Reading Acts 14 is like watching someone bungee jump. They're up, they're down, there's a rush of excitement then a fear of death, and it all ends with them finally being pulled back up to safety. For some reason, my mind has been completely focused the ups and downs of chapter 14.
Verses 1-18 depict a complicated love-hate relationship between Team P&B (Paul, Barnabas) and the Jews and Gentiles to whom they ministered. Verse 19 shows that Paul is finally captured by those who hate his message and they eventually stone him to the point where everyone thinks he is clearly dead. I can't image what shape he must have been in...They drag Paul's beaten corpse out of the town but somehow, through the Grace of God, the very next day he is up and about walking to another town with Barnabas. When they get to the next town it says in verse 22 that "They encouraged them to continue in faith, reminding them that we must suffer many hardships to enter the Kingdom of God." I don't think anyone has ever been more fit to preach that message than Paul and Barnabas at that point in their lives.
I know a major theme in my life has become learning how to find joy despite my circumstances and somehow being able to rejoice when suffering comes my way for that is when we grow closest to God. I'd like to think I've suffered too, but in comparison to what Paul and Barnabas had to endure I've been through nothing! However, it's all about perspective and personal situations, not comparison. I'll talk more about that in a moment.
The next verse that really lingered in my mind is verse 28. Paul and Barnabas have returned back home to where their journey started and they are sharing the good news about how the Gentiles are becoming more open to the message of Christ. It says, "And they stayed there with the believers for a long time." The reason why this verse stands out to me despite being an otherwise inconsequential verse to most people is because of my personal situation. In my ministry I am surrounded by non-believers with radically different morals, opinions and lifestyles than me. It's absolutely draining to constantly be around them and pour out my differing views based on a God they know nothing about. Some scoff while others listen. Either way it takes a toll on the human soul, and while I'm not being physically beaten or placed in prison, it is still all my untested heart can take. That's why it's not about comparing experiences but relating them.
Paul traveled around immersed in controversy, evangelizing every where he went. But eventually he had to stop for a while and be re-energized by a community of believers. That's why verse 28 stands out to me so much. I may not be able to run the race as far as Paul did but we both run as far as we can before we have to stop for a while and let God soothe our aching muscles and pour some spiritual Gatorade down our throats. Some of us will never run hard enough in life to need a break, which is a shame, but all Christians who do the Lord's work will hit that point where there is no shame in resting for a bit. In fact, it's of paramount importance that we do find rest among other believers in order to avoid burning out for good.
I believe taking advantage of these necessary breaks is the key to having the most productive ministry possible. If you read just a few verses after 14:28 you'll see that Paul and Barnabas get right back to fighting the legalistic Jews who oppressed the Gentiles with religious regulations. Acts 15:2 says, "Paul and Barnabas disagreed with them, arguing vehemently." Where did they get the energy to continually argue for what they believed in vehemently?
That's right. They took good, long breaks.
Tuesday, September 27, 2011
Tuesday, September 20, 2011
The Jacob Complex
I have a really good friend who has an indescribable void in his life. It's been there as long as he can remember and for the longest time, since he discovered what romance is, he has tried to fill this void with the love of a significant other. Somehow the idea of a perfect female companion, "the one" if you will, has provided him an inexplicable hope for healing, companionship and sense of completion that seems almost Heavenly. Obviously these things are so appealing because of the great deal of hurt, loneliness, and emptiness that exists within his soul. Recently, his situation has been at the forefront of my mind after listening to Timothy Keller's sermon entitled "The Struggle for Love".
The focus of Keller's sermon is on the portion of Jacob's life portrayed in Genesis 29. After stealing his older brother's blessing from his dying father, Jacob escapes to Paddan-Aran to work for his uncle Laban. There he meets and falls madly in love with Rachel, who was a truly beautiful woman in every way it seems. Jacob agrees to work 7 years for Laban in exchange for Rachel, which equated to an extremely irrational amount to pay for a bride. Well after 7 years and one crazy wedding party, Jacob gets fooled into marrying Leah, who was the older, uglier daughter of Laban. After little protest, Jacob agrees to work 7 more years for Rachel. After those next 7 years pass and the happy couple finally ties the knot, Jacob and Rachel are rewarded with a baron womb. Leah, on the other hand, catches God's eye as she is unloved and He blesses here with many children and it is her line from which our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ comes.
