I ran through a possible scenario in my head tonight that ended up with me yelling at a bunch of people. Yeah, I do that. The daydreaming thing from childhood hasn't gone away, but now I'm loud and angry in my daydreaming, and what I'm angry at is religion.
I hate religion. I am so prone to religion.
Here's an example. In watching a non happy Disneyland world TV show tonight with the family, that wickedness came out in the way I thought about one character's immoral actions who professed to be a Christian. It also came out in thought in something I almost said to Novalee after joking that Jamie was going to kill me and I'd see her in heaven later -- "be a good girl and I'll see you there." Yuck, vomit. Filth. Judgmental and performance based nonsense that divides people into "good and bad" instead of "bad and Jesus."
Think I just went off the deep end and said Christians have license to sin willy nilly? No. Those born again of the Spirit of God don't want to sin; however, when we do -- and we all do -- God doesn't love us any less.
Don't believe that we all still sin and think you're "good" now? You're prideful. Pride is the worst sin and the one that got Satan kicked out of heaven. Pride and religion go together a lot. If you think you're "good" like I have and sometimes do, maybe you should think about that and examine the motives behind your actions and examine the how you think.
Don't believe that God still loves us the same when we sin? He loved us so much that he died on a cross while we were sinners and hated him. If he loved us less after he bought us with his blood and our hearts were turned to him, that would be insane. Last time I checked to the best of my ability, God isn't insane.
Now I'm off on a tangent, so back to the ranting in my head. It made me think of one thing religious people do, and that is make bars. Not places you serve drinks, but lines that divide -- on one side is the good people who get a pat on the head and on the other side is the bad people who get a pat somewhere lower than their head and a lot harder.
Consider a vocational or lay leader in a religion. If you can tolerate disagreement and discussion easily and you're trapped in religion, then I'm talking about yours. If you spin up easily and I might piss you off if I disagree with you, then I'm talking about someone else's. Whatever you like to keep reading, I don't care. For the record, this equally applies to mainline protestant denominations, evangelical Christians, and whatever other labels are out there. Just get a picture in your head and pay attention to the point.
Okay, this leader, he's good at what he does. He checks off all the do this boxes and the don't do that boxes. He's respectable and the church looks up to him. He reads his Bible every day. He goes to the Wednesday night service regularly. He gives ten percent. He doesn't smoke, drink, cuss, or waste his time on frivolous pursuits. He's the one to imitate in behavior -- except in thought, he's all screwed up. He's better than the others in the church. Some poor soul comes in off the street who's a broken mess and he wants to help this pathetic person become an upstanding gentleman just like him. He thinks God blesses him more than the rank and file members because he dots all his i's and crosses all his t's.
How about that rank and file member of the church? Maybe he works a tough job that's really demanding on his time, and he doesn't get paid that well. He has a hard time reading his Bible as much and giving as much as the first guy. He smokes and drinks, but he kind of hides it and feels a little guilty about it because those uppity people at his church give him funny looks when they smell something on him. But he thinks to himself that he's trying, and that at least he's not as bad as his neighbors who don't even go to church and are fighting all the time.
How about those neighbors? They work hard. They pay their taxes. Their kids don't cause trouble in the neighborhood. They don't really invite the previous family over a lot though; they feel a little ashamed about that shouting match and don't want to risk it coming up in conversation. They declined the same neighbor's invitation to church in the past, saying that they were glad Jesus worked for them, but that they didn't really need him. After all, they were decent people, not like those scumbags in prison who murdered and stole and set buildings on fire.
How about those scumbags? Bottom of the barrel right? Not much more to say? You know what they think? "At least we're not as bad as that child molester and that rapist over there."
All these people are the same. Yes, that's right, the same. They're all blinded by some form of religious pride. There's concern for image and obligating God and not needing God and all of that as we go through the list, but there's also one thing that all of them have in common. That stupid bar. That piece of crap that they use as a measuring stick to say "I'm above the line and you're below the line, so let me pat myself on the head and give myself a gold star." It is so easy for us to compare ourselves with other people and make ourselves look good, and it's so wicked.
That's not the gospel.
You know what the gospel is? The real bar is so high we can't reach it. Our religious effort and moral behavior won't get us there. God's not grading on a curve here. The standard is perfection and to be with God we have to be perfect. How the heck are we going to do that? In comes our intercessor Jesus, God in the flesh. He took the punishment for our sins on himself and when we put our trust in him, he gives us his righteousness. When we are in Christ, we look perfect before God. Now that's good news!
In short, those in Christ are not better people -- just sinners who are loved and forgiven, and who God is working on to make more like his Son Jesus Christ -- so if you've got a bar forged by religious pride, destroy it.
Showing posts with label gospel. Show all posts
Showing posts with label gospel. Show all posts
Tuesday, November 15, 2011
Thursday, November 3, 2011
Obedience
God threw this one to me today so I thought I'd share
Jesus said "If you love me, you will keep my commandments." (John 14:15)
If we're believers, what do we think when we hear that? A typical response I think is something like "Okay God, I love you, I'll keep your commandments." We better get the gospel when we say that, because if we don't get the gospel, one of two things will happen.
