87 posts from 2008

Amazing grace.  The most beautiful and powerful concept in the entire Bible, in my opinion.  This is the story of my conversion to grace, by grace.

Somewhere around ten or eleven years old, my mom confided in our pastor's wife that she was worried about me.  She thought that I would never walk with God.  The pastor's wife, possessing a charismatic nature, made a prophecy about me when she emphatically replied to my mom, "You have nothing to worry about with her."  It was through her husband's teaching that I began to follow Jesus, beginning with a very distinct event a couple of years later.  Soon after that, my pastor and his wife became missionaries to Guatemala and in spite of attempts to reach them, I have never been able to officially thank them, as well as their son who was my youth pastor, for saving my life.

But my journey after that was a rocky one, continual stumbling and getting back up again.  This Christian life was a difficult one.  I believed in Christ, but most of the time I didn't really feel like being a Christian.  It was either boring, or it was too much work.  Too much defeat, doom and gloom.  Was it supposed to be so unenjoyable?

Years later, in college, I became desperate.  I knew I was a believer.  I was sure that I wanted to remain as a Christian.  But I was missing some vital element.  Every week at church, I would bring up the same subject in every conversation with anyone - friends, acquaintances, pastors, deacons, even new Christians.  I would tell them that I wanted to grow, I wanted to change, but HOW?  I don't understand how!  Will somebody please explain to me how to overcome my sins!  I would almost be in tears.  Most reactions to me were confounded.  People thought I was fine the way I was, and didn't understand why I was so upset about it; nobody had a sufficient answer to my distress.

Finally the enlightenment came through a Bible college class that was completely unlike any other I had taken before.  The name of the class was "The New Covenant of Grace" and although I had heard grace preached many times before, this was something else, something new to me.  Light bulbs were lit at every corner as I frantically tried to write down as many words as possible in my notes that I was hearing.  Homework was not dreaded for this class, for I went home and reread the Scripture verses over and over and then went back to class the next week and questioned the pastor/teacher incessantly.  He smiled, and knew exactly what was happening to me.

The concept finally hit me all at once after the class was over and while I was reading a book called The Christian's Secret of a Happy Life, by Hannah Whitall Smith.  The transformation in me is impossible to explain especially since it concerns such basic concepts of Christianity:  repentance, faith and grace.  All I can say is that I finally understood what it meant to walk victoriously, and a tremendous relief occurred in me.  I imagine it is what Paul Bunyan was thinking when he wrote of Christian's burden falling off his back when he arrived at the cross in Pilgrim's Progress.

At the time, I worked as an administrator at the church for another pastor who was the overseer of the Bible college extension campus I was attending.  The same experience happened to him on the same day while he was on a missions trip.  Upon his return, we excitedly shared our stories with each other.  We were like two little kids without a care in the world, even raising our hands to heaven and praising God as we were talking to each other.  It must have been quite a spectacle.

And that is just what I was to become as I tried to talk about God's grace to anyone who would at least pretend to listen.  My pastor friend soon after became the lead director of the main Bible college campus and I left for the mission field in Eastern Europe where I wanted to live and die (although God had other plans.)  Being my impulsive and blurting self (I actually used to be much worse), I preached wherever I went.  It felt like I was saved all over again, a second time, except that I would no longer walk in defeat because my sins no longer had power over me.  This sounded exceptionally arrogant on my part and friends wondered what in the world I was talking about.  I didn't completely know myself.  Later I found out that some people call it the baptism of the Holy Spirit.

There were generally three different negative reactions to my testimony.  The first was that I became an extreme left-wing liberal in some minds (even though I was conservative), void of any absolutes.  It sounded like I was telling people that they could live in licentiousness when I said that as Christians we don't have to worry about our sins anymore.  They have been completely removed when we believe that Jesus died on the cross and said, "It is finished."  Now we can live how we want, not under the legal system of the law.  This sounded like blasphemy.  I tried to explain that the new covenant is a new law written on the heart, not on tablets of stone.  By simply loving God because of His great love and promises for us, we can now walk in newness of life, without sin.

This, however, came across like I believed in Christian perfectionism, that we can achieve perfection before we reach heaven.  So then I tried to explain that yes, we do still sin, and even fall into very destructive sins.  Although we have died to sin, we still live in sin.  We are always completely sinful as a matter of fact in our flesh, but under the new covenant, it feels like we are sinless because sin has lost its grasp on our spirit.  The Spirit within us is much greater, stronger, and alive than the life of our flesh.  Believing this truth has a profound affect on the way we live.  It is almost like sin decides to give up on us because we no longer care about it so much.  It is insignificant.  We are no longer slaves to addictions and destructions.  Sure, we might fall into a sin for a while, but it is short-lived, never permanent.  We are constantly growing.  Our sins actually become avenues or tools for that growth.

Over the last fifteen years, I've found that the most common misunderstanding of God's grace is that people confuse it with mercy.  The term grace is thrown around as some kind of fluffy act of pardon or forgiveness.  When Oprah Winfrey fell off the weightloss wagon and gained 40 lbs, people told Oprah that it was okay.  They could give her "grace" because they had experienced the same thing.  We give people "grace" because we have faults too.  Or, we ought to give people "grace" instead of judging them.  But this is mercy, not grace.

Grace actually changes things.  By giving grace to someone, we enable them to make lasting changes, and we can watch it happen.  It works by keeping the passion and the romance alive in our relationship with God.  It maintains a mysterious fire in our souls that is evident to the rest of the world.  When God forgives us of our sins, He wants to spare us the tragedy of remaining in them so He gives us the strength, or the power, to overcome them.  In this sense, grace provides a surpassing security.  If we as Christians are walking in certain sins for long periods of time, we do not know God's grace.  If we are not experiencing victories, we are not living by grace.  If there is not adequate evidence of our salvation in our actions, then we do not know God!  This ought to strike terrible fear in us.

The third negative reaction I encounter with grace is that it can be very offensive to people.  They feel as though they are being criticized, or excluded from some elite group of people who have experienced it.  First of all, it is possible to live in grace without understanding the concept of it.  One of the aspects about grace that I am currently learning is that Non-believers can express it too.  This surprised me.  I wondered if those people are really saved and they just don't know it, which is possible, but I'm realizing that anyone can be carried by God's grace, or love of goodness.  Although their faith is not imputed unto salvation, there are some Non-Christians who put many Christians to shame by their good works, in fact.  This is evidence of God's grace in their lives.

Secondly, grace is a tremendous blow to self-righteousness.  Believing in grace involves an absolute surrender of our own striving, or any trust in ourselves.  Losing our lives means living in a continual state of humility, becoming aware of and admitting our constant faults, weaknesses, sins or just plain "I could have handled that situation better".  Although grace is an inexplainable joy, it is also painful, like surgery, but it is the only way to remain living the abundant life.  The joy of grace is actually our strength.  It miraculously becomes a pleasure to admit our wrongs and to place others higher than ourselves.  Can you see how grace is a new law written on the heart?

Like I said earlier, this is nearly impossible to explain, and it has been portrayed a thousand times before, but we all have some sort of hint as to whether or not it is a reality in our lives, and to what extent.  It is the process by which we are saved, and the only way to grow.  Once we know grace, we can spot it in others.  Although many Reformed theologians believe in the new covenant of grace, it is not the Calvinist's doctrines of grace.  The new covenant is limitless, Spirit-filled and a condition of the heart, rather than locked into a systematic theology.  There is so much more to say about it and I feel that I did an awful injustice by not explaining it clearly.  I left out supporting Scriptures in order to keep this post brief.  Although I am learning that there is a proper place, time and expression for this subject, I can not keep it to myself, and I have no doubt that the power of His grace can release others from the tragic burden of defeat.

Amazing Grace, how sweet the sound,
That saved a wretch like me.
I once was lost but now am found,
Was blind, but now I see.

T'was Grace that taught my heart to fear.
And Grace, my fears relieved.
How precious did that Grace appear
The hour I first believed.

Through many dangers, toils and snares
I have already come;
'Tis Grace that brought me safe thus far
and Grace will lead me home.

The Lord has promised good to me.
His word my hope secures.
He will my shield and portion be,
As long as life endures.

Yea, when this flesh and heart shall fail,
And mortal life shall cease,
I shall possess within the veil,
A life of joy and peace.

When we've been here ten thousand years
Bright shining as the sun.
We've no less days to sing God's praise
Than when we've first begun.

