idealized version.  We had fun, but they were never like I pictured them.

I think I have idealized the practice of writing as well.  I have longed to write something significant for years and have dabbled with ideas here and there.  But lurking in my mind somewhere is this picture of myself sitting in a corner at Starbucks, developing profound thoughts into great tomes to be admired for generations to come.  Well, I'm actually sitting in the corner at Starbucks at this very moment and the profound thoughts are nowhere to be found.  Everything I have written to date has been hard work, with much revision and agonizing over the perfect word.  So much for the picture in my head.

Sometimes, I idealize things from the past.  Like that job I liked so much better than the one I have now or that one birthday.  Okay, the birthday is a bad illustration because at this point, any birthday in the past is better than one in the present simply because the numbers were lower.  But looking back on a time in the past and making it something it really wasn't is something that I think most of us are pretty good at.  We long for "the good ol' days".

But "the good ol' days" weren't without problems of their own...

Granted, things are different today than they were a few years ago.  My worst fear as a kid in school was humiliating myself by tripping and falling in the hallway in front of a cute guy.  I never had to think about someone coming in with an automatic weapon and shooting.  But things back then weren't ideal, by any stretch of the imagination.  There were enough worries to go around and enough sorrow and heartache.

So why do we paint this rosy picture of times past?  I think it's because when we look back, we know the outcome.  It's already happened.  There's no longer any uncertainty.  Not so with the time we are living in.  Uncertainty abounds.  And that "not knowing" makes us anxious, scared, and at times, neurotic.  So the past looks like a welcome friend.  Even when times were bad, they're over with.  We made it through.  We can only hope and pray to make it through whatever lurks around the corner of our future.

I've been reading the book of Ecclesiastes over the last several days.  It's not a real cheerful book.  According to it, "there is nothing new under the sun."  I think the author is right on the money.  No matter where you look across the span of human history, there has always been gladness and sorrow, security and fear, hopefulness and despair.  And we have survived.

Maybe there is a good reason to look back with rose-colored glasses and enjoy our perception of "the good ol' days."  I have a dear friend who is dealing with more than her share of hardship at the moment.  And when she looks only at the obstacles before her, discouragement takes over and she becomes overwhelmed.  I tell her to look at the things around her that are good - and there are those things - because if she looks only at the uncertainty, she will drive herself crazy.  So maybe there is a place for those idealized memories.  Perhaps their purpose is to help us persevere.  After all, one day, these days will take their place in our minds as "the good ol' days."

Love, Grace, and a Chicken Sandwich

Anyone and everyone has been weighing in recently on the issues of free speech, gay marriage, and gay rights.  Unless you’re living under a rock, in which case you won’t be reading this blog anyway, you know that what sparked this round of passionate debate were comments by an executive for a national fast food restaurant that happens to be run by a Christian family.  I'm not against passionate debate.  However…

As I look at the interchange that has taken place over the last couple of weeks because of this issue, I get {cough} slightly frustrated.

This is going to upset a lot of my brothers and sisters in Christ, but since I’ve never won any popularity contests anyway, I’m throwing caution to the wind.   I am ashamed of a lot of the “Christian” response to all this.  I have watched as post after post on Facebook from those in the Body of Christ have taken an “in your face” and “so there” attitude.  I’ve seen posts that ridicule, rant, and are just downright rude.  Granted, I’ve seen some of the same coming from the other side of the fence, but the overwhelming majority of the “mud-slinging” has come from Christians.

Beloved, this should not be…

“Sling mud at those who oppose you!  Ridicule them and treat them like pond scum!  Then everyone will know how you feel and how righteous you are, and that you’re not going to take any garbage from anyone!”  Is that what Jesus said?  Um…no.  The proper instructions tell us just the opposite (see Luke 6:27-36).  Did Jesus get “in your face” with people?  Well okay, yes, he actually did.  But it was with {gasp} “religious” folks (see Matthew 23 and Luke 11).  Some of us tend to forget in our zeal for what we believe that the greatest commandment according to Jesus is to “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind….And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself’.  All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.” (Matthew 22:37-40)  I haven’t seen a lot of this lovin’ going on lately…

To my Christian brothers and sisters, the “royal law found in Scripture” (James 2:8) should guide our interaction with anyone and everyone we meet.  In this country, we may have a legal right to shake our fist and give someone who disagrees with us a verbal “what-for” but that doesn’t mean that we should.  The example given us by the One we claim to serve is an example of humility and of not grasping at our “rights” (Phil. 2:5-8).  In our Father’s Kingdom, we serve to lead, surrender to win, die to live.  That’s how it works.  Let’s trade our indignant outrage for humility; our bitterness for gentleness; our anger for love.  It is possible to be true to God and still love people in the process.  

Two other posts this morning related to this whole thing have grabbed my attention.  The first made me horribly sad.  It was a picture of the lines outside of the heretofore un-named restaurant and the caption said, “You’ll never see that many Christians line up to help at a food bank or a homeless shelter, and that’s something Jesus actually said to do.”  Unfortunately, there’s a lot of truth to that statement and it breaks my heart.  Not just because a majority of Christians aren’t lining up to help those in need, but because I haven’t lined up at the food bank or the homeless shelter either.  I won’t embarrass myself by making any excuses.  I need to do better.

The second post made me glad because it gave me hope that as Christians, we CAN get it if we would just get down off of our soap boxes and figuratively pick up the towel and basin of water.  The post is from a friend and colleague of mine, Rev. Amy Williams (www.amylynnwilliams.com):  “Before people get bent out of shape remember that you had the freedom to participate on Wed, they have the freedom to participate today.  Why don’t you buy them a lunch while they are there (or at least offer).”

May we all be as gracious to others as our God is to us.

Mistakes, Maturity, and Ministry

^21 From that time on Jesus began to explain to his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem and suffer many things at the hands of the elders, chief priests and teachers of the law, and that he must be killed and on the third day be raised to life.

^22 Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him. “Never, Lord!” he said. “This shall never happen to you!”
^23 Jesus turned and said to Peter, “Get behind me, Satan! You are a stumbling block to me; you do not have in mind the things of God, but the things of men.”   ~ Matthew 16:21-23 (NIV)

Peter was in trouble again.  He was kind of prone to that – always sticking his foot in his mouth.  He meant well, but he was still learning the way of the Master.  And wow, what a rebuke from Jesus.  Jesus pretty much tells him that he’s playing for the other team.  That must have stung. 

Thing is, even though Peter screwed up and got such stern words, we don’t have any indication that Peter was disqualified from being a disciple by his mistake.  In fact, Peter remained one of the “Three,” the “inner circle” of Jesus’ closest followers.  And Peter continued, on occasion, to stick his foot in his mouth.  It wasn’t until after Pentecost that Peter preached a great sermon without embarrassing himself – a sermon God used to bring in 3,000 new disciples.  Good thing he wasn’t sidelined because of his goof-ups.

