Person 1: I lied
Person2: I stole
Person 3: I killed
Person 4: I cursed God
Come on now, tell the truth--as you were reading them, in your mind you were forming a little list of better to worse; of the strictest penalty to the most lenient;
Of what was good or not good.
The world is a funny place. I don't mean that in a 'ha ha" funny either.
Are you a sinner? I am. I don't ask that to make you feel self conscious..............well, yeah, in a way I do.
This whole weekend as we went through Good Friday and Easter, I churned over the idea of good. No one is good. Jesus knew that. That was the reason he had to do what he did. He died for our sins to be forgiven. He died because the only one whom is good, God, wanted to save us.
"Why do you call me good?" Jesus answered. "No one is good -- except God alone." Mark 10:18
I sometimes think that the world is made up of us and them. There is the good people and the .......well.......
As Christians, are we any better? Of course not.
We are the us. We are the them.
The entire life of Jesus tells us of all of the great things he did for people when he was on this Earth. Tax collectors, prostitutes, all of the people their own society deemed not "good." He came to bring us all his light, knowing we were sinners.
"On hearing this, Jesus said to them, " It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners." Mark 2:17
BUT WAIT! you say............what about the law, what about the commandments we were given by God? Are we not obligated to obey those?
Maybe, but how do you obey them? do you obey them out of a fear of the retribution of God? Do you obey them because you fear hell? Or do you obey them because you are grateful for Christ Jesus dying for our sins, and it is out of gratitude we "love our neighbor as our self?"
This is where I aim for self consciousness, I guess. Not to beat down yourself for mistakes you have made. That is not God. That is Satan telling you how worthless you are. That is the Devil coaxing you into that well of self-pity. That is evil encouraging you to wallow in self despair. The laws are there for us to:
remember we are sinners.
"Therefore no one will be declared righteous in His sight by observing the law; rather, through the law we become conscious of sin." Romans 3:20
remember we are ALL sinners
"for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God" Romans 3:23
It baffles me how so many people stress the law and yet see nothing wrong with the way they judge those not in keeping with it. Especially, considering that not one person on Earth is without sin. Not one person is beyond reproach.
Jesus even gives us the standards we are to impose on others:
"Do not judge or you too will be judged. For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you." Matthew 7:1-2
wow.........
I stand in awe of Jesus always. This Easter weekend has made it paramount in my mind though. I am grateful for what He has done for me. I am honored that he would love me so much to think that I was worth saving. I am glad that even a common thief hanging on a cross, someone not "good" was forgiven for his sins, as we all are, by believing in Jesus Christ.
Would it matter if I told you person 1 lied to save some one's life?
Would it matter if I told you person 2 stole to eat to save his child's life?
Would it matter if I told you person 3 killed as an infantry man at war?
Would it matter if I told you person 4 cursed God, not out loud, but inside, in a moment of weakness over the death of a spouse?
Why?
I am person 1 You are person 1
I am person 2 You are person 2
I am person 3 You are person 3
I am person 4 You are person 4
I am not good You are not good
Will you judge me?
Wednesday, April 15, 2009
Sunday, March 22, 2009
Disputable matters
Do you remember what it was like in high school? Man, I do.
Back at that age, you had an entire community of people that were trying to find their identity. Trying to find out where they belong. Trying to stand out (or stay hidden) so that they had their own individuality.
There were the jocks.
There were the geeks.
There were burn-outs.
There were all kinds.
I had my turn at almost all of the categories. I didn't know where I fit in. I was able to hang with all of them. I was 6' 2" tall and 145 lbs.
Geek
I did alright in school, but not great by any measure. I knew the things I was supposed to, but I just didn't do the homework I was supposed to do. So, many folks asked me for help when they couldn't understand. I helped many people pass the classes they had.
Jock
I wrestled all 4 years. Yep, me! Even though I was a tall lanky kid, I wrestled. I did alright, but I was nothing notable. Pretty much average at best.
Burn-out
I've made my mistakes. But the funny thing is, even though I wasn't normally doing many of the things the others were doing, just because I went to many of their parties, I was accepted as one of them.
We all knew some from all of the categories.
Do you remember?
The funny thing about all of us is we eventually find where we belong. As we grow older and more mature, though, we realize that we don't fit in to just one label.
The groups we were in changed. The people we became comfortable with changed. We changed.