- Thing 1. Pride. We'll do well, in some areas, and say "Look how good I'm keeping A, B, and C compared to those other people. Man, I rock!" Never mind D through Z.
- Thing 2. Despair. We'll recognize our miserable failure to do what we said and give up. "I can't do this, it's hopeless for me!"
We need to get the gospel.
Jesus didn't say "To be saved, keep my commandments." He said "If you love me, you will keep my commandments." If you just read that as "Obedience doesn't matter" that is NOT what I said. Hold your thought and keep reading. Let's focus on the first part -- "If you love me..."
Well how do you get to the point of loving God?
"We love because he first loved us. If anyone says, 'I love God,' and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen cannot love God whom he has not seen. And this commandment we have from him: whoever loves God must also love his brother." (1 John 4:19-21)
How did God first love us?
"In this is love, not that we have loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins." (1 John 4:10)
"For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him." (John 3:16-17)
"God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us." (Romans 5:8)
So God first loved us through the cross. When we repent of our sins and turn to Jesus for our salvation, we get a new heart, a new nature -- one that desires God above all things. It is from this new nature that we can truly love God, and demonstrate it through obedience, which includes loving others.
But let me try to be very clear -- this obedience from the new nature is not a "try really hard to show my love" thing. It's a "by my new nature I will obey, because I love God" thing.
Or to put it another way getting rid of that pesky and confusing "you will" and clarifying the meaning:
"If you love me, you better keep my commandments to show it." No.
"If you love me, you're going to keep my commandments." Yes.
Not getting this right leads to works based self-righteousness that focuses on ourselves and what we do. It makes our perception of God's love for us, and possibly our state of salvation, dependent on our performance. That's evil.
Getting this right leads to to grace based Christ-righteousness that focuses on God and what he did. It makes our perception of God's love for us, and our state of salvation, dependent on the cross. That's good. That's God.
Jesus said "If you love me, you will keep my commandments." (John 14:15)
If we're believers, what do we think when we hear that? A typical response I think is something like "Okay God, I love you, I'll keep your commandments." We better get the gospel when we say that, because if we don't get the gospel, one of two things will happen.
- Thing 1. Pride. We'll do well, in some areas, and say "Look how good I'm keeping A, B, and C compared to those other people. Man, I rock!" Never mind D through Z.
- Thing 2. Despair. We'll recognize our miserable failure to do what we said and give up. "I can't do this, it's hopeless for me!"
We need to get the gospel.
Jesus didn't say "To be saved, keep my commandments." He said "If you love me, you will keep my commandments." If you just read that as "Obedience doesn't matter" that is NOT what I said. Hold your thought and keep reading. Let's focus on the first part -- "If you love me..."
Well how do you get to the point of loving God?
"We love because he first loved us. If anyone says, 'I love God,' and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen cannot love God whom he has not seen. And this commandment we have from him: whoever loves God must also love his brother." (1 John 4:19-21)
How did God first love us?
"In this is love, not that we have loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins." (1 John 4:10)
"For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him." (John 3:16-17)
"God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us." (Romans 5:8)
So God first loved us through the cross. When we repent of our sins and turn to Jesus for our salvation, we get a new heart, a new nature -- one that desires God above all things. It is from this new nature that we can truly love God, and demonstrate it through obedience, which includes loving others.
But let me try to be very clear -- this obedience from the new nature is not a "try really hard to show my love" thing. It's a "by my new nature I will obey, because I love God" thing.
Or to put it another way getting rid of that pesky and confusing "you will" and clarifying the meaning:
"If you love me, you better keep my commandments to show it." No.
"If you love me, you're going to keep my commandments." Yes.
Not getting this right leads to works based self-righteousness that focuses on ourselves and what we do. It makes our perception of God's love for us, and possibly our state of salvation, dependent on our performance. That's evil.
Getting this right leads to to grace based Christ-righteousness that focuses on God and what he did. It makes our perception of God's love for us, and our state of salvation, dependent on the cross. That's good. That's God.
Tuesday, November 2, 2010
Tolerance?
We live in a very relativistic culture today when it comes to morality, religion, etc. Many think that what one person believes should be treated just as valid as what the next person believes. Not only that, many tend to get their panties in a bunch when someone comes along and says that someone else's beliefs are not valid and that there is only one truth. Words Words like "tolerance" and "open-minded" are thrown at those who insist there is one truth and one way to heaven.