When I think about my own journey into ministry, I can relate to Peter a lot.  I made lots of mistakes.  Still do, although they’re maybe not as noticeable.  I’m glad I wasn’t disqualified from ministry during those months and years I was still learning.  In fact, the longer I work in ministry, the more I appreciate the gracious people from my home church that supported me even when I forgot portions of the service or stammered through a prayer.  Shoot, the first time I administered Holy Communion, I ended up dropping Jesus’ body (the bread) on the floor right smack in the middle of the most serious part.  Our church board saw the whole thing and you know what?  No one complained that I was completely disrespectful or immature or had brought dishonor upon the Sacrament.  They understood that it was my first time, that I am human, and that my nerves got the best of me. 

The biggest factor that kept me in ministry was my pastor, Dr. Rick McCartney.  In him, I had someone on my side.  When I got my first district license (which he encouraged me to get), he immediately began to refer to me as “Pastor Lisa” in front of the entire congregation.  He gave me responsibilities and trusted me to do them, even if I didn’t do them perfectly.  When I screwed up, he exhibited not only grace, but he convinced me not to quit during those times I was wondering what in the world I was thinking when I thought I could minister in the church.  He had confidence in me even when I didn’t.  If someone didn’t like a decision I’d made in my area of responsibility, he backed me up.  He was a great mentor.  I didn’t always appreciate him enough, but I sure do now.

 The more I see other brothers and sisters (especially sisters) struggling to learn and grow in ministry, the more I realize how blessed I was.  Unfortunately, lots of senior pastors and church boards have forgotten the lessons that Jesus taught us about teaching others.  Instead of grace and encouragement, young ministers often face legalism, condemnation over the silliest mistakes (we’re not talking doctrinal issues here) and when it comes to a church board’s authority over the new minister, they tend to “lord it over them”.  I seem to recall Jesus saying something about that NOT being the modus operandi of Christian leadership. 

Makes you wonder how Christianity ever grew seeing as how it was run by a majority of blue-collar riff-raff who’d never gone to seminary.  Then again, Jesus didn’t go to seminary either…

Inside Out

I have a recipe in a cookbook that I got a long while ago called “Inside-Out Ravioli”.  In case you've been living on the moon your entire life and don’t know it, ravioli consists of little pasta pockets filled with various good things like cheese and meat.  In this recipe, the inside things are still there, they’re just not inside the pasta – they’re outside.  It is seriously yummy.  It’s yummy because even though the stuffing is on the outside, the ingredients are delicious so when what’s inside is brought outside, you get the same tasty meal. 

There are lots of things in life that are great when you open them up and take out what’s inside.  For example, we love to open presents because we believe what’s inside will be a good thing.  If it’s not, then it’s not a good present in our estimation and we need to perhaps drop stronger hints when the next birthday or Christmas rolls around.  What about molten lava cake?  It looks good on the outside but is even better when you dive into it and find all that warm, ooey-gooey chocolate in the center. 

There are also some things in life that aren’t so great when you open them up and take out what’s inside.  Like a rotten egg.  I’ve never personally come across one, but my mom grew up on a farm and the look on her face while just remembering the smell leads me to believe it is definitely not a pleasant experience.  What about that stinky fruit they’re always showing on those weird food shows, the Durian?  Hard to imagine that some people eat this thing considering the flesh inside the husk has been described as smelling like gym socks.  What makes someone decide to put that in their mouth in the first place??  We have an aversion to opening envelopes with bills in them, smelly garbage cans, and our teenage son’s gym bag.  Why?  Because what’s contained in them is distasteful.

People are the same way.  Some leave a great impression when we experience what’s inside them and others, not so much.  Most of us have come across at least one person in our lives who just has a wonderful presence about them.  We enjoy being around them.  Conversely, everyone has met someone who might look great on the outside, but the minute they open their mouths to speak, they get ugly really quickly and you start looking for the nearest exit.

Sometimes, the impressions we get about people based on their outward behaviors aren’t very accurate.  For example, there’s the person who puts up an angelic front to everyone in public, but turns into a tyrant at home with their families.  Everyone outside the family thinks, “What a terrific person,” while the family is thinking, “If you only knew…”  At the opposite end are the folks that might look quite rough around the edges or may be a little more blunt than we’d like, but upon further investigation, they have a heart of gold.  Appearances can indeed be deceiving, but what’s inside is what truly defines someone.

Jesus dealt with this very thing when some religious folks pointed out some of His disciples' outward behavior that they were offended by (see Mark 7:1-23).  The gist of it is this:  the religious crowd had a little ceremony they did with washing their hands to get ready to eat.  Jesus’ disciples skipped the ceremony and went straight to the buffet.  This didn’t sit well with the church set.  They assumed that the disciples were no-good because they didn’t do what was traditionally expected of people who claim to know God.  Jesus proceeds to set them straight about what is most important in a person – what’s on the inside.

In other words, you can’t judge a person by what they’ve had for dinner or whether they use the dinner fork for the salad and the salad fork for the entrée.  You can’t judge a book by its cover.  You’ve got to look at the inside to see if there’s anything good in there.  You’ve got to crack open the egg to see if you’ll be eating a fabulous ham and cheese omelet for breakfast this morning or whether you’re going to lose your appetite.  It’s what’s inside that counts.

We need to remember this.

The same kind of thing happens today.  Modern-day religious folks decide that there’s something wrong with the person who doesn’t do what they think good church people ought to do.  They look at the outside and don’t really care to know what’s on the inside.  They’ve got lots of silly rules that I can’t seem to find any basis for in Scripture.  Rules like:

~ You've got to dress up to worship God. 

~If you miss a church service, you’re obviously not really committed to God.

~God’s people don’t have nose piercings, black nail polish, etc., etc…

~God only approves of the following music:  hymns from the 1700s and 1800s; or Southern gospel; or contemporary (yes, some contemporary music lovers are just as dogmatic), etc., etc…

~It’s not church unless you have an opening prayer, 2.5 songs (see above approved list), an offering, and a 30 to 45 minute sermon.

Really?  I don’t see any of this stuff mentioned as the fruit of the Spirit (see Gal. 5:22-23).  What do the above have to do with “love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control”? 

Someone once said that when we get to heaven, we will probably be surprised at who is there, and also at who is not there.   I think they’re right…

Uncle! UNCLE!

“Say ‘uncle’!”  I don’t hear kids use this phrase much anymore.  In fact, I’m not sure my generation even used the phrase much at all.  I think I first heard it on a television show when I was a kid.  Perhaps it was on an episode of “The Andy Griffith Show” when poor Opie had to face a bully at school.  Lest you think otherwise, let me state for the record that I was watching reruns.  I’m not quite old enough to have watched the originals.  At least not the black and white episodes...

