The darkness is complete. Silent. Suffocating. In the stillness you can detect no sound. Not a whisper of air is moving. It feels like a tomb and would be except you can hear your own heartbeat thumping in time. It will be a tomb soon enough if you can't figure a way out but who could when you can't see your hand in front of your face!
You feel around but there is only emptiness. There are no walls, no furniture, nothing. It feels like you could go on forever running full out and never trip over anything yet continually afraid that you might. It's the worst kind of prison.
The darkness is complete. And in your desperation when all hope is lost you cry out. You can't even tell if you said anything, just gave relief to your pent up anger, frustration, and fear. An animal cry that doesn't even echo so vast is the emptiness. When the last breath escapes and you gasp to recover your air the silence returns. But an instant of hope occurs as you think maybe, just maybe, someone could hear you.
In that instant hope arose, that moment before all is lost and you tumble into forever black, a crack appears and light stabs the dark! At first it's blinding, this tiny ray of light. But you blink away the aching of your eyes as you desperately cling to the hope welling inside you. There stands a doorway. Light illuminating the edges. It's open just a crack.
You want to cry out but something inside you holds back. Strange thoughts betray the hope inside and you begin to doubt that anything good lay beyond that door. You realize that you have become used to the darkness and it's anonymity. The hope begins to fade and the door begins to close. At once your on your feet sprinting for all your worth to catch it before it closes. But you seem to never get closer nor does it seem to be outpacing you. And the door closes. Hope dies.
Tears flow freely at this point. You weep as would a child who wakes from a nightmare and finds an empty bedroom. But the thought occurs to you that there must have been someone who opened the door! You scream, "Please! Whoever you are don't leave me here! Please come back!" And you wait. That tiny flicker of hope returns. So does the door.
Knowing from previous experience that it's no good trying to go to the door you begin to plead with whoever is there. The words tumble from your heart as you express your regret and confess your shortcomings. And plead if they would only allow you to exit this hell that you would be content to be nothing more than a slave in the employ of this doorkeeper. Pride dies, and so does a life.
The door swings wide. Light, glorious and pure vacates the darkness. You stand exposed and naked before it. It is all around you and through you. There is nowhere it does not shine. And you find that you have been on your knees, begging.
The figure in the doorway embraces you like a son and lifts you to your feet. You feel strength return to your limbs and the agony of loneliness flees you. He says in a voice so pure and so filled with love that your heart breaks from the sound, "Come. Enter into the joy of your master."
A life is born.
The watchman opens the gate for him, and the sheep listen to his voice. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. John 10:3
'Behold, I stand at the door and knock' Revelation 3:20
"Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you." Matthew 7:7
Friday, October 19, 2012
Wednesday, September 5, 2012
Radiation
For a brief period in our nation's history nuclear war was a very real possibility. All of us have a pretty good understanding of how devastating that could have been to the world in general, to the human race, and to our selves specifically. Hollywood has used the idea of nuclear fall-out for countless plots to describe the "end-of-the-world" results of unmitigated nuclear war.
And science can attest to how destructive radiation is to human tissues. They have even found that used in small doses it can kill cancer, however, the cure is almost as bad as the disease. We worry about over exposure to ultraviolet radiation, ground radiation, and x-rays because we know it can lead to cancers and all kinds of medical problems. Most of our solutions, like sun block, are covers to protect us but they are not 100% effective. But everyone would agree that the best prevention is avoidance. But what if you can't avoid it?
The thing about radiation is that it's so hard to detect until the damage has already been done. It is invisible, odorless, colorless. It's completely outside of our humanly senses yet we know it exists because we can observe the effects of it's presence. Namely, the sickness it causes from exposure.
Imagine for a moment that a friend or family member lives in an area that has been irradiated. What would you do if you found out? If I really cared about them I would immediately bring it to their attention. I would try to convince them to move as soon as possible and discuss with them the effects of prolonged exposure to radiation. But being radiation's nature, completely invisible, they could simply conclude that I was wrong and had no idea what I was talking about. There wouldn't be much I could do until the damage was done to convince them of the truth.
What if I told you that the place we all live, right now, is irradiated? There is no place on earth that is safe. How did this happen? Just as we, the human race, were getting started a cataclysmic nuclear bomb went off. To this day we are feeling the after-effects of the blast, centuries later. It was so powerful that it altered the physical world, it causes all kinds of illnesses today, and we are so irradiated that we pass it along to our children upon birth. Some would refute this claim simply on the basis that there is no physical evidence of this cataclysmic "event" but we know it exists because we can observe the effects even though the radiation is outside of our senses.
You should know that efforts are underway and have been for centuries to mitigate the damage of this "event". At the beginning the infected were cast out and left to deal with the after-effects as best they could. Our efforts to cover up our condition were laughably ineffectual but over time we developed sophisticated ways, or laws, of protecting ourselves. But, as mentioned earlier, the only 100% effective way is avoidance. However, since there is no safe place on earth we're kind of in a pickle.
But a plan had been formulated from the beginning to deal with the situation in a way that no one could have guessed. Since avoidance of the radiation was impossible, and all our efforts were ultimately futile, we needed a way of improving our ability to regenerate from the damage. This effort was centuries in the making but finally a breakthrough was made at enormous cost to the author of the "serum".