For believers, this sort of thing is just nonsense. Two plus two cannot have multiple correct answers. You can say it's three, four, and give. Sure, all the answers could be wrong -- but they cannot all be right. It's the same way with views on God, period. There is only one truth. Christians believe that the one truth about God and his relationship with man is revealed in the pages of the Bible. I as a Christian, who accepts the Bible as God's Word, cannot be "open minded" to a view which says that Jesus is not God, or that his death meant nothing, that says we are essentially good people, or that we can get to heaven by doing more good deeds than bad, or that there is no God, or that homosexual behavior is acceptable, or that sex outside of marriage is acceptable, or that getting drunk is acceptable, and so on. When you come up against God's Word and don't agree with it, you're wrong, period.
So what about all those other beliefs? We certainly can't accept wrong views as equally acceptable, but we also want people to come to know the Lord, not push them away. In this age of "tolerance" what do we do? Let's look at some examples.
Example 1. I love the account of Elijah on Mount Carmel. And I'll admit I love it for the wrong reason. It's Elijah versus the priests of the false God Baal, engaging in a "let's see whose god is real" contest. The priests go first. They do their thing. Nothing happens. Elijah mocks Baal, saying "Shout louder! Surely he is a god! Perhaps he is deep in thought, or busy, or traveling. Maybe he is sleeping." Okay, that's why I love it. A big "Ha, forget you!" to the fake god. But ignore my own shortcoming and look at what happens next. Elijah calls on the LORD. BAM! He comes through in big way. And guess what? The people (people watching, not the priests) saw this and believed in the LORD.
So, number one, we show people God is real like Elijah. How? With unwavering faith in the LORD, with immense hope of the things to come, and with loving words and actions. In other words, live a life filled with faith, hope, and love.
A note on the last one, love. It's really important, and we screw it up too often. But even when we don't, the world gets ticked off at some things we do anyway due to a hardened heart and blinded eyes. Really. If I yelled at someone "Hey, jump off that train, the bridge is out and you're going to die!" that would be a totally fine act of love. But if I tell someone "Hey, quit living that lifestyle, repent, and turn to the LORD or you risk an eternity in hell" it doesn't have the same impact. It just makes people mad, yet it's the same thing.
Example 2. Hezekiah, a king of Judah who took over an idolatrous mess from Ahaz. He purified the temple, invited all Israel and Judah to come celebrate the passover at the temple, called the people to return to the LORD, prayed for those who had their hearts set on seeking God, and encouraged those who were serving the LORD. He was a motivational kind of guy, with a passion for the LORD. What happens next? The people go out and smash the items of false worship and bring in tons of stuff to the temple for the LORD.
So, number two, we call people to turn the LORD and encourage those who do, both passionately.
Example 3. Paul, the greatest missionary who ever lived. Specifically Paul in Athens and in Corinth. In Athens he was taken to the Areopagus so he could share with a bunch of people. In his preaching he tried to relate to the culture of the day, calling them "very religious" and playing off their altar "to an unknown god" and quoting one of their popular poets. He tried to relate to them. Only a few believed, but sadly there is no "Church at Athens" recorded in the Bible. Bummer. Then he went to Corinth to preach. In his first letter to them later he says "I resolved to know nothing while I was with you except Jesus Christ and him crucified." Beat down in Athens, he changed tactics and got to the heart of the problem and the solution provided by Christ.
So, number three, we focus on Christ and the significance of the cross.
All the talk of some abstract concept of God, all the hand-holding and trying to fit into someone's existing beliefs, and all the dancing around the point doesn't help. Point in case. I was talking to a Muslim friend of mine the other day, and we talked about things like respect, honor, and similarities in our beliefs as far as moral behavior is concerned. My point to him in the end? There's a lot of "good moral stuff" in many of the world's religions. That's not the issue. The issue is Christ. He came to die as a sacrifice for sins to pay a price we cannot, because there is no way we can "earn" our way into heaven by good works. The cross is central.
In this age of "tolerance" what do we do, then? We speak the truth, in love, but we don't bend it, back down from it, or beat around the bush. We back up what we believe to be true with our words, our actions, and our very lives. We stick to the heart of the issue -- the problem of the sinful human heart and what that means. We do this all passionately.
Yeah, people don't want to hear it and think we're obnoxious sometimes. And sometimes, we are. We'll screw it up. When we do, we repent and go to God with it -- asking him to help us do better the next time so that his light and love are spread. We're not perfect either. That's quite clear in all of the Biblical heroes. That's okay, because, after all, heaven is not a place for "good" people. It's a place for forgiven people.
Grace and Peace friends.
For believers, this sort of thing is just nonsense. Two plus two cannot have multiple correct answers. You can say it's three, four, and give. Sure, all the answers could be wrong -- but they cannot all be right. It's the same way with views on God, period. There is only one truth. Christians believe that the one truth about God and his relationship with man is revealed in the pages of the Bible. I as a Christian, who accepts the Bible as God's Word, cannot be "open minded" to a view which says that Jesus is not God, or that his death meant nothing, that says we are essentially good people, or that we can get to heaven by doing more good deeds than bad, or that there is no God, or that homosexual behavior is acceptable, or that sex outside of marriage is acceptable, or that getting drunk is acceptable, and so on. When you come up against God's Word and don't agree with it, you're wrong, period.