Amazing Grace, how sweet the sound,
That saved a wretch like me.
I once was lost but now am found,
Was blind, but now I see.

Amazing Grace
John Newton (1725-1807)
Stanza 6 anon.

 

Well, I am still trying to find answers to the questions of church as it relates to the modern-day Christian in America.  What are some common problems that some Christians might struggle with in the church world today?  Are they unnecessary issues?  If so, how can we help to change these problems as much as possible on this side of heaven?  I finally got the bright idea to start searching the Bible for facts in hopes that I might begin to understand what God might have to say about this concept of church.  Here are some amateur thoughts of mine after reading some Scriptures.

Hebrews 10:25 establishes the fact that Christians should "assemble" together consistently.  Other verses explain why:  For spiritual protection provided by pastors, leaders and the presbytery (1 Tim 4:14) or body of elders as they "shepherd" us (1 Peter 5:1-2) through Bible teaching (Titus 1:7, 9) and leading by example for us to imitate (Hebrews 13:7); to use our talents to serve others (1 Peter 4:10), to encourage and build each other up (1 Thes 5:11), to confess our sins to each other, to pray for each other for healing (James 5:16), etc.

Many problems that Christians have with churches, and that I have encountered myself, have come from the simple fact that we are part of a fallible family.  Like a physical, nuclear or extended family, there are going to be faults, weaknesses, even very grave wrongs committed toward each other.  This is a fact that on one hand, must be lovingly pointed out as wrong, yet on the other hand, simply accepted.

Earthly families might quarrel or not see life from the same perspective even though they are in the same family.  These disagreements are often very sad and hurtful.  I was able to experience some of this over the holidays.  But communication helps us to grow closer and stronger through the differences, as long as we do not disown each other.  Some families have extremely damaging issues, yet they all still come together for Christmas, or a family reunion.  This is interesting to me.  Perhaps Christian unity exists much more than what meets the human eye?

Other problems concern false doctrines and practices within church leadership.  This is the reason for the mandate of a body of elders, plural.  A group can make better and more effective decisions than a single leader.  They are responsible to teach sound doctrine and warn of wrong influences.  A Christian is responsible to attend a church that is believed to be the most accurate model of the Biblical description of church.  But, what exactly is that model?  This is where I am confused and need to do further research.

At this point however, two key concepts in the New Testament stand out to me:  the Early Church and the body of Christ.  There seems to be one major difference between the early church world and the current one.  The Early Church saw themselves as one body, the body of Christ, which met in various geographical places (for obvious reasons).  The body of Christ today is divided into many denominations and movements, each claiming spoken and unspoken, to be the church that resembles the Biblical one.

Although the body of Christ in the Bible speaks of consisting of many members, it is still one body of Christ (Romans 12:5) held together by the unity of the Spirit (Ephesians 4:3).  "There is one body and one Spirit, just as also you were called in one hope of your calling; one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all who is over all and through all and in all."  (Ephesians 4:5, 6) 

Could the Scriptures aforementioned concerning the reasons for attending church also be applied to the body of Christ?  In other words, do Christians have the same responsibility to all believers?  Acts 11:29-30 tells us that the church in Antioch sent financial aid to the church in Jerusalem.  Jerusalem had already sent an elder and prophets to Antioch.  Paul and Barnabas and others traveled from church to church.  This was truly one body of Christ.

The reason why I am wondering this is because although friction and division has its place, and we can learn much from differences, there seems to be a strange alienation today.  Perhaps the cause is the ease and comfort that the Industrial Revolution brought with it, or commercialism, or Hollywood.  I really don't know if there was a single cause or a root of the change, or even a marked change at all.

It just seems foreign to me that often when I step onto a full elevator, nobody says a word.  Vehicles with single, distant drivers crowd the freeway.  Passengers sitting 2 inches from each other on a plane for hours are not interested in even saying "hello".  Students at school and colleagues at work hardly know any personal details of each other in many parts of America.  I don't know the first names of most of my neighbors even though we exchange greetings quite often.  Does this seem weird to anyone else or is this the way it has always been?

Does this sense of separation from one another affect the church today?  The proclaimed reason for most church dissensions, such as the Reformation, if I understand it correctly, is that a group of people disagree with the main body. Necessary change is not feasible unless a break away occurs.  I can't see any problem with this, especially since Jesus led a movement which was contrary in many ways to the church world of His day while claiming that the unified gospel had always existed, and His disciples continued "to obey God rather than men".  But after that, any dissenters from the Early Church were considered heretics.

The members of the body of Christ belong to each other (Romans 12:5).  This spiritual family takes precedence over any other family or relationship, which Christ also exemplified.  I love to see close friendships among people at church, who hang out with each other outside of a worship service or small group, but it seems rare in my experience, or awkward, or as though Christian friends are only fulfilling some sort of "ministry" rather than a sense of belonging to each other.  Church programs try hard to create this kind of unity but they often seem fabricated to me.

That one body of Christ often seems obscure at church.  I am surrounded by Christians, people who are devoted to Jesus Christ, and yet we hardly know each other.  We will visit each others' homes, eat meals together, even pray together every week for an entire year and still not know things like favorite scriptures, hobbies, likes and dislikes.  We know if they attended church last week, but we don't know their intense, internal dilemmas.  We know each others' position on eschatology but we don't know their political views.  So many taboos.  We are close without the closeness.

Unity does not mean total conformity.  I love the diversity of Christians.  It would be good for us to encourage each other in figuring out and supporting the wide range of different gifts and lifestyles.  It's difficult for very different people to be friends but what a beautiful picture to see odd couples and groups working together because of the common bond of Christ.  Together we fulfill a special purpose on earth and I think we all long for that unique togetherness.

Going to church seems so unlike my current understanding of gathering together with the body of Christ, almost as though the essence of church is in part missing.  Is it too formalized in the same way that public schools remove the heart of learning?  Theologians contrast a local church body with the body of Christ, but should we be striving to decrease that contrast as much as possible?  Does the multitude of Christianity's factions sadden God, even though He can still use them for His glory?

Or is everything okay, and going according to plan?  Maybe us Christians expend a lot of wasted energy on fruitless works, but when it's all said and done, in heaven, we will see all the ways that God used our weaknesses to prove His mercy, His free gifts and His unconditional love.

I really do not understand the problems I am trying to describe.  But in my heart I have this nagging longing for church to be different, not necessarily the specific church that I attend, only the modern American church world in general.  I desire to see more passion for Christ and care for each other.  But I also want to see that devotion and love spill over onto the world, not only for people but for the earth, our health, our possessions.  I want church to be a picture of the body of Christ.  I'm not trying to complain or state that I am above these issues since they are my problems too.  I am only attempting to explain this strong emotion in me.  Thus, my endless string of questions about church.  

The citizens of Newport Beach, California do not appreciate the airplanes that fly directly over their million dollar homes, and some of them fought to cause planes to be rerouted over the back bay to the Orange County airport, and to regulate them to engage in very steep landings and take-offs.  This does absolutely nothing to decrease my fear of flying.  The Seattle airport isn't much smoother with its always stormy weather.  And it was my lot to experience both landing strips over the holidays.

Even while my plane was in the air, every inconsistency meant potential trouble.  Why did the engine become louder?  Then I couldn't hear it at all.  Did the plane shut down?  Is the turbulence going to get worse?  Oh, thank God it stopped!  I watched the wing of the plane from my seat window just to make sure that it stayed attached to the main body.  It didn't help to see it shaking and jutting all over the place.  At any moment it could've snapped right off, and taken an engine along with it.

While some passengers on the plane were worried about their carry-ons, air temperature and when the flight attendants would serve the snacks, all I cared about was the airliner remaining in the air.  Sure, it was nice that I remembered to bring a good read, but who cares about a book if I wasn't alive to read it?

Part of the problem is the feeling of finality in the situation.  If I had the choice to safely exit the plane in midair during turbulence, I certainly would have chosen that option.  But there was no escaping the terror.  Did this describe hell in any sense?  I thought so.

On a more positive note, one can learn all sorts of lessons while experiencing fear, although it feels more like realities are forced into an uncomfortably close view rather than learning; for example, the fact that I am not in control of my life as much as I normally think I am, presented itself to me.  How often do I trust other transportation vehicles and other drivers?  How do I know that some unforeseen fatal event or biological malfunction will not occur?  Yes, there are plenty of precautions we can take in order to lessen our chances, but as much as I fool myself, I can never possess complete and absolute control of my ongoing breath.  I am always dependent upon someone else, even if it is a pilot locked away in a cabin that I will never see.