Researching the origin of the phrase was an unsatisfactory exercise.  No one seems to know for sure where originated.  I found a very lofty guess that it stemmed from some Latin phrase, and another guess that reckoned it to be the invention of schoolboys in America around the 1900s.  God only knows for sure where it came from.

Of course, most people who have heard the phrase know what it means.  It means to surrender; to give up; to acknowledge defeat in a most verbal, public, humiliating and despairing way.  For me, the phrase always calls up the image of poor Schwartz being tortured by the nefarious Scut Farkus in “A Christmas Story”.  “Yellow eyes!  He had yellow eyes!”

I’ve been thinking about this phrase this morning because I’ve been feeling all of those emotions associated with being bullied into submission.  I have a bully in my life and he’s been picking on me more than usual lately.  My bully is most commonly known as the devil.  No, not a guy running around in red tights with a red cape and a long tail and pitchfork.  I’m talking about the prince of the power of the air, the father of lies, the accuser, the destroyer, the adversary, etc., etc.  The Bible says that he’s my enemy and that he prowls around like a lion looking for someone to devour (1 Peter 5:8).  He’s been prowling around me quite a bit lately, and he plays dirty.  He’ll use anything and anyone to bring me to the point of discouragement and hopelessness, even people that are close to me (and most of them don’t even know they’re being used).  All the while, he speaks into my mind, “Say uncle!  Go on, say uncle!”

Just in the last few weeks, between physical problems, infighting among folks I care about, bureaucratic red tape, financial stress, and an ever-increasing number of “flies in the ointment”, I can’t tell you how many times I’ve been tempted to say “uncle.”  “I don’t need this stress,” “I just want a ‘normal’ life,” “I’m too exhausted to care.”  “I should just quit.”  “UNCLE!!!”

And yet, I have not raised a white flag…

Part of the reason is because God made me stubborn.  I don’t like to give up.  This can be a good thing or a bad thing, but in this case, it’s definitely a plus.  Another part of the reason is my thinking of all the blood, sweat, and tears that have been poured into me by many and about the grace that’s been extended to me to get me where I’m at – too much to just walk away.

However, the biggest reason is because there is a funny thing about bullies.  If you really examine them, you’ll see they make a lot of noise and can even inflict some pretty serious pain, but they’re not really tough enough to defeat you unless you give up, give in, and say “uncle.”  Their power lies in their ability to evoke fear in their victims.  Ralphie figured this out the day he’d had enough and dove into Scut Farkus like the Secret Service protecting the President.  Ralphie realized he could not only refuse to give up, but could give Scut the “what for.”

Now, my bully is much more devious and powerful than Scut Farkus.  I can’t give him the “what for.” But, I personally know someone who can:  Jesus.  He’s not just a casual acquaintance.  We’re tight, He and I.  He’s with me all the time.  That sounds so cliché, but it’s true.  Comparing His power with that of the devil is like comparing a locomotive with a wind-up toy from a children’s fast food meal.  And that’s actually probably a pretty weak comparison. 

I’ve got a much more powerful Defender with me constantly.  I forget this sometimes.  The devil likes when I forget this.  But then, in the knick of time, I remember.  Thank God, I remember.  Then I stand back and watch the bully say, “Uncle!”

I had fainted, unless I had believed to see the goodness of the LORD in the land of the living.  Wait on the LORD:  be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart:  wait, I say, on the LORD.  ~Psalm 27:13-14, KJV

Off to the gym...or not...

I’m trapped.  Trapped in my own home.  It’s 4:25 a.m. and I’m supposed to be at the gym, working out.  I joined the local gym over a month ago and haven’t been there once since I signed up.  Right after I joined, my life took a turn toward the chaotic and I just haven’t gotten up there.  It’s sad, really, because up until that point, I had been working out at home an hour a day, five days a week since last June.  I haven’t done that in nearly two months either.  But last night, I determined I was going to go to the gym early this morning.  But I can’t…because I’m trapped…

It’s the dogs, you see.  We have dachshunds*.  I use the plural because we have dachshunds in the plural.  If you’re a true dachshund lover, you know they’re a bit like a certain brand of potato chips.  You can’t have just one.  But we’re a bit more plural than I’d like, thanks (anyone want a dog?).  One of our precious little fur-babies isn’t so precious.  Although I haven’t confirmed this with Cesar Millan, I’m positive the dog is neurotic.  Among many other things, he whines.  He’s not a puppy.  He’s over 3 years old now.  But he still whines.  He whines when he goes to bed and he whines when he wants to get up.  He whines the moment he thinks it’s daybreak, even if it’s 4 a.m.  If someone gets up, he thinks he should be up.  If I get up early and don’t get him up, guess what.  He whines.  This behavior wouldn’t bother me a bit except for the fact that my husband (who, for the record, does not whine) cannot operate on the same 4 to 5 hours of sleep that I do and when the dog whines, the husband wakes and the world is not as it should be. 

Incidentally, the little whiner is my husband’s dog.  Just want to make that perfectly clear…

Which brings me back to being trapped.  I actually managed to get up this morning without the little pest whining for more than a couple of seconds.  I snuck out of the bedroom, shut the door and proceeded to get dressed for the gym.  Then I realized I left something I needed in the bedroom.  So I took a risk and snuck back in.  He whined again and as I snuck back out of the room, I heard my husband trying to get him to shut up.  It seemed to work.  I had my keys and was ready to walk out the door, congratulating myself on my early morning victory, when…

I realized I’d left yet another essential item in the bedroom. 

To try and sneak back in again was just asking for trouble.  There will be no early morning visit to the gym today.  I’m trapped until 6:15 when my husband’s alarm goes off.  Some days, I've literally lain in bed awake for hours in the early morning so that my husband could get the sleep he needs.  I’m a huge morning person, so do you know how much I could get done if I could just get up and get going when I’ve actually had enough sleep??  But I don’t, because I’m trapped.  Because of a dog…

Silly, right?  How ridiculous is it that a little 12 lb. dog has come to be the master of my early morning schedule (or lack thereof)?  Cesar would be ashamed of me.  The truth is, the dog is controlling my behavior because I’ve allowed him to.  Self-imposed imprisonment.  Lame…

In the book of Galatians, Paul addresses the church there about the same kind of problem.  The folks there had already received the message of grace and freedom in Jesus Christ from Paul but some other people had come in after and were pushing a message that put them back into “slavery”.  These people were saying that faith in Christ was not enough and that the Galatians had to be circumcised in order to be right with God.  Paul wrote the letter to call the Galatians onto the carpet about their being so willing to slip back into the same situation they’d already been delivered from. 

