Pondering Christmas

But Mary kept all these thing, and pondered them in her heart. 
      - Luke 2:19                     

When was the last time you thought, with any particular concentration or for any length of time, about what God has done in your life? Since it's nearing Christmas, we can likely all say that we counted our blessings about a month ago - on Thanksgiving. (That is, if we weren't too busy eating turkey, watching football, or entertaining guests to pause for longer than a brief blessing before the meal.)

Too often, we accept a blessing, a particular teaching or revelation - or even a miracle - from God gratefully at the time. And then we forget about it. We all have experiences and treasures from God, things with we should store up and remember. For any of us who are believers, the fact of our salvation would itself be enough to ponder. The Bible says that even angels desire to understand the miracle of redemption. (I Peter 1:12) Yet, after we are saved, God continues to pour blessings on top of that first miracle of spiritual birth.

This Christmas, as we reflect on the birth of Christ, let us also reflect on the things God has done in each of our lives personally. Let us be like Mary, and keep these things in our hearts not simply with a fleeting, hurried thankfulness, but with a true reflection and pondering of how great our Father's love is to us, and how many blessings He uses to demonstrate it.

Fishing Lesson #2

But in your hearts set apart Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect, keeping a clear conscience, so that those who speak maliciously against your good behavior in Christ may be ashamed of their slander. - I Peter 3:15-16

While we're on the subject of fishing, and we've established that we actually have to go look for fish where the fish ARE, we ought to talk about bait. If you're fishing, you can't just toss a hook and a line out there and hope some fish likes the hook. No one likes a hook!

If all we have to offer the world is criticism, pointing fingers, and a list of rules (a list which most people are sure are impossible and also would take the fun out of life), then it's no wonder that no one is listening to us. The world offers plenty of criticism...and no grace. It's not hard to find someone to point out your flaws...but it is rare to find someone who will point out that you are loved. And everywhere people go there are different rules. Contrary to the way most of us behave, whether it's how we actually believe or not, legalism and rules are not the selling points of Christianity.

Peter tells us to set apart Christ as Lord in our hearts. Have we done that? If so, is He THE Lord, or just one of a few other lords in out hearts? The rest of the verse, about being prepared to answer for the hope that you have, is a logical extension of that. If Christ is Lord of your heart, then the next logical result is that you will have hope. You'll have hope because you know who the Lord is, not just Lord of your heart but of your future and ultimately of the entire universe, and you'll trust Him and know that there is something to hope for. And that hope will shine brightly so that other people can see it.

In a world as dark as ours, real hope - not just optimism - is very rare, and people who have real hope stand out. You can't have hope and be able to NOT stand out. People are looking for hope, and if you have it, then they are going to want it. That's the bait. People will see there's something different about you.

Peter says have a defense ready - because people are going to ask you about it. It says to "everyone who asks you"...not just "in case someone asks you". It's going to happen if you are living in hope because people will be curious what's up with you. Your behavior will not make sense to them. So why are more Christians not living lives that make people wonder? That goes back to the first of the verse. "Set apart Christ as Lord." If we don't do that...then we don't have anything worth wondering about.

Basic Fishing Lesson

"Come, follow me," Jesus said, "and I will make you fishers of men." 
-Matthew 4:19














Jesus told His followers that they would be fishers of men. This promise wasn't something optional. If we follow Jesus, we will BE fishers of men. So, why are more Christians not going fishing? We all have our reasons for not being more active in our spiritual fishing excursions. Most likely, we're not intentionally neglecting our jobs as fishermen. We're just distracted or too busy or too shy or...something. But fishing is something we ought to be doing. It's not a nice addition to the Christian life. Fishing for men, finding the lost, and pointing them to Christ is our primary mission as Christians. Jesus' last command to his followers before he ascended was...go tell others and make disciples.

("Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, bapitizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world." Matthew 28:19-20 )

With that in mind, let's have some basic fishing lessons over the next few days.

Lesson #1 is very basic:
The fish are in the water.

Perhaps one reason that some of us don't catch any fish is because we're looking in the wrong place. I sat on the beach quite a lot about a week ago, and do you know how many fish I saw flop up onto the sand waiting to be scooped up? Absolutely none. I didn't even SEE any fish in the water, even though I knew they were there. By just sitting on the beach, I was essentially ensuring that I would encounter ZERO fish.