The significance of this story comes from the context of Jacob's life. Back in Genesis 25 we are told that Jacob's father preferred Esau, the eldest son. Esau was a man's man and understandably attracted more attention from his father. Meanwhile Jacob was an introverted, mama's boy who must have felt disconnected and unfulfilled by his family life. From the day he was born he struggled to compete with his brother for his father's affection. He knew not love nor support from 2/3 of his immediate family. Once Jacob had to flee from Esau after steeling his father's blessing he lost his mother too, the only one who truly loved him. Jacob had a void in his life that he desperately tried to fill with the love of an ideal women, but what Keller reminds us in his sermon is that no human relationship can carry the burden of God-hood. Only God can fill that indescribable void in our lives. No friend, brother, sister, mother, father or especially husband or wife can complete us like God can. We can never find the eternal source of healing we hope to gain from a spouse because no matter how hard we fight to attain her, she's always Leah never Rachel. She will never be good enough. He will never be good enough. Only God is good enough.
If it wasn't already obvious from the start, I might as well clarify that the very good friend of mine struggling with this exact same "complex" is me. It's taken time to realize that this deep passion of mine has become so rooted in my soul that it has become a hindrance to God's will for my life. I have spent many sleepless nights thinking about my future wife, and mostly about how lazy she's been about getting in touch with me. Jokes aside, I don't want to have a wife unless it's within God's general direction for me because I know that at my age and with my perspective I most likely have no idea what I need or what is good for me. I want to be married and have a family, but I don't want to be as messed up as Jacob was when I finally do it. I certainly don't want to wake up with Leah either, despite her amazing personality...
So for now I think I'm just going to have to put up the old "Closed for Renovation" sign on my love life. I've got to see what this life is like when I live it in a constant pursuit of intimacy with God and not a woman. If I can do that, who knows what God may throw in along the way?
(9/20/12) OYP2G-CS
The focus of Keller's sermon is on the portion of Jacob's life portrayed in Genesis 29. After stealing his older brother's blessing from his dying father, Jacob escapes to Paddan-Aran to work for his uncle Laban. There he meets and falls madly in love with Rachel, who was a truly beautiful woman in every way it seems. Jacob agrees to work 7 years for Laban in exchange for Rachel, which equated to an extremely irrational amount to pay for a bride. Well after 7 years and one crazy wedding party, Jacob gets fooled into marrying Leah, who was the older, uglier daughter of Laban. After little protest, Jacob agrees to work 7 more years for Rachel. After those next 7 years pass and the happy couple finally ties the knot, Jacob and Rachel are rewarded with a baron womb. Leah, on the other hand, catches God's eye as she is unloved and He blesses here with many children and it is her line from which our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ comes.
The significance of this story comes from the context of Jacob's life. Back in Genesis 25 we are told that Jacob's father preferred Esau, the eldest son. Esau was a man's man and understandably attracted more attention from his father. Meanwhile Jacob was an introverted, mama's boy who must have felt disconnected and unfulfilled by his family life. From the day he was born he struggled to compete with his brother for his father's affection. He knew not love nor support from 2/3 of his immediate family. Once Jacob had to flee from Esau after steeling his father's blessing he lost his mother too, the only one who truly loved him. Jacob had a void in his life that he desperately tried to fill with the love of an ideal women, but what Keller reminds us in his sermon is that no human relationship can carry the burden of God-hood. Only God can fill that indescribable void in our lives. No friend, brother, sister, mother, father or especially husband or wife can complete us like God can. We can never find the eternal source of healing we hope to gain from a spouse because no matter how hard we fight to attain her, she's always Leah never Rachel. She will never be good enough. He will never be good enough. Only God is good enough.
If it wasn't already obvious from the start, I might as well clarify that the very good friend of mine struggling with this exact same "complex" is me. It's taken time to realize that this deep passion of mine has become so rooted in my soul that it has become a hindrance to God's will for my life. I have spent many sleepless nights thinking about my future wife, and mostly about how lazy she's been about getting in touch with me. Jokes aside, I don't want to have a wife unless it's within God's general direction for me because I know that at my age and with my perspective I most likely have no idea what I need or what is good for me. I want to be married and have a family, but I don't want to be as messed up as Jacob was when I finally do it. I certainly don't want to wake up with Leah either, despite her amazing personality...