I find this happens more and more as I grow in faith as well.
There are eloquent prayers.
There are soulful singers.
There are compassionate listeners.
There are all kinds.
The difference is that in high school, you weren't expected to acquire one aspect of any outside group. No one pushed you to play a sport if you didn't know how. No one made you the go-to person for homework just because they needed one.
I think that as we grow in faith through our churches and prayer groups, we are expected to take on the other attributes of our peers. Not from those in the group, but from God.
What would you consider the greatest prayer group of all time?
For me, the first thing that comes to mind is the apostles.
Tax collector and fisherman?
Blue collar and white collar; the linebacker and the valedictorian; the janitor and the CEO; just loving each other. How cool is that.
Yet, they did not continue their work together. They split up. They divided.
Not because they could not stand to be with each other any more. Not because they wanted all of the glory. Not because they thought they could do a better job. They did it because they were called to do something by God. Some to plant the seed of faith, others to water it. They all knew Jesus and His message, they all witnessed to His miracles and teachings, they all believed that He was the Son of God, and they all were reaffirmed by His resurrection. Yet, they couldn't all get along all of the time.
Huh.............its as if they weren't perfect or something................
"Some time later Paul said to Barnabas, "Let us go back and visit the brothers in all the towns where we preached the word of the Lord and see how they are doing." Barnabas wanted to take John, also called Mark. with them, but Paul did not think it wise to take him, because he had deserted them in Pamphylia and had not continued with them in the work. They had such a sharp disagreement that they parted company. Barnabas took Mark and sailed for Cyprus" Acts 15:36-39
Jesus's closest followers could not agree on the correct method for teaching the Word. Although they knew the message, because of their human imperfections they quarreled over trivial issues. Mark is there with Paul on his return to Antioch (Acts 12) and his first missionary journey (acts 13) then, nope, not this time.
Does this sound familiar to you? Have you ever heard of different groups of people fighting for the same thing yet with different methods? So much so, that to people outside of these groups, they seem to oppose each other? Some come to mind.............tip of my tongue...........right there in the back of my mind...............
Oh, yeah--Christians.
"For no one can lay any foundation other than the one already laid, which is Jesus Christ" 1 Corinthians 3:10
The first Christians, the apostles, had trouble with this idea--and it was Paul writing this!
If you are like me, the first time you find out about this you start asking, "ooooh, I wonder what Mark did to tick off Paul" or "ooooh, I wonder why Mark couldn't stand to be around Paul and left them at Perga" or "I wonder who was at fault." If you are like me, you have to find out who is right.
I have grown in my faith, and now I say, "Who cares?"
Think about it. To find one or the other right, to blame one or the other for indiscretions, to hold one accountable for the other is pointless. If you believe that the Bible is the work of God through the Holy Spirit, you cannot assign blame. To assign blame would mean that now you are giving weight to one gospel over another. How can Gods word be more important than God's word? To me, it seems more likely that these things were included by God to point out the ridiculousness of our human selves. To point out that no matter who comes in to your life:
The eloquent prayer
The soulful singer
The compassionate listener
All kinds
None will be with you as consistently and with such love and desire for your salvation as God himself.
"Accept him whose faith is weak without passing judgement on disputable matters" Romans 14:1
We fight each other every day on "disputable matters." But with the Holy Spirit and God, we are made aware of our human frailties, and begin to forgive our brothers over time.
"My fellow prisoner Aristarchus sends you his greetings, as does Mark, the cousin of Barnabas. (You have received instructions about him;if he comes to you welcome him.)" Colossians 4:10
"Only Luke is with me. Get Mark and bring him with you, because he is helpful to me in my ministry." 2Timothy 4:11
We do not have to agree on the specifics, but need to be able to come together to teach the foundation which Christ has laid for us. How long will it take you to accept your brother and to realize that those things that the rest of the world sees from us Christians, the things that divide us, the things that the things we raise ourselves up to proclaim disputable,
Matter.
Back at that age, you had an entire community of people that were trying to find their identity. Trying to find out where they belong. Trying to stand out (or stay hidden) so that they had their own individuality.
There were the jocks.
There were the geeks.
There were burn-outs.
There were all kinds.
I had my turn at almost all of the categories. I didn't know where I fit in. I was able to hang with all of them. I was 6' 2" tall and 145 lbs.