Why do I rarely experience this kind of desperation for life, or for anything really, while on the ground?  As a person who believes in an afterlife, why do I not take this fact more seriously?  I was flabbergasted, while flying and pondering the mundane, that I spent so much (heartless) time and activity regarding such things as food, money and relationships.  The curious fact is that these things are extremely important to life, but not nearly as vital as life itself.  What good does it do a person if she gains the whole world but loses her very soul?  Although a truism, this fear is much more rational than the one that concerned my beliefs toward airplanes.  

After receiving very helpful feedback about my past blogs, I should have allowed it to refine my writing so that I am more sensitive to the reader rather than freely blurting things.  Instead it made me afraid to continue writing.  The criticism and realization of my mistakes were painful and I didn't feel like playing with fire anymore.  But then, writing is a fire in my soul, whether refined or not, so I couldn't keep quiet for very long.  Promptly upon my return home from California, I wrote a long letter to every member of my family thanking them for my stay but also rebuking them for their trivial family feuds.  I am now back to my normal, writing self.

For all sorts of reasons buried in my past, I've learned that I want to fight for those things in which I believe, even if it ticks people off, rather than live the mindless, conformed life of the average American.  I'll take the risk of adventure (within limits), problems and all, in order to avoid apathy.  But I also do not want to go it alone, which means that I need to ground myself and work together with other people, especially those who desire the same.  There is a fine line between ticking people off and working with them, and much of the time I'm not sure of which one I am doing.  The balance seems impossibly unattainable to me at this point but as I already stated, I can't continue to be suppressed by my fear, including my fear of other opinions, when I have an inner longing that is greater than that fear.

There are two kinds of peacemakers:  one who makes peace, and one who revolts against a current oppressive system in order to provide an opportunity for peace.  I often have a bent for the latter.  Some people worship this kind of dramatic passion in me while others might label me as offbeat, opinionated, or offensive depending on whether or not they agree with me.  However, this only fuels my energy against them.  Show me a worthy fight in which I can jump in, some controversial issue, and I am happy... as well as writing about it.

My fear of what others think about my thoughts and beliefs as they are presented in my blog has caused me some necessary introspection.  Yes, I am outspoken, eccentric, rash and in need of improvement.  I am incomplete on this side of heaven.  Did I expect to be otherwise?  Maybe I am not so different from the general public after all.  Our fears, stresses and faults do not have to stop us in our tracks but they can serve to remind us of our desperation for life and make the path a little more clear.  Here I end with a profound conversation from, in my opinion an overall unfortunate movie, WALL-E:

Captain:  ...I can't just sit here and do nothing. That's all I've ever done! That's all anyone on this blasted ship has ever done - nothing!
Auto:  On the Axiom, you will survive.
Captain:  I don't want to survive, I want to live!

Ages and ages ago, in 1987, when Howard Schultz bought the Seattle Starbucks chain, he standardized and mainstreamed the sale of coffee so that the term "coffeehouse" began to be redefined.

Before that, in America, there were coffee shops such as the lonely diner you might spy while driving through the desert out on Route 66.  Coffee shops not only served plain old coffee but were notorious for their single mom waitresses and inexpensive bacon and egg breakfasts too.

In the 1960's after coffeehouses had immigrated from Italy, a coffeehouse became generally known as a countercultural espresso venue serving all kinds of artsy coffee drinks as well as other yummy homemade goodies.  They sometimes provided live entertainment, such as a jazz pianist, and utilized building structures that resembled a Victorian style house with wall-papered hallways and antique furniture.

In present day America, coffee shops and houses still exist but now a coffee shop also includes such forms as Dunkin' Doughnuts and Applebee's, while Starbucks is technically considered a coffeehouse.  The distinguished lines between the two are further obscured in the fact that many people intermix the ideas.  Somehow a coffeehouse is now widely known as, a coffee shop.

Some people, like me, make a ruckus about the whole ordeal by correcting people when the term isn't clear.  "At which 'coffee shop' did you want to meet me for a latte?"  Our problem is that there is no new term to call the inbetweener coffeehouse/shop since Starbucks and the likes have commercialized the "house" atmosphere.

Teenagers who are not yet teenagers but act like them are called tweens.  A country that is neither only republic nor exclusively democratic is known as a democratic republic.  But how does one associate a coffeehouse that isn't exactly that?

The current issue that many American citizens have with same-sex marriages is that there is a fundamental difference between a heterosexual marriage and a gay one.  They do not want the terms "marriage" and "family" to be redefined.  Thus many are seeking a compromise of a "civil union" law that would include all of the civil liberties of marriage.

In the world of Christianity, the Calvinist and Arminian theologies are similar to the coffeehouse dilemma only in that many believers can not fully identify themselves with either one.  Some people claim that the contradictory points of both systems are equally true:  The elect have a free will.  Others might preach that neither one has any truth, while still others are utterly and thoroughly confused.  In a case like this one, I find that my arguments can become stormy twisters only to end in statements such as, "Oh, we actually agree with each other.  We were fighting over semantical terms."

The same articulation could possibly pertain to the controversy of intelligent design versus evolution.  What should we title a person who believes in a literal 24-hour, 6 day creation of aged creatures and of an earth that had evolved over billions of years?  Or how does one describe a creationist who does not agree with creationism such as Robert T. Pennock?

I like knowing what you mean when you talk to me and I am thankful that there are standards of communication as well as a freedom to add new vocabulary.  It has been estimated that about 25,000 new words are combined with the English language every year.  Some scholars calculate that there are about five times as many English words today as in Shakespeare's time.  But, why are we now less precise?

Some thoughts concerning an answer to that question is for another blog, but at the moment I would really like to avoid unnecessary friction in communication, while remaining loyal to truth and my beliefs.  I would also be thrilled to see more attention given to the nomenclature of coffee.  Next time you order that grande triple decaf soy vanilla mocha, make sure your friend isn't waiting for you over at Johnny Rockets.

Last night after church I found myself in a heated debate with some very dear friends of mine, spanning a complexity of religious issues.  Emotions abounded and vulnerable honesty poured forth.  I was surprised by how much I provoked their resistant words and passion.  Religious and political conversations can be quaint and peaceful until there is a terrible difference of opinion.

Although we were all a little shaken up from arguing, we walked away with hugs, tears, affirmations, and challenges of "more ammo" for further debate.  I felt that our relationships were taken to a new level; we were somehow tighter and freer to seek each other out at church and have a worthwhile conversation.  I sensed a deeper respect and gratitude between us.  And we all learned something new I think.  At least I did.

But it was painful too.  I am still feeling some of the intensity today.  This is because it caused me to face my short-comings, my failures and my sin.  Although this is an ignorant statement, I am wishing there was a nail being hammered through my hand instead of having to admit my wrong during the animated conversation.

Yet, this was one application of the sermon at church last night:  the death of Christ is our example to follow.  I nodded in agreement to the truths I was hearing while sitting comfortably in my chair.  But I had no idea that the evidence of my belief in the preacher's words was going to be called into question immediately after hearing them.

I have had to search my heart and ask God to melt away any bitterness in it.  I am not yet aware of any specific dislike toward any one person (at the moment) but I know that I have felt conflict towards categorical groups of people.  Namely and yet generally, these groups are Christians and Non-Christians.

Growing up with a religious faith, I began to learn that I needed to be a fighter if I was going to protect my beliefs, as I believed them of course.  Not only did I need to know how to defend my faith from the world, but also from modern day Christianity in some ways too.  I needed to be on the offensive in order to combat strong influences around me and also to help others avoid what I experienced to be pitfalls.

I also eventually began to understand that there are always more sides to the story, and that it is of great benefit to seek out these other viewpoints before forming my own.  Yet it is here that I have a great weakness.  I voice my thoughts before understanding, or before placing myself in the shoes of my opponent.  I have been told that I jump in argumentatively with my personal ideals and that I come across like I don't understand the topic, nor reality.  I state my opinion as fact and disregard the much more knowledgeable opinions before me.  Others can speak peaceably about controversial issues, but people might steer clear of controversy with me in fear of a firestorm.

These things not only slices open the flesh of my ego but it causes me unbearable grief to think that I might have (wrongly) turned anyone away from conversation or a relationship.  As a Christian standing up for righteousness, I unwittingly ban the sinners from my life, and I possibly miss taking part in their salvation.  Then I feel sorry for the sinners, since I am one too, and I become angry with Christians for closing their church doors to the weak and dying.  In both cases and in many a debate, I unknowingly turn my friend into an enemy.  And for this I am terribly sorry. 