So for now I think I'm just going to have to put up the old "Closed for Renovation" sign on my love life. I've got to see what this life is like when I live it in a constant pursuit of intimacy with God and not a woman. If I can do that, who knows what God may throw in along the way?
(9/20/12) OYP2G-CS
Saturday, September 17, 2011
Hide and Seek
I have come to realize how much I enjoy discovering new information about the nature of God. Some people are frustrated by how mysterious God can be, or how unclear Scripture is at times, but if you look at how humans are created it makes perfect sense. We are intrigued by mystery and elated by intellectual stimulus. Think about how we were when we were 5 years old or so. What child doesn't love to play hide and seek? Do you ever wonder why we loved that game so much? It's because we are instilled with a deep passion to discover what is hidden from us. I believe God intentionally hides things from us in order to keep us searching for Him. If we could ever fully understand everything about God and the Bible they wouldn't be as interesting as they are. People have studied God since the beginning of time and we are still so interested in His being.
This is also why I believe science and Christianity are not enemies, but allies. God gave us science to discover the extraordinary breadth of His creation. All of the scientific breakthroughs we could ever hope to make will still never tell us about all the incredible potential for humanity that God has woven into Creation. As far as Scripture goes, we have one all-powerful text that can provide us with a life time of insight and enlightenment if we continually seek out the wide expanse of knowledge contained within it. Hopefully we can stop stressing out about the many translations of Scripture, or the multiple theories about evolution and just enjoy the game that God has set before us. I'm pretty sure we aren't supposed to figure everything out anyway!
This is also why I believe science and Christianity are not enemies, but allies. God gave us science to discover the extraordinary breadth of His creation. All of the scientific breakthroughs we could ever hope to make will still never tell us about all the incredible potential for humanity that God has woven into Creation. As far as Scripture goes, we have one all-powerful text that can provide us with a life time of insight and enlightenment if we continually seek out the wide expanse of knowledge contained within it. Hopefully we can stop stressing out about the many translations of Scripture, or the multiple theories about evolution and just enjoy the game that God has set before us. I'm pretty sure we aren't supposed to figure everything out anyway!
Tuesday, September 13, 2011
Screen Actor's Gospel
This past Sunday was the most fulfilled I have felt in a long time. I finally reached a point where my passion and purpose aligned, if only for a moment, leaving me with a profound sense of God's will for my life.
I have been working as a background actor or 'extra' for television, commercial, and other film projects the past few months. I went into it with the desire to work in an exciting industry filled with large amounts of radical non-believers. So far I have had several theological conversations that have led to confessions of disbelief because of past experiences with sexual abuse, religious oppression, and discrimination on behalf of the church. However, nothing has paralleled what I experienced on Sunday.
About midway through the day I heard one of the girls on set talking to one of the several very gay members of the cast about why God allows suffering. At the time, I was involved in a different, meaningless conversation and I quickly turned around to engage the pair. As soon as I heard the guy ask "It just doesn't make sense why Jesus would have to die if God is so good and perfect" my heart started to pound because I had never felt so prepared to answer a question like this before. I literally had just finished reading the first chapter of Timothy Keller's book The Reason for God that discusses this very topic.
What ensued from this point on was a heavy, two hour discussion about the character of God and what Christianity is really meant to be, a relationship. We touched on topics from evolution, to sacrifice, to pain, to biblical interpretation, the Old Testament vs. New Testament, the difference between Jews and Christians, and ultimately the reconciliation of the Cross. I was only talking directly to a self-proclaimed new atheist and homosexual named Silas, as well as a very harsh, broken young women named Veronica who had just graduated from college. Outside of these two was the rest of the entire cast and crew totaling almost 8 other people, two of whom were also gay.
I knew this was an extremely heavy conversation to have in a crowd like this but God spoke the best possible words through me and I found Silas constantly nodding in agreement as I laid out who Christ actually was and what God meant for Christians to be. Veronica, on the other hand, constantly came back at me with argument after argument in disbelief against the words of Jesus. Her main problem was that Salvation seemed too limited as we can only get to Heaven through this one Man. She persisted in saying that if you only just live a good life that you should be allowed into Heaven and that she did not, or rather could not believe anything otherwise. I refuted her statements time and time again by asking how she could define this 'standard' of good. How could we all live by her subjective view of what good is? By even saying that there could be a universal good implies a higher power or judge of this good.