So what about all those other beliefs? We certainly can't accept wrong views as equally acceptable, but we also want people to come to know the Lord, not push them away. In this age of "tolerance" what do we do? Let's look at some examples.
Example 1. I love the account of Elijah on Mount Carmel. And I'll admit I love it for the wrong reason. It's Elijah versus the priests of the false God Baal, engaging in a "let's see whose god is real" contest. The priests go first. They do their thing. Nothing happens. Elijah mocks Baal, saying "Shout louder! Surely he is a god! Perhaps he is deep in thought, or busy, or traveling. Maybe he is sleeping." Okay, that's why I love it. A big "Ha, forget you!" to the fake god. But ignore my own shortcoming and look at what happens next. Elijah calls on the LORD. BAM! He comes through in big way. And guess what? The people (people watching, not the priests) saw this and believed in the LORD.
So, number one, we show people God is real like Elijah. How? With unwavering faith in the LORD, with immense hope of the things to come, and with loving words and actions. In other words, live a life filled with faith, hope, and love.
A note on the last one, love. It's really important, and we screw it up too often. But even when we don't, the world gets ticked off at some things we do anyway due to a hardened heart and blinded eyes. Really. If I yelled at someone "Hey, jump off that train, the bridge is out and you're going to die!" that would be a totally fine act of love. But if I tell someone "Hey, quit living that lifestyle, repent, and turn to the LORD or you risk an eternity in hell" it doesn't have the same impact. It just makes people mad, yet it's the same thing.
Example 2. Hezekiah, a king of Judah who took over an idolatrous mess from Ahaz. He purified the temple, invited all Israel and Judah to come celebrate the passover at the temple, called the people to return to the LORD, prayed for those who had their hearts set on seeking God, and encouraged those who were serving the LORD. He was a motivational kind of guy, with a passion for the LORD. What happens next? The people go out and smash the items of false worship and bring in tons of stuff to the temple for the LORD.
So, number two, we call people to turn the LORD and encourage those who do, both passionately.
Example 3. Paul, the greatest missionary who ever lived. Specifically Paul in Athens and in Corinth. In Athens he was taken to the Areopagus so he could share with a bunch of people. In his preaching he tried to relate to the culture of the day, calling them "very religious" and playing off their altar "to an unknown god" and quoting one of their popular poets. He tried to relate to them. Only a few believed, but sadly there is no "Church at Athens" recorded in the Bible. Bummer. Then he went to Corinth to preach. In his first letter to them later he says "I resolved to know nothing while I was with you except Jesus Christ and him crucified." Beat down in Athens, he changed tactics and got to the heart of the problem and the solution provided by Christ.
So, number three, we focus on Christ and the significance of the cross.
All the talk of some abstract concept of God, all the hand-holding and trying to fit into someone's existing beliefs, and all the dancing around the point doesn't help. Point in case. I was talking to a Muslim friend of mine the other day, and we talked about things like respect, honor, and similarities in our beliefs as far as moral behavior is concerned. My point to him in the end? There's a lot of "good moral stuff" in many of the world's religions. That's not the issue. The issue is Christ. He came to die as a sacrifice for sins to pay a price we cannot, because there is no way we can "earn" our way into heaven by good works. The cross is central.
In this age of "tolerance" what do we do, then? We speak the truth, in love, but we don't bend it, back down from it, or beat around the bush. We back up what we believe to be true with our words, our actions, and our very lives. We stick to the heart of the issue -- the problem of the sinful human heart and what that means. We do this all passionately.
Yeah, people don't want to hear it and think we're obnoxious sometimes. And sometimes, we are. We'll screw it up. When we do, we repent and go to God with it -- asking him to help us do better the next time so that his light and love are spread. We're not perfect either. That's quite clear in all of the Biblical heroes. That's okay, because, after all, heaven is not a place for "good" people. It's a place for forgiven people.
Grace and Peace friends.
Thursday, October 28, 2010
Jesus In A Nutshell
Reminds me of a programming book "Perl In A Nutshell". :-)
I took a break from reading through kings to skim one of the gospel accounts. I thought it would be interesting to through and see a big overview of what Jesus talked about while he was here on earth. Here are the key points as I saw them in a nutshell:
1) There is good news for the underdog. Jesus came for us. After all, he came to seek, find, and restore the lost. He didn't come so much to seek and find the stubborn hard-hearted people who refuse to believe him no matter what.
2) We have to see our own sin. We have to come before God in humility and repent of our sins. That means agreeing with God and turning away from sinful behavior and turning toward him. That means getting crap out of our lives that cause us to sin against God.
3) God's Word matters. He wants us to keep it. Judgment will come. The righteous who keep it will be rewarded, while the wicked who do not will be punished.
4) God, however, doesn't want anyone to perish. He wants everyone to turn to him, and the invitation is there for all people. Even so, many will not accept it and turn to him.