I love how Paul puts it in chapter 3:  “You foolish Galatians!”  It’s even better in The Message:  “You crazy Galatians!”  He goes on to remind them that it wasn’t the outward acts of piety that brought them peace with God.  Rather, it was by believing what they heard when Paul delivered the Gospel to them.  They already had what they needed to be right with God.  In effect, they were putting the shackles back on their own wrists and ankles.  Self-imposed imprisonment.  Lame…

We do the same thing, and not just with a silly thing like a dog.  We say we believe we are saved by grace and yet we often behave as if we need to add things to that grace.  Oh, they’re usually really good things, like reading the Bible, praying, attending church and helping others.  Those are all things that Christians should do.  But we’ve gotten it backwards.  We think we do them to earn some sort of spiritual credit when in fact, we add nothing to our salvation by what WE do.  We are saved because of what JESUS did.  Batteries already included.  No assembly required. 

Paul says, in Galatians 5:1, “It is for freedom that Christ has set us free.  Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery” (emphasis mine).   Christ came to set us free, and He did.  We are now free from the power of sin and death.  Free from man-made religion that promises if we just work hard enough, we’ll earn a place in heaven.  Free to leave the shackles on the floor.

I’ll shoot for the gym tomorrow…

---

* Pronounced “DAHKS-huunds”, not “dash-hounds” – you may have pictures of little wiener dogs “dashing” around, but it’s German, meaning “badger dog” and has nothing to do with “dashing”.  And yes, I AM that Type A…

He Changed My Mind

When I was in college, every senior, regardless of their academic focus, had to take a course called “Senior Colloquium”.  The word colloquium is from the Latin, colloquī, “to talk together.”  I figured we all had to take it so the university could make sure they weren’t graduating any axe murderers, but it turned out to be one of the most useful and life-changing classes I took.  In that class, we discussed a number of issues – everything from the U.S. sale of arms to foreign countries to making an ethical decision about using the copier for personal use at your workplace.  We would be given topics to research and then we would have to argue BOTH sides of the issue.  At the end of the semester, we were to make a substantial presentation to the class in which we would state our personal position on a topic and then defend why we held the opinion we did. 

I was already a “senior” senior – well into my 30s when I went back to school – and I thought I had most issues all figured out.  I’m sure all of you who are older than that are shaking your heads at my naiveté but I was surrounded by young people barely into their 20s, so by comparison, I thought myself “seasoned” and that the research I had to do would just confirm what I already believed. 

I was wrong. 

While researching my final presentation, I came up against a real crisis of belief.  I saw how I had been saying one thing with my mouth, but in one area of the issue, I wasn’t holding true to my words.  It was the first of many a humbling in my life.  I remember the feelings I had when I realized that I had been operating in hypocrisy.  Me?  The “elder” of the group?  The “seasoned” and mature one?  The “enlightened” one?  I couldn’t believe I had gotten this so wrong (yes, I know – the height of arrogance and yet, there it was).

When confronted with the truth of my hypocrisy, I had a couple of options.  I’ll be honest, I considered both.  The first was to just omit the one section of my presentation, and if anyone brought up that particular aspect of my issue, I’d insert my fingers into both ears, and begin singing loudly in order to drown out the person calling me onto the carpet about it.  Then I could blissfully ignore what I’d learned and continue to think the way I always had.  The second option was to allow what I’d learned to shape my beliefs.  This required admitting that I’d been a hypocrite and embracing what I now deep-down believed to be the right thing.  It required humility and letting go of a solidly (and often avidly and loudly) expressed belief.

Thankfully, I went with the second option.  And that decision didn’t just formally change my belief on that issue, but it changed my life going forward.  I learned that no matter how earnestly I believed something and no matter how genuine my defense of my position, I COULD BE WRONG (collective gasps)…

I look back on that moment as a personal testing ground.  I believe that God engineered that situation to teach me humility, and also to see if He could use me for anything substantial.  If I refused to allow my heart and mind to be changed in the face of such tangible evidence, how would I ever allow Him to change my heart and mind regarding the things I needed to know to be used for His purpose – things which aren’t always so tangible? 

I am so grateful for that lesson back in college.  Since then it has been much easier to surrender my “firmly-held” beliefs to God and to give Him the right to change my heart and mind if He needs to.  I’ve mentioned in a previous post how God has been shaking my beliefs about some things.  Oh, it is still challenging to let Him “mess me up”, but I’m amazed at how gracious He is in confirming that it’s Him that’s doing the “messing” and that I’m on the right path.  He’s even given me some others lately who have been changed in the same way.  That’s a real gift because the hardest part of having your beliefs changed is when you think you’re the only one it’s happening to.

Romans 12:2 says, “Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect.”  (NLT)

Allow God to change the way you think.  Hand over all of those “sacred cows” you’re clutching.  He may let you keep some of them, but you’ll never know until you offer them all up.  Discover His will for your life.  Believe me; you do NOT have a better plan.  Then give Him the freedom to work in someone else’s life the way He wants to (not necessarily the way YOU want Him to).  Surrendered living isn’t always easy, but it is most certainly NEVER dull and it is totally worth it.

The Importance of Proper Lighting

Several years ago, I was plagued with horrible nightmares.  In them, I would “wake up” in my dream and would feel a horrible darkness hanging around me.  I would reach over to turn on the light next to my bed, but it wouldn’t turn on.  More than anything I wanted to turn on that light.  It was a terrible feeling.  The darkness was overwhelming – it smothered me.  A few times in my dream I even got out of bed and stumbled through the pitch black of the bedroom into the bathroom and still, when I tried the light switch:  nothing.  No light – only that awful darkness.

I haven’t had a dream like that in a long time, but I remember the feeling of those dreams like it was yesterday.  Being lost in the darkness and helpless to do anything about it is the worst feeling in the world.  There is something about utter darkness, when there is not even a hint of light that is suffocating.  Darkness has often been associated with confusion and fear, hopelessness and despair. 

“It is always darkest before the dawn.”  That’s what they say.  Keeping someone “in the dark” implies that we are being dishonest.  Some people have experienced the “dark night of the soul.”  “Dark humor” is that which is morbid and cruel or offensive.  Even colds get worse at night!  After my last surgery, I had a night of pain that I thought would never end.  And when times like that occur, the morning with its rays of sunlight peeping over the horizon is the most welcome thing in the world. 

There is the darkness of the physical realm.  Night falls.  Shadows lengthen.  This is the world as God created it, yet even He set the moon and the stars in place to give some light at night.  But there is a darkness that is sinister.  There is a spiritual darkness that stands in direct opposition to all that is good and true and right.  That darkness is like the darkness of my former dreams.  Within it, there is no hint of light.  It is blacker than coal.  It is a force that is as real as you and I and it isn’t content just to “be”.  Blindness is its weapon and its ultimate goal is deception leading to destruction.  It cannot be defeated by mere mortals. 

