Not your Father's Nativity Scene Either.

I find it somewhat ironic that Christmas, celebrated on December 25th, is returning to its pagan roots. December 25th has had significance to pagan religions before Christ was born. It was not until 350AD when Pope Julius I made it the official birthday of Christ did believers begin to celebrate on December 25th and even then the people incorporated their pagan traditions into the celebration of Christ's birth, some even surviving to this day. The actual celebration of Christ-mass began much later in the 1500's.

What am I rambling about? I'm sure that this is not unique to our day; attacks on Christians and Christmas have surely been going on for quite some time. However, I do not remember such a brazenly public attempt to wrestle Christmas away from Christians as in these last few years. An organization of atheists have began a public campaign ostensibly targeted at other atheists who may feel "left out" at Christmas asking the question, "Why believe in a god? Be good for goodness sake." There's always the the passive assault of wishing "Happy Holidays" by the retailers who fall all over themselves to not offend anyone except Christians (what do they mean by "holy-days"?). The Christmas specials avoid the Christ aspect of Christmas and of course all the ads with "x-mas" have been around for ever but still have the effect of being flipped the bird.

The slide of western culture back to pagan celebration on December 25th went a little farther this year when a Dutch gay group announced that they will be modifying the nativity scene a little this year (http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,463546,00.html ) during the ProGay group's celebration. For those whose stomachs have just turned and don't wish to read the entire article about the "Pink Christmas" celebration in Amsterdam, I'll sum it up for you with a quote or two from the article:

"Van Dalen said it was not intended to be offensive, but was meant as a "wink" at heterosexual assumptions.
"Christmas is about more than religion, it's also about love and families, not to mention shopping," he said. "Two men or two women can form a family too these days, even one with a child." "

Clearly, as our culture slides farther and farther away from its value system based on absolute truth toward secular humanism, there will be more assaults on the beliefs of those who still celebrate Christ's birth on December 25th. Barring a third great awakening, we should expect it. But don't despair, all the assaults cannot change the fact that Jesus DID come and we can celebrate that all year long. There is nothing sacred about December 25th, if the pagans want it back, fine; our message doesn't change.

Not Your Fathers Prayer meeting?

Imagine walking into church Sunday morning and seeing three SUVs behind the pulpit. That's just what church goers at Greater Grace Temple in Detroit saw this morning. The SUVs served as the backdrop to a prayer service with the purpose of petitioning God for bailout money to keep the big three alive. UAW members, executives, and even the dreaded car salesmen present in the service came forward and were anointed with oil as prayers were offered up to turn the hearts of congress to favoring the 15 billion "loan". UAW Vice President General Holiefield told the attendees of this morning's service that after pleading their case and fighting for the bailout that "We have done all we can do in this union, so I'm going to turn it over to the Lord." For more on this unusual prayer meeting check out the link below.

http://www.reuters.com/article/domesticNews/idUSTRE4B700K20081208

Where Was This Two Months Ago?

Two months ago I posted an article entitled "Judge Not." I wish the angry young man that decorated this sign would have thought of this then.

Has Your Worship Been Stolen?

After writing last week about tradition and methodology in the church, I began to think about worship. A few thoughts came to mind that follow. As noted last week, God is desirous of true worshippers; those who worship from the heart, in faith, and with pure motives. My purpose here is not to trot out the scriptures of David dancing before the Lord or to otherwise try and argue for a variety of worship styles. Style and methods are not as important as to understand what true worship is.

Though we know this, we need to be reminded that a spiritual battle rages around us. There are very real implications of this. The devil wars against believers with many strategies, some blatant and some subtle. I believe that one tactic of the devil is to rob God of worship and believers of the joy of worshiping. The list of ways he has accomplished this in the church is endless, but fruitless arguments over music styles is one way he has had great success in our culture today. Our focus has been removed from praising God to whose way of praising God is better. Bitterness and pride become impediments to true worship and thus rob God of the focus of our affections, destroy relationships between churches and individual believers, and demonstrates to the unbelieving world around us how fractured we are.


Singing along half-heartedly while our mind is somewhere else. I've been in the church a long time and know many songs. How many times have I mouthed the words to a song while my mind wandered aimlessly out the door? How many times have I not considered the meaning of the words I am singing?

