This question first entered my mind last week when, in a meeting, someone compared being wishy-washy at work to what Jesus says in Revelation about the church at Laodicea: "So, because you are lukewarm—neither hot nor cold—I am about to spit you out of my mouth." -Revelation 3:16. Now, this is an important verse, and is instructinoal to followers of Christ. But, it may not be useful to bring up in a room full of people who don't know Christ.
Then, last night during my devotional time, I read this:
"I, Simon Peter, am a servant and apostle of Jesus Christ. I write this to you whose experience with God is as life-changing as ours, all due to our God's straight dealing and the intervention of our God and Savior, Jesus Christ." -2 Peter 1:1 (The Message)
This got me thinking- Peter wrote this letter to believers. Should we encourage non-believers to read it? If they do, will they get it? Should non-believers read Leviticus before they understand how it relates to the grace offered through the life and death of Jesus Christ? Would it be helpful or hurtful?
Don't get me wrong- I know "All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness." But is all scripture useful to all people at all points on their faith journey? As Christ followers/ teachers/ shepherds, is part of our responsibility to point people to the right parts of scripture for their level of understanding and belief?
Just something I've struggled with lately. Feel free to weigh in.
Thursday, December 4, 2008
Wednesday, December 3, 2008
I don't get grace
Grace is God's ultimate gift to us. It is unmerited favor from God given to people who don't deserve it. It is often described in Christianese with the backronym "God's Riches At Christ's Expense." It is by His grace, we are saved. So I get that part.
So here's what I don't get... why me and not someone else? Certainly there are people who have done more good and/or less bad that don't know His grace. Why did I win the "eternity lottery" and others won't? Most of all, why did God (in all His righteousness) decide to save even one of us (in all our wretchedness)? Ephesians 4:7 says, "But to each one of us grace was given according to the measure of Christ’s gift."
The measure of Christ's gift... think about that. Christ's gift was God Himself, creator of all things, leaving heaven and coming to earth, living life as a human (and showing us how it's done, in the process) then submitting to the authority of this world and dying a horrible, painful, wicked death- being tortured and teased and left hanging on a tree. That is the measure of Christ's gift, and the bible says that each of us received grace according to the measure of that gift. I don't get it.
As a teacher in the church, I seem to think often that my greatest goal should be life change for the people in our church. But it's not. See, for me to change someone's life, I need to teach that grace is not enough. You need to have grace and give your tithe. You need grace and to serve. You need grace plus a good life. But, grace plus anything denigrates the measure of Christ's gift. Christ's body was broken for you. His blood was spilled for you. As he hung on the cross, your picture went through His mind. That plus nothing is enough for anyone.
So here's what I don't get... why me and not someone else? Certainly there are people who have done more good and/or less bad that don't know His grace. Why did I win the "eternity lottery" and others won't? Most of all, why did God (in all His righteousness) decide to save even one of us (in all our wretchedness)? Ephesians 4:7 says, "But to each one of us grace was given according to the measure of Christ’s gift."
The measure of Christ's gift... think about that. Christ's gift was God Himself, creator of all things, leaving heaven and coming to earth, living life as a human (and showing us how it's done, in the process) then submitting to the authority of this world and dying a horrible, painful, wicked death- being tortured and teased and left hanging on a tree. That is the measure of Christ's gift, and the bible says that each of us received grace according to the measure of that gift. I don't get it.
As a teacher in the church, I seem to think often that my greatest goal should be life change for the people in our church. But it's not. See, for me to change someone's life, I need to teach that grace is not enough. You need to have grace and give your tithe. You need grace and to serve. You need grace plus a good life. But, grace plus anything denigrates the measure of Christ's gift. Christ's body was broken for you. His blood was spilled for you. As he hung on the cross, your picture went through His mind. That plus nothing is enough for anyone.
Wednesday, November 26, 2008
A true reason for Thanksgiving
On this, the eve of Thanksgiving, we have a lot to be thankful for. That's a cliche, I know. It's also grammatically incorrect.
We also have some things that make us long for days of old, when this (still great) country held fast to the principals on which it was founded - a spirit of independence, a staunch belief in personal responsibility, and a deep, abiding faith in God. As a reminder of those times, take a look at President Abraham Lincoln's original proclamation of the Thanksgiving holiday.