Some people play around with the darkness.  They immerse themselves in dark things:  music, literature, the occult – whatever.  Most of them don’t really understand what they are dealing with which is why they are so easily overcome.  Oh, they believe they are actually controlling the darkness, but that is a deception of the oldest order, going back to the very beginning of time.  Paradise lost.  The Divine Heart broken.

The truth is we are all born into darkness, unable to deliver ourselves. 

Then came a Baby and everything changed.  First the Baby’s cries in a Bethlehem stable and then, “It is finished,” at the Place of the Skull, and Light, glorious Light, cut through the darkness and reached out…for me and for you.  And while the darkness still exists for now, it can exercise only the power it is given by those who choose to continue to live within it.  It is truly finished.  All that’s left is our choice:  darkness or Light?  Choose Light!  Choose Light and the Divine Heart rejoices!  And so will yours...

In the beginning the Word already existed; the Word was with God, and the Word was God.  From the very beginning the Word was with God.  Through him God made all things; not one thing in all creation was made without him.  The Word was the source of life, and this life brought light to humanity.  The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has never put it out.  ~ John 1:1-5 (GNT)

Do You [Phari]See What I [Phari]See?

In Jesus’* day, the Pharisees were a group of Jews who specialized in knowing every bit of the Jewish Scriptures, i.e. what we know as the Old Testament.  They could quote it chapter and verse.  Well, except there were no chapters and verses back then, but you get the idea.  Not only did they know it as it was written, but they’d made it their business to be the reigning authority on how to interpret it as well.  In fact, they managed to take the Ten Commandments and turn them into over 300 rules and regulations (kind of like what the IRS has done with the tax code over the years).  You could always tell when you came across one.  They wore stylish robes and had the best reserved seating in the synagogues and at the local banquet hall.  These guys were really proud of themselves.  They welcomed the paparazzi. 

Everything for the Pharisees was just rosy until they met Jesus.  When they exercised their mad Scripture skills in front of Him, He wasn’t impressed.  He didn’t applaud and marvel at how cool they looked or how many righteous rules they’d implemented.  Who did this guy think He was, anyway, God or something??  And if you look at the Gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John), you get the definite impression that Jesus was thinking the same thing:  who did these guys think they were, God or something??  In fact, Jesus’* harshest words in His entire earthly ministry was NOT for the folks who were cheating on their taxes or their spouses, or even for the ones who were working the local “red light district”.  Nope, His harshest words were for the Pharisees.  What?  Why, you ask?  Let me tell you.  It’s because they were supposed to be representing God but they’d gotten it all wrong.  They cared more about their rules than the people they were supposed to be helping get closer to God.  Their rules had become their god.

For example, they cared more about their rules than whether or not a poor crippled lady or a guy with a messed up hand got healed.  They cared more about whether or not someone washed their hands before eating than they cared about whether a person was hungry.  They cared more about everyone conforming to their rules than whether or not that person even knew who God was.  And they certainly didn’t need this Jesus person messing with their system.  But He called them out.  Told them they’d missed the point.  Said that not only had they not entered the Kingdom but they were keeping other people from entering too.  Imagine their shock, since they figured they had the religious market cornered.  They became hostile.  They planned and plotted until they had trumped up enough charges to get Him killed.  Joke was on them, though.  Jesus really was God and so death couldn’t hold Him. 

The problem is, they’re still around.  No, really, I talked to one just last week.  Oh, they don’t call themselves Pharisees, but if you examine what they’re all about, you’ll definitely see the Pharisee in them.  They’ve made their rules their god, and they still don’t much like it when anyone suggests that maybe people can meet, serve, and worship Jesus outside of the confines of their righteous rules and sanctified schedules and sacred spaces. 

Truth is, introducing people to a lot of rules doesn’t have the same effect as introducing them to Jesus.  And telling them that they can only meet Jesus between the hours of 9 a.m. and noon or at 6 p.m. on Sundays or at 7 p.m. on Wednesdays is just straight out lying to them.  I mean, religious folks sanctifying a certain schedule and a certain space has already done a lot of damage.  Ask any pastor how many of his or her congregation confines their Christianity to those certain days and hours and then live the rest of the week without giving a thought to Jesus.  We wonder why there’s a disconnect in so many lives between Sunday morning and the rest of the week and maybe, just maybe, it’s our own fault.  We’ve taken God and put Him in a building, a schedule, a program, or even worse, we’ve made Him the business of the “professionals” (ouch!).  If it weren’t so, we’d be seeing the power of God manifested everywhere through His church (the PEOPLE, not the building). 

Look, all I know is it wasn’t a rule or schedule that changed my life (and it was an exceedingly messy life).  It was Jesus.  Just Him.  I met Him around a kitchen table with a Christian woman who took the time to introduce me to Him.  Didn’t happen on a Sunday or a Wednesday and wasn’t programmed by a professional.  Have I been blessed on Sundays and Wednesdays and by programs or professionals?  Sure I have.  But none of that would have mattered had the primary introduction not been made. 

Jesus is King everywhere and is present at every time.  Nothing – and I do mean nothing – matters more to me than introducing people to Jesus and helping them learn how to grow close to Him.  And quite frankly, I don’t care what day of the week it is or what time of the day or where I happen to be when an opportunity to love people and to share Him arises.  He is the main thing.  Jesus can and will be found when we seek Him – even in the marketplace or the fitness club or the next door neighbor’s house and on any day of the week.  Nothing the modern-day Pharisees can say or do will change that truth.  And that is Good News!

“For I tell you that unless your righteousness surpasses that of the Pharisees and the teachers of the law, you will certainly not enter the kingdom of heaven.”   ~ Matthew 5:20, NIV

---

* or Jesus’s (just for you, Taryn)

[par-uh-dahym]

paradigm shift 

-n  “a radical change in underlying beliefs or theory” (World English Dictionary)

It’s a catchy phrase that surfaced in the last couple of decades.  It was used initially by T.S. Kuhn (1922 – 96), an American philosopher of science.  As you can see from the definition, it signifies a change in thinking.  A radical change.  The result of a…

revelation 

-n  “something revealed or disclosed, especially a striking disclosure, as of something not before realized.” (Random House Dictionary)

Both a revelation and a resulting paradigm shift can be a wonderful thing.  Such an experience can open new doors of opportunity.  It can blow a fresh breeze through a stagnant life.  It can be something that makes circumstances and situations better.

Then again…

What if you receive a revelation and it results in a paradigm shift that shakes some of your closest-held beliefs to the core?  What if it places you at odds with the generally accepted way of thinking?  What if that tension causes you to question some very important things in your life?  What do you do with that?

There’s more…

What if it’s such a radical change in thought that you’re afraid to share it with the people around you, lest they think you’ve finally gone ‘round the bend?  Or because it would totally mess up their plans for life with you based on the old paradigm which is their current paradigm? 