There was one born who had a complete immunity to the radiation and a serum was replicated from his blood that provides 100% ability to regenerate the damage of the radiation! This is good news, right! But the author sacrificed his life in order to provide us this cure. There are highly trained individuals among us who are standing by to administer this cure but use caution. As this is a highly valuable commodity there are "snake-oil salesmen" trying to peddle their false concoctions. You will know the real doctors because, when pressed for details, they are more than happy to provide you answers and the recipe. Remember, they required the cure as well so they're uniquely qualified to offer insight.
So even though the earth is saturated in radiation, a cure is available. However, many, because of the nature of radiation, will not accept the truth until the damage is already done. Some will even refute it to their dying day. Don't wait!
How can you get this amazingly effective cure? Just ask. But who?
By now you may have hit on what I've been alluding to but in case your still in the dark, allow me to illuminate you. When humanity was just getting started a huge bomb went off called "sin". It was so destructive that it forever altered our physical world from perfection to dysfunction. Hurricanes, earthquakes, tornadoes, volcanoes, etc. are all examples of this. Not only that but we were cast out of Eden and left to cover our shame and learn to live in this fallen world. We went a long time scratching out a living but all the while God was working a plan for a "cure". Over the centuries we learned how destructive sin is and we developed a complex set of rules to try not to sin. But it was so complex that no one could keep it and so our sin had to be covered by the blood of sacrifice. We suffered under this system until the time was right when Christ came and through His blood on the cross we were provided the "cure". This "serum" was replicated by faith in Christ and lives inside us regenerating our souls by His Spirit. As soon as we believe in Him we are "inoculated" but we require weekly "booster shots" or even better we can take a steady "dose" throughout the week. We read the Bible, our daily "dose", and this keeps the "radiation" from destroying us.
Some will refuse this explanation because they can't quantify it or it simply exists beyond their humanly senses. But we know there are realities that exist beyond what our senses can detect. With a trained eye we can spot the effects of sin "radiation" exposure and apply the only appropriate "cure", Jesus Christ.
Do not be deceived, the "radiation" is real and deadly. There is no safe place on earth. We can't avoid it or cover it. Only through Christ can we regenerate from it, and God willing, build an immunity to it through our daily "dose" of the Bible. But don't take my word for it. Do the research yourself. I recommend you start with Genesis and keep reading.
Sunday, December 12, 2010
For Richer or Poorer
I don't like to think of myself as a judgmental kind of person. But recently I have been convicted of the fact that I am very judgmental. Although God is doing His new reality series "Warren's Extreme Makeover" and changing me from the inside out, I still have these very judgmental thoughts. Not in the way you might think though.
I used to look at people who lived in mobile homes or similar dwellings as trashy people. Usually they had garbage strewn all over their property and their homes looked like they would collapse at any minute. I would think, "Why do people live like that? Why don't they take care of what they own even if it is a piece of junk?" Lately, as God has done His handiwork, my feelings have changed and I thought that I had left these kind of judgments behind me. I realize now that God doesn't look at the house or car we own, He doesn't look at how well we keep our yard, or how clean our lives are. He only cares about the condition of our heart.
This thought dawned on me one day, "What if the person living in that trailer has devoted everything they are and everything they have to serving God's purpose. So much so that they have nothing left over for themselves." Likely? Perhaps not but who am I to make that judgment just from seeing the exterior of how they live. I was looking through a human perspective and not God's perspective.
Jesus turned and said to Peter(Warren), "Get behind me, Satan! You are a stumbling block to me; you do not have in mind the things of God, but the things of men." Matt 16:23 NIV.
So what did I do? I went to the other end of the spectrum. I started to see the wealthy people around me as the ones who were really lost. And the Bible seemed to back this idea up when I read things like Mark 10:25 "It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God." Or Proverbs 28:6 "Better a poor man whose walk is blameless than a rich man whose ways are perverse."
We live in a affluent area where people I know at church are very wealthy. They have big houses, fancy cars, and expensive clothes. I started to think, "These people are wasting God's blessings on themselves. Do you really need a Porsche Cayenne to carry the kids!" I also pondered the question, "When God gives a man great wealth is it a blessing or a curse?"
Well, as usually happens God's been trying to teach me this lesson for a while but it took until now to fully understand it. In discussions with my neighbor and my mom, both said pretty much the same thing. My neighbor stated that he didn't know why so many people hated rich folks. "They're some of the most generous people we know!" he exclaimed at one point. All I was thinking was that, "Yes, they give...out of their excess. They have so much money that they lack for nothing even after they give to charities."
Then I read Deut. 30:1-10. Especially verse 9 that says God will prosper you. And I finally came to conclusion that I had been driving at for a while. Being rich is not a sin, but the love of money is. 1 Timothy 6:10 "For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs." God doesn't intend for His blessings to increase our burden, but it can if we let it.
Again, it goes back to where our hearts are at. If we love money more than God it's a sin and we will "pierced with many griefs", but God may bless us with wealth if he knows we can be trusted. Don't think that I'm preaching the Prosperity Gospel which uses the Bible to convince people they're all supposed to be rich. I'm not saying that at all. I am saying that when we look at rich people we can't see where their heart is at. Many of the very rich are great philanthropists and as long as they are placing God and His will for their money first, then they have every right to enjoy what's left over as a blessing from God.