Eventually she acknowledged that she believes in God and had thought about converting to Judaism. This is when I knew she was truly lost. I asked her why even believe in a God if you don't have to do anything in relation to Him in order to get to Heaven? She just replied that she had always felt that there was a God, that she wanted to pray, but could never imagine the fact that her family (the people she loved most in this world) would not end up in Heaven. Veronica later told me that her brother was gay and I realized that the thought of him not being able to go to Heaven because of this is what hardened her heart towards the idea of a religion that told her people such as that can't be saved.
I pressed her on this issue and told her that no one wanted her and her family to Saved than Jesus. I told her about how Jesus had to die because we are so imperfect and that no standard of our own personal perception of good would ever reconcile all of the evil we have done in this earth. I described how Jesus was the ultimate sacrifice and how badly He loved people like Veronica's brother. I said that Jesus was just as heart broken at the thought of her family not going to Heaven as she was. At this point Veronica was in tears but still defending her position. All I could do was tell her that some of the people I too love the most in this world still don't know Jesus and how much it pains me to think of an afterlife without them. I couldn't help but be chocked up with all the emotions as well.
At this very moment we were called back onto set. It seemed like the worst possible moment. Once we were separated Veronica had time to rebuild her defenses and after a few hours on set of ranting about God to the other non-believers she was in no place to be reasoned with. She had let her guard down, become vulnerable and revealed that she wasn't as tough as she tried so hard to show everybody she was. She kept on saying that she would rather go to hell, "Dante's Inferno" as she mockingly labeled it, than go to a Heaven where her family was not. Veronica scoffed at the idea of an exclusive Heaven even though I told her anyone could enter, even the thief who was nailed beside Jesus on the cross...She had no idea of the depth of what she was saying. Completely protected, her heart began to twist back into it's fortified walls where I still wonder if the words God spoke through me will one day breach.
Despite the fact that Veronica left that day the way she did I felt incredible. Several other people, including Silas, came up to me afterwards to express their words of appreciation for what I said. I recommended books for them to read as well as parts of Scripture they should really study for themselves so as to be better protected from the raging, ranting christians they had encountered before.
I have never preached the Gospel like this before. I have never evangelized before. This was what Jesus did and called us to do. I don't say that pridefully, I say it humbly as a servant of God who has never had the balls to do it before. Now as I look back on the world of APU I am ashamed that we rarely seek out opportunities to do this type of ministry. We live and talk solely amongst those who live in our Christian bubble and then have the audacity to say "oh evangelism just isn't my gift". We hide behind the idea of a "silent sermon" where hopefully people are lead to Christ by the subtle, self-righteous manner in which we think we live our lives. Well I discovered that it takes words. No silent sermon will do. We have to talk! Jesus was perfect, Paul was amazing, and they all talked A LOT! But most importantly, those who really know the truth of Scripture, the Gospel of love, must do the talking.
Atheists, Agnostics, young, and old all have a question burning deep inside them about this Jesus fellow. They know there is something more to this life and are so curious about those who say they know Him. Hollywood may act like they think anyone who believes in God is a raving lunatic or right-wing, redneck nut job but they are more curious than anyone else. They have put up their walls but they know logic and reason when they hear it and they are astounded by a passionate faith inspired by truth.
That's what I have. They are my focus. I believe you can reach the entire world from this one location, so this is where I'll be. I hope Christians will stop running away from this place and instead embrace it as Jesus would. I hope you'll pray for me as I embark on this journey that has no longer become a shot in the dark but a deliberate light in the darkness.
I have been working as a background actor or 'extra' for television, commercial, and other film projects the past few months. I went into it with the desire to work in an exciting industry filled with large amounts of radical non-believers. So far I have had several theological conversations that have led to confessions of disbelief because of past experiences with sexual abuse, religious oppression, and discrimination on behalf of the church. However, nothing has paralleled what I experienced on Sunday.
About midway through the day I heard one of the girls on set talking to one of the several very gay members of the cast about why God allows suffering. At the time, I was involved in a different, meaningless conversation and I quickly turned around to engage the pair. As soon as I heard the guy ask "It just doesn't make sense why Jesus would have to die if God is so good and perfect" my heart started to pound because I had never felt so prepared to answer a question like this before. I literally had just finished reading the first chapter of Timothy Keller's book The Reason for God that discusses this very topic.