And then…

What if you do decide to gently broach the subject with one or two select people who you believe may have the most open minds, and they really do try and understand, but are so deep into the old paradigm themselves that the discussion turns into more of a “how can we fit what you’re thinking into the commonly accepted way of doing things” moment?  Or worse, they make subtle comments that indicate they believe it’s just a passing phase you’re going through and eventually you’ll come back around to the “right” way of thinking?  And in either case, when they look at you, you wonder if they’re sizing you up for an intervention.

Add to that…

What if you knew that the revelation was given to you by God?  Yeah, I know.  That even looks flaky on the page.  But what if God not only gave you the revelation which resulted in this paradigm shift, but what if you can look back over the last few years of your life and realize that He’s been preparing you for this revelation for quite some time? 

And then, as if things weren’t uncomfortable enough, what if you realized that God didn’t reveal all this to you just so you could ponder it to yourself in your spare time?  What if He actually expected you to do something with it?  How would you feel?  What would you do? 

Well, let me tell you…

You’d feel alone.  Completely alone.  And you wouldn’t know what to do.  And that, my friends, would make you one frustrated individual.

This is my world.

But you know what?  You’d also be really, really excited about what God might do if you kept moving forward with what you’ve been shown.  There’s something really exhilarating about throwing your hands up in the air and letting God take the lead even when what He’s showing you doesn’t match what you or those around you are used to.  Risky?  Yep.  Scary?  Most definitely.  Good?  ABSOLUTELY!

“No one sews a patch of unshrunk cloth on an old garment. If he does, the new piece will pull away from the old, making the tear worse. ^ And no one pours new wine into old wineskins. If he does, the wine will burst the skins, and both the wine and the wineskins will be ruined. No, he pours new wine into new wineskins.”   ~ Mark 2:21-22

The Best Blessing

Today is Thanksgiving Day.  I have so much to be thankful for, yet I can’t seem to stop thinking about how much I wish my kids were home for this holiday.  It was a tough decision to move to the South, knowing that I would not be able to see them as often.  So many families are geographically spread apart these days.  I guess it has become the norm, but that knowledge doesn’t keep me from missing them.

That got me thinking about how everywhere around us we see commercials and ads that purport to tell us how to live the good life.  You know, work for this company, drive this car, buy this product or that product, and you’ll find happiness and fulfillment.  Thanks to technology, we can even see ads specifically targeted to our “needs” based on the things we talk about in our e-mails or on our social networking page.  Even with the current bad economy – maybe even more so because of it – we are pandered to non-stop.  Interesting word:  pander.  We use it a lot when describing politics, but it actually means “to gratify or indulge (an immoral or distasteful desire, need, or habit or a person with such a desire, etc.)”  It has to do with appealing to a human’s basest desires and emotions.  When used as a noun, it actually means “pimp” (Oxford English Dictionary).  Well, that kind of puts a new spin on the idea of being “pandered to”, doesn’t it? 

We respond to these appeals to our lowest desires with alarming enthusiasm, so someone in the marketing department knows what they’re doing.  Problem is, on days like today, all that “stuff” is shown for what it is:  an empty distraction from what really matters.  They are merely inanimate objects that, no matter how much we desire them, will never love us back.  Deep down, it is love we really want.  It is love we really need.

^15 If anyone acknowledges that Jesus is the Son of God, God lives in him and he in God. ^16 And so we know and rely on the love God has for us. God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in him. ^17 In this way, love is made complete among us so that we will have confidence on the day of judgment, because in this world we are like him. ^19 We love because he first loved us. – 1 John 4:15-17, 19

Thank you Father for the love You give, and for the ability to love others...

Rainy Days and Fridays?

It’s a lot harder to blog than you’d think.  At least it has been for me.  I can’t believe it’s been 3 months since my last post.  Time sure does get away from me.  I often think, “I should sit down and write a blog entry,” but obviously, I don’t follow the thought into action. 

Time’s not the only issue though.  I can’t count the number of times I’ve thought of what might be a good entry but I set aside the idea because I begin to think that someone might not like the topic or my views about something.  Sometimes I worry that what I post will be hung over my head at some point by someone who could conceivably make my life miserable.  Maybe my boss wouldn’t like my point of view on some things.  Maybe the people in my congregation would wonder how they possibly got stuck with someone like me.  So I write nothing.  It’s kind of sad when you think about it. 

So my blog sits here like a forgotten yard sale sign that someone put up on a light post last summer but forgot to go back and take down.  Not exactly what I had in mind when I started it.  I had visions of stimulating posts followed by even more stimulating responses from people that read it that would make us all better people, if only in a small way.  I thought it would be a great exercise of intellect, emotions, and of course, writing skills.  I had such high hopes.  Mark Twain once said, “Lord save us all from a hope tree that has lost the faculty of putting out blossoms.”  To that I say amen, Mr. Twain.  Bring on the blossoms…

It is a gloomy day here in South Mississippi which probably accounts for my reflective and somewhat dismal mood.  Couple that with my husband’s dog who has decided to bark at every random noise in the neighborhood today and you’ll understand when I tell you I’ve got a slight headache.  I tend to have headaches every Friday.  Friday is my day off.  Go figure. 

In spite of all that, I was determined to get an entry posted today, so here it is.  It is my prayer that wherever you are today, in whatever circumstances you may find yourself, that you are able to sense the presence of God who loves you, as do I…

L.

The Good of Good Friday

Today is Good Friday.  This is the day that Christians commemorate the crucifixion of Jesus of Nazareth, the Messiah.  He was put to death in a horrific way after a sham trial.  Historians might look at the event and see merely the wrongful execution of a man by the current Jewish religious establishment, jealous over his popularity with the common people.  A human rights activist might see it as a grievous miscarriage of justice and a barbaric abuse of a human being.  But a serious Christian sees it as something else entirely.

I struggled for a long time with this whole plan that God came up with.  After all, it IS rather barbaric and seemingly unnecessary for a God who had the power to speak creation into existence.  And, without the ensuing joy of the Resurrection, it would indeed be a heartless, hopeless situation.  I’ve learned over the years as I have grown in the knowledge of God that you can’t look at one without the other.  To see the Crucifixion without the glorious Resurrection is depressing and sadistic.  Conversely, to see the Resurrection without also seeing the incredible pain and suffering of Jesus is to forget how terribly high the cost of the means of our salvation.  The cost was born by God Himself; the salvation is still freely given to those who will accept it in true repentance and recognition of their need for a Savior.