5) We need to believe in, and we need to believe, Jesus. We need to follow him. We need to trust him. We need to recognize his divinity.
6) Jesus came to suffer and die for us, paying the price for our sins that we cannot pay on our own.
7) We need to love God above all else and love others very much. We need to put him and his kingdom first.
8) The expression of that love is more than a feeling. It's actions. We need to do something tangible to show God's love to others.
9) The motives behind our actions are extremely important. God cares about the heart.
10) Jesus is coming back and we need to be ready. He will reward the righteous and punish the wicked. Until he comes, we need keep his commandments, point others to him, and be wary of those who will pull us away from him.
There is much more to say than that, but that is the overview. If we get these and keep God's Word, we do well.
Grace and Peace friends!
I took a break from reading through kings to skim one of the gospel accounts. I thought it would be interesting to through and see a big overview of what Jesus talked about while he was here on earth. Here are the key points as I saw them in a nutshell:
1) There is good news for the underdog. Jesus came for us. After all, he came to seek, find, and restore the lost. He didn't come so much to seek and find the stubborn hard-hearted people who refuse to believe him no matter what.
2) We have to see our own sin. We have to come before God in humility and repent of our sins. That means agreeing with God and turning away from sinful behavior and turning toward him. That means getting crap out of our lives that cause us to sin against God.
3) God's Word matters. He wants us to keep it. Judgment will come. The righteous who keep it will be rewarded, while the wicked who do not will be punished.
4) God, however, doesn't want anyone to perish. He wants everyone to turn to him, and the invitation is there for all people. Even so, many will not accept it and turn to him.
5) We need to believe in, and we need to believe, Jesus. We need to follow him. We need to trust him. We need to recognize his divinity.
6) Jesus came to suffer and die for us, paying the price for our sins that we cannot pay on our own.
7) We need to love God above all else and love others very much. We need to put him and his kingdom first.
8) The expression of that love is more than a feeling. It's actions. We need to do something tangible to show God's love to others.
9) The motives behind our actions are extremely important. God cares about the heart.
10) Jesus is coming back and we need to be ready. He will reward the righteous and punish the wicked. Until he comes, we need keep his commandments, point others to him, and be wary of those who will pull us away from him.
There is much more to say than that, but that is the overview. If we get these and keep God's Word, we do well.
Grace and Peace friends!
Wednesday, May 5, 2010
God's Word Is A Pain In The Butt Sometimes
God's Word is sometimes is a pain in the butt.
Literally, in my case. By God's good grace I am getting more fit. Eating healthier, eating less, exercising more. You know its the supernatural power of God at work that enabled me to stop drinking Mountain Dew cold turkey with no headaches. That was my crack, man.
But back to the point. I've got this little Bible I usually have in my back pocket. And now because I have less padding on the posterior, God's Word hurts when I sit down in my car without taking it out of the pocket -- it's a pain in the butt!
That silly little thought got me to thinking also -- that's just what the world says with a totally different meaning. An unbelieving world just doesn't want to hear about what God's Word says. They don't want absolute standards for morality, what's right and what's wrong. They don't want to hear that Jesus is the only way to heaven. They don't want to hear that there is a God whose character is perfect love, perfect mercy, and perfect justice -- and that there is a judgement coming where all wrongs will be righted.
But let's be perfectly clear here. If someone's standing on some train tracks, and a train is coming, no amount of closed-eye-fingers-in-the-ears nonsense is going to change the fact that if that person doesn't move, they're going to be in a heap of trouble.
The same goes for the Word.
It spells out perfectly clearly that God made this world, man's choice to rebel against God brought sin and death into it, God put a plan in action to reconcile man to himself, and that plan culminated in the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Because of God's immense love and patience, we have such an opportunity now to accept the offer of salvation through Christ and spread that good news to others. One day Christ will return and the world will be judged, and those not in Christ are like the poor intentionally deaf and blind soul on the train tracks about to get mowed down.
It may be a pain in the butt to hear, but its the truth -- and that trumps everything.
If you're in Christ, spread the message. If you're not, today is the day of salvation -- you never know what tomorrow will bring.
Grace and Peace friends
Literally, in my case. By God's good grace I am getting more fit. Eating healthier, eating less, exercising more. You know its the supernatural power of God at work that enabled me to stop drinking Mountain Dew cold turkey with no headaches. That was my crack, man.
But back to the point. I've got this little Bible I usually have in my back pocket. And now because I have less padding on the posterior, God's Word hurts when I sit down in my car without taking it out of the pocket -- it's a pain in the butt!
That silly little thought got me to thinking also -- that's just what the world says with a totally different meaning. An unbelieving world just doesn't want to hear about what God's Word says. They don't want absolute standards for morality, what's right and what's wrong. They don't want to hear that Jesus is the only way to heaven. They don't want to hear that there is a God whose character is perfect love, perfect mercy, and perfect justice -- and that there is a judgement coming where all wrongs will be righted.