Convincing believers that worship is just singing and praying. We go to church on Sunday because we are commanded not to forsake the assembling of believers. Corporate worship is valuable for many reasons. Corporate worship is not, however, all there is to worship. More on that in the next paragraph.


Another tactic the devil may use, and let me say this carefully, may be digging so deeply for doctrine, that we have missed some things closer to the surface. Looking at scripture with a microscope is good and necessary, but we also need to stand back and look at the entire picture as well. What do I mean? The bible has a lot to say about the life of King David. Scripture calls him a man after God's own heart. I believe the church would do well to analyze the life of this man, including the way David worshipped. I'm not talking about style here, I'm talking about substance. Step back and look at the book of Psalms as a whole; this man incorporated worship into his lifestyle (I know, David didn't write all of Psalms). David experienced the joy of true worship and his worship was acceptable to the Lord.


Let us not get hung up on style over substance. True worship spills out of our hearts and into our lives. Don't let the devil rob God of your worship. Better still, let US not rob God of worship due Him.

Keep Smiling

Do you know what the shortest verse in the Bible is? No, the other one. I Thessalonians 5:16 where Paul commands the Thessalonians to "rejoice always." Actually, this verse is the first two words of a sentence. The rest of it says, "...pray without ceasing, in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you." These are easy words to read over and I have had these verses memorized for years, but practically applying them in my everyday life? Well, as the bumper sticker says, "Be patient with me. God isn't finished with me yet!"

Applying the principle of rejoicing and giving thanks for all things should have a huge impact on those who live and work around us. Think of it. Management at work bungles another call and creates yet another unintelligible policy for everyone to follow. Do I: a) Complain with everyone else, or b) Keep a smile on my face and be thankful that I'm employed. Which of the former will cause you to stand out the most? Grumbling and complaining knocks the wind right out of our testimony. Whining and griping should not characterize believers. What about the recent election results? Whoops, I already blew that one!

Consider this with me. Paul and Silas were stripped, beaten and chained up in prison for casting a demon out of a young girl who was being used for profit by wicked men (Acts 16:16-34). Smarting from a savage beating and locked away in a filthy prison after doing good, if anyone had a right to be angry or depressed, it was Paul and Silas. However, as you may already know, these men were "praying and singing hymns to God." The result in the end was the salvation of a jailer and his entire household, and a few very astonished fellow prisoners, I'm sure. When Paul commands the Thessalonians to rejoice always, pray, and give thanks in all things, he speaks from experience and practiced what he preached.

Given what Paul went through to bring the gospel to the gentiles and the attitude he had while doing it, I can certainly rejoice, pray, and be thankful in all things while I bring dial tone to my subscribers. After all, no one has beaten me yet.

Tradition and Faithfulness.

Why do we do things the way we do? An interesting question to stop and think about sometimes, when you have the time to stop and think, that is. I had the opportunity seven years ago to serve with a group of people to plant a church in Paso Robles where we asked this question in regards to the traditional order of a church service and even church government. How much of what we do at church is mandated in scripture and how much of what we do is traditional? Isn't it interesting how sacred tradition can become? I wonder how many churches have run off a worship leader or pastor who tried to put songs on a projector and get rid of the hymnals?

Methods or traditions in our churches are often the constructs of man that are morally neutral, becoming good or evil based upon the heart of the man or woman who follows them. For instance, music is always a battleground in Christendom. One group will say hymns are the only acceptable way to sing praise to the Lord and another will say that hymns are out dated and only contemporary music is relevant for today's church (for example, remember). I submit to you that both are sinning if they are not singing as to the Lord. Whether we sing an old hymn or new, traditional or not, if it is not sung in faith wholeheartedly to the Lord, it is sinful. God is desirous of true worshipers and not a particular song; the principle then is true worship, the methods may vary. Remember, methods equals tradition; tradition equals methods.