I say “serious Christian” above because I see a lot of Christians who never give a second thought to this day or what it represents.  Sad, but true.  It was the same on that dreadful day at Golgotha.  Many who were devoted disciples of Christ failed to grasp, at least initially, the true significance of the event unfolding before them.  And there were so many others who had never given any credence to this man who created such a stir.  To them, perhaps he was just another religious hack that led a few astray from the real world of political power, wealth, and hedonism.  This is still the viewpoint of multitudes.  Even some in the Church relegate their professed Savior to a sort of ethereal being who only exists to ensure their entrance into heaven after they’ve lived their lives devoid of his influence.  This is called an “abuse of grace”.  It’s the equivalent of being given an incredibly costly gift by someone who loves you dearly, taking the gift, and then spitting in the face of the one who gave it to you and turning and walking away.  I can only imagine how I would feel if I were the gift-giver.  If I’d suffered unbearably in order to provide life for someone else and they took it as if I’d just handed them a pack of gum, I’d be ready to “smite” them.  Good thing I’m not God.

Thankfully, God is gracious and long-suffering.  Oh, he sees those who abuse his grace.  Those who have not chosen the kingdom of God (even when they say they have) are apparent.  Just read the headlines.  Extortion, robbery, abuse, murder – you name it, it’s rampant.  Many are even shamelessly proud of their sin, using every opportunity to display their depravity.  But God, instead of “smiting”, continues to reach out to his creation, both those who deny his very existence and those who, while verbally acknowledging his existence, live as if he was not there.  This is why they call grace “amazing”. 

For each of us, one day the opportunity to turn to God for salvation will be gone.  People ask all the time why a loving God would send people to hell.  It is his love that compels him to leave the choice with us.  Forced love isn't love at all.  Folks don’t seem to understand that each time they seek their own interests above seeking God, they are laying another brick in the wall that will someday eternally separate them from the One who made them.   It is truly amazing that God, who could wipe us all out with one breath, instead chooses to continue to call us to turn to him.  He’s the kind of God who, while dying a painful and horrendous physical death at our hands and for our benefit, can still say, “Forgive them, for they don’t know what they’re doing.”  That’s a kind of love that we can’t fully comprehend.

What do you see when you look at the Cross?  A dead trouble-maker?  A victim of heinous abuse?  A symbol of a former, barbaric age in history?  A religious icon? 

I see love…

Facing the Unknown

There are a lot of things I don’t know.  There are a lot of things you don’t know.  In fact, the older I get and the more I learn, the more I know that I don’t know much.  I can’t even begin to imagine how vast are the things that are able to be known.  Shoot, if you only looked at all of the things that can be known about mathematics, most of which I don’t know, you’d be overwhelmed.  I would love to present the statistics on what percentage of things there are to be known that we actually know, versus the percentage of knowable things that we don’t know.  Trouble is, I don’t know that either.

Sometimes the unknown can be exciting.  Like when Paul and I went on a cruise this past December.  I’d heard about cruises from those who have been on one, and I’d read about cruises from those who sell them, but unless you’ve been on a cruise, you don’t really know what it’s like.  You do, however, expect it to be a good thing.  Counting down the days until the cruise was exciting.  The cruise line we chose even puts a countdown at the top of their web page that tells you how many days until your cruise begins.  It was fun to see the countdown get smaller and smaller. For the most part, our cruise did not disappoint.  We had a good time.  I’m ready to go again.  I wonder what the next one will be like.

Other times, what is unknown can be a source of stress and anxiety.  A woman at my church recently experienced this type of unknown.  Her sister had been very ill and took a turn for the worse a week ago.  The family knew it wouldn’t be long, but they didn’t know when their loved one would pass.  It happened this morning.  There is now grief where the stress of the unknown was. 

Facing the unknown is something we deal with every day, we just don’t always think about it.  We don’t know what’s going to top the news tomorrow.  We don’t know for sure how we’ll feel tomorrow.  And even though the weatherman is calling for another sunny, beautiful day here tomorrow, I don’t know for certain that it will be.  Storms down here on the Gulf Coast can blow up before you can turn around and spit.  The storms of life can blow up just that quickly as well.  You just don’t know.

I’m facing my own potentially stressful unknown at the moment.  Sometime tomorrow or early next week I’ll receive a phone call from my oncologist, telling me how my biopsy turned out.  Truth be told, when I went in for a follow-up visit just two days ago, I didn’t know I’d have to go through another biopsy at all.  I feel great.  It was a surprise.  An unwelcome surprise with an unwelcome unknown to go along with it.

I have figured out how best to handle the unknowns of life.  You have to cling to all of the things you do know.  For instance, I know that cruise ships have life boats – lots of them.  I know where the ibuprofen is in case I have a headache tomorrow.  I know which room in my house is the safest in case a severe storm blows up.  I know that God comforts those who mourn when a loved one is lost and that, if they knew Jesus, we’ll see them again.  And I know that no matter what the biopsy shows, God is good, that He loves me, and that He won’t leave my side, even for a nanosecond.  And with just that knowledge, I can face a lot of unknowns.

The Lord himself goes before you and will be with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged.”  Deuteronomy 31:8

Lord, I thank you that you are with me; because of that, I can face anything…

The End of Days?

Unless you’ve been living in a cave somewhere, you know of the tragic events that have unfolded in Japan these last few days.  A terrifying earthquake followed by a tsunami and now the possibility of a nuclear meltdown with unimaginable consequences.  It’s hard to make sense of it all.  Over 10,000 people have died and that number is certain to grow just from the bodies that haven’t been recovered yet.  I keep praying the Lord intervene with the reactors – I can’t wrap my mind around the worst case scenario. 

In light of the recent happenings, I’ve seen a slew of Facebook postings from many different folks who are pointing out that this is all a part of Biblical prophecy and that we shouldn’t be surprised.  I would agree that these happenings are signs that are mentioned in the Bible that will occur as the day of Jesus Christ’s return draws near.  That these events are happening is not what surprises me.

What does surprise me is the confidence in which several people place these posts on their walls.  In fact, they seem a little “in your face” to others who may doubt the Bible as the Word of God – a sort of “See, the Bible IS true, so there!” attitude.  This would indicate to me that they personally believe the Bible is true and that prophecy is indeed being fulfilled.  So you would think that if a person had such a confident belief in the veracity of the Scriptures, you’d see the whole truth contained therein born out in the way they live their lives.  Now for some of the individuals who have placed such posts, their faith in God’s Word is clearly evident.  All you have to do is spend a little time with them.  Unfortunately for some others, their confident posts regarding end-time prophecy seems to be the only indication that they believe the Bible at all. 

The Bible clearly states that those who truly love Jesus are the ones who obey His commands (John 14:23-24 and others).  The commands of Jesus are clear:  “ ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’  This is the first and greatest commandment. ^ And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ ^ All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.”  (Matthew 22:37-40)  How do we know when someone is following Jesus’ commands?