The year that is drawing toward its close has been filled with the blessings of fruitful fields and healthful skies. To these bounties, which are so constantly enjoyed that we are prone to forget the source from which they come, others have been added which are of so extraordinary a nature that they can not fail to penetrate and soften even the heart which is habitually insensible to the ever-watchful providence of Almighty God.
In the midst of a civil war of unequaled magnitude and severity, which has sometimes seemed to foreign states to invite and to provoke their aggression, peace has been preserved with all nations, order has been maintained, the laws have been respected and obeyed, and harmony has prevailed everywhere, except in the theater of military conflict, while that theater has been greatly contracted by the advancing armies and navies of the Union.
Needful diversions of wealth and of strength from the fields of peaceful industry to the national defense have not arrested the plow, the shuttle, or the ship; the ax has enlarged the borders of our settlements, and the mines, as well as the iron and coal as of our precious metals, have yielded even more abundantly than heretofore. Population has steadily increased notwithstanding the waste that has been made in the camp, the siege, and the battlefield, and the country, rejoicing in the consciousness of augmented strength and vigor, is permitted to expect continuance of years with large increase of freedom.
No human counsel hath devised nor hath any mortal hand worked out these great things. They are the gracious gifts of the Most High God, who, while dealing with us in anger for our sins, hath nevertheless remembered mercy.
It has seemed to me fit and proper that they should be solemnly, reverently, and gratefully acknowledged, as with one heart and one voice, by the whole American people. I do therefore invite my fellow-citizens in every part of the United States, and also those who are in foreign lands, to set apart and observe the last Thursday of November next as a day of thanksgiving and praise to our beneficent Father who dwelleth in the heavens. And I recommend to them that while offering up the ascriptions justly due to Him for such singular deliverances and blessings they do also, with humble penitence for our national perverseness and disobedience, commend to His tender care all those who have become widows, orphans, mourners, or sufferers in the lamentable civil strife in which we are unavoidably engaged, and fervently implore the imposition of the Almighty hand to heal the wounds of the nation and to restore it, as soon as may be consistent with the divine purpose, to the full enjoyment of peace, harmony, tranquillity, and union.
In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand and caused the seal of the United States to be affixed.
Done at the city of Washington, this 3d day of October, A.D. 1863, and of the Independence of the United States the eighty-eighth.
Abraham Lincoln
By the President:
William H. Seward,
Secretary of State.
Happy Thanksgiving. May God bless you and keep you.
We also have some things that make us long for days of old, when this (still great) country held fast to the principals on which it was founded - a spirit of independence, a staunch belief in personal responsibility, and a deep, abiding faith in God. As a reminder of those times, take a look at President Abraham Lincoln's original proclamation of the Thanksgiving holiday.
The year that is drawing toward its close has been filled with the blessings of fruitful fields and healthful skies. To these bounties, which are so constantly enjoyed that we are prone to forget the source from which they come, others have been added which are of so extraordinary a nature that they can not fail to penetrate and soften even the heart which is habitually insensible to the ever-watchful providence of Almighty God.
In the midst of a civil war of unequaled magnitude and severity, which has sometimes seemed to foreign states to invite and to provoke their aggression, peace has been preserved with all nations, order has been maintained, the laws have been respected and obeyed, and harmony has prevailed everywhere, except in the theater of military conflict, while that theater has been greatly contracted by the advancing armies and navies of the Union.
Needful diversions of wealth and of strength from the fields of peaceful industry to the national defense have not arrested the plow, the shuttle, or the ship; the ax has enlarged the borders of our settlements, and the mines, as well as the iron and coal as of our precious metals, have yielded even more abundantly than heretofore. Population has steadily increased notwithstanding the waste that has been made in the camp, the siege, and the battlefield, and the country, rejoicing in the consciousness of augmented strength and vigor, is permitted to expect continuance of years with large increase of freedom.
No human counsel hath devised nor hath any mortal hand worked out these great things. They are the gracious gifts of the Most High God, who, while dealing with us in anger for our sins, hath nevertheless remembered mercy.