Methods are the means used to minister in various groups and cultures. We see different methods of ministry in scripture; the apostle Paul preached differently in the synagogues than he did at the Areopagus in Athens. Methods are wrong when they are done with improper motives, faithlessly, or directly defy principles found in scripture. King Saul, for instance, became impatient as Samuel was delayed in his arrival and presumptuously offered sacrifices to the Lord. It was good to offer sacrifice to the Lord, if you were a priest, that is. What is the principle? To obey is better than sacrifice, and to hearken than the fat of rams. Saul's sacrifice was a faithless act and in direct defiance to God's law. We have to be careful here in churchdom not to elevate our tradition or distinctive on par with or above the substance of scripture. Ask the Pharisees what Jesus thought of their traditions. Ask ourselves what He may think of ours.

Got a little time on your hands?

My aunt sent me an e-mail this morning about a retired carpenter that desired to see revival in his country. This sure beats a flanel-graph.

On Works and Salvation

While reading through the book of Mark a while ago, I came across the familiar story of the rich young ruler. This man came to Jesus to find out what he needed to do to inherit eternal life and things were looking pretty good from his perspective until Jesus lowered the boom: " Then Jesus looked at him, loved him, and said to him, 'One thing you lack: go your way, sell whatever you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, take up your cross and follow me.' " (Mark 10:21) This was not what the man had hoped to hear and he was sorrowful, causing Jesus to state how hard it is for the rich to enter the kingdom of God. So hard in fact that a camel can more easily pass through the eye of a needle than the rich through the gates of heaven. The young man had a clear choice to make; forsake his vast wealth and cast his lot with Jesus Christ to inherit eternal life or cast his lot with his vast wealth and reject Jesus' clear path to eternal life.

All scripture is profitable for doctrine so there must be a lesson here somewhere. I would imagine that Jesus doesn't grade on the curve where wealth is concerned and I would not hesitate to say that much of, if not all of western culture is wealthy beyond the wildest dreams of the rest of the world, and most of the peoples from the beginning of time. Is our wealth going to keep us from Christ and eternal life? Could we give away all we have for the service of Christ and trust Him for what we truly need? It looks pretty bleak for the westerner who hopes to attain eternal life. I had to stop and consider this passage in light of James 2:14-26. Faith without works is dead. James challenges his opponent to show him his faith without works. Obviously, his opponent could not. We show our faith, or lack thereof, by our works. Jesus was challenging the rich man to action; demonstrating that he had faith in Jesus, not his stuff. That same challenge goes out to everyone; show Me your faith! The lesson here is not for every believer to be completely possession less, but rather to follow Jesus completely, even if it means being completely broke. Do we love our stuff, or do we love the One who allows us have it. Remember Luke 16:13, "No man can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be loyal to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon (wealth personified)." God requires nothing less than our complete devotion to him. I fear for a lot of people in the church who have placed their faith and trust in their wealth instead of Christ. Do we give to the Lord first and trust Him to meet our needs or do we give Him what is left over once we've satisfied all of our own desires? Are we demonstrating the faith of demons, who believe in God and tremble at His power, but reject Him with their actions? That is not true faith acording to James 2:20.

How can we accomplish this difficult task of forsaking our wealth to follow Him? Jesus Himself said it was impossible. For mankind in his own power it is, but with God all things are possible (Mark 10:27). Praise God! He can give me the abillity to act on my faith and forsake my riches for His sake. Paul challenges the Philippians to "...work out your own salvation with fear and trembling; for it is God who works in you both to will and do for His good pleasure." (Phil 2:13) This is not a call to work for your salvation but rather to demonstrate it, and what's more; He'll help me to do it! I am challenged by what is known as "The Lukewarm Church" in Revelation 3:14-22. These trusted in their wealth and thought they needed nothing. After analyzing their works, Jesus assessment of their situation was very different; wretched, poor, blind, and naked. Spiritually, they were destitute and needy and their condition was repulsive to the Lord. I challenge myself and those who read to do the works that demonstrate their faith and not try to divide our allegience to Jesus with a lessor god.

Judge Not!

One of the most misused passages in scripture is found in Matthew 7:1-6 which begins with the familiar phrase, "Judge not, lest ye be judged." I'm sure you've heard it; a public figure is caught doing something wrong and they use the snarky retort, "Judge not, lest ye be judged" even though they will most likely reject every other teaching of Christ. I have heard believers say those very words themselves in relation to other's deeds or their own. Did Jesus really intend for us not to make any judgements about others? Scripture speaks volumes about this.