I ask for forgiveness for any insensitivity.  A gentleness and care is something that I appreciate in others.  This morning I asked certain friends how I might be failing to relate to others when debating issues.  I also asked them to abandon all sensitivity and replace it with brutal honesty.  As much as it hurt, I wanted to be personally offended.  This would be the only way for me to understand my problem of communicating.  They instead replied with a sensitive honesty that distressed my soul even further yet also opened my eyes to some degree, causing me to thank God for friends.  Their outside insight sparked the thoughts for this post.

And now I ask God and my friends to help me change.  Do you have any further feedback for me?  I get private emails all the time that tell me my blogs are appreciated but why don't those people leave comments?  Some things should be left private and some people would prefer to keep their statements within a safe atmosphere.  Also, I talk about subjects that may not be of any concern or interest to others.  But is there something about the way that I communicate that might keep a reader from responding?

There are so many blogs and debates that I would like to now retract and delete as if this would make my shame disappear, but I know that this is not the answer to my dilemma.  To learn and grow is my objective.  As a Christian, it is through Christ's death that my shame is forgiven, and it is only in losing my life, or confessing my sin, that I will discover the light of life itself.

Here are some imperatives that I would like to now remember before speaking or writing:

1.  Restate the opposing side to make sure I understand it correctly.

2.  Give ample time to consider it.

3.  Agree with any statements that I believe are true or explain how I might relate to the other person.

4.  Creatively state my beliefs with respect toward and understanding of the listener/reader.

5.  Express my gratitude to the other person for engaging in the conversation or debate.

Lord God, these guidelines are also my prayer concerning my writing.  Thank you for loving me enough to discipline me and for the grace you love to give so that I can change. Amen.

Last Friday, the day after Thanksgiving, Jdimytai Damour, a 34 year old Wal-Mart associate was trampled to death by shoppers on Long Island, N.Y.  Excluding all terrors that would involve my kids, I think that death by trampling might be on my list of top ten worst nightmares.

This is not only because the pain would be relentless, but also because of other factors that I might be thinking, if there was time amidst the whole shock of the situation, such as, "I'm actually going to die right now."

And the tragedy only multiplies.  Perhaps if I was standing only ten feet away from that deadly spot, my life would have been spared for another half of a lifetime.  Also, getting hit by a car in an accident, or getting run over by a herd of wild animals might be easier news to swallow than the fact that my own intelligent fellow humans were the ones killing me; in fact, they were the same ones I was getting paid to serve that day.

Is a bargain really enough to drive someone to murder?  Some (not so smart) people might call this passion, and maybe it is some twisted form of the definition but I'd like to think of passion as something that runs a little deeper than my desire for a 32-inch flat screen TV on sale.  I might be willing to pay good money for a good bargain on a high quality product, but one doesn't generally find that sort of thing at Wal-Mart.

Yesterday I went shopping for a new cell phone at T-Mobile because a single button on mine no longer functioned, making text messaging, my main form of mobile communication, impossible.  The sales assistant who was helping me explained that my phone had water damage and that they would not be able to repair the phone.  "Water damage?  But my phone has never come into contact with water," I said.  He said that even a little condensation could ... [destroy the whole electronic device].

I reminded him that we live in Seattle, where there is a 100% chance of condensation on a fairly regular basis.  He said that he could give me a small discount on a new phone if I add 2 years to my contract, as if he was doing me a favor.  He showed me their least expensive phone.  I raised my eyebrows and said, "Really?  Not only does this phone have very few features, but it's overpriced, and it's ugly.  And it definitely does not look condensation-proof."  Fortunately he was a good sport and was able to laugh along with me at the absurdity of the situation, but I'm still stuck with a non-working phone.

So what about these trouncing Black Friday shoppers?  I would much rather be the dead employee than the people so miserable they have to kill a man in order to satisfy a drug-like stupefied infatuation.  But in all fairness I must put myself in the shoes of these victims too.  I've certainly experienced a mob mentality before, in the form of mainstream Christianity, but that doesn't really have anything to do with this blog post.

One summer I was at a very large music festival and I had been separated from the rest of my party in the crowd.  The band I was watching had just ended their show and as the people in the front left their places, the section of the crowd where I was standing began moving toward the stage.  I felt like I was going to get crushed and there was nothing I could do except get carried along.

Eventually I found myself way too close to the monstrous sound speakers on the stage which would make my already deaf ears even deafer.  So I had to shove my way out of the front row and any concern for the feet I was stepping/falling on, or the faces I was shouldering would've only defeated my purpose.

Together, and even through competition, a mob can accomplish much more than individuals but it can also (obviously) do untold damage, such as in the case of a mafia.  Walter Lippmann said, "Where all think alike, no one thinks very much."  I would guess that the Wal-Mart mob did not intend to kill anyone, not literally at least, although it is a little disturbing that they wanted to keep shopping after their manslaughter.

Still, how many areas of life am I mindlessly being carried along with the rest of crowd because it is too much work and suffering of ridicule to swim against the school of flow?  When it is a matter of eternal life and death, no passionate rebellion is too extreme - only too ignorant.  Jesus was a lone ranger in many ways, including in His death.  Although we need each other, the responsibility for our thoughts, beliefs, and desires belongs to each of us alone.

Well, maybe this post is about mainstream movements after all.

       

I can't believe the news today
Oh, I can't close my eyes and make it go away
How long, how long must we sing this song?

...

Broken bottles under children's feet
Bodies strewn across the dead end street
But I won't heed the battle call
It puts my back up
Puts my back up against the wall

...

And the battle's just begun
There's many lost, but tell me who has won
The trench is dug within our hearts
And mothers, children, brothers, sisters torn apart

...

And it's true we are immune
When fact is fiction and TV reality
And today the millions cry
We eat and drink while tomorrow they die

...

The real battle just begun
To claim the victory Jesus won

...

~ U2, Sunday Bloody Sunday

Maybe this understanding is something that many Christians already grasp but I am just now beginning to be enlightened to it, not only intellectually but also in an experiential sense.  My many years of confusion are tightly wound up in this one sentence:  How do I reconcile my faith with the things of the world?

Teachings throughout Christendom, no matter which church denomination is attended, have emphasized two gospel truths of the issue; and these are imperative, yet they can be completely misunderstood, at least by me.  One mandate is to love God.  The entire Old Testament law and commandments can be summed up in the one law of love.  If we do not love, then we certainly do not know God, and are therefore not even a Christian.

The simple concept of love has been eloquently and valiantly composed, preached, sought after and worshiped like no other entity and yet it still remains elusive for many people.  There are creative excuses for a Christian's lack of passion for God and people, or else the whole idea gets mostly ignored through trite and predictable expressions, or an abuse of overstatements.  "It always comes down to the fact that you just have to love Jesus" as if it were a burden yet to be attained.

The other emphatic law that has been faithfully taught in many a Christian church is found in 1 John 2:15 (NASB) "Do not love the world nor the things in the world.  If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him."  The Scripture following it defines the things of the world as the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes and the pride of life.  So, what does this say about movies, fashion, Non-Christian friends, secular music, California-sized homes, casinos, politics and Black Friday?  Good question.

A true Christian, overall and in general is not going to be fooled for any long period of time with the emptiness, boredom and physical stress that result from a love for the world compared with a passion for God.  Anyone who personally knows their Creator will prefer Him.  God provides a meaningful purpose, excitement, and peace to the human life that can not be fabricated apart from Him.  Does this mean that a Non-Christian can not experience happiness?  Keep that question in mind.

These truths were taught by Jesus and his Apostles in real life situations while living every day life in the world although their culture, much like an American Christian's world today, was on a large scale, a religious one.  The Pharisees, specifically a lawyer, while trying to trap Jesus, tested Him with the question, "Which is the greatest law?"  Jesus explained that it is the law of love.  Although He was engaged in a life and death debate, this could also be an honest question at any point in history with a very valuable answer to life's every day dilemmas.

Contrary to this, my Christianity while growing up failed in many ways to be in the world yet not of it.  It consisted of a "safe" environment of Christian culture that really in all honesty, could not compare to the appeal or the talent of the world.  But my own fears and beliefs kept me in it.  Any desire for sensual music was considered secularism.  A virtuous movie was a sin if it contained disturbingly bad language.  An epicurean's sense for food was called gluttony or idol worship.  Although I attended public school with Non-Christians, any friendships with them were frowned upon.