It has seemed to me fit and proper that they should be solemnly, reverently, and gratefully acknowledged, as with one heart and one voice, by the whole American people. I do therefore invite my fellow-citizens in every part of the United States, and also those who are in foreign lands, to set apart and observe the last Thursday of November next as a day of thanksgiving and praise to our beneficent Father who dwelleth in the heavens. And I recommend to them that while offering up the ascriptions justly due to Him for such singular deliverances and blessings they do also, with humble penitence for our national perverseness and disobedience, commend to His tender care all those who have become widows, orphans, mourners, or sufferers in the lamentable civil strife in which we are unavoidably engaged, and fervently implore the imposition of the Almighty hand to heal the wounds of the nation and to restore it, as soon as may be consistent with the divine purpose, to the full enjoyment of peace, harmony, tranquillity, and union.
In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand and caused the seal of the United States to be affixed.
Done at the city of Washington, this 3d day of October, A.D. 1863, and of the Independence of the United States the eighty-eighth.
Abraham Lincoln
By the President:
William H. Seward,
Secretary of State.
Happy Thanksgiving. May God bless you and keep you.
Monday, November 24, 2008
The future president's church life
I was a little disturbed today when I read that Barak Obama, who was pretty upfront about his relationship with God during the campaign, announced that he hasn't attended church since the election. Instead, the Wunderkind is working on his figure at the gym Sunday mornings. It makes cynical little me wonder... was it all for show? Surely one wouldn't attend church every Sunday for months on end, in front of the TV cameras, just for the purposes of campainging, would one?
Mr. Obama claims he doesn't want to cause a distraction or disturbance at a church that wasn't prepared for him. And that's a good point. After all, the purpose of a church service is to worship The One True God, and anything that forces a distraction from that would not be good. I respect his decision to keep other worshippers in mind as he struggles with this question.
On the other hand, you can't believe his presence in churches didn't cause distractions during the campaign. And, he's not been afraid to attract a crowd at Sunday services before, see here and here. And it just seems pretty convenient to come up with an excuse to stop doing something that isn't really who you are.
Mr. Obama clearly thinks faith has an important place in politics... he said so himself. And Christian author/blogger Donald Miller claimed that his biggest reason for supporting Mr. Obama for president was his relationship with God.
Now, I don't pretend to know the real reason for Mr. Obama's about face. 2 Chronicles 6:30 says only God knows a man's heart. Therefore, I want to believe that Mr. Obama's reasoning is the whole truth. But, I hope the future president keeps this in mind... God is there in good times and in bad. I know people whose lives have gotten so bad, they try to shut God out thinking he's not going to help anyway. But, if we're not careful, we can shut Him out when life is good, too, thinking that we've got it all under control. I hope that doesn't happen to the future leader of the free world.
When president Obama is leading this country, I desperately desire for the lines of communication with his maker to be wide open. To that end, I beg him to find a church home for his family and fast.
So, what do you think? Do you agree with the president-elect's reasoning? What would you do?
Mr. Obama claims he doesn't want to cause a distraction or disturbance at a church that wasn't prepared for him. And that's a good point. After all, the purpose of a church service is to worship The One True God, and anything that forces a distraction from that would not be good. I respect his decision to keep other worshippers in mind as he struggles with this question.
On the other hand, you can't believe his presence in churches didn't cause distractions during the campaign. And, he's not been afraid to attract a crowd at Sunday services before, see here and here. And it just seems pretty convenient to come up with an excuse to stop doing something that isn't really who you are.
Mr. Obama clearly thinks faith has an important place in politics... he said so himself. And Christian author/blogger Donald Miller claimed that his biggest reason for supporting Mr. Obama for president was his relationship with God.
Now, I don't pretend to know the real reason for Mr. Obama's about face. 2 Chronicles 6:30 says only God knows a man's heart. Therefore, I want to believe that Mr. Obama's reasoning is the whole truth. But, I hope the future president keeps this in mind... God is there in good times and in bad. I know people whose lives have gotten so bad, they try to shut God out thinking he's not going to help anyway. But, if we're not careful, we can shut Him out when life is good, too, thinking that we've got it all under control. I hope that doesn't happen to the future leader of the free world.