We can start investigating scripture for an answer in the same chapter, vv 15-20, where the multitudes were told to beware of false prophets. How were they to know who the false prophets were? Would these false prophets identify themselves by handing out their business cards, showing their IDs and introducing themselves as such? No. Verse 15 says false prophets will disguise themselves as true prophets. In some cases, false prophets are deceived themselves (look at II Tim 3:16). Jesus told the people that false prophets would be identified by their deeds. Jesus then, is telling the people to make...gasp... a judgement about a person's works to determine whether they are speaking God's words or not. It gets worse. Look at Titus 1:5-16. In this passage, Paul actually charges Timothy to apply a certain standard in choosing elders in the church of Crete. Paul even says that there are those in the church who are "liars, evil beasts, and lazy gluttons," quoting a local prophet. Wow, Paul is judging them even though Jesus said, "Judge not lest ye be judged!" Paul asks Titus to act on this judgement by commanding him to sharply rebuke them.

Obviously, Jesus did not intend in Matthew 7:1 for people never to make judgements about others. There are countless passages in scripture that command us to not only judge but even to act on that judgement. I expect wicked men to misuse scripture, but I must correct my believing brethren who hold to and practise the cultural interpretation of this passage (or use the culture's interpretation as a cop out when they are wrong). Jesus is warning the multitude he is addressing of hypocrisy; maligning others for doing something wrong when you yourself are doing the same thing and/or worse. People who violate this principle are identified usually as gossips and busybodies. People who adhere to the actual principle Jesus is teaching are motivated by love and not pride. They will confront someone in their sin humbly for that persons good. An excellent passage written to Timothy by Paul in II Timothy 2:14-26 exemplifies the proper way for a believer to correctly judge and rebuke. Paul casts judgement upon some in the church and lays out for Timothy how he should deal with these doing wrong in vv 23-26, exhorting him to correct those in error with out disputing but in humility and love, for THEIR GOOD.

There are many reasons for a believer to judge according to scripture, but never to make us feel better about ourselves. Often, it's easier to say "judge not" than it is to do the right thing and approach someone in humility about their sin.

Don't Try This at Home...Or Work

When I have conversations with tree trimmers, I always tell them that I would hate to climb around in trees and they always tell me that they would hate to climb near high voltage lines. I'm pretty sure neither of us would try this.




Or this...

Old DSL Ad

In a world of cheesy commercials, this one is...well...cheesy.

It takes all kinds...

You meet all kinds of people in this job. Some are just like this guy only they are not joking.

Doubt

Do you ever find yourself questioning your faith in God? When life is chaotic or when something tragic happens around you or to you, do you wonder where He is? Perhaps it is when another believer has a moral failing or wrongs you that you question the validity of it all.


Doubt strikes me when I'm busy. When my job demands much of my time and there is little time left for things other than my family, that is when the seeds of doubt are sown into my thoughts. Usually it will strike late in the day when I'm behind the wheel moving from one job to the next. I'll be deep in thought and then the question creeps in, "Is there really a God, or is Christianity just a construct of man?"


This question bothered me when I was younger because I thought that a true Christian wouldn't struggle with faith in God. I incorrectly believed that I was the only one wrestling with these thoughts. The realization that other believers, particularly those I look up to, have struggled with these doubts at times too was an encouragement to me (not that I'm glad they struggle!).


Why do believers sometimes struggle with belief? This seems like an strange question but I think it has a pretty simple answer. We struggle when we either lack understanding of who God is or allow the focus of our attention to be distracted from eternal matters to the temporal (Col. 3:1-2). The spirit of doubt invades my life when I'm busy, tired, and focused only on what I'm doing at the time. The enemy strikes when and where we are weak. When I find myself considering God's existence, I know that I am in a weakened, self-absorbed state; ripe for the enemy to create confusion in my mind (I Peter 5:8). These doubts are a wake up call for me, kind of like driving past a sign that says you're on a road heading the opposite direction you intended to travel.

Quick Reasons Why We Homeschool

Homeschooling our children was not a decision we came to quickly or easily. The discussion began in our family before we even had our first child. Homeschooling is a big commitment and a lot of work that we believe will have many benefits to our family.