If all we do to reach the lost is to sit in church every Sunday and wait for them to come in the door looking for God or for truth or even just for help...we're in the wrong place. The church is important, and the teaching that goes on at church is important. But it's not the only thing that we need to be doing in order to point people towards God's kingdom. The average person who is not a believer already is unlikely to come to a church, even when they realize that they need SOMETHING and don't know what it is, or even when they encounter a problem and realize they need help. Many professing Christians don't think of God, or even of the church, as our first response when we encounter a problem...why do we assume that non-Christians will just stumble onto that wise course of action when we don't do so ourselves?

Maybe some of us need to start our fishing expedition by getting outside of our comfort zones, taking our faith beyond the walls of the church, and finding a place where there are actually some fish to catch.


                                                                    

Caricature Conundrum

Earlier this month, a group drawing attention to freedom of speech sponsored a contest in Garland, Texas where artists were challenged to draw pictures of Muhammed. The group knew that this would be sensational and would precipitate discussion among a diversity of people including Muslims offended by the artwork, proponents of religious and speech freedoms, reporters and entertainers. They couldn’t be sure, but might have reasonably expected, that it would also precipitate violence surrounding the event, which it did.

Were these people wrong to point out that we have freedom of speech and that one person’s beliefs should not dictate what another person can say? No. Were they doing anything illegal? No. Did they do something that deserved a violent response…or was the violent response justifiable? Absolutely not!

Should we, as Christians, participate in similar events? I’ve seen plenty of Christian friends post everything from sympathy for the organizers... to praises for the heroic law enforcement that stopped what could otherwise have been a tragedy...to jokes mocking the killings of the dead men who were intent on violence. So where should a Christian stand on these issues?

It is my personal belief that Christians have no business either participating in or praising events like these. Other Christians may disagree, and certainly the organizers of the competition disagreed. (I don’t know if they are Christians or not.) That’s their prerogative. Here is why I say that we, as Christians, should have no part in this sort of events or behavior.

As Americans, we certainly have the right to draw pictures of anything we wish, including Muhammed. We have the right to say anything we want, with the small exception of the speech can’t violate any laws (such as committing perjury or fraud would if we used our speech for that). 

However, just because we “have the right” does not make it “the right thing to do".  We have the right to do many things as Americans that simply are not right as Christians. For example, we have the right to get a divorce for any reason whatsoever. We have the right to cheat on our spouse. We have the right to never set foot in a church and never open our Bibles to read them.  We have the right to spread gossip. We have the right to drink to excess. We have the RIGHT to do many things…but just because they are rights does not make them right.

The Bible has a lot to say about rights. Jesus had all the rights of God, but he gave those up to become a man and come to earth to sacrifice Himself for us. If we are truly his followers, we don’t insist on our rights at the expense of others.

I Corinthians 8:9 says, “Be careful, however, that the exercise of your rights does not become a stumbling block to the weak.” This passage is specifically talking about those of us who are Christians and who are setting an example to younger Christians of how to live in Christ, that we are not so insistent on our “rights” that we confuse them. How much more can it apply to those who are not Christian and who are watching us?

I Corinthians 6:12 emphasizes that just because we have the right to do something does not make it beneficial. And in I Corinthians 9, Paul points out that he had the right to expect the church to support him as he taught among them, but that he worked for his living (as a tentmaker…not exactly a glamorous career) while he was there so that no one would look at his ministry and say that he was just in it for the money and to be taken care of by others. Paul voluntarily gave up support which was his right because in so doing, he was a better witness to other people.

Romans 12:18 says “If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone.”  Does intentionally offending people for the sole purpose of offending them sound like living at peace with everyone as far as it depends on you?

The last commandment that Jesus gave when he was on earth was to go and teach all nations and make disciples of them. Does figuratively poking a finger right in someone’s eye by doing something you know is going to offend them sound like a good way to start off a teaching conversation?

Ask yourself, before you participate in an event like this or praise the people who sponsor it: Will this event point the Muslim who hears about it to Jesus? Will it make their heart more open to the sowing of God’s word by the next Christian who has an opportunity to witness to them? Or will it just harden their heart further when they see such a petty way that we use our “rights”.