Jesus said we can know who really belongs to Him by the fruit their lives produce.  He said,

^By their fruit you will recognize them. Do people pick grapes from thornbushes, or figs from thistles? ^ Likewise every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. ^ A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, and a bad tree cannot bear good fruit. ^ Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. ^ Thus, by their fruit you will recognize them. (Matthew 7:16-20)

I’m afraid our churches are filled with fruitless Christians, if there is such a thing.  I think lots of folks believe they are bearing fruit.  But when you examine the kinds of things their lives produce, you don’t see much that is lasting, which is the only kind of fruit we are to bear (John 15:16).  How can we tell?  Well, the fruit of the Spirit is “love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control” (Galatians 5:22).  These things are conspicuously absent from the lives of so many who declare themselves Christian.  Instead I see hatred, depression, strife, impatience, cruelty, a desire for evil things, lack of commitment to anything or anyone but themselves, harshness, and lack of any restraint, among many other ungodly things.  Beloved, this should not be…

When we love God with everything that is in us, we spend time with Him.  That means reading His Word, praying, and praising Him.  Loving God with all that we have also means heeding the Word that we read.    This should stand as a central commitment and priority in a believer’s life and it will be evident if this is happening.  Conversely, it will be evident if it is NOT happening.  We show a complete disregard for God’s Word by a) not reading it, and b) not doing what it says.

I like the question Joyce Meyer often asks, “Are you just dating Jesus, or are you married to Him?  Because you don’t get the Name until you’re married.”  I’m married to a wonderful earthly spouse, Paul.  We know each other very well, but we’re still growing together year after year.  I bear Paul’s name.  We are legally bound together.  My relationship with him gives me certain rights and also certain responsibilities.  I’m also married to a Wonderful Heavenly Spouse, Jesus.  I bear His Name as well.  We are spiritually bound together.  He knows me better than I know myself and I am continually growing in my knowledge of Him.  My relationship with Him gives me certain rights and also certain responsibilities.  It is within this relationship that my ultimate security and happiness lies. 

There is danger and turmoil in many places throughout the world.  However, I guarantee you that this evening, the most dangerous place to be isn’t a location anywhere across the globe.  The most dangerous place to be is to be deceived about your relationship with Jesus.  To claim faith in the Holy Scriptures and then to live as if it doesn’t exist is a far more dangerous place to be than in the middle of an natural disaster or a war zone or a nuclear meltdown.  Jesus had more to say right after he spoke about bearing fruit from Matthew 7 above:

“Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. ^ Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and in your name drive out demons and perform many miracles?’ ^ Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!’ (Matthew 7:21-23)

I am afraid that many who believe they have a relationship with Jesus will be met instead with the words above.  That breaks my heart more than anything.  I often wonder if it will be better on the Day of Judgment for those who never claimed to be a friend of God than for those who claimed a faith they never possessed.  I mourn that there will be either when Jesus returns.

Lord, even as I mourn for and lift up those who are suffering in Japan this evening, I am grateful to You that, at least for this moment, my family and I are safe.  Knowing that could change in an instant, I am so thankful that even death will not separate You and I. And I pray that those who have never made a real commitment to you will have their eyes opened before it is too late…

Happy Birthday...

Today was my father’s birthday.  He would have been 91.  I can’t imagine him that old.  He passed when he was 62 and I was 17.  Even though it’s been so many years, there are still moments when something will happen or I’ll see or hear something that reminds me of him.  Those moments often produce some tears.  I often wonder how my life might have been different if he’d lived longer.  Would I have made the same poor choices and have broken his heart like I did my mom’s for a lot of years?  Even the possibility of that idea causes me to be grateful that he didn’t witness my downward spiral.  Maybe my choices would have been different.  Only God knows.

I’ve been thinking about my dad today due to all these protests going on because of the states that are working to pass legislation to limit collective bargaining for state employees.  Whenever I think about unions, I think about my dad.  He was a blue collar worker and his job was with a unionized shop.  I remember a few of the times the union would call for a vote on whether or not to strike and how upset my dad would get about it all.  He always voted against a strike.  Always.  It wasn’t that he would have turned down more money or better benefits, but my dad remembered The Great Depression.  He was a kid, but he was old enough to see how devastating it was.  He experienced it firsthand.  That event shaped his life greatly.  He learned that when times are tough, any job is better than no job.  He was always grateful for the job he had.  He really didn’t understand why anyone would walk out on their job.  He would have cleaned toilets with a toothbrush for 18 hours a day before he’d sit at home or on a picket line.  I remember seeing how pained he was when, even though he voted against it (he was always in the minority), the shop would strike.  I don’t know if he ever suffered for the way he voted with his co-workers.  If he did, he never mentioned it.  I’ve always been proud of him for his strong work ethic and that he wasn’t afraid to vote his conscience, even if his wasn’t a very popular stance.

Dad was not a perfect man, but I think he did okay considering his life circumstances.  He was one of three children, although his brother, Gilbert, died as a child.  I didn’t find out until much later that my grandfather told my dad that he wished it had been him that had died instead of Gilbert.  Tough as my dad was on the outside, I can only imagine how that must have hurt him.  Turns out my grandfather was not a very nice man at all.  Dad only went to school through the 7^th grade.  He joined the military young and ended up stationed in the Philippines during WWII.  He was proud of his service to his country but there were things he saw over there that he wouldn’t talk about. 

The first time I ever saw my dad cry was when my mom found a lump in her breast.  It scared me so much to see him cry that I thought for sure my mom was done for.  Thankfully, that wasn’t the case!  That wasn’t the last time I saw him cry.  I think his heart problems had been coming on for some time.  You know how men rarely seek the medical attention they should.  Especially after his second heart attack, he seemed to get more and more emotional.  I know a lot of it was frustration at not being able to do what he used to do.  He couldn’t work – couldn’t even vacuum the carpet without pain.  It was hard to see him struggle.  The Lord was merciful and he didn’t struggle too long.  In the middle of one November, dad suffered respiratory failure at home.  I wasn’t there; I was out with a school function.  By the time the paramedics got there and revived him, his brain had suffered too much damage.  He was in a coma for a month and he slipped away on December 20^th.  Some folks say it’s easier when you’re expecting it, but I don’t think it is. 

One of my most vivid memories was how every night before he went to sleep, he’d be propped up in bed reading his Bible.  I still have that Bible.  It’s falling apart and filled with newspaper clippings and bits and bobs from here and there that he wanted to save.  Dad often told me, “No matter what, don’t forget God.”  I don’t think he even realized how much little things like that stuck with me.  It was little things like that which enabled me to know which way to turn when I was tired of blowing up my own life.  Looking back, I can see that his relationship with God was imperfect, but he walked in the light he had.  Thanks, Daddy, and happy birthday.  I miss you.  I’ll see you soon.

Lord, thank you so much for a father who, while not perfect, was everything that I needed him to be.  And thank you, Lord, that you have not left me an orphan, but in you, I have a perfect Father and the hope that I’ll see my earthly dad again…