The Bible is full of verses that vilify the rich. But they are speaking about those who have, in their hearts, placed their wealth above God. So now when I see the rich and the poor I try only to see their hearts for God and not what they wear or drive. Because "where your treasure is, there your heart will be also." Matt 6:21. My treasure is in my heart where the Spirit of God resides, where is yours?
I used to look at people who lived in mobile homes or similar dwellings as trashy people. Usually they had garbage strewn all over their property and their homes looked like they would collapse at any minute. I would think, "Why do people live like that? Why don't they take care of what they own even if it is a piece of junk?" Lately, as God has done His handiwork, my feelings have changed and I thought that I had left these kind of judgments behind me. I realize now that God doesn't look at the house or car we own, He doesn't look at how well we keep our yard, or how clean our lives are. He only cares about the condition of our heart.
This thought dawned on me one day, "What if the person living in that trailer has devoted everything they are and everything they have to serving God's purpose. So much so that they have nothing left over for themselves." Likely? Perhaps not but who am I to make that judgment just from seeing the exterior of how they live. I was looking through a human perspective and not God's perspective.
Jesus turned and said to Peter(Warren), "Get behind me, Satan! You are a stumbling block to me; you do not have in mind the things of God, but the things of men." Matt 16:23 NIV.
So what did I do? I went to the other end of the spectrum. I started to see the wealthy people around me as the ones who were really lost. And the Bible seemed to back this idea up when I read things like Mark 10:25 "It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God." Or Proverbs 28:6 "Better a poor man whose walk is blameless than a rich man whose ways are perverse."
We live in a affluent area where people I know at church are very wealthy. They have big houses, fancy cars, and expensive clothes. I started to think, "These people are wasting God's blessings on themselves. Do you really need a Porsche Cayenne to carry the kids!" I also pondered the question, "When God gives a man great wealth is it a blessing or a curse?"
Well, as usually happens God's been trying to teach me this lesson for a while but it took until now to fully understand it. In discussions with my neighbor and my mom, both said pretty much the same thing. My neighbor stated that he didn't know why so many people hated rich folks. "They're some of the most generous people we know!" he exclaimed at one point. All I was thinking was that, "Yes, they give...out of their excess. They have so much money that they lack for nothing even after they give to charities."
Then I read Deut. 30:1-10. Especially verse 9 that says God will prosper you. And I finally came to conclusion that I had been driving at for a while. Being rich is not a sin, but the love of money is. 1 Timothy 6:10 "For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs." God doesn't intend for His blessings to increase our burden, but it can if we let it.
Again, it goes back to where our hearts are at. If we love money more than God it's a sin and we will "pierced with many griefs", but God may bless us with wealth if he knows we can be trusted. Don't think that I'm preaching the Prosperity Gospel which uses the Bible to convince people they're all supposed to be rich. I'm not saying that at all. I am saying that when we look at rich people we can't see where their heart is at. Many of the very rich are great philanthropists and as long as they are placing God and His will for their money first, then they have every right to enjoy what's left over as a blessing from God.
The Bible is full of verses that vilify the rich. But they are speaking about those who have, in their hearts, placed their wealth above God. So now when I see the rich and the poor I try only to see their hearts for God and not what they wear or drive. Because "where your treasure is, there your heart will be also." Matt 6:21. My treasure is in my heart where the Spirit of God resides, where is yours?
Friday, December 3, 2010
Lost in Translation
One of the things I hear a lot and even believed at one time is, "The Bible is written by men and is therefore flawed." There are even "Christian" religions who state that the Bible has not been accurately translated and is erroneous. The latest I have encountered was the idea that Satan is corrupting the scriptures by influencing the translators into blatant mis-translation. Let me take on each of these challenges directly.
First, the idea that the Bible, being written by a flawed human hand, is flawed as well. This would be true if men were writing the Bible of their own intelligence and understanding. But God works through men, perfecting what is flawed so that His glory is fully shown and not attributed to anything else (2 Cor. 12:9). The evidence that this is so is in the fact that over 2000 years later the Bible is still as relevant today as it was when it was written. Think about that. Even the founding fathers of the U.S. had their "perfect" government significantly altered and it's only been a little over 200 years!
When someone says to me that the Bible has been mistranslated or corrupted I like to say, "Show me where." They have to have read the Bible including the original Greek and Aramaic texts to prove their point. Not many people have done that, and those that have are dedicating their life to the translation of the Bible. I would say they have a lot more vested interest in accuracy for their own's sake. Besides, to say that the Bible has been corrupted is to deny the power of God. Let me draw you a simple picture.
God created everything that we see and know. The universe, the planets and stars, the earth and everything in it. He did it with mathematical precision that we are only beginning to unlock. Yet he lacks the power to keep His one book completely accurate? The only (if you're a true Christian) book that tells us who God is, what He wants and values, and what gives our lives meaning? What kind of God gives us a book that He can't keep accurate and then sends us to hell because we didn't do what we're supposed to? Does that sound like justice to you? If the Bible is not true then we're just as lost and confused as the rest of the world.