Geek
I did alright in school, but not great by any measure. I knew the things I was supposed to, but I just didn't do the homework I was supposed to do. So, many folks asked me for help when they couldn't understand. I helped many people pass the classes they had.
Jock
I wrestled all 4 years. Yep, me! Even though I was a tall lanky kid, I wrestled. I did alright, but I was nothing notable. Pretty much average at best.
Burn-out
I've made my mistakes. But the funny thing is, even though I wasn't normally doing many of the things the others were doing, just because I went to many of their parties, I was accepted as one of them.
We all knew some from all of the categories.
Do you remember?
The funny thing about all of us is we eventually find where we belong. As we grow older and more mature, though, we realize that we don't fit in to just one label.
The groups we were in changed. The people we became comfortable with changed. We changed.
I find this happens more and more as I grow in faith as well.
There are eloquent prayers.
There are soulful singers.
There are compassionate listeners.
There are all kinds.
The difference is that in high school, you weren't expected to acquire one aspect of any outside group. No one pushed you to play a sport if you didn't know how. No one made you the go-to person for homework just because they needed one.
I think that as we grow in faith through our churches and prayer groups, we are expected to take on the other attributes of our peers. Not from those in the group, but from God.
What would you consider the greatest prayer group of all time?
For me, the first thing that comes to mind is the apostles.
Tax collector and fisherman?
Blue collar and white collar; the linebacker and the valedictorian; the janitor and the CEO; just loving each other. How cool is that.
Yet, they did not continue their work together. They split up. They divided.
Not because they could not stand to be with each other any more. Not because they wanted all of the glory. Not because they thought they could do a better job. They did it because they were called to do something by God. Some to plant the seed of faith, others to water it. They all knew Jesus and His message, they all witnessed to His miracles and teachings, they all believed that He was the Son of God, and they all were reaffirmed by His resurrection. Yet, they couldn't all get along all of the time.
Huh.............its as if they weren't perfect or something................
"Some time later Paul said to Barnabas, "Let us go back and visit the brothers in all the towns where we preached the word of the Lord and see how they are doing." Barnabas wanted to take John, also called Mark. with them, but Paul did not think it wise to take him, because he had deserted them in Pamphylia and had not continued with them in the work. They had such a sharp disagreement that they parted company. Barnabas took Mark and sailed for Cyprus" Acts 15:36-39
Jesus's closest followers could not agree on the correct method for teaching the Word. Although they knew the message, because of their human imperfections they quarreled over trivial issues. Mark is there with Paul on his return to Antioch (Acts 12) and his first missionary journey (acts 13) then, nope, not this time.
Does this sound familiar to you? Have you ever heard of different groups of people fighting for the same thing yet with different methods? So much so, that to people outside of these groups, they seem to oppose each other? Some come to mind.............tip of my tongue...........right there in the back of my mind...............
Oh, yeah--Christians.
"For no one can lay any foundation other than the one already laid, which is Jesus Christ" 1 Corinthians 3:10
The first Christians, the apostles, had trouble with this idea--and it was Paul writing this!
If you are like me, the first time you find out about this you start asking, "ooooh, I wonder what Mark did to tick off Paul" or "ooooh, I wonder why Mark couldn't stand to be around Paul and left them at Perga" or "I wonder who was at fault." If you are like me, you have to find out who is right.
I have grown in my faith, and now I say, "Who cares?"
Think about it. To find one or the other right, to blame one or the other for indiscretions, to hold one accountable for the other is pointless. If you believe that the Bible is the work of God through the Holy Spirit, you cannot assign blame. To assign blame would mean that now you are giving weight to one gospel over another. How can Gods word be more important than God's word? To me, it seems more likely that these things were included by God to point out the ridiculousness of our human selves. To point out that no matter who comes in to your life:
The eloquent prayer
The soulful singer
The compassionate listener
All kinds
None will be with you as consistently and with such love and desire for your salvation as God himself.
"Accept him whose faith is weak without passing judgement on disputable matters" Romans 14:1
We fight each other every day on "disputable matters." But with the Holy Spirit and God, we are made aware of our human frailties, and begin to forgive our brothers over time.