But let's be perfectly clear here. If someone's standing on some train tracks, and a train is coming, no amount of closed-eye-fingers-in-the-ears nonsense is going to change the fact that if that person doesn't move, they're going to be in a heap of trouble.
The same goes for the Word.
It spells out perfectly clearly that God made this world, man's choice to rebel against God brought sin and death into it, God put a plan in action to reconcile man to himself, and that plan culminated in the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Because of God's immense love and patience, we have such an opportunity now to accept the offer of salvation through Christ and spread that good news to others. One day Christ will return and the world will be judged, and those not in Christ are like the poor intentionally deaf and blind soul on the train tracks about to get mowed down.
It may be a pain in the butt to hear, but its the truth -- and that trumps everything.
If you're in Christ, spread the message. If you're not, today is the day of salvation -- you never know what tomorrow will bring.
Grace and Peace friends
Friday, January 8, 2010
Gospel Swap
I've recently gotten more into a TV show that I've seen now and then in the past. Wife Swap. Wives (generally, maybe always, moms) change families for two weeks. The first week, the new wife is supposed to follow what the old wife did. The second week, the family is supposed to follow what the new wife does. Of course, to make interesting television with conflict, the families are at opposite ends of some spectrum.
What I have noticed quite often on the show is that the wife, or the whole family, often has their own gospel. Now I can't ever judge a person's heart and motivation, especially based on what I see on an hour show, but it seems quite clear that many have decided life is totally about saving money, or spending money, or overindulging children, or making slaves of children, or educating children, or avoiding children, or working, or being lazy, or about a million other things.
And in those particular lifestyles, it is easy to see evidence of our sinful fallen nature. You see it in the need for control, in the greed, in the vanity, in the pride, and so on.
Then you have the super moms now and then. The ones that don't get wrapped up the world and take excellent care of their children, loving them, nurturing them, teaching them at home, being silly with them, and so on. They are the heart of a functioning family that has nothing but love to share.
And in those particular lifestyles, it is also easy to see the evidence of putting to death our fallen nature for something greater. You see it in the family's balance, in giving, in humility, in listening, in apologizing, in forgiving, and so on.
I admire the super moms that caught my attention. I think they're great, because they remind me of my own wife. While I can't rightly say what all the super moms on the show believe, from their profession, a fair number are Christ followers. So praise God for all wives and mothers that know, love, and serve the Lord Jesus! Thank you for them!
And may all others come to know the Lord Jesus and discover the joy of the gospel of Christ and put away the false gospels of the world, and, thus, the devil.
Grace and Peace
What I have noticed quite often on the show is that the wife, or the whole family, often has their own gospel. Now I can't ever judge a person's heart and motivation, especially based on what I see on an hour show, but it seems quite clear that many have decided life is totally about saving money, or spending money, or overindulging children, or making slaves of children, or educating children, or avoiding children, or working, or being lazy, or about a million other things.
And in those particular lifestyles, it is easy to see evidence of our sinful fallen nature. You see it in the need for control, in the greed, in the vanity, in the pride, and so on.
Then you have the super moms now and then. The ones that don't get wrapped up the world and take excellent care of their children, loving them, nurturing them, teaching them at home, being silly with them, and so on. They are the heart of a functioning family that has nothing but love to share.
And in those particular lifestyles, it is also easy to see the evidence of putting to death our fallen nature for something greater. You see it in the family's balance, in giving, in humility, in listening, in apologizing, in forgiving, and so on.
I admire the super moms that caught my attention. I think they're great, because they remind me of my own wife. While I can't rightly say what all the super moms on the show believe, from their profession, a fair number are Christ followers. So praise God for all wives and mothers that know, love, and serve the Lord Jesus! Thank you for them!
And may all others come to know the Lord Jesus and discover the joy of the gospel of Christ and put away the false gospels of the world, and, thus, the devil.
Grace and Peace
Friday, August 28, 2009
Wake Up Call
Props to my wife for sending this link she came across today:
http://media.causes.com/544740?p_id=77580773
It breaks my heart to see things like that, especially when I have little girls of my own.
Too often I forget what a fallen and broken world we actually live in. Hearing incidents like this should be a wake up call for Christ's followers, myself included. Not just a wake up call to keep an eye out to help hurting people, especially the little ones that can't help themselves. Not just a wake up call to be report criminal activity and get the "bad guys" locked up. But also a wake up call that we need to do our part to get the gospel out to the whole world.
Why? I had a few thoughts about that.
The first is bunk and is something that will never happen, but I will share anyway. The thought is that if everyone trusted in and followed Christ, what would this world be like? What could disappear from the earth? Armies? Police? Jails? Homeless shelters? Food banks? Lawyers? Alarm systems? Surveillance cameras? Whatever-anonymous groups? Psychologists? Computer firewalls? Locks? I bet this list could go on for a while. Not a single one of these, and many more, things would be needed if we lived in world filled with disciples of Jesus Christ. But we know that's not going to happen. This world is going to keep getting worse before it ever gets better. We've got God's word on that.