As far as the Bible being accurately translated, Bible scholars have identified 3,157 texts that include all or part of the New Testament, some dating back to the second century. Out of this abundance of documentation 95% of all errors in translation have been misspellings or mis-punctuations or the like. What of the other 5%? Let me just say that no one Bible verse invalidates the entire Bible if it should happen to be mistranslated. There are many verses in the Bible that taken out of context can be used to support any course of action or inaction. The Bible is meant to be used as a whole. Only after studying the Bible as a whole does one come to a complete understanding of it. Seemingly contradictory statements are throughout the Bible but after studying the Bible as a whole, only then is the truth revealed and those statements are shown to be in harmony. We love to quote people, movies, books, etc. but only those who have read, watched, or listened to them understand what they truly stood for. Which brings me to my last point.
As I studied the debate over which Bible version is the most accurate, I ran across an argument that Satan is perverting the Bible in order to keep man separated from God. Other than defenses previously discussed I offer Mark 3: 25-26. When the Pharisees accuse Jesus of casting out demons by the power of Satan, Jesus replies, "If a house is divided against itself, that house cannot stand. And if Satan opposes himself and is divided he cannot stand; his end has come." The Bible is the word and truth of God. Satan cannot and will not promote the reading of the Bible. In order to know and prove that the Bible has been corrupted you must have read it. Satan will, however, use the argument that the Bible has been corrupted to keep people from reading it. The more we as Christians argue about which version of the Bible is the most accurate the more damage we do. Those outside of the faith see our infighting and say, "See! Even they can't agree on which Bible is true!" God will keep the meaning of His scriptures intact, but it's us that Satan is using to keep people from the Bible.
Let me be clear. Whatever leads people to God is a good thing! Whether or not you think it's the truth, if it points people to God, then it's a good thing! Deut. 4:29 assures us that when we seek God with all our heart we will find Him no matter what has prompted us to seek. Satan will not prompt us to seek God, he will attempt to keep us in the dark and separated.
Whatever version of the Bible you prefer, be it King James or other, the message is the same. There is a God. He loves you so much He sent His son as an atoning sacrifice so that we would be free from sin and death. He showed us who He is and what He values through His son Jesus Christ. Christ rose from the dead and remains risen so that we may have confidence that we also have life through Christ Jesus. "...and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell will not overcome it." Amen.
First, the idea that the Bible, being written by a flawed human hand, is flawed as well. This would be true if men were writing the Bible of their own intelligence and understanding. But God works through men, perfecting what is flawed so that His glory is fully shown and not attributed to anything else (2 Cor. 12:9). The evidence that this is so is in the fact that over 2000 years later the Bible is still as relevant today as it was when it was written. Think about that. Even the founding fathers of the U.S. had their "perfect" government significantly altered and it's only been a little over 200 years!
When someone says to me that the Bible has been mistranslated or corrupted I like to say, "Show me where." They have to have read the Bible including the original Greek and Aramaic texts to prove their point. Not many people have done that, and those that have are dedicating their life to the translation of the Bible. I would say they have a lot more vested interest in accuracy for their own's sake. Besides, to say that the Bible has been corrupted is to deny the power of God. Let me draw you a simple picture.
God created everything that we see and know. The universe, the planets and stars, the earth and everything in it. He did it with mathematical precision that we are only beginning to unlock. Yet he lacks the power to keep His one book completely accurate? The only (if you're a true Christian) book that tells us who God is, what He wants and values, and what gives our lives meaning? What kind of God gives us a book that He can't keep accurate and then sends us to hell because we didn't do what we're supposed to? Does that sound like justice to you? If the Bible is not true then we're just as lost and confused as the rest of the world.
As far as the Bible being accurately translated, Bible scholars have identified 3,157 texts that include all or part of the New Testament, some dating back to the second century. Out of this abundance of documentation 95% of all errors in translation have been misspellings or mis-punctuations or the like. What of the other 5%? Let me just say that no one Bible verse invalidates the entire Bible if it should happen to be mistranslated. There are many verses in the Bible that taken out of context can be used to support any course of action or inaction. The Bible is meant to be used as a whole. Only after studying the Bible as a whole does one come to a complete understanding of it. Seemingly contradictory statements are throughout the Bible but after studying the Bible as a whole, only then is the truth revealed and those statements are shown to be in harmony. We love to quote people, movies, books, etc. but only those who have read, watched, or listened to them understand what they truly stood for. Which brings me to my last point.
As I studied the debate over which Bible version is the most accurate, I ran across an argument that Satan is perverting the Bible in order to keep man separated from God. Other than defenses previously discussed I offer Mark 3: 25-26. When the Pharisees accuse Jesus of casting out demons by the power of Satan, Jesus replies, "If a house is divided against itself, that house cannot stand. And if Satan opposes himself and is divided he cannot stand; his end has come." The Bible is the word and truth of God. Satan cannot and will not promote the reading of the Bible. In order to know and prove that the Bible has been corrupted you must have read it. Satan will, however, use the argument that the Bible has been corrupted to keep people from reading it. The more we as Christians argue about which version of the Bible is the most accurate the more damage we do. Those outside of the faith see our infighting and say, "See! Even they can't agree on which Bible is true!" God will keep the meaning of His scriptures intact, but it's us that Satan is using to keep people from the Bible.