Instead I must love God, but in the aforementioned sense, this was a lie from Satan in the form of a commandment.  The only alternative to an imprisoned faith was to abandon my beliefs altogether.  Christianity, as I understood it, gave me no other choices.  I had no idea, and still have no idea in many areas of life, of how to be a Christian in a fallen world except through isolation or with a "If you can't beat 'em, join 'em" mentality.  Since I never completely learned this lesson, it is now affecting the way I parent my kids.  "But why can't we watch this TV show Mommy?"

Another confusion that has always beset my faith is the widely distributed belief that topics such as food, personalities, clothing and sports have no biblical value at all, if those things are even mentioned.  Jesus was homeless.  Does this mean that we should not purchase a house?  "No, it means that your home does not matter" is the common reply derived from such verses as, "For bodily exercise profiteth little: but godliness is profitable unto all things, having promise of the life that now is, and of that which is to come."  ~ 1 Timothy 4:8 (KJV)

It is possible to stress godliness and other spiritual characteristics so much that the things in this life are seen as evil, unimportant or as non-existent.  This is the great complaint of the world about Christianity and they have a good argument.  Because worldly things have lesser value than heavenly actualities, this does not mean they have no value at all.  It simply connotes that a godly perspective changes our view of heaven and earth.  It does not ignore material things, but it creates a value and appreciation for them that can not be understood otherwise.  Life in heaven has an infinity of value.  Life on earth has the same worth except that it's extremely short-lived compared to the life after it.

There is a deep crevice full of differences between life on earth and life in heaven.  One example is the fact that believers will have new (redeemed) bodies in heaven.  But roughly spoken, for a large part, our souls (who we really are) will continue the life we are now living.  The amount that we can enjoy God during our earthly pilgrimage is a good indicator of our enjoyment of Him, or absence of it, in the after-life.  This would have been a shock for me when I entered heaven.  Somehow I held a vague belief that a lifeless faith on earth will somehow result in overbounding reward and blessing in heaven.  Instead, while we will receive much undeserved mercy and grace, God's justice is still confined to the law of rewards and good works.

Good works?  What are those and when did they become so important?  In one reality, we are not saved by works, nor do we live by any ol' good, sweat o' the brow, 8-day work week.  But in another sense, there are going to be many, many believers in heaven wishing they did more than just barely escape the fire by the skin of their teeth.  They are going to regret all the time wasted that they could have used to learn to experience and serve God through earthly life, and this includes the world's culture.

An Experiment In Criticism, a book written by C.S. Lewis explains how to define a book as either good or bad with an uncommon intelligence.  His same principles can be applied to judging anything, including our religion.  What are the reasons we believe it?  Why do we portray certain attitudes toward things?  How often do we make a wrongful judgment without first living in another's shoes?  Is there some truth to the culture in which we live?  Is that perhaps why we are drawn to certain people?

God's principles of truth are, by His common grace, found all over this world of sin.  Growing as a Christian means learning to discern His truth in the world.  A good book is not necessarily one that is sold at a Christian bookstore.  Quality literature is not only one that quotes Bible verses, although it may be a signal.  The men God chose to use in the Old Testament to build His temple were skilled.  They were experts in their field of God-given talent.  David, as a shepherd boy, was a skilled musician as well as worthy in the area of caring for his subjects and therefore, unlike Saul, made a competent king.  Good books are written by talented authors with interwoven threads of truth, whether that truth animates the consequences of good or evil.

Some say that television and film has replaced literature in modern life.  While the intellect is often more challenged by reading, it can be argued that excellent films have been produced that would put mountains of books to shame.  My favorite movie is Chariots of Fire which was based on a true story.  It not only won four Oscars as well as numerous other awards and nominations for best picture, best screenplay, best director, best acting, best film editing, best cinematography, best art design, best music and best costume design, but it enchantingly portrayed the biblical truth I am now trying to explain.

Two British runners, one Jewish and the other a Christian, ran their races in order to prove something.  Harold Abrahams, although fast, ran to prove himself as a Jew in an anti-Semitic society.  He represented the law of God.  But Eric Liddell ran for God in an unChristian world, in the freedom of God's grace, which is why he experienced the uncommon joy of running and winning.  Abrahams won his Olympic race too, but he was confined to the misery of achieving his ultimate goal with nothing more to prove.  In seeking his life, he lost it.  Just as Liddell competed for God, he was also a missionary to China for God.  He found his life on the earth before he ever died, and in all that he set out to do.

This film did not utilize Christian actors and yet they portrayed God's truth like no other film in history in my opinion.  Non-Christians can obviously do good works and therefore experience an even large extent of happiness.  All we have to do is open our eyes to prove it.  But how much brighter and longer-lasting would be the effect of that good work if it were performed by a talented, Spirit-filled Christian?

G.K. Chesterton has taught me biblical principles through his books without ever quoting Bible Scripture.  The bible is larger than life.  Principle.  Skills.  Art.  Fiction.  Folklore.  Dreams.  Talking animals.  Colors.  Beauty.  Music.  Romance.  Pleasure.  Comedy.  Laughter and tears.  Miracles.  Crime.  Blood.  Holocaust.  Danger.  A battle for freedom.  A change of heart.  An observance of life.  Intense depression.  Honesty.  Vulnerability.  Health.  Geography.  History.  Logic.  Time.  Heaven and hell.  Philosophy.  Psychology.  Science.  These are all biblical terms never mentioned in the Bible and yet they are uniquely portrayed in it.

This is why Christians have outspoken opinions.  Our faith is not a half-way, politically correct compromise between church and world culture.  Just as Jesus was fully God and fully man, so we are whole-heartedly faithful to God as well as to the world He has placed in our care, including all people and all things.  Anything less than that is an oxymoron and not a true belief.  The Christian life is much more of a thrilling commitment than I realized.

There is much more to life than Christian culture which I think has been constructed from weak faith.  Mainstream Christianity has attempted to separate the wheat from the tares, which is something God has not called us to do.  There is a purpose for Christians and the world growing together and that temporary purpose is salvation and sanctification.  I would like to see a tearing down or abandonment of Christian media and its reconstruction in an entirely different form in order to avoid the confusion that I have experienced.  Our churches should not only be more of a welcoming place for all walks of life but our holiness, or distinction, can be seen in our talented contribution to the world, rather than a weak trail behind it.  

Church teaching should include the teaching of proper discernment between loving God and fleshly lusts, to equip us to go out into all of the nations in wonder and exploration rather than an avoidance. This is how and why we can delve into some books and be bored or disgusted with others.  This is why our children are allowed to enjoy certain TV shows but must leave other channels alone.  This is why we need to explain everything to them in a communicable language, not only in Christianese or worldly slang, and with a very broadened, open mind.  God is always throwing surprises at His people.  Prophecies are not always fulfilled the way we might assume, although it is possible to intelligently imagine them.

Our loyalty to God and to the world can be manifested in an insurmountable amount of ways.  We know if this is happening or not.  A believer will see God everywhere, His image in everyone, along with sin.  The same mundane world blossoms into a colorfully illustrated fairy tale of truth battling the lies of the evil one.  And it hits home as we realize that we really are characters in an eternal plot with a spiritual audience.

If we are constantly worried and weighted down, we will either have a discontent feeling, or maybe an inexplicit thought of, "Something isn't quite right."  A true believer will patiently grow into an undying passion and confidence toward God.  And we will not only naturally experience love for Him as a result of Himself, but just as importantly, others will see our light as it shines on the world.
 
I am learning.  I am finally learning.                 

    

 

 

America has been suffering loss.  Just as recent California fires consumed many homes and possessions, so are Americans across the country losing their investments, their businesses, jobs, homes, cars, health and other securities.  The human line to the food bank at the church near my house has been steadily growing each week and more than 36.2 million Americans are struggling with hunger.

It is a depressing time in American history.  Our national debt rose 45% since 2001 during the Bush Administration.  It took 183 years for our federal government to accumulate the first $1 trillion.  It then took 20 years to grow that debt to $5.7 trillion and a mere 7 years to reach $9 trillion.  Some Americans are beginning to catch on to the fact that capitalism eventually leads to bankruptcy.