There was no single issue or reason that made us decide to try homeschool, there were several. There were a few major reasons, though. The first had to do with the time our kids were away from home. They were gone from 7:30 to 4:00 and when you factor in homework, baths and dinner, there was almost no time left with them. The reality of this schedule is that their teachers spent more time with our kids than we did. How do we fulfill our responsibility as parents to train up our children if we never see them? We really desired the ability to spend more time with our kids during these early years of their lives to know, train, and equip them for when they become older. Homeschool provides us with this opportunity.

Another major factor in this decision is the issue of stewardship. We were given these kids by God and entrusted with the responsibility for their care. We have had our kids in christian school because we believe that the teachers and curriculum there best reflect our worldview and and the values of scripture that we teach in our home. Public school, or government school as I call it, was never an option for us for reasons that I could write a book about. As our children (3 of 4) have come to school-age, we have had somewhat of a crisis in our budget as christian school is not cheap. This is where stewardship came in again. It became an issue of living above our means and we either had to work more, cut more, or find an alternative. Homeschool became an opportunity not only to spend more time with our kids, but also relieve the financial pressure that tuition has placed upon us. Our financial resources are now freed up for other things that benefit the family and others.

God did not give the responsibility of raising our kids to the state, teachers, or even the church. That responsibility goes to the parents. These others play a support role. Too often, I found myself relying heavily on these other entities as I didn't have time to do it or was too tired to put in the effort. But God has laid it on our hearts to take an active role in training our kids. Our example to our kids has a real effect in in their lives. Their spiritual training, for example, is incredibly important. If we as parents rely primarily upon the church for our kids spiritual training then how serious do our kids thing we are about spiritual things? Will our kids think that God has first place in our lives if the only time they hear about Him is on Sunday? You do not need to homeschool to teach your children about God in the home, I just threw that in there at no extra charge.

Priorities

Sorry. I've been lazy. I cannot believe it has been over a month since I last updated this page. I will commit to my reader out there somewhere that there will be a substantiver article here sometime this week.

How easy it is for our possessions to take ownership of us! Meet my most recent master. Above is an '81 Honda CB750 that I bought to save some money on gas (the fact I love to ride motorcycles didn't hurt either). Over the last few weeks however, this tool I purchased to help balance the family budget had become an all consuming nightmare that had subtly taken the time, money, and effort that used to go to other things. The truth of the situation finally hit me this last Friday when I used half of my day off to try and figure out why in the world it only wants to run on three cylinders instead of four, while my family was inside the house spending the time we had together by themselves. What an incredible waste! This motorcycle had become my master instead of my servant. Happily, we ended up going to the beach and had a great time together (my family, not the motorcycle). Even though we know better, sometimes we take our eyes off of what is truly important and become absolutely focused on something that matters not one bit in eternity. It is selfishness, and I admit it and repent of it. Again.

Our family began homeschooling today. My next post will explain how we got there.

The Cost of the Call

Great heroes of the faith in scripture are rightfully lifted up as examples of living a life completely devoted to God and His kingdom. What may be overlooked sometimes is the personal cost of their devotion.

While reading through Jeremiah, the personal suffering of this prophet really stood out to me this time. Jeremiah chapter 1:4-19 has the details of his calling. Notice that Jeremiah did not go to bible school in order to become a prophet nor was he seeking this position, instead he was told by God that he was created for the purpose of prophesying to the nations. We can see his apprehension to his calling in his Moses-like response in verse 6. Imagine what he felt as God spelled out the terrible message Jeremiah would bring to the nations, in which He promised an aggressive response from the people in v.19.

Thankfully for Jeremiah, the Lord promised deliverance from those who would kill him, but he still suffered at the hand of those who hated his message (11:18-23; 18:18;ch26; & 32:2-5 for example).