I’m not saying that we need to tiptoe around and never offend someone of another culture or speak out about another religion. I won’t hesitate to say that Islam is WRONG and that their extremists such as the two gunmen in Texas are murderers (or would have been if they were not stopped by law enforcement first). I’m not saying that papers should not run political cartoons, even ones with Muhammed drawn in caricature, as a part of their everyday course of business. What I’m saying is that going out of our way to be offensive to other people is not Christian, and to praise or even give attention to those who do so is not Christian. To make jokes about the death of two men who were created by God - but who no longer have an opportunity for any eternity other than separation from Him is not Christian. Though all those things are permissible to us as Americans and are even seen by some to be patriotic…that does not mean they are Christian.

We should not be mocking those who follow Islam. We should be weeping for them and for how deceived they are. We should be taking any opportunity we have to point them towards Christ and to the salvation He offers.  And we should be on our knees before God begging Him to bring Muslims to him. When, if we were doing that, would we have time to participate or endorse such foolishness as that cartoon contest?

Our rights end where our duty to share Christ with others begins. THAT’S the purpose to which we should turn our speech and all the freedoms we have surrounding it.

How's That Do-Over Working Out?

Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me. 
-Psalm 51:10

Last week, the story hit the news about the tragic death of a teenage heart transplant recipient. Only a year after receiving his transplant, he died while he was fleeing from police in a stolen car. He had allegedly burglarized a house and fired a gun at the elderly homeowner before fleeing from the cops. My first thoughts when reading this was, “How awful! How could he do that? What a stupid thing to do!”

There were thousands of other people on the transplant list who could have benefited from that heart.
About a month after the transplant, the young man had himself said that the new heart would help him stay out of trouble. He rejoiced over what he called his "second chance".

While we can look at his case and comment on how foolish he is, we should take a look at ourselves. If we’re Christians, then we’ve got a new heart. We’ve got a new spirit, the Holy Spirit of God, living within us. We get to start over with a clean slate. We don’t just get a new heart…we get an entirely new life. We get to be born again. It’s the ultimate do-over!

But how are we using that do-over. Are we just “doing over” the same old things we've always done? Are we stuck in the same habits, slaves to the same addictions? Are we still running on the hamster-wheel of sin and its consequences?

Consider today that if your DO-OVER looks a lot like the life you’re supposed to be DONE WITH, then some serious change needs to take place. Don’t fall back into the same old life.

Just like that teen, you have a new heart, a second chance that many people never experience. Don’t waste it!

Why Are People Picking on "Fifty Shades of Grey"?

Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.  - Philippians 4:8

Note: This post contains references to graphic content by virtue of its non-virtuous topic. It is okay for adults, and should not be anything that will offend, but it is not okay for young children. It needs to be said, but please read with discretion.


Before I start, I ought to tell you that I haven't actually seen the movie Fifty Shades of Grey, and I haven't read the book, either. So I can't say with authority what's in it, only what I've heard is in it.

So, why are people, specifically Christians, picking on this movie? Sure, it has some objectionable things, some nudity, some sex outside of the boundaries of what is considered a healthy relationship by most people. But why call it out and make a big deal out of that exact movie?

I'm not saying at all that we, as Christians, shouldn't speak out against degradation in our society or against immorality and evil. What I am asking is why suddenly that movie?

Is it the first movie with nudity? No.
The first movie with immorality? No.
The first movie with deviant sex? No.
Maybe the first with bedroom bondage? Still no.

So why now? Why not before? Why this movie and not those others that had similar content and themes in the past? We, as Christians, should certainly call out when we see immorality, but, truthfully, wagging our fingers and criticizing the rest of the world is not going to accomplish anything if we are indulging in watching those very same things ourselves.

 Think about this: If you object to Fifty Shades of Grey, is it really that you find it morally offensive? Or is it that the content is unbiblical? Is it because it has nudity and graphic intimate scenes?
   ...Or is it because it has these things but also isn't a topic, concept, or plot that you like?

Is our criticism selective? Are we more lenient towards what is acceptable if we like the show and its plot?

For example, if nudity and sex are your objection to 50 Shades of Grey...do you watch Game of Thrones?
   Ouch, that audience includes like half of America.

If the problem is dysfunctional relationships or language, did you complain about 50 Shades...but then call Birdman art?

If the problem is the depiction of corruption of the innocent by a deviant predator...was that okay for you in the Twilight series?

These are just examples, but think about them. I think many of us are more lenient with ourselves in turning a blind eye toward objectionable material if the specific entertainment is one that we prefer. We're not as forgiving with content in movies or shows that simply don't suit our personal style or preferences.