But socialism is not the cure.  This only transfers the control of power from fortune-making industries to the government.  President-elect Obama is considering more government programs that would only encourage borrowing and spending.  There is also the question of raised taxes on businesses that provide jobs.  Only time will tell if his policy will have a positive effect on America's economy but it doesn't seem like it can get much worse in view of the current stock market meltdown. 

Common sense tells us that during a financial crisis, we must cut spending then pay off our debts.  Former presidential candidate Ron Paul suggested that we reduce the size of America's government, abolish many government agencies and programs, dramatically cut entitlement spending then allow the free market to self-adjust.  But Ron Paul was not elected president for a reason.  American socialists are not willing to let go of any perceived control and capitalists are unable to give up their lifestyles of luxury.

Meanwhile, Washington State voters passed the Death With Dignity Act.  This allows physicians to prescribe lethal medication to terminally-ill patients so that they can end their suffering, or in other words, the law allows for assisted suicide.

This is what G.K. Chesterton says in his book Orthodoxy:

"...Not only is suicide a sin, it is the sin.  It is the ultimate and absolute evil, the refusal to take an interest in existence; the refusal to take the oath of loyalty to life.  The man who kills a man, kills a man.  The man who kills himself, kills all men; as far as he is concerned he wipes out the world....  The thief is satisfied with diamonds; but the suicide is not:  that is his crime.  He cannot be bribed, even by the blazing stones of the Celestial City.  The thief compliments the things he steals, if not the owner of them.  But the suicide insults everything on earth by not stealing it.  He defiles every flower by refusing to live for its sake.  There is not a tiny creature in the cosmos at whom his death is not a sneer.  When a man hangs himself on a tree, the leaves might fall off in anger and the birds fly away in fury: for each has received a personal affront...."

If it were one of my children who was in pain and wanted to die earlier than predicted, I still would not be able to hand him his death weapon.  Who knows that his pain or his fate would not reverse with loving care, an advancement or discovery in medical technology, or simply a second, third or fourth doctor opinion?  Even in suffering, there are some lines that must not be crossed, and my love for him would prevent it.

But many modern hospital patients, and elderly, as well as those contemplating suicide are not experiencing love.  It has been something largely withdrawn from their lives in the way of receiving and therefore in the way of giving.  The Bible says that it is nearly impossible for a rich man to enter heaven.  In the same way, it easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, or in modern terms, for an SUV to swoosh through a basketball hoop, than for an abused person to desire life for herself, as well as for others.

There are not only problems at home but suffering is abroad.  There is a bloodbath of political wars, religious wars, civil wars and military juntas creating refugees, most of them women and children throughout the world.  And the sanctity of life continues to be brutally beaten in the 42 million babies worldwide that are aborted every year.  Cruelty inevitably results in further cruelty.

In two days, Americans will gather together with family and friends to commune together over a meal either scarce or aplenty in honor of the Thanksgiving holiday.  How can we enjoy such a blessing in the midst of the overwhelming suffering in and around us?  The same way as the agony and poverty-stricken pilgrims once celebrated with the Natives.  Even if the only thing in our possession is a faint breath, it is enough to form the words "thank you" and to restore some vitality.  It may even be enough to experience a miracle, or the birth a nation.

"Gratitude unlocks the fullness of life. It turns what we have into enough, and more. It turns denial into acceptance, chaos into order, confusion into clarity…. It turns problems into gifts, failures into success, the unexpected into perfect timing, and mistakes into important events. Gratitude makes sense of our past, brings peace for today and creates a vision for tomorrow.” – Melodie Beattie

   

I've been thinking a lot about authority lately, and what the Bible says about submission, as well as what I have generally witnessed in churches and in Christians.  I have wondered if I have a submissive attitude toward my elders and those that God has placed in authority over me, especially since I have been accused of otherwise.  I have also been debating (with myself) of whether or not to become an official member at my church.

Lord God, am I unservile in the way that I think of, speak of and act toward others?  I am hoping that writing this post will provide some answer to my prayer which is usually the case when I write.  So often I begin a blog with one thought in mind only to discover truths that I had never realized before.

As usual, first some observable facts.  What does the Bible say about authority?  Or rather, what is my current understanding of what the Bible says about it?  In the Old Testament theocracy of the Israelites, God Himself and His law were no doubt the authorities.  He used men such as Abraham and Moses and the prophets to rule over His people but He spoke directly to and through them, by the Holy Spirit.

"But know this first of all, that no prophecy of Scripture is {a matter} of one's own interpretation, for no prophecy was ever made by an act of human will, but men moved by the Holy Spirit spoke from God."  ~ 2 Peter 1:20, 21

In the New Testament early church, the Apostles who were also moved by the Holy Spirit spoke from God.  The Old Testament Scriptures supported their words, as well as the words of Christ, even though there was a new fulfilling of prophecy.  The New Testament simply expounds and enlightens the Old Testament, as explained by many biblical scholars.

I can't think of any higher authority for myself, or for any Christian, than the Scriptures.  One might argue my interpretation of them, and I have to constantly question my translation of them as well.  There is much in there that I do not understand but that fact only adds to the enjoyment of studying God's word.  It also means that I need other Spirit-filled men and women of God as my supplemental authority to help clarify God's truth.

Not everyone is free to choose the authority placed over them.  I am thankful that I live in a country and a culture that provides that freedom to a large extent.  Dictators, tyrants, and military regimes are the opposite of what Christ taught concerning authoritarian leadership.  A monarchy does not fit within His teaching either.  If a perfect triune God utilizes elder rule in the plural sense, as well as choosing not a few, but twelve disciples, to carry on His truth, how much more should the common man rely on more than one authority?

The United States judicial system prudently makes use of the jury system, also twelve members, in order to make the best decision with a limited amount of knowledge for a case.  Lawmakers and other elected officials understand the necessity of the vote (from all walks of life) as well as the informed advice of specialists.  The laws of the land are enacted in order to protect physical life and property of citizens.  It is to our own personal benefit to obey these laws.    

If we are free to choose the authority over us, we must choose them wisely, for they exert much influence over our beliefs and therefore our lives.  A leader is also a teacher, which is why any kind of authority stands under a stricter judgment (James 3:1).

"Remember those who led you, who spoke the word of God to you; and considering the result of their conduct, imitate their faith."   ~ Hebrews 13:7 (NASB)

Church teachers, leaders and pastors are responsible before God to lead the sheep like a shepherd.  This not only implies a gentle provision of (spiritual) life sustenence but also a protection against harmful and deceiving false doctrine.  In short, the whole point of their authority is to, together, teach the Scriptures.  Church members willingly submit to their elders as far as the leaders are discerned to be submitting to God's word.

The new Christian who has little understanding of the Bible will have a safeguard of strength as he greatly relies upon church leadership.  The older Christian needs this as well.  Still, all Christians should be taught not only how to submit to God's truth, but also how discern it.  If everyone blindly followed church leaders, we would have no gospel of Jesus Christ.  Jesus, as well as the Apostles, had to work against the religious leaders of God's chosen people in their day.

"Jesus answered and said unto them, Ye do err, not knowing the scriptures, nor the power of God."  ~ Matthew 22:29 (KJV)

"But Peter and the apostles answered, "We must obey God rather than men."  ~ Acts 5:29 (NASB)

Church leaders are fallible and they are not always filled with the power (the Spirit) of God.  The Scriptures command us to obey the authority over us, but they also command us to obey God rather than men.  Therefore, we obey human authority unless they lead us in a direction contrary to God's commands.  This calls for a tremendous responsibility of the Christian to learn God's truth for ourselves, as far as we understand and believe it (obviously).

I have witnessed way too much undiscerning submission in the church world.  I believe one cause of this is the American public school system which has trained us from an early age to conform to authority in a way that we must mindlessly learn whatever we are taught without question.  Submission to state-controlled school curriculum from kindergarten through 12th grade is not a matter of choice but a matter of submission.  If one did not submit to at least some degree, the only other option is to be expelled or to drop out.

True authority provides some amount of freedom.  It convinces its followers that it is the correct path; otherwise, it must use undue force which eventually and inevitably results in some form of anarchy.  Submission is a willing submission of the heart and mind.  But, while church members must speak respectfully of their pastors and leaders, not slandering them, this does not imply pastor worship, or such belliefs as, "My church is infallible."  Exalting anyone or anything means that we have to defend that subject at all cost.