Proclaiming the coming judgement to the nations was taxing on Jeremiah. Several times in this book, we see Jeremiah sorrow over the coming judgement of his people. The most poignant passage to me that illustrates the struggle Jeremiah had with his message is found in chapter 20 verses 7-18:
7. O LORD, You induced me, and I was persuaded; You are stronger than I, and have prevailed. I am in derision daily; Everyone mocks me. For when I spoke, I cried out; I shouted, "Violence and plunder!" Because the word of the LORD was made to me A reproach and a derision daily. Then I said, "I will not make mention of Him, Nor speak anymore in His name." But His word was in my heart like a burning fire Shut up in my bones; I was weary of holding it back, And I could not. For I heard many mocking: "Fear on every side!" "Report," they say, "and we will report it!" All my acquaintances watched for my stumbling, saying, "Perhaps he can be induced; Then we will prevail against him, And we will take our revenge on him." But the LORD is with me as a mighty, awesome One. Therefore my persecutors will stumble, and will not prevail. They will be greatly ashamed, for they will not prosper. Their everlasting confusion will never be forgotten.
Jeremiah had come to the point where he could no longer bear the persecution and decided to stop prophesying in order to bring relief to himself, only the message burned within him and that burning overtook him to the point he was compelled to proclaim it. How convicting it is to read of this struggle Jeremiah had with proclaiming his message. I have a message to proclaim, does it burn within me to the point where I can no longer hold it in? We see his agony in the remainder of chapter 20: Cursed be the day in which I was born! Let the day not be blessed in which my mother bore me! Let the man be cursed who brought news to my father, saying, "A male child has been born to you!" making him very glad. And let that man be like the cities which the LORD overthrew, and did not relent; Let him hear the cry in the morning and the shouting at noon, because he did not kill me from the womb, that my mother might have been my grave, and her womb always enlarged with me. Why did I come forth from the womb to see labor and sorrow, that my days should be consumed with shame?
Wow! The conflict raging within Jeremiah caused him to despair of his own life. I can't help but think of Job when reading these words who suffered greatly in the outworking of God's will in his life. It seems there is an underlying theme in scripture; The Call Costs.

Political Steam

I fell the need to throw up on the few who read my random musings. As a citizen of this country which is unique in all of history, I have never been so completely dumbfounded at my fellow countrymen/women as I am right at this moment in time. I thought the last few election cycles were circuses, but this one blows even Barnum & Baily's out of the water. There is a real chance that our next president will be a man who has never run a small business, let alone an entire state. Most of his time in the senate has been spent running for president. We have been totally duped! The sound-bite media has made this guy into an infallible messiah-like figure and we have bought it! I have listened to countless people begin stammering when asked what qualifies this man to be president or what he has accomplished. Aside from one obscure piece of legislation I've heard a few people cite, there is nothing these people can cite except for "he is not Bush", or "he is for "change." " One man told Sean Hannity that Mr. Obama will do more to solve the oil crisis and save the environment than Mr. Mc Cain will with his legislation that will raise the CAFE standards to somewhere near 45mpg. Is he kidding? Since when has the government passed legislation and then like magic the problem is solved. Gun control, anyone? How about social security? The War on Drugs? Do we really believe that the auto industry is going to be able to meet that standard just because the government said they had to? Congress had better repeal the laws of physics. Let me add that Mc Cain's plans don't excite me either. And for those who believe more drilling domestically is not the answer because it will take too long, where is your alternative energy source that we can begin using tomorrow? Or even ten years from now?

What bothers me most about the democratic candidate is not just that we don't know much about him and his rather thin resume, but that his answers to every problem involve government intervention and more spending. Laws and money. The republican candidate is guilty of this too. This troubles me on two levels. First, the constitution of the United States specifically limits the powers of the federal government. Nowhere do I see the the authorization to limit so-called "greenhouse gases" (yes, Mr. McCain, I'm talking to you too), take over one tenth of our nation's economy (health care), or provide for pre-school and college education for all, among other things. We began going down this road a long time ago, I know, but I hate to see us continue to trade our freedoms in for perceived security, which brings me to my second point. To call this nation a free country now is almost a stretch, if either of these candidates actually accomplish what they promise to do, we will be more like a socialist nation in Europe than the USA my grandparents grew up in. Or even the one my parents grew up in. Our populace had better begin thinking beyond ten second sound-bites and try to determine just what "change" means.

I'm afraid that our nation will continue to go down the road toward socialism. Most of us do not know much about our history beyond the American Indians and slavery. We are not aware of what the world was like before we declared our independence. We do not understand our founding documents that guarantee our freedoms on the premise that they come from God, not government. We have bought the line that our constitution is a "living" document and it's interpretation is open to the whims of the supreme court. In fact, our supreme court is consulting foreign law in deciding cases. In short, for all this education we have in our society, and for as high a value we place on a degree, we sure are ignorant about our own nation's history and they way our government was set up. Couple this with our inability to think beyond a ten second sound-bite and it is no wonder to me that our choices for president are what they are.