What ensued from this point on was a heavy, two hour discussion about the character of God and what Christianity is really meant to be, a relationship. We touched on topics from evolution, to sacrifice, to pain, to biblical interpretation, the Old Testament vs. New Testament, the difference between Jews and Christians, and ultimately the reconciliation of the Cross. I was only talking directly to a self-proclaimed new atheist and homosexual named Silas, as well as a very harsh, broken young women named Veronica who had just graduated from college. Outside of these two was the rest of the entire cast and crew totaling almost 8 other people, two of whom were also gay.
I knew this was an extremely heavy conversation to have in a crowd like this but God spoke the best possible words through me and I found Silas constantly nodding in agreement as I laid out who Christ actually was and what God meant for Christians to be. Veronica, on the other hand, constantly came back at me with argument after argument in disbelief against the words of Jesus. Her main problem was that Salvation seemed too limited as we can only get to Heaven through this one Man. She persisted in saying that if you only just live a good life that you should be allowed into Heaven and that she did not, or rather could not believe anything otherwise. I refuted her statements time and time again by asking how she could define this 'standard' of good. How could we all live by her subjective view of what good is? By even saying that there could be a universal good implies a higher power or judge of this good.
Eventually she acknowledged that she believes in God and had thought about converting to Judaism. This is when I knew she was truly lost. I asked her why even believe in a God if you don't have to do anything in relation to Him in order to get to Heaven? She just replied that she had always felt that there was a God, that she wanted to pray, but could never imagine the fact that her family (the people she loved most in this world) would not end up in Heaven. Veronica later told me that her brother was gay and I realized that the thought of him not being able to go to Heaven because of this is what hardened her heart towards the idea of a religion that told her people such as that can't be saved.
I pressed her on this issue and told her that no one wanted her and her family to Saved than Jesus. I told her about how Jesus had to die because we are so imperfect and that no standard of our own personal perception of good would ever reconcile all of the evil we have done in this earth. I described how Jesus was the ultimate sacrifice and how badly He loved people like Veronica's brother. I said that Jesus was just as heart broken at the thought of her family not going to Heaven as she was. At this point Veronica was in tears but still defending her position. All I could do was tell her that some of the people I too love the most in this world still don't know Jesus and how much it pains me to think of an afterlife without them. I couldn't help but be chocked up with all the emotions as well.
At this very moment we were called back onto set. It seemed like the worst possible moment. Once we were separated Veronica had time to rebuild her defenses and after a few hours on set of ranting about God to the other non-believers she was in no place to be reasoned with. She had let her guard down, become vulnerable and revealed that she wasn't as tough as she tried so hard to show everybody she was. She kept on saying that she would rather go to hell, "Dante's Inferno" as she mockingly labeled it, than go to a Heaven where her family was not. Veronica scoffed at the idea of an exclusive Heaven even though I told her anyone could enter, even the thief who was nailed beside Jesus on the cross...She had no idea of the depth of what she was saying. Completely protected, her heart began to twist back into it's fortified walls where I still wonder if the words God spoke through me will one day breach.
Despite the fact that Veronica left that day the way she did I felt incredible. Several other people, including Silas, came up to me afterwards to express their words of appreciation for what I said. I recommended books for them to read as well as parts of Scripture they should really study for themselves so as to be better protected from the raging, ranting christians they had encountered before.
I have never preached the Gospel like this before. I have never evangelized before. This was what Jesus did and called us to do. I don't say that pridefully, I say it humbly as a servant of God who has never had the balls to do it before. Now as I look back on the world of APU I am ashamed that we rarely seek out opportunities to do this type of ministry. We live and talk solely amongst those who live in our Christian bubble and then have the audacity to say "oh evangelism just isn't my gift". We hide behind the idea of a "silent sermon" where hopefully people are lead to Christ by the subtle, self-righteous manner in which we think we live our lives. Well I discovered that it takes words. No silent sermon will do. We have to talk! Jesus was perfect, Paul was amazing, and they all talked A LOT! But most importantly, those who really know the truth of Scripture, the Gospel of love, must do the talking.