Let me be clear. Whatever leads people to God is a good thing! Whether or not you think it's the truth, if it points people to God, then it's a good thing! Deut. 4:29 assures us that when we seek God with all our heart we will find Him no matter what has prompted us to seek. Satan will not prompt us to seek God, he will attempt to keep us in the dark and separated.
Whatever version of the Bible you prefer, be it King James or other, the message is the same. There is a God. He loves you so much He sent His son as an atoning sacrifice so that we would be free from sin and death. He showed us who He is and what He values through His son Jesus Christ. Christ rose from the dead and remains risen so that we may have confidence that we also have life through Christ Jesus. "...and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell will not overcome it." Amen.
Monday, November 29, 2010
The Rebuilding Process
You stand amidst the wreckage of your house. It's flattened. Nothing is left standing, not one brick on another. You're unable to take it all in so you just stand there, for who knows how long, numb and confused by the destruction.
At the street curb a man in a suit and tie holding a clipboard shouts,"I can help you rebuild if you give me a moment of your time!" The first thing that goes through your mind is, "Doesn't take long for the buzzards to start circling! Not a moments rest for the weary!" You get so angry with the man that you grab a stick and chase him back to his car and he drives off.
The next day the man is back! "I can help you rebuild if you give me a moment of your time!"
"Boy, this guy is really desperate!" you think. Today you just ignore him and go about your business but he doesn't leave. In fact he watches all day occasionally repeating his cry. Over the next few days he haunts your property. Sometimes you chase him off, sometimes you let him stay. Finally, overwhelmed by the cleanup, you relent and step over to talk to the man.
"Your pretty tenacious," you say.
"Well, I really need this account and I know I can help you." he says so matter-of-factly that you believe him.
He copies down your info on his clip board and says, "I've got a few more accounts to see today and if you wouldn't mind riding with me we can talk on the way?" It would be nice to take a break from the ruins of your house so you agree. Along the way you two discuss what happened and how. It feels so good to talk to someone that it just spills out of your mouth before you even realize you're pouring out your life to a total stranger! But he's a good listener and what else do you have to lose, you think.
At the next appointment you see a woman sitting in the destruction that was once a mobile home. She's sobbing uncontrollably and you feel so bad that without thinking you navigate through the debris over to her. The smell of alcohol is strong on her and she is noticeably intoxicated. As you try to console her you hear the all too familiar voice say, " I can help you rebuild if you give me a moment of your time!"
In a flash the woman turns on you with a look of betrayal in her eyes and screams, " Get outa' here you filthy leaches. How dare you prey on those who are down and out!" She chases both of you back to the car and peel off.
"Well that was uncalled for!" you say thinking, " I was only trying to help." Then you remember you did the same thing to the guy sitting next to you a couple of days ago and you feel ashamed. "By the way," you state annoyingly," Aren't you supposed to be helping me!?"
"I've got a few more stops to make but we'll get you what you need," he says without a hint of bother from what just happened.
More stops, some to fallen houses, some to those still standing. Sometimes the man offers help rebuilding or other times offers insurance against catastrophe. Most people politely refuse but a few accept. And for those individuals you can almost see the weight lifted from their shoulders. The gratitude for offered help comes as such a relief that you finally see the appeal of this man's job. Most of the time it's hard, unrewarding, and often dangerous! work.
The man drops you off back at "home" that evening. "So, you think you can get me a check or something?" you ask.
"I'll be in touch," he replies cryptically. "How about I swing by tomorrow to see how your doing?"
"Great," you say rather rudely and head over to your heap to see about sleeping arrangements.
The next morning you wake up and the man is waiting for you at the curb. "Hungry? Want some breakfast?"
"Starving," you reply.
After breakfast you agree to accompany the man on more accounts, desperate to avoid your own cleanup. And so it goes over the following weeks that you two, sometimes joined by others, travel all over assisting in his work. You know you can't mooch off this guy forever so you start cleaning off your foundation a little bit each night. And it's about time you found a job too! You resolve to quit putting off what you know needs to be done.
The very next day your friend, you can honestly call him a friend by now, offers you a position at his company! "You've been riding with me for long enough that you know what to do," he says with a smile.
"But, I don't even know what you do other than take down their info on that clipboard!" you realize as you say it.
"Just refer them to me, that's all you have to do." he states simply. You've been on enough accounts to know that it sounds easy enough but often times it's not!
"What do you do for these people?" you ask curiously because so far you haven't gotten anything from this man. It dawns on you that it hasn't bothered you that he's done nothing to help you rebuild. Each day has kept you busy enough that you haven't even noticed you live in squalor. At least you got the foundation cleared off, you think, so you're no longer surrounded by worthless junk.
"Let me show you something," he says. He takes you back home and as you pull up you see that a brand new house stands complete upon your lot! Once again you stand completely at a loss for words.
"I always deliver on my promises. I'll see you tomorrow and we'll talk about company policy and procedures," the man says with a wink and drives off.
You're in total awe at what this man has done for you.