When does Life Begin?

Our culture has been embattled in a debate over this question for many years. The opinions range from conception all the way to three years old ("Who Lives? Who Dies? by Mark Oppenheimer, Christian Century, July 3, 2002). Those who profess faith in Jesus Christ have even disagreed over when life actually begins. I believe most of those believers who argue the point that life begins somewhere following conception are really attempting to justify or defend their social or political position because no such argument can be made from scripture.

Life is addressed throughout scripture. In fact, life is a central theme of scripture. Jesus, THE central theme of scripture, came to bring life to the spiritually dead. (John 10:10). But what do the scriptures say about the narrower topic of when life begins? Nothing. Why? The question is not valid. This question has been asked in order to discover a line we can draw where it is okay to dispose of life. The question should not be "When does life begin?" but "Where does life come from?" The bible is filled with references such as this in Isa 44:24, "Thus says the LORD, your Redeemer, who formed you from the womb: "I am the LORD, who made all things, who stretched out the heavens alone, who spread out the earth--Who was with me?--"" (RSV). Life is a creation of God and has value as such. Consider this exchange between the disciples and Jesus about a man born blind in John 9:2-3, "And His disciples asked Him, saying, "Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?" Jesus answered, "Neither this man nor his parents sinned, but that the works of God should be revealed in him."" All of life has value, even those some may label as defective or a drag on society, because their value comes from the purpose of the Creator, not the value given them by a society. In his greeting to the Ephesian church, Paul tells them they were chosen by God "before the foundation of the world" (Eph 1:4). So when does life begin? In the mind of God in eternity past.

A Believer's Response to Same Sex Marriage

With the decision of our state supreme court regarding homosexual marriage taking effect this month, I have spent some "windshield time" thinking about this issue. I'd like to share a few thoughts.
Are we really surprised that our culture by and large is okay with this? Romans 1:18-32 brings the case against mankind. Mankind has ignored the natural revelation of God and followed after gods of his own making. He has become wise in his own mind and Godly truth has become foolishness to him. Verse twenty eight says God gives them over to their debased minds. It is no surprise to me that our culture approves of wickedness, scripture tells us it will (v.32).
What makes homosexuality so much worse a sin in our minds? We see in I Corinthians 6:9-10 that sexual sins of all kinds as well as "lesser " sins such as theft, drunkenness, and covetousness will keep one from heaven. Look at verse 11, some of the church in Corinth were doing these things before they believed. It is not up to us to determine which sins are worse than others or who can and cannot be saved.
Some of us worry or fret about the condition or nation is in politically. While I advocate Christians being involved in the political process, the political process is not where our hope lies. We belong to the kingdom of heaven and our King is in control of all rulers and authorities. In fact, they are appointed by Him (Rom 13:1-2). Jesus, the King of kings, told His twelve disciples to be of good cheer just before He was executed by the Roman government who, by the way, was far more corrupt than our government (John 16:33). Why? He has overcome this world. Our hearts should break for these people who, like others, need to hear the gospel. It is the duty of the believer to share the gospel with love to everyone in humbleness. Ephesians 2:1-10 teaches us that without God's grace given to us, we would be dead in our sins too. We would be just as lost and Godly truth would be just as foolish to us if God had not made us alive spiritually. I like the parable of the Pharisee and the tax collector in Luke 18:10-14. Rather than condemn others for their sin, I need to humbly confess my own sins, then share the good news with others.