Atheists, Agnostics, young, and old all have a question burning deep inside them about this Jesus fellow. They know there is something more to this life and are so curious about those who say they know Him. Hollywood may act like they think anyone who believes in God is a raving lunatic or right-wing, redneck nut job but they are more curious than anyone else. They have put up their walls but they know logic and reason when they hear it and they are astounded by a passionate faith inspired by truth.
That's what I have. They are my focus. I believe you can reach the entire world from this one location, so this is where I'll be. I hope Christians will stop running away from this place and instead embrace it as Jesus would. I hope you'll pray for me as I embark on this journey that has no longer become a shot in the dark but a deliberate light in the darkness.
Wednesday, September 7, 2011
Shattered Jars of Clay
Predestination is something I've chosen to write about continually over the past few years now as the questions that surround this topic return to gnaw at my brain every time I discover another passage in Scripture that alludes to God's omnipotent nature. 2 Peter 2 has several verses that contain key language in deciphering how God controls the destiny of man.
2 Peter 2:3 he is writing about the condemnation of those false teachers who preach the prosperity gospel in order to cheat naive believers out of their money. He says "In their greed they will make up clever lies to get hold of your money. But God condemned them long ago, and their destruction will not be delayed." I focused in on the LONG AGO part if you didn't notice my clever use of italics. All sarcasm aside, think about the weight of that statement. It sounds like, to me, that long ago, in a galaxy far far away, God predestined (notice the clever italics again) certain people to be evil, deceitful, false prophets who would upon death suffer the wrath of hell.
2 Peter 2:12 continues to talk about the destiny of false teachers. It is written "These false teachers are like unthinking animals, creatures of instinct, born to be caught and destroyed." This verse says it even more clearly than the first. They were BORN for the sole purpose of being DESTROYED. That seems a little unlike that God of The Shack that I fell in love with recently. I thought we were all predestined for a loving relationship with the creator God? Or maybe I've just been hoping that's the way it is.
I always seem to come back to Romans 9:14-24 which says,
14 Are we saying, then, that God was unfair? Of course not! 15 For God said to Moses,
“I will show mercy to anyone I choose,
and I will show compassion to anyone I choose.”[i]
16 So it is God who decides to show mercy. We can neither choose it nor work for it.
17 For the Scriptures say that God told Pharaoh, “I have appointed you for the very purpose of displaying my power in you and to spread my fame throughout the earth.”[j] 18 So you see, God chooses to show mercy to some, and he chooses to harden the hearts of others so they refuse to listen.
19 Well then, you might say, “Why does God blame people for not responding? Haven't they simply done what he makes them do?”
20 No, don't say that. Who are you, a mere human being, to argue with God? Should the thing that was created say to the one who created it, “Why have you made me like this?” 21 When a potter makes jars out of clay, doesn't he have a right to use the same lump of clay to make one jar for decoration and another to throw garbage into? 22 In the same way, even though God has the right to show his anger and his power, he is very patient with those on whom his anger falls, who are destined for destruction. 23 He does this to make the riches of his glory shine even brighter on those to whom he shows mercy, who were prepared in advance for glory. 24 And we are among those whom he selected, both from the Jews and from the Gentiles.
The reason I focus so heavily on this topic is because I can't understand how I would present these beliefs to a secular audience... "Oh hey there, you wanna know about my God? Well for starters He creates some people, possibly one of your very own loved ones, for the sole purpose of being sent to Hell so that I may see their demise and go to Heaven. He's a little rough around the edges, I know, but once you get to know Him you'll become one of His 'chosen ones' too, and then the benefits are grrrreat!"
It's all hard to sort out and I think I know what I believe but I don't want to. There has to be some explanation that reasons out how God is entirely loving therefore everything He does is out of Love. Ya know? This is all just my continued, predestined shot in the dark.
To be continued....
2 Peter 2:3 he is writing about the condemnation of those false teachers who preach the prosperity gospel in order to cheat naive believers out of their money. He says "In their greed they will make up clever lies to get hold of your money. But God condemned them long ago, and their destruction will not be delayed." I focused in on the LONG AGO part if you didn't notice my clever use of italics. All sarcasm aside, think about the weight of that statement. It sounds like, to me, that long ago, in a galaxy far far away, God predestined (notice the clever italics again) certain people to be evil, deceitful, false prophets who would upon death suffer the wrath of hell.