You appreciate the house, but the more you walk around in it you realize it doesn't matter that much. You just can't wait to get started tomorrow, and bring help to those who need it.
This is story of God's love and power. Amen.
At the street curb a man in a suit and tie holding a clipboard shouts,"I can help you rebuild if you give me a moment of your time!" The first thing that goes through your mind is, "Doesn't take long for the buzzards to start circling! Not a moments rest for the weary!" You get so angry with the man that you grab a stick and chase him back to his car and he drives off.
The next day the man is back! "I can help you rebuild if you give me a moment of your time!"
"Boy, this guy is really desperate!" you think. Today you just ignore him and go about your business but he doesn't leave. In fact he watches all day occasionally repeating his cry. Over the next few days he haunts your property. Sometimes you chase him off, sometimes you let him stay. Finally, overwhelmed by the cleanup, you relent and step over to talk to the man.
"Your pretty tenacious," you say.
"Well, I really need this account and I know I can help you." he says so matter-of-factly that you believe him.
He copies down your info on his clip board and says, "I've got a few more accounts to see today and if you wouldn't mind riding with me we can talk on the way?" It would be nice to take a break from the ruins of your house so you agree. Along the way you two discuss what happened and how. It feels so good to talk to someone that it just spills out of your mouth before you even realize you're pouring out your life to a total stranger! But he's a good listener and what else do you have to lose, you think.
At the next appointment you see a woman sitting in the destruction that was once a mobile home. She's sobbing uncontrollably and you feel so bad that without thinking you navigate through the debris over to her. The smell of alcohol is strong on her and she is noticeably intoxicated. As you try to console her you hear the all too familiar voice say, " I can help you rebuild if you give me a moment of your time!"
In a flash the woman turns on you with a look of betrayal in her eyes and screams, " Get outa' here you filthy leaches. How dare you prey on those who are down and out!" She chases both of you back to the car and peel off.
"Well that was uncalled for!" you say thinking, " I was only trying to help." Then you remember you did the same thing to the guy sitting next to you a couple of days ago and you feel ashamed. "By the way," you state annoyingly," Aren't you supposed to be helping me!?"
"I've got a few more stops to make but we'll get you what you need," he says without a hint of bother from what just happened.
More stops, some to fallen houses, some to those still standing. Sometimes the man offers help rebuilding or other times offers insurance against catastrophe. Most people politely refuse but a few accept. And for those individuals you can almost see the weight lifted from their shoulders. The gratitude for offered help comes as such a relief that you finally see the appeal of this man's job. Most of the time it's hard, unrewarding, and often dangerous! work.
The man drops you off back at "home" that evening. "So, you think you can get me a check or something?" you ask.
"I'll be in touch," he replies cryptically. "How about I swing by tomorrow to see how your doing?"
"Great," you say rather rudely and head over to your heap to see about sleeping arrangements.
The next morning you wake up and the man is waiting for you at the curb. "Hungry? Want some breakfast?"
"Starving," you reply.
After breakfast you agree to accompany the man on more accounts, desperate to avoid your own cleanup. And so it goes over the following weeks that you two, sometimes joined by others, travel all over assisting in his work. You know you can't mooch off this guy forever so you start cleaning off your foundation a little bit each night. And it's about time you found a job too! You resolve to quit putting off what you know needs to be done.
The very next day your friend, you can honestly call him a friend by now, offers you a position at his company! "You've been riding with me for long enough that you know what to do," he says with a smile.
"But, I don't even know what you do other than take down their info on that clipboard!" you realize as you say it.
"Just refer them to me, that's all you have to do." he states simply. You've been on enough accounts to know that it sounds easy enough but often times it's not!
"What do you do for these people?" you ask curiously because so far you haven't gotten anything from this man. It dawns on you that it hasn't bothered you that he's done nothing to help you rebuild. Each day has kept you busy enough that you haven't even noticed you live in squalor. At least you got the foundation cleared off, you think, so you're no longer surrounded by worthless junk.
"Let me show you something," he says. He takes you back home and as you pull up you see that a brand new house stands complete upon your lot! Once again you stand completely at a loss for words.
"I always deliver on my promises. I'll see you tomorrow and we'll talk about company policy and procedures," the man says with a wink and drives off.
You're in total awe at what this man has done for you.
You appreciate the house, but the more you walk around in it you realize it doesn't matter that much. You just can't wait to get started tomorrow, and bring help to those who need it.
This is story of God's love and power. Amen.
Tuesday, November 23, 2010
The Problem is Choice
As a popular movie quoted, "As you adequately put, the problem is choice." If you were to ask a person what the greatest gift God ever gave was what do you think the answer would be? Jesus, certainly. For non-Christians perhaps their faith's prophet(s). Others might say the earth, or life, or other equally important answers. I'm not going to say what the right answer is because it I don't have it. I will say that, in my opinion, God's greatest gift of love to us was Choice. Before any Christians crucify me on this, I will say that Jesus is the representation of Choice. Let me explain.