The second is that the gospel, and key things that surround it, provide answers to questions that surround atrocities like the one shown in the video. The fact of the matter is we live in a fallen world with broken people that have abandoned God and are allowed to make choices. In that situation, there will always be evil. We can help heal and comfort those affected by it. We can influence legislation to control actions, even though it doesn't change hearts. We can speak out in many ways against the evil in this world. But no matter what we do, its not going away until the world is made new again by God himself.
The third, and most important, is that the gospel is essential to salvation. People can get outraged at the evil other people do all they want, and rightfully so. Just remember that it is not the basis for comparison to use when we're talking about our eternal destiny. That's what so many in the world do, isn't it? "Oh I've got some issues, but I'm not as bad as that other guy! So, I'm okay, right?" If you don't know Jesus Christ, the answer is, no, you're not. The "cold blooded killer" and the "moral man" both need Jesus Christ equally, because every single one of us has a desperately wicked heart bent on rebelling against God. No matter how good we think we are, that heart isn't made right until we repent and turn to Jesus and God puts a new heart in us.
So what's my point? Everyone needs Jesus. The "parent" who really wasn't, and the "good" person who doesn't know him. If you know him, great. Tell this broken world why they need him too, how one day he's going to deal with those who reject his Son, and how one day he's going to make this world all right again.
Grace and Peace
http://media.causes.com/544740?p_id=77580773
It breaks my heart to see things like that, especially when I have little girls of my own.
Too often I forget what a fallen and broken world we actually live in. Hearing incidents like this should be a wake up call for Christ's followers, myself included. Not just a wake up call to keep an eye out to help hurting people, especially the little ones that can't help themselves. Not just a wake up call to be report criminal activity and get the "bad guys" locked up. But also a wake up call that we need to do our part to get the gospel out to the whole world.
Why? I had a few thoughts about that.
The first is bunk and is something that will never happen, but I will share anyway. The thought is that if everyone trusted in and followed Christ, what would this world be like? What could disappear from the earth? Armies? Police? Jails? Homeless shelters? Food banks? Lawyers? Alarm systems? Surveillance cameras? Whatever-anonymous groups? Psychologists? Computer firewalls? Locks? I bet this list could go on for a while. Not a single one of these, and many more, things would be needed if we lived in world filled with disciples of Jesus Christ. But we know that's not going to happen. This world is going to keep getting worse before it ever gets better. We've got God's word on that.
The second is that the gospel, and key things that surround it, provide answers to questions that surround atrocities like the one shown in the video. The fact of the matter is we live in a fallen world with broken people that have abandoned God and are allowed to make choices. In that situation, there will always be evil. We can help heal and comfort those affected by it. We can influence legislation to control actions, even though it doesn't change hearts. We can speak out in many ways against the evil in this world. But no matter what we do, its not going away until the world is made new again by God himself.
The third, and most important, is that the gospel is essential to salvation. People can get outraged at the evil other people do all they want, and rightfully so. Just remember that it is not the basis for comparison to use when we're talking about our eternal destiny. That's what so many in the world do, isn't it? "Oh I've got some issues, but I'm not as bad as that other guy! So, I'm okay, right?" If you don't know Jesus Christ, the answer is, no, you're not. The "cold blooded killer" and the "moral man" both need Jesus Christ equally, because every single one of us has a desperately wicked heart bent on rebelling against God. No matter how good we think we are, that heart isn't made right until we repent and turn to Jesus and God puts a new heart in us.
So what's my point? Everyone needs Jesus. The "parent" who really wasn't, and the "good" person who doesn't know him. If you know him, great. Tell this broken world why they need him too, how one day he's going to deal with those who reject his Son, and how one day he's going to make this world all right again.
Grace and Peace
Sunday, August 16, 2009
Restoration Or Alteration?
I have heard the Mormon phrase "restoration of the gospel" in the past, and again just recently, but I never looked up exactly what that meant. If what I read was true, I am saddened by it. From the LDS website, it is this:
"When Jesus Christ was on the earth, He established His Church among His followers. After His Crucifixion and the deaths of His Apostles, the fulness of the gospel was taken from the earth because of widespread apostasy. Through the Prophet Joseph Smith, our Father in Heaven and His Son Jesus Christ restored the fulness of the gospel. The true Church of Jesus Christ is on the earth again. Because of the Restoration, the teachings and ordinances necessary for salvation are available to all people."
The phrase "teachings and ordinances necessary for salvation" is very scary already.
Ordinances is further define as:
"In the Church, an ordinance is a sacred, formal act performed by the authority of the priesthood. Some ordinances are essential to our exaltation. These ordinances are called saving ordinances. They include baptism, confirmation, ordination to the Melchizedek Priesthood (for men), the temple endowment, and the marriage sealing. With each of these ordinances, we enter into solemn covenants with the Lord."