Authority is actually a ministry.  Do you ever get the feeling at church that leaders are only talking to you or praying with you because it is their "ministry"?  This is a common trap for church leaders because they must possess some type of authoritative leadership skills.  But I wouldn't want a friend or family member to invite me to their house, or do yard work for me, or give me a gift because it was their job, or they were getting paid, or so that they could announce it at Community Group.  That is a lopsided relationship.  I want to know that we're friends and that I can serve them too.  The authority of Jesus on earth was one of servanthood but also of friendship, not only on His part but also on the part of His followers.  This is why the crowds loved Him so much and left everything to follow Him.

These principles of attitude apply to any situation and they also answer the confusion of "gray areas".  Husbands while considering the counsel of others, including his wife's, must lead his family as Christ led His followers.  Just as Eve was deceived by the serpent, all females generally have a greater tendency than men to be led astray.  This does not make male and female unequal but it (thankfully) explains our strengths and weaknesses.  The husband has a physical strength that the wife can depend upon.  So, wives are biblically instructed to submit to their husbands, but with eyes wide open!  Sometimes husbands and wives need to coexist if they are serving two different masters.  Husbands and wives need to challenge each other as well as respectfully submit to each other and be at peace with one another.

"...and be subject to one another in the fear of Christ."  ~ Ephesians 5:21

Christian parenting can get this submission/obedience command wrong as well.  Not only does the Bible say that we are all to submit to one another, but it also says that children are to obey their parents (Ephesians 6:1).  The reasons for this are blatant.  Just as the wife is dependent upon the husband's strength for protection and provision, so the children are dependent upon their parents.  As the children grow in independence (from the teachings of the parents - Deuteronomy 6:7-9) their counsel too can be considered in family decisions.  Children should neither demand their way from parents nor should they be treated like mindless slaves.

In the workplace, our bosses and managers pay us our salaries; therefore, we are dependent on them and we will naturally show an honor and respect for their wishes.  We help them so that they can pay us.  This requires some level of commitment to the company.  It also means that the employee will speak up if they notice an area in need of improvement.  Any investment a worker makes in the workplace will benefit the worker.  This is why we submit.

There is much room for me to grow in learning to love others without being negatively influenced by them.  Christ knew what was in man (sin) and He was able to give His life to us, even become one with us, yet without sin.  Perhaps He was only able to perfectly do this because He was God, but this is still our same high calling.  Maybe I have so much of a guard around my heart and mind that I intimidate others or I come across too harsh.  But that is definitely not my intention or my thoughts.  

I realize that I sometimes have a very opinionated and feisty attitude when it comes to my religious beliefs, but I am not yet convinced that I should repent of it.  I am eternally grateful and indebted to many people and institutions throughout my life, but I have found that they would've all led me in the wrong direction to either a small or terrible extent if I had not painfully and often in loneliness learned the truth that I wanted to believe.  Even when I was very young, I had to make choices to follow my parents' actions over the delinquencies of my friends at school.  There were many times that the teachings at my church over-ruled what I was learning from my parents.  And the behavior of my church also needed to be called into question at times, both privately and publically, simply because my pastors faithfully taught me the authority of the Scriptures.

Attending church is a high priority for me.  God tells me to go to church in Hebrews 10:25.  He knew there would be mistakened teaching as well as the fact that it would provide knowledge, warmth, safety, exhortation, fellowship, an equipping and an opportunity to serve that I could not receive otherwise.  The reason I am debating official membership is because I don't believe that one church has a monopoly on God's truth and Spirit.  Also, churches that need to remain as they are, often change.  Churches that need change often remain as they are.... I believe we should all be loyal to a group of believers but not to the point that they replace God as our first allegiance.  This type of influence and a general unspoken conformity is an easy and powerful snare - somewhat like a Lazy Boy and a TV.  On the other hand, we do not submit ourselves to faultless authority or else there would be no submitting at all.

Authority is a beautiful blessing, but it can be abused in many ways through the use of control.  Fear causes us to tighten our grips on our subects.  We are afraid we will lose them, afraid they will believe and act upon a lie and take others with them, afraid that they will rise up against us, etc.  If authority is subjected to God, there will be trust in His sovereignty.  Yes, people will go astray, people will mock God, persecute Christians, and take others with them.  But that is all part of the plan.  Authority must still provide as much freedom as possible while protecting and providing for its subjects.

With any amount of knowledge I have, I am responsible to live by that knowledge.  I too am fallible and I am dependent upon correction and different perspectives so that I can grow in my understanding.  I appreciate the kindness and sensitivity of my family and friends but I am desperate for the honest truth; I wish that confrontation was more socially acceptable.  Even hurtful words spoken in anger toward me give me things to consider and they sharpen my discernment.  We are missing out on a tremendous service if we can not receive criticism as a blessing.

As for the people I refute in my writing, I would completely ignore them if I did not feel they were worthy of thought.  I consider them higher than myself when I look to what they have to say, whether I can commend them or rebuke them or ask them questions.  I have learned that I can find truth nearly everywhere from a wide range of people.  I appreciate the professionals but I also adore the babe in Christ.  As far as authority goes, well anyone who makes me exercise my mind is some kind of authority to which I will gladly submit, and even moreso as far as I can tell that he or she loves my God, is led by my Spirit and follows my Jesus.

How can I be so confident that my God is the one true God?  And the Bible is His word of truth?  Well, that is something that you have the privilege of figuring out for yourself.  Never give up the search for truth, as well as the opposition of that truth, for it is the most priceless treasure that can be discovered on this side of heaven.  Gratefully submit to your elders, the laws of the land, your spouse, your children, and your friends - yet choose your authority wisely.

   

 

 

  

Church like any other institution can be a spiritually dangerous place if it is imbalanced and we must be on guard there just as much as when we are out in the world.  Theologians attempt to regulate the church through sound doctrine while charismatics try to restore the romance between God and man.  One Christian waves the intellectual banner calling the crowds to march to the beat of truth, and yet another uses sneaky appeals of the heart, claiming that it can be as exciting to follow Jesus as it is to watch football.  While there is much truth involved in these church services, too often one Christian preacher/teacher forgets the balance.

The result is a looming question mark.  The mind and the heart are often at odds with one another.  We want one thing but think we should do another; we are not sure if we should follow the mind or the heart.  Both can be deceitful yet both can motivate and direct us.  How does the confused Christian determine God's will for their personal life, which includes moment by moment emotions as well as required decisions?

Helpful scholars will exhort us to study the Scriptures and yet they often fail to make the application to our earthly lives.  What does the trinity have to do with my rebellious teenage daughter?  Other Christian ministries such as Focus On The Family concentrate so much on the teenager that Bible truths are twisted, beaten and completely forgotten.

An over-emphasis on anything will have unintended consequences, even if the focus is on some accepted goodness or biblical actuality.  Although America's technoligical advancement in medicine is the greatest in history, heart disease and cancer are our most common killers.  The public relies so heavily upon these promising antidotes that we fail to prevent the diseases from occuring.  Likewise, Christians might lean too much on psychological therapy instead of learning to to face and deal with social problems.  The rise of Christian family ministries in the 70's parallels with the rise in the Christian divorce rate which now exceeds the Non-Christian divorce rate.   

How does the Christian involve herself in the church as well as the world while avoiding its numerous pitfalls?  It is a difficult endeavor to be sure, yet it may be an issue of life and death.  Although the terms "balance" and "compromise" currently have shunned reputations in the Christian world, it is really only through a perfect balance and difficult compromise that one enters the kingdom of God in the first place.

For example, the Bible teaches us both the sovereignty of God and the responsibility of man.  If Christians are predestined by God, how (or why) do we answer the Apostle Paul's pleading for us to be reconciled to God (2 Cor. 5:20)?  Somehow, a great sinner must meet a holy God and there is some degree of a painful sacrifice on the part of both parties.

It is through faith (man's responsibility) in God's grace (God's workmanship) which results in good works (God and man working together) that glorify man and God (God's sovereignty).  This statement has been a controversial debate throughout all of Christianhood due to the human misunderstanding of God's truth, or because of an emphasis of one truth over another.

We often single out either the earthly perspective or a heavenly one.  And we are forgetting things.  It is sadly true that many people view life on earth without the hope of eternity even though life goes on much, much further.  The after-life carries the greater weight in this sense.  Yet, it is also possible to spiritualize creation to such a degree that we completely bypass life itself.  