When president Obama is leading this country, I desperately desire for the lines of communication with his maker to be wide open. To that end, I beg him to find a church home for his family and fast.
So, what do you think? Do you agree with the president-elect's reasoning? What would you do?
Friday, November 21, 2008
The fine art of self-denial
"Even now," declares the LORD,
"return to me with all your heart,
with fasting and weeping and mourning."
Rend your heart
and not your garments.
Return to the LORD your God,
for he is gracious and compassionate,
slow to anger and abounding in love,
and he relents from sending calamity.- Joel 2:12-13
Why don't we fast more? I mean, I talk/write/complain a lot about how I want to be more like Him and less like me. So, why am I not willing to set my needs aside and focus on the needs of others? Why is it that I'm so obsessed with feeding my appetite, that nothing gets in the way? Not prayer, not tragedy, not sorrow... nothing.
Fasting yesterday, I learned again that (1) It's surprisingly easy, and (2) It really does change my focus from my desires to His desires. Since I've told you all I was fasting, I know my reward for it won't be in heaven. But, it was important enough for me to put this thought out to challenge you to try it, and to hold myself accountable.
Next time you're struggling... really struggling and seeking God's will, try denying yourself for a while. He'll show up.
"return to me with all your heart,
with fasting and weeping and mourning."
Rend your heart
and not your garments.
Return to the LORD your God,
for he is gracious and compassionate,
slow to anger and abounding in love,
and he relents from sending calamity.- Joel 2:12-13
Why don't we fast more? I mean, I talk/write/complain a lot about how I want to be more like Him and less like me. So, why am I not willing to set my needs aside and focus on the needs of others? Why is it that I'm so obsessed with feeding my appetite, that nothing gets in the way? Not prayer, not tragedy, not sorrow... nothing.
Fasting yesterday, I learned again that (1) It's surprisingly easy, and (2) It really does change my focus from my desires to His desires. Since I've told you all I was fasting, I know my reward for it won't be in heaven. But, it was important enough for me to put this thought out to challenge you to try it, and to hold myself accountable.
Next time you're struggling... really struggling and seeking God's will, try denying yourself for a while. He'll show up.
Thursday, November 20, 2008
A sheer gift?
Today is going to be hard. Maybe one of my hardest days as an adult. So, here is the verse I cling to today:
"Consider it a sheer gift, friends, when tests and challenges come at you from all sides. You know that under pressure, your faith-life is forced into the open and shows its true colors. So don't try to get out of anything prematurely. Let it do its work so you become mature and well-developed, not deficient in any way." -James 1:2-4 (The Message)
I don't always face challenges well, let alone consider them a gift. I usually consider them a curse. My prayer for today is that I will truly see tests and challenges as a gift from God, designed to grow my faith and stretch me in a way that I would never stretch myself.
If you're so inclined, please pray with me.
"Consider it a sheer gift, friends, when tests and challenges come at you from all sides. You know that under pressure, your faith-life is forced into the open and shows its true colors. So don't try to get out of anything prematurely. Let it do its work so you become mature and well-developed, not deficient in any way." -James 1:2-4 (The Message)
I don't always face challenges well, let alone consider them a gift. I usually consider them a curse. My prayer for today is that I will truly see tests and challenges as a gift from God, designed to grow my faith and stretch me in a way that I would never stretch myself.
If you're so inclined, please pray with me.
Wednesday, November 19, 2008
Runners in the news
Why is it that whenever runners are in the news, it's that they (a) found a dead body, (b) got run over by a car, or (c) were attacked by some wild animal? Obviously as runners, we don't always consider all the dangers inherent in our sport.
Take, for instance, the story of this woman, who was attacked by a rabid fox while running and ran a mile with the fox clamped on her arm. When she reached the trailhead, she wrapped up the fox, threw him in her trunk, and drove to the hospital.
On the flip side, it did land her the feature spot on Letterman...
Take, for instance, the story of this woman, who was attacked by a rabid fox while running and ran a mile with the fox clamped on her arm. When she reached the trailhead, she wrapped up the fox, threw him in her trunk, and drove to the hospital.
On the flip side, it did land her the feature spot on Letterman...
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