Science and Religion have been at odds for a long time. No big secret right? Atheist scientists are desperate to prove God doesn't exist and theists are scared they will succeed. Let me say right now that science will never disprove that God exists! Not only that but those of us who believe in God should be cheering them on. Why? Because if God exists his fingerprints will be all over everything. Anything a researcher will ever find will only further reveal God's incredible creation and even how he created it. Even today, through scientific discovery of the universe, cosmologists are finding more and more evidence that the universe had a definite starting point. Read it for yourself because there is a ton of reading material on the Big Bang. And that the universe is specifically designed for human life! Not my assertion, but science.
To theists let me be equally clear; There will never be absolute proof that God exists! Scientific data cannot easily be debated but the conclusions that we draw from it is highly debatable. There are a lot of theories for the existence of the universe without God. A lot of very smart people that don't see a supreme being. They choose not to see what we theists choose to see. So the problem is what we choose to believe.
If there was absolute proof that God exists and that Jesus was his son what do you think would happen to choice? If people knew that the Bible was true without a shadow of doubt then they would also know what would happen if they didn't follow God's rules. The only choice is to reluctantly follow his rules. What is God's rules? Love the Lord with all your heart, with all your mind, and with all your strength. And the second is like it, love your neighbor as you love yourself. For this sums up all the law and prophets. Can you love anyone including God when they're twisting your arm?
If there was absolute proof God didn't exist, then we would all know that we are the result of random, undirected forces. We would know that life has no purpose and the love I feel for my son is nothing but the instinctive desire to ensure my bloodlines survival. But why would I even care about that because after I'm dead it wouldn't matter to me. Atheists think that this truth would set us free. But to me it's a world I wouldn't want to be a part of. Hopeless.
Atheists and agnostics choose the opposite. They choose not to see. Whatever their motivations it blinds them to see the truth. For Paul on the Damascus road Christ showed him the truth. But it wasn't until after Paul chose to believe that the scales fell from his eyes. He was blind no longer.
When you meet a person who has chosen to walk away from God, please, please, respect that gift of God. But you can point them to the light of truth in hopes that God will work in their hearts and remove the "blinders". God's word says "small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it." Many will choose the wide gate, few will choose life. You won't save them all. But for those who have yet to choose, allow them the same right God gave to you; the right to choose. Show them the light of Christ in your life and let Him do the rest. For atheists and agnostics, please respect our decision to see more than cause-effect and chemical reaction. We choose to make Love real.
Science and Religion have been at odds for a long time. No big secret right? Atheist scientists are desperate to prove God doesn't exist and theists are scared they will succeed. Let me say right now that science will never disprove that God exists! Not only that but those of us who believe in God should be cheering them on. Why? Because if God exists his fingerprints will be all over everything. Anything a researcher will ever find will only further reveal God's incredible creation and even how he created it. Even today, through scientific discovery of the universe, cosmologists are finding more and more evidence that the universe had a definite starting point. Read it for yourself because there is a ton of reading material on the Big Bang. And that the universe is specifically designed for human life! Not my assertion, but science.
To theists let me be equally clear; There will never be absolute proof that God exists! Scientific data cannot easily be debated but the conclusions that we draw from it is highly debatable. There are a lot of theories for the existence of the universe without God. A lot of very smart people that don't see a supreme being. They choose not to see what we theists choose to see. So the problem is what we choose to believe.
If there was absolute proof that God exists and that Jesus was his son what do you think would happen to choice? If people knew that the Bible was true without a shadow of doubt then they would also know what would happen if they didn't follow God's rules. The only choice is to reluctantly follow his rules. What is God's rules? Love the Lord with all your heart, with all your mind, and with all your strength. And the second is like it, love your neighbor as you love yourself. For this sums up all the law and prophets. Can you love anyone including God when they're twisting your arm?
If there was absolute proof God didn't exist, then we would all know that we are the result of random, undirected forces. We would know that life has no purpose and the love I feel for my son is nothing but the instinctive desire to ensure my bloodlines survival. But why would I even care about that because after I'm dead it wouldn't matter to me. Atheists think that this truth would set us free. But to me it's a world I wouldn't want to be a part of. Hopeless.
God has no desire for reluctant worship and praise, or even basic rule following (Pharisees). He wants your heart, and all of it. That comes from choosing to believe in Him. No fancy quotes from famous people here to support my point. This is it. To fully worship and love God or even the people around you comes from the choice to do so. God will never take away this choice. In fact He has made His own choice. He chose us when He sent His son Jesus. God said, "I choose you; to know me, to hear me, to understand what I value and cherish in life. And I give my son's life so that you might have the chance to know me forever, but I'll not force you."
Atheists and agnostics choose the opposite. They choose not to see. Whatever their motivations it blinds them to see the truth. For Paul on the Damascus road Christ showed him the truth. But it wasn't until after Paul chose to believe that the scales fell from his eyes. He was blind no longer.
When you meet a person who has chosen to walk away from God, please, please, respect that gift of God. But you can point them to the light of truth in hopes that God will work in their hearts and remove the "blinders". God's word says "small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it." Many will choose the wide gate, few will choose life. You won't save them all. But for those who have yet to choose, allow them the same right God gave to you; the right to choose. Show them the light of Christ in your life and let Him do the rest. For atheists and agnostics, please respect our decision to see more than cause-effect and chemical reaction. We choose to make Love real.