2 Peter 2:12 continues to talk about the destiny of false teachers. It is written "These false teachers are like unthinking animals, creatures of instinct, born to be caught and destroyed." This verse says it even more clearly than the first. They were BORN for the sole purpose of being DESTROYED. That seems a little unlike that God of The Shack that I fell in love with recently. I thought we were all predestined for a loving relationship with the creator God? Or maybe I've just been hoping that's the way it is.
I always seem to come back to Romans 9:14-24 which says,
14 Are we saying, then, that God was unfair? Of course not! 15 For God said to Moses,
“I will show mercy to anyone I choose,
and I will show compassion to anyone I choose.”[i]
16 So it is God who decides to show mercy. We can neither choose it nor work for it.
17 For the Scriptures say that God told Pharaoh, “I have appointed you for the very purpose of displaying my power in you and to spread my fame throughout the earth.”[j] 18 So you see, God chooses to show mercy to some, and he chooses to harden the hearts of others so they refuse to listen.
19 Well then, you might say, “Why does God blame people for not responding? Haven't they simply done what he makes them do?”
20 No, don't say that. Who are you, a mere human being, to argue with God? Should the thing that was created say to the one who created it, “Why have you made me like this?” 21 When a potter makes jars out of clay, doesn't he have a right to use the same lump of clay to make one jar for decoration and another to throw garbage into? 22 In the same way, even though God has the right to show his anger and his power, he is very patient with those on whom his anger falls, who are destined for destruction. 23 He does this to make the riches of his glory shine even brighter on those to whom he shows mercy, who were prepared in advance for glory. 24 And we are among those whom he selected, both from the Jews and from the Gentiles.
The reason I focus so heavily on this topic is because I can't understand how I would present these beliefs to a secular audience... "Oh hey there, you wanna know about my God? Well for starters He creates some people, possibly one of your very own loved ones, for the sole purpose of being sent to Hell so that I may see their demise and go to Heaven. He's a little rough around the edges, I know, but once you get to know Him you'll become one of His 'chosen ones' too, and then the benefits are grrrreat!"
It's all hard to sort out and I think I know what I believe but I don't want to. There has to be some explanation that reasons out how God is entirely loving therefore everything He does is out of Love. Ya know? This is all just my continued, predestined shot in the dark.
To be continued....
Monday, September 5, 2011
Enemy At The Gates
James is has become my default book of the Bible that I tend to peruse whenever I feel the need to be reminded of some essential Biblical wisdom. There is just so much packed into those 5 glorious chapters written by Jesus' brotha himself.
I have always been an outspoken person. Controlling my tongue has been, and will be, a life-long effort. If you've known me for more than a day, or ever read any of the other posts on this blog, this will come as a very obvious statement. That's why James 3:1-12 has always stood out to me. Verse 3 in particular says "If we could control our tongues, we would be perfect and could also control ourselves in every way." I never equated control of the tongue with control of the heart, mind and soul as James seems to say here, but honestly it makes sense. Controlling the tongue demonstrates a deeper control that comes from something divine within us, and it takes something divine to control such a dangerous weapon as our tongues.
Now, that may sound drastic to call your tongue a dangerous weapon, or "The Enemy at the Gates" as I like to call it, but James paints a similar picture in chapter 3. In verses 5-6 James compares the tongue to a tiny spark that starts a great forest fire. He goes on to say that the tongue is "A whole world of wickedness, corrupting your entire body. It can set your whole life on fire, for it is set on fire by hell itself." Clearly James understood that the tongue is Satan's muscle of choice for he knows that we humans are helpless to control it. Verses 7 and 8 say "People can tame all kinds of animals, birds, reptiles and fish, but no one can tame the tongue. It is restless and evil, full of deadly poison." These verses demonstrate the lop sided war we wage against our tongues, for we can only hope to contain it while it can control our entire being.
Going backwards a bit, verses 3-5 say "We can make a large horse go wherever we want by means of a small bit in its mouth. And a small rudder makes a huge ship turn wherever the pilot chooses to go, even though the winds are strong. In the same way, the tongue is a small thing that makes grand speeches." Isn't that passage humbling in a profound way? We create amazing technology, travel incredible distances and yet we can be controlled by such a simple part of our own anatomy. I know I know, most women would say that men are controlled by another part of their anatomy, but if you think about it the tongue really is to blame for even the sexual indiscretion in our lives.