Looking Inward

It is easy to throw stones at others for goofing up what seems so obvious to us. Take the Israelites for example, God's chosen people by whom He would bless the nations. In spite of God's miraculous interventions on their behalf, the people still turned away after the gods of the surrounding nations. In Isaiah 48:5, God told the Israelites that He sent the prophets to them throughout their history so that when they were conquered and then restored, they would not give glory to their idols. Even King Solomon, who had direct interaction with God and was given incredible wisdom by Him, turned from the commandments of God and followed after false gods (I Kings 11:1-9).
How easy it is to sit in the recliner of history and look back scornfully at these people for their actions. However, do we ever stop to think about those in the future who will look back at us? While we puff ourselves up and marvel at the foolishness of others, do we then commit the same error? Isaiah 48:1-2 describes Israel as a nation that pays lip service to God, but does something entirely different with her actions. Rather than throw rocks at the nation of Israel for their rebellion, I think it would be wise to examine ourselves in light of their folly and see if their wicked way be in us.

Marriage and Christ

I attended my cousin's wedding this last weekend. It took place in a park-like setting in the middle of an orchard just outside of Shafter. The wedding went very well and it was nice to visit with family I have not seen in a while.

The wedding coordinator had a few games up her sleeve for the reception and because my son created allot of attention to me behind my back, I was chosen to play one. Five of us were chosen to wear various hats and asked to perform a dance to "YMCA." I lost the contest (appropriately enough, I wore a hard hat), which was just as well since the winner performed solo to "I'm too Sexy." Thanks, Nathan.

Driving home that night with marriage fresh on my mind, I began to think about the command Paul gave husbands concerning their wives in Ephesians 5:25-33. Husbands are told to love their wives as Christ loved the church. How did He do this? He gave up His life for her. Have you ever stopped to think about what that means? First, Jesus, Creator of the universe and part of the Godhead, left His position in heaven and became a man, submiting to earthly authorities as was the Father's will. This was the ultimate act of humbleness, the Creator becoming the created and subjecting Himself to the rigors of our lives on this cursed planet and ultimately allowing Himself to be put to death by mere men. Given this ultimate act of humbleness, we husbands can certainly humble ourselves in our relationship with our wives, not abusing the position given men as head.

Secondly, we see Christ's selflessness. We were not deserving of anything but punishment, but Christ took the punshment for us. We are too often selfish in our relationships. The standard Christ has set demands a selfless love of our wives. Selfless love is unconditionally committed to the welfare of the one loved regardless of personal cost.

Lastly, Christ displayed how He loved His church as His own body. Marriage is the picture Paul used to show the relationship Christ has with His church. As we became one with our wives according to scripture, so the church has become one with Christ. Christ cares for His "body" and one day the church will be presented to Him without spot or wrinkle. Do we care for our wives this way? Christ has set the bar high again. Paul tells us that no man hates his flesh but cares for and nourishes it. We must care for our wives as we do our own selves. To not care for her is to neglect your own body.

Fun with an Empty Bag

I thought I'd share a picture of my youngest wearing a paper bag that formerly contained some parts for a motorcycle. While examining this picture, I noticed that my oldest left his skateboard leaning against my heirloom, a '64 Ford truck, which is a cardinal sin in our household. This picture is probably six months old by now so I guess the statute of limitations has run out on this offense, lucky for him.

There are some very slick things that can be done with this blog service and I'm just trying to figure it all out. It is past time for me to go to bed though, so I had better stop playing with this thing.

I'm Just A Phone Guy

I was one of those kids in literature class in high school whose head would spin off of their shoulders when trying to answer those ridiculous questions at the end of a story like Beowulf. I barely understood the story and the questions seemed to be unrelated to what I had just read. Sometimes, I thought I had nailed the answer and was quite proud of myself until our teacher marked me down to half credit for my answer. I guess I'm operating with half a brain because the side that is supposed to process art and literature didn't quite kick in for me.
Never in my wildest dreams did I think I would be typing and posting my thoughts and ramblings on a virtual public bulletin board. The idea is intriguing. This forces me to grow in an area I've never been particularly good at. I will also get to learn how to use this goofy computer a little better. I spend my days working for Ma Bell repairing internet circuits and sorting out technical glitches, and I've told my customers when asked that I have no time for computers at home because I'm too busy trying to fix everyone else's problems. I still don't have time, but I thought I'd try it anyway.
Hopefully, I will not embarrass my former high school English teacher. She did her best and considering what she had to work with, well, at least I can read. So, Mrs. A, thanks for all of the tools you gave me, I'll try to remember them all. They are all I have since I dropped out of English in college. If I can string together a coherent thought, then great. If not, then cut me some slack, I'm just a phone guy.