Sunday, November 21, 2010
The Parable of the Grocery Store
This being my first post in this blog I wanted to share what the gospel and Christ means to me. And in the spirit of Him this parable, given to me while I was reading the bible, is a description of what finding Christ means to those of us who have experienced the truth. The Parable of the Grocery Store. No, seriously!
You have just moved into the area. Your new in town and a little unsure about your surroundings so you decide to go for a drive to see what's around. (I know, who moves into an area without checking out what's around but stick with me on this!) You see a grocery store so you decide to check it out and see if it's as good as the old one you had. From the outside the place looks fantastic with a large parking lot and wide spaces, immaculate building that looks new, and hundreds of cart returns! (the last one's my own personal dream) On the front of the store is a large banner that says, "Only grocery store in town!" You think if that's true it better be a good one.
The first thing that strikes you when you enter is the order and harmony. It's not something you can necessarily see but you know you feel it. The layout is perfect, the shelves are stocked with everything you could think of, and everything is clean and fresh. You leave the store thinking you've just experienced the only real grocery store. Certainly what you used to call a grocery store doesn't even compare!
Excitedly you call a friend in the area and tell them about the grocery store. They say, "Well, they claim to be the only grocery store in town but they're not. The store I go to is sooo much better!" They go on to describe it but even the description seems to fall short of your experience. Now you're very confused. How can that grocery store hang that banner on the front if it's obviously not true!
You decide to take a trip over to your friend's grocery store and when you drive up it looks great. The outside is just as nice and shiny as the other grocery store. And it doesn't have any exclusive claim to being the only grocery store in town! But from the moment you enter you realize that it's not the same kind of grocery store. Chaos and contradiction abound! Rotting food sits next to fresh. The dairy isle doesn't have milk but alcohol. And in the entire bread isle there are only 2 loaves of bread! "This isn't a grocery store!" you laugh to yourself. "This is a fight for survival!" There's no way this grocery store could supply the community.
The next phone call with your friend you try to explain how much better the grocery store you found is than the one they visit. But they are adamant that it's the only grocery store for them.
Maybe they listen to you and check out your grocery store. Maybe not. Maybe they see the banner on the front and don't even bother going in because it's seems so unfair and exclusive. Or maybe they go in and all they see is a facade filled with people trying to look "better-than-thou". But you know that if they would just look deeper they would see the truth for themselves.
And that's why I feel so strongly in sharing the gospel of Christ. I have experienced the truth and everything pales in comparison. People don't even know what they're missing! They're happy with their grocery store but they need to see that there is so much more! What they think is a grocery store is a sad parody of what is the truth. Please join with me in sharing with those who are content with starvation and apathy that there is fullness and life in our Lord Jesus Christ.
Psalm 34:8 Taste and see that the LORD is good;
blessed is the one who takes refuge in him.
You have just moved into the area. Your new in town and a little unsure about your surroundings so you decide to go for a drive to see what's around. (I know, who moves into an area without checking out what's around but stick with me on this!) You see a grocery store so you decide to check it out and see if it's as good as the old one you had. From the outside the place looks fantastic with a large parking lot and wide spaces, immaculate building that looks new, and hundreds of cart returns! (the last one's my own personal dream) On the front of the store is a large banner that says, "Only grocery store in town!" You think if that's true it better be a good one.
The first thing that strikes you when you enter is the order and harmony. It's not something you can necessarily see but you know you feel it. The layout is perfect, the shelves are stocked with everything you could think of, and everything is clean and fresh. You leave the store thinking you've just experienced the only real grocery store. Certainly what you used to call a grocery store doesn't even compare!
Excitedly you call a friend in the area and tell them about the grocery store. They say, "Well, they claim to be the only grocery store in town but they're not. The store I go to is sooo much better!" They go on to describe it but even the description seems to fall short of your experience. Now you're very confused. How can that grocery store hang that banner on the front if it's obviously not true!
You decide to take a trip over to your friend's grocery store and when you drive up it looks great. The outside is just as nice and shiny as the other grocery store. And it doesn't have any exclusive claim to being the only grocery store in town! But from the moment you enter you realize that it's not the same kind of grocery store. Chaos and contradiction abound! Rotting food sits next to fresh. The dairy isle doesn't have milk but alcohol. And in the entire bread isle there are only 2 loaves of bread! "This isn't a grocery store!" you laugh to yourself. "This is a fight for survival!" There's no way this grocery store could supply the community.
The next phone call with your friend you try to explain how much better the grocery store you found is than the one they visit. But they are adamant that it's the only grocery store for them.
Maybe they listen to you and check out your grocery store. Maybe not. Maybe they see the banner on the front and don't even bother going in because it's seems so unfair and exclusive. Or maybe they go in and all they see is a facade filled with people trying to look "better-than-thou". But you know that if they would just look deeper they would see the truth for themselves.
And that's why I feel so strongly in sharing the gospel of Christ. I have experienced the truth and everything pales in comparison. People don't even know what they're missing! They're happy with their grocery store but they need to see that there is so much more! What they think is a grocery store is a sad parody of what is the truth. Please join with me in sharing with those who are content with starvation and apathy that there is fullness and life in our Lord Jesus Christ.
Psalm 34:8 Taste and see that the LORD is good;
blessed is the one who takes refuge in him.
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