A Christian can be so heavenly minded that he is no earthly good, but if we were heavenly minded in its proper sense, we would be a world of earthly good.  This earthly good is what is noticeably missing in the church today.  We should not ask ourselves as Christians, "Why recycle when the earth is one day going to burst into an exploding ball of fire?" but "How can I express this deep love I have for the people and things around me, near and far?"  Pastors and teachers should not be afraid to make this connection.

God knows the outcome for each individual because He is outside of time, but for humans that are born, time is currently still running.  Eternity has chosen to live within the limits of our history, seasons, days and seconds.  Therefore, religious doctrine is manifested in our every day lives - our relationships, but also our jobs, homes, food, and clothing.  This is commonly misunderstood.  Earthly matters are not only significant, they are terribly significant.  Minor temporary details are not minor, because they are the determining vehicles of the eternal world (even though eternity has already been determined by the all-knowing God). 

Real religion is not a blind faith or a weak hope.  It is the working together of two very real entities:  the spiritual and the physical.  Although we try to separate them through their distinctions, they must remain together in order to have any kind of fruitful effect in the life of a believer.  Similarly, the mind and the heart are really one biological engine with two different roles.  The thoughts flow from the heart and passions are created from knowledge.  Both must work together rather than against each other.

Christians fluctuate from a fatigue of the extremes.  When an over-emphasis is placed on either the earthly or the heavenly perspective, which is the problem of many a systematic theology, a void is produced that eventually becomes desperate to be filled with anything one can get their hands on, which often includes the anti-beliefs of their teaching.  Or, the imbalance can create an apathy toward everything in life.

In order for the Christian to receive answers to his questions and live the abundant life that God has called him, there must be a proper order and balance of things.  The law of God helps us to understand what is required of us, as well as the fact that we do not have the strength, nor often even the will, to obey that law.  To admit God's strength and our personal human weakness is the first step for the Christian, not only in salvation, but every day.  Instead we often talk to each other as though obeying the law (of love) is no difficulty at all.  Knowing the law is confused with obeying the law.

Too often we shoot for the goal without first recognizing that we can do nothing to attain it.  Like prescribing a food diet or organizational tips for the home, the presenter tells us everything we should do, without ever giving us the willpower to accomplish it, leaving us in failure, or seeking after another method to try.  Many Christian leaders have a proven formula for attaining heaven:  Read one chapter a day in the Bible, attend a well-established church, marry a strong believer, vote Republican, give money to the charities for Africa, and you will live happily ever after.  But this is not salvation.  This is somebody's misconception of God's law and people are dying in it.

Believers willingly receive their nice, long To Do Lists.  There is much comfort in viewing Christianity neatly organized and narrowed down on paper, but there is also the temptation to believe that a list made is a list completed.  Many of us will continue working on this list for our entire lives and hardly conquer any of it, never realizing that there is so much more to life and that we have missed nearly all of it.

Focusing too much on the law of God creates either a starvation or a defensive apathy.  The hungry believer will beg for God's mercy while admitting that we have zero passion or that our desires are for everything except for His commands.  Through Jesus Christ, God has forgiven this tremendous short-coming of ours, but we must not stop there, because the (right) list must still be completed here on earth in order to prove our salvation.  Faith without works is dead.

When we finally release our vain actions of self-glory through repentance, we must not remain in this hopeless and motionless state.  Grace is the next step.  Believing and witnessing the love of God here on earth empowers us with a natural, driving love for God and anything that has to do with Him.  And we eventually figure out that everything somehow relates to Him.

"And God is able to make all grace abound toward you; that ye, always having all sufficiency in all things, may abound to every good work."  2 Corinthians 9:8

This is how the heavenly and earthly perspectives converge.  The law of our minds stops us in our tracks.  Our knowledge can not accomplish what we desire.  Sometimes our knowledge extinguishes our desire.  The believer then asks for God's help (His grace) and patiently rests and trusts that the heart will be strengthened.  Our minds will often tell us not to trust the heart because it can cause us to break God's law but sometimes our desires are God's desires too.  We might lack faith because we can not believe that God would allow us our own personal desires.  Either way, we must learn to walk with our minds and our hearts or else we will lose our balance.

Attention must be given to both our thoughts and our longings without denying one because of the other.  In time we learn to discern them and we can spot right away the difference between a passing feeling and a deep-seated passion based on truth.  Obedience for God can go no further than our love for Him (or for a Non-believer's love of goodness), although it is possible to become very skilled at pretending.  But these good works are empty and bear rotten fruit.

It is not the heart and mind that the believer gives up or compromises, but the empty actions.  God asks us to let go of them, stop concentrating on them so much.  Instead, look at your heart thoughts.  Are they on earthly things?  Good.  Meet God there where He is waiting.  Are they on heavenly things?  Bring those thoughts back down to earth where you live at this point in time.

Jesus said that whoever does not eat His flesh and drink His blood, there is no life in that person.  In this command, it is clear that there is at least some degree of symbolism; however, partaking of Christ's physical death is just as real as remembering it through the sacrament of communion.  This is an extremely difficult concept to grasp for it makes little sense to the religious society as well as to the non-religious, unless the two societies are brought together.  People might either view this as impossible... or as blasphemy.  The twelve disciples themselves answered, "This is a difficult saying!  Who can understand it?"  John 6:60

Jesus was trying to convey the fact that spiritual Truth relies on some tangible world in order to manifest itself.  The deeply committed religious person neither worships material things, nor does he abandon it altogether.  Instead he views every small detail as one from, to and for God in a very earthly way.  The nature of each detail matters not, for everything has the potential to glorify God.  This is an unknown perspective for many Christians, but it balances law and grace as well as the mind and heart.

This is how all things now become lawful for those who believe in grace, and why believers can not be judged for partaking in old covenant rituals nor for celebrating modern festivals.  They can all serve the righteous love of God.  This is why a person can become a Christian either at church, or at a drunken party.  A believer can grow in faith either from reading the Bible, or by visiting her New Age naturopathic physician.  God's truth as well as Satan's lies are found everywhere and sometimes in the same sentence.

The gospel is demonstrated through creation; creation in this sense is not only limited to mountains and rivers.  Although the Bible contains the whole counsel of God, His Truth goes well beyond those printed pages.  It is habitually believed that a sleezy, downtown bar can only glorify God if it is remodeled and transformed into a church building.  But Jesus would've also entered that bar and taught His congregation before the rennovation and the new people arrived.  Church buildings and bars are not sinful.  Sin lives in the flesh and it has every opportunity to be enacted while employeeing any created structure.  Yet, so does the goodness of God.

The Holy Spirit fills our hearts and minds with trustworthy emotions such as gratitude.  It is thankfulness that causes us to look at the new or old furniture in our home with the same fondness we have toward our generous God.  Amazement causes us to stare at any object and wonder how it was created.  The complexity of logic and math formulas awakens us to the fact that life does not function by chance and that everything matters.

Finding our passion in God is not difficult, for God is already involved in all of our passions if we would allow our eyes to courageously see Him.  He created the objects that we love and He gave us our soul to love them.  Only, we have separated God from our lives thinking He is too holy for us.  Christianity has successfully limited His goodness to the Evangelicals and chained up His truth in the theologians.  We are greatly deceived.

Evangelism is not limited to passing out tracts; theology is not only discovering the smartest teacher.  If we can manage to let go of our To Do Lists, we will find that the law of God has already been written on our personal conscience and the love of God will cause us to naturally live by it, but in joyous imagination and happy productivity - no matter who is our company, where we travel, or what we possess.  God has ensured that His word of truth will abide through the ages.  But it is nearly impossible for many Christians to let go of so much (perceived) control and trust that Christians will actually follow Jesus.  But, while authority is our safety net and it leads by example, it should never control our hearts and minds.  God gave those to the individual.

How does the Christian determine and also live in the will of God, and therefore experience peace in hardship and happiness in all else?  It is through compromise:  Let go of your presumed list of tasks, your man-made system or formula.  Jesus accomplished everything on the cross when He said "It is finished."  It is also through balance:  What is your mind telling you?  What is your heart saying?  Learn to trust and listen to both, for together they form the pathway of communication between God and you.  Do not only pray but listen then reply and listen some more.  Simple faith opens the floodgate that is blocking God's grace.

By giving up on our actions, and retreiving our minds and hearts from Christianity and the world, owning them for ourselves, we are now free to converse with God and work together with Him.  This personal relationship between God and our souls affects all else and all else becomes the evidence of our salvation.  This process not only makes our calling and election sure but it also earns us many rewards to be enjoyed in that day of eternity.