So "saving ordinances" include all these other things mentioned nowhere as necessary for salvation in the pages of the Bible. Paul makes it quite clear in Romans that salvation is by grace through faith in Jesus Christ alone, and does not come from ANY kind works we do on our own, including rituals like water baptism.
I had some discussions with one of my Mormon friends in the past, and it seemed clear to me that he believed in salvation by grace through faith, but yet here we have on the LDS website an indication that salvation comes through these other things as well. So I don't know what to think on the subject, but what I have to say is this:
If there is ANYONE out there in ANY organization trusting that their salvation comes something other than faith in Christ, they are dead wrong. It doesn't come from a family line. It doesn't come from affiliation with any certain group. It doesn't come from saying a certain prayer. It doesn't come from some ritual. It doesn't come from doing good works. None of these things will save anyone. All they will do is give people a false sense of security like many Jewish leaders had 2000 years ago. Salvation comes from genuine repentance and faith in Jesus Christ. Period.
Grace and Peace
"When Jesus Christ was on the earth, He established His Church among His followers. After His Crucifixion and the deaths of His Apostles, the fulness of the gospel was taken from the earth because of widespread apostasy. Through the Prophet Joseph Smith, our Father in Heaven and His Son Jesus Christ restored the fulness of the gospel. The true Church of Jesus Christ is on the earth again. Because of the Restoration, the teachings and ordinances necessary for salvation are available to all people."
The phrase "teachings and ordinances necessary for salvation" is very scary already.
Ordinances is further define as:
"In the Church, an ordinance is a sacred, formal act performed by the authority of the priesthood. Some ordinances are essential to our exaltation. These ordinances are called saving ordinances. They include baptism, confirmation, ordination to the Melchizedek Priesthood (for men), the temple endowment, and the marriage sealing. With each of these ordinances, we enter into solemn covenants with the Lord."
So "saving ordinances" include all these other things mentioned nowhere as necessary for salvation in the pages of the Bible. Paul makes it quite clear in Romans that salvation is by grace through faith in Jesus Christ alone, and does not come from ANY kind works we do on our own, including rituals like water baptism.
I had some discussions with one of my Mormon friends in the past, and it seemed clear to me that he believed in salvation by grace through faith, but yet here we have on the LDS website an indication that salvation comes through these other things as well. So I don't know what to think on the subject, but what I have to say is this:
If there is ANYONE out there in ANY organization trusting that their salvation comes something other than faith in Christ, they are dead wrong. It doesn't come from a family line. It doesn't come from affiliation with any certain group. It doesn't come from saying a certain prayer. It doesn't come from some ritual. It doesn't come from doing good works. None of these things will save anyone. All they will do is give people a false sense of security like many Jewish leaders had 2000 years ago. Salvation comes from genuine repentance and faith in Jesus Christ. Period.
Grace and Peace
Thursday, April 23, 2009
What The Gospel Ain't
I was listening to Duncan a lot today and felt this point was warranted. When we talk to others about Christianity, we need to represent the gospel correctly.
The gospel ain't helping the poor.
The gospel ain't going to church.
The gospel ain't trying really hard not to sin.
The gospel ain't reading the Bible.
You can do all those things and be in an awful mess if you haven't put any faith in Jesus Christ. An atheist can even easily do all of those things.
That is not to say the things above are not important. They are all very important. As Christians we should help the poor, go to church, try really hard not to sin, read God's word, and so on.
But they are not the gospel! They are responses to the gospel!
If you're trying to tell someone the gospel and you don't have time, ask the question of yourself "Can this person be saved through what I am telling him?" If the answer is no, you're on the wrong track.
In a nutshell, the gospel (good news) of Christ is that "Jesus Christ came to earth, lived as a man, died for our sins, rose again, is now seated at the right hand of God the father, and offers forgiveness of sins for those who repent and put their trust in him."
That's boiled down into a 10 second answer. For a longer answer, check this out.
The gospel ain't helping the poor.
The gospel ain't going to church.
The gospel ain't trying really hard not to sin.
The gospel ain't reading the Bible.
You can do all those things and be in an awful mess if you haven't put any faith in Jesus Christ. An atheist can even easily do all of those things.
That is not to say the things above are not important. They are all very important. As Christians we should help the poor, go to church, try really hard not to sin, read God's word, and so on.
But they are not the gospel! They are responses to the gospel!
If you're trying to tell someone the gospel and you don't have time, ask the question of yourself "Can this person be saved through what I am telling him?" If the answer is no, you're on the wrong track.
In a nutshell, the gospel (good news) of Christ is that "Jesus Christ came to earth, lived as a man, died for our sins, rose again, is now seated at the right hand of God the father, and offers forgiveness of sins for those who repent and put their trust in him."
That's boiled down into a 10 second answer. For a longer answer, check this out.
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