We've changed, as a culture and as Christians. We see things today on network TV that would have been objectionable on the big screen in the worst-rated movies years ago. Some of the mainstream cable shows would even have been labeled pornographic a few years ago...and still are considered that by people with intact discernment.

Next time you sit down for a show, think about if your grandmother was there...would you be embarrassed to watch? Cultural standards may have changed over the decades since Grandma was young, but morality isn't changeable. If it was wrong in her generation, it is wrong now.

Then think about if Jesus was sitting there, would you still watch the show? As a Christian, the Holy Spirit is there with you all the time, so are you expecting Him to sit through that kind of garbage with you? ... Really?!

We need to get back to a higher standard of morality for ourselves. Quit pointing fingers at the rest of the world, and get our own house in order. We've been flirting with sin for too long, compromising on what is "okay" to watch, and filling out minds with things of questionable morality. And now we've been morally living in the territory of the questionable for so long that we haven't noticed that we've moved from a morality made of "shades of gray" and have wandered off into the realm of the "pitch black".

Authors Note/Confession: I apologize if this is a little bit behind the times. I've had it written for some time, and it's been on my heart to say this. However, I really didn't want to. You see, when this conviction first entered my mind, I had recently borrowed Season 3 of Game of Thrones from the library and was really looking forward to watching it. I like the series and have enjoyed the first two seasons, though some scenes required selective not-watching. I tend to skim over those and just watch the other bits. Well, I knew that if I wrote this, then I'd have to admit that I should not be watching that show...and, on the other hand, I realized that if I watched the video, then I couldn't possibly in good conscience post this piece. I sat on the fence for awhile...until I'd rechecked the video so many times that I ran out of renews at the library, and it came to the point where I had to make a decision to watch it - or turn it in unwatched. So it went to the book drop rather than into my DVD player, and I opted to post this instead.

Why Be Good?

For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them. - Ephesians 2:10

What good works have you done this day?

       How about this week...?

Many people perceive Christianity as a list of rules, particularly a list of "thou shalt nots". Sadly, even many Christians seem to, in a more pious way, embrace this same perception as those outside the church do. Some, maybe a majority of, professing Christians seem to think that if we avoid doing anything evil, then that makes us good Christians. We should be fine, that should be enough - if we can just steer clear of the "thou shalt nots".

No WONDER the rest of the world thinks that's what Christianity is about. That's what we LIVE like it's about!

One of my favorite pastimes is Dungeons & Dragons, a fantasy storytelling game. In that game, each character has an alignment that determines their personality, and one aspect of that alignment is where they stand on the spectrum between good and evil. There are three options: Good...Neutral...Evil. If even the designers of a secular game can see the obvious truth that "not being evil" does not necessarily make a person "good", then why do we as Christians assume that we can just try to not be evil and that's good enough to call ourselves followers of Christ?

Throughout scripture, we are called, encouraged, and even commanded to DO GOOD. The verse above is a perfect example, but consider these, as well:

Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven. - Matthew 5:16

      - If we don't do good works, works that cause men to glorify God, we are not obeying the direct instructions of Christ. We are not doing what He SAID.

Jesus answered them, Many good works have I shewed you from my Father; for which of those works do ye stone me? - John 10:32

       - If we don't do good works, then we are not following what Jesus DID, either.

And let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works - Hebrews 10:24

        - If we don't do good works, then we deprive other Christians of an example of how they should do good works. 

Having your conversation honest among the Gentiles: that, whereas they speak against you as evildoers, they may by your good works, which they shall behold , glorify God in the day of visitation. - I Peter 2:12

         - If we don't do good works, we also deprive non-Christians of their opportunity to see and to glorify God.

The book of James tells us twice that faith without works is dead. (James 2:17 and James 2:20) What good is a dead faith? We are not, and never could be, saved by works. But works are the evidence that we are saved. 

Clearly, the Christian life was never meant to be lived coasting along in some easy state of just-good-enough or simply-not-being-evil. We are supposed to be doing good works on a daily basis. Most of the rest of our non-believing neighbors shoot for (and usually hit) the target of "don't do anything overtly evil or grossly immoral". We need do to better than that. 

When people look at us, they need to see us being actively, peculiarly, unreasonably GOOD.