What do men use to lie to women, brag about sexual conquests, and provoke others to do the same? It is the tongue. What is every political leaders greatest tool in swaying the masses to commit the most horrendous atrocities? Again, it is the tongue. How do we tear down the love we struggled to build up with those we are closest to? Sadly, we utilize the tongue.
I was once told that "One seldom regrets unspoken words." I think that goes for those of us who tend to talk more when we are angry, which may be most people. James 1:19 is famous for saying "You must all be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to get angry." I like to jump straight from that to James 1:26, which says "If you claim to be religious but don't control your tongue, you are fooling yourself, and your religion is worthless."
BOOM, roasted. How huge of a statement is that?! James is the freakin' man. He's basically saying that all those beliefs you invest your life in, all that you worship, is complete GARBAGE if you don't check what you say and watch how you treat people. There are so many "christians" who snap at people and are complete ______s to one another because of the slightest disagreements. We have to be able to control our words and patiently interact with the people in this world who firmly stand against what we believe or we will never make any progress in advancing the Kingdom of God. I can't imagine what our secular societies would think about Christians if we adhered to what we read here in James.
I could write all day about the wisdom we find in the book of James, but I'll stop here. I hope you find this all to be as enlightening as I do. If not, it was all just my shot in the dark anyway.
I have always been an outspoken person. Controlling my tongue has been, and will be, a life-long effort. If you've known me for more than a day, or ever read any of the other posts on this blog, this will come as a very obvious statement. That's why James 3:1-12 has always stood out to me. Verse 3 in particular says "If we could control our tongues, we would be perfect and could also control ourselves in every way." I never equated control of the tongue with control of the heart, mind and soul as James seems to say here, but honestly it makes sense. Controlling the tongue demonstrates a deeper control that comes from something divine within us, and it takes something divine to control such a dangerous weapon as our tongues.
Now, that may sound drastic to call your tongue a dangerous weapon, or "The Enemy at the Gates" as I like to call it, but James paints a similar picture in chapter 3. In verses 5-6 James compares the tongue to a tiny spark that starts a great forest fire. He goes on to say that the tongue is "A whole world of wickedness, corrupting your entire body. It can set your whole life on fire, for it is set on fire by hell itself." Clearly James understood that the tongue is Satan's muscle of choice for he knows that we humans are helpless to control it. Verses 7 and 8 say "People can tame all kinds of animals, birds, reptiles and fish, but no one can tame the tongue. It is restless and evil, full of deadly poison." These verses demonstrate the lop sided war we wage against our tongues, for we can only hope to contain it while it can control our entire being.
Going backwards a bit, verses 3-5 say "We can make a large horse go wherever we want by means of a small bit in its mouth. And a small rudder makes a huge ship turn wherever the pilot chooses to go, even though the winds are strong. In the same way, the tongue is a small thing that makes grand speeches." Isn't that passage humbling in a profound way? We create amazing technology, travel incredible distances and yet we can be controlled by such a simple part of our own anatomy. I know I know, most women would say that men are controlled by another part of their anatomy, but if you think about it the tongue really is to blame for even the sexual indiscretion in our lives.
What do men use to lie to women, brag about sexual conquests, and provoke others to do the same? It is the tongue. What is every political leaders greatest tool in swaying the masses to commit the most horrendous atrocities? Again, it is the tongue. How do we tear down the love we struggled to build up with those we are closest to? Sadly, we utilize the tongue.
I was once told that "One seldom regrets unspoken words." I think that goes for those of us who tend to talk more when we are angry, which may be most people. James 1:19 is famous for saying "You must all be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to get angry." I like to jump straight from that to James 1:26, which says "If you claim to be religious but don't control your tongue, you are fooling yourself, and your religion is worthless."
BOOM, roasted. How huge of a statement is that?! James is the freakin' man. He's basically saying that all those beliefs you invest your life in, all that you worship, is complete GARBAGE if you don't check what you say and watch how you treat people. There are so many "christians" who snap at people and are complete ______s to one another because of the slightest disagreements. We have to be able to control our words and patiently interact with the people in this world who firmly stand against what we believe or we will never make any progress in advancing the Kingdom of God. I can't imagine what our secular societies would think about Christians if we adhered to what we read here in James.
I could write all day about the wisdom we find in the book of James, but I'll stop here. I hope you find this all to be as enlightening as I do. If not, it was all just my shot in the dark anyway.
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