"My fellow prisoner Aristarchus sends you his greetings, as does Mark, the cousin of Barnabas. (You have received instructions about him;if he comes to you welcome him.)" Colossians 4:10
"Only Luke is with me. Get Mark and bring him with you, because he is helpful to me in my ministry." 2Timothy 4:11
We do not have to agree on the specifics, but need to be able to come together to teach the foundation which Christ has laid for us. How long will it take you to accept your brother and to realize that those things that the rest of the world sees from us Christians, the things that divide us, the things that the things we raise ourselves up to proclaim disputable,
Matter.
Friday, February 6, 2009
Snacks
I have become more at peace with many things that go wrong in my life. I have asked forgiveness from anyone that feels I have done them wrong. I have forgiven those I needed to forgive. I work hard at praising God more than ever. I pray often. I read and study the bible with a renewed fervor.
Guess what? Things still don't go the way I like.
I have started to think more often about what my goal is or was and how it is turning out or turned out. I see how often there is a goodness that comes from many of the things that have happened to me. Potential reasons for the way things may have resulted even though my prayer may have had different intentions. I see how God is still looking out for me even though He is achieving alternate results.
Don't get me wrong. I still get angry. I fume because I don't get what I want.
what I want............
That's the problem.
Our four year old will come up sometimes and ask for a snack. For whatever reason (supper will be ready soon, he just had a snack, etc...), he sometimes gets told no. He asks because he has been taught to and he does it to get the desired response. If he grabs a snack without asking for it, he knows it will be taken away and he will not get one.
He asks so he can get what he wants.
When he is told no, however, he grrrrs and stamps his foot. He will even remind us that he asked. He will remind us that he said please. (sometimes he will even remind us that he is starving to death) He doesn't get the answer he wants and he gets angry. He asks because he expects us to say yes.
He may not get the snack then, but he will at another time. He will get supper that night. He will get fed often the next day and in the days that follow. He will get his cup filled regularly with water or juice. He may even get dessert that night.
But he wanted THAT snack, THAT day, at THAT time. Everything else never crosses his mind.
So he gets angry.
We are perpetually four years old.
Let everyone that has breath praise the Lord.
No matter what your social class is, your health, your financial status, you are provided for. If you are alive, God has provided for you.
Think about it: If you are breathing, you have had enough food, shelter, and water to sustain that - no matter how little that may be. And God has given it.
"So do not worry, saying "what shall we eat?" or "What shall we drink?" or "What shall we wear?" For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly father knows that you need them. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well." Matthew 6:31
We have already been given the most wonderful of feasts in Christ's body and blood. We are fed daily with a bountiful meal in God's grace. We drink ceaselessly in the beauty of God's love.
And we ask for a snack.
Guess what? Things still don't go the way I like.
I have started to think more often about what my goal is or was and how it is turning out or turned out. I see how often there is a goodness that comes from many of the things that have happened to me. Potential reasons for the way things may have resulted even though my prayer may have had different intentions. I see how God is still looking out for me even though He is achieving alternate results.
Don't get me wrong. I still get angry. I fume because I don't get what I want.
what I want............
That's the problem.
Our four year old will come up sometimes and ask for a snack. For whatever reason (supper will be ready soon, he just had a snack, etc...), he sometimes gets told no. He asks because he has been taught to and he does it to get the desired response. If he grabs a snack without asking for it, he knows it will be taken away and he will not get one.
He asks so he can get what he wants.
When he is told no, however, he grrrrs and stamps his foot. He will even remind us that he asked. He will remind us that he said please. (sometimes he will even remind us that he is starving to death) He doesn't get the answer he wants and he gets angry. He asks because he expects us to say yes.
He may not get the snack then, but he will at another time. He will get supper that night. He will get fed often the next day and in the days that follow. He will get his cup filled regularly with water or juice. He may even get dessert that night.
But he wanted THAT snack, THAT day, at THAT time. Everything else never crosses his mind.
So he gets angry.
We are perpetually four years old.
Let everyone that has breath praise the Lord.
No matter what your social class is, your health, your financial status, you are provided for. If you are alive, God has provided for you.
Think about it: If you are breathing, you have had enough food, shelter, and water to sustain that - no matter how little that may be. And God has given it.
"So do not worry, saying "what shall we eat?" or "What shall we drink?" or "What shall we wear?" For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly father knows that you need them. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well." Matthew 6:31
We have already been given the most wonderful of feasts in Christ's body and blood. We are fed daily with a bountiful meal in God's grace. We drink ceaselessly in the beauty of God's love.
And we ask for a snack.
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