Hello, I figured that I would try something a little different this week. Below is a link to a audio file I created.
Enjoy
Stephen
Thursday, September 27, 2012
Monday, September 17, 2012
Worship
Worship - the feeling or expression of reverence and adoration for a divine power or supernatural power (Webster's Dictionary)
There is something missing from this definition...does anyone spot it? Let's see if you can pick it up as we go along.
Here are some expressions of worship that I have been apart of:
1. The singing of contemporary Christian praise songs from a power point with full guitar and drum accompaniment
2. Singing contemporary songs from a power point with people dancing and fainting in the aisles
3. Singing hymns from the hymnal with an organ
4. Singing hymns from a power point screen with a piano
5. Singing hymns from memory with and without musical accompaniment
6. Singing contemporary songs with clapping and raised hands
7. Singing hymns without moving any part of the body other than your mouth
8. You get the picture
Depending on where you are demographically, economically, and culturally, you and your church will have different definitions of what worship is. Each church or group worships through methods 1-7 and beyond because they believe that that is the best way to express their adoration. Some reference Scripture and others tradition to support their preference. Long story short, there are a lot of ways that Christians express the reverence for God. In fact, churches have split over things such as the style of worship which is silly but that is for another time.
Look at the above list. Any similarities? If you figure out the similarity (which connects all generally accepted manners of worship), compare it with the previous Webster definition of "worship". Figure out what is missing yet? To late, here it comes:
The similarity with all the variations of worship that I listed above (again, these were gathered from visiting several different churches and their description of their worship time) is "singing". Almost every good Christian will say that worship time HAS to include singing. That is the best and only way to show God how much you adore Him. Right? The missing thing from the definition (the secular definition) is "singing". No where in the definition of worship does it say "Thou must sing". So what does this mean? It means that we are going to ignore the correct amount of bodily movement and instruments that should be allowed during church services (David danced naked to the blare of trumpets...just saying 2 Sam 6:14-15), and focus on how to worship.
Romans 12:1-2 (NIV)
1 Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God--this is your spiritual act of worship.
2 Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is--his good, pleasing and perfect will.
Our spiritual act of worship is to offer our bodies as living sacrifices. I am not saying that we are not to praise God with our words and songs, Scripture repeatedly calls for it. What I am saying is that we get out of focus. Us living...is worship. Us using our blessings (intelligence, breath, health, money, property, skills) while giving Him credit...is worship. Us obeying His commands...is worship. Us loving our enemies...is worship. Us not getting upset when we get cut off in traffic...is worship. Us respecting our bosses and professors no matter the jerkiness...is worship.
1 Corinthians 5:7 (NIV)
7 Get rid of the old yeast that you may be a new batch without yeast--as you really are. For Christ, our Passover lamb, has been sacrificed.
Jesus lived to die. He was a living sacrifice. His power came not from His singing or instrumental skill or hand raising but His death. The offering of His life was His worship to His Father. Jesus was the ultimate sacrifice because He was perfect, without blemish. Cleanse yourself and become clean so that your life can also be accepted as a living sacrifice to God.
He demands your all. He wants more that just singing from your mouth. He desires to hear the beautiful noise coming from your obedient hands and reverent heart.
Live to die as a sacrifice to God. Live to die in your worship. Live to die. Live worship.
There is something missing from this definition...does anyone spot it? Let's see if you can pick it up as we go along.
Here are some expressions of worship that I have been apart of:
1. The singing of contemporary Christian praise songs from a power point with full guitar and drum accompaniment
2. Singing contemporary songs from a power point with people dancing and fainting in the aisles
3. Singing hymns from the hymnal with an organ
4. Singing hymns from a power point screen with a piano
5. Singing hymns from memory with and without musical accompaniment
6. Singing contemporary songs with clapping and raised hands
7. Singing hymns without moving any part of the body other than your mouth
8. You get the picture
Depending on where you are demographically, economically, and culturally, you and your church will have different definitions of what worship is. Each church or group worships through methods 1-7 and beyond because they believe that that is the best way to express their adoration. Some reference Scripture and others tradition to support their preference. Long story short, there are a lot of ways that Christians express the reverence for God. In fact, churches have split over things such as the style of worship which is silly but that is for another time.
Look at the above list. Any similarities? If you figure out the similarity (which connects all generally accepted manners of worship), compare it with the previous Webster definition of "worship". Figure out what is missing yet? To late, here it comes:
The similarity with all the variations of worship that I listed above (again, these were gathered from visiting several different churches and their description of their worship time) is "singing". Almost every good Christian will say that worship time HAS to include singing. That is the best and only way to show God how much you adore Him. Right? The missing thing from the definition (the secular definition) is "singing". No where in the definition of worship does it say "Thou must sing". So what does this mean? It means that we are going to ignore the correct amount of bodily movement and instruments that should be allowed during church services (David danced naked to the blare of trumpets...just saying 2 Sam 6:14-15), and focus on how to worship.
Romans 12:1-2 (NIV)
1 Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God--this is your spiritual act of worship.
2 Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is--his good, pleasing and perfect will.
Our spiritual act of worship is to offer our bodies as living sacrifices. I am not saying that we are not to praise God with our words and songs, Scripture repeatedly calls for it. What I am saying is that we get out of focus. Us living...is worship. Us using our blessings (intelligence, breath, health, money, property, skills) while giving Him credit...is worship. Us obeying His commands...is worship. Us loving our enemies...is worship. Us not getting upset when we get cut off in traffic...is worship. Us respecting our bosses and professors no matter the jerkiness...is worship.
1 Corinthians 5:7 (NIV)
7 Get rid of the old yeast that you may be a new batch without yeast--as you really are. For Christ, our Passover lamb, has been sacrificed.
Jesus lived to die. He was a living sacrifice. His power came not from His singing or instrumental skill or hand raising but His death. The offering of His life was His worship to His Father. Jesus was the ultimate sacrifice because He was perfect, without blemish. Cleanse yourself and become clean so that your life can also be accepted as a living sacrifice to God.
He demands your all. He wants more that just singing from your mouth. He desires to hear the beautiful noise coming from your obedient hands and reverent heart.
Live to die as a sacrifice to God. Live to die in your worship. Live to die. Live worship.
Friday, September 7, 2012
Avoid the Lion
I am a male.
As a male I am wired to be sexually triggered by visual and auditory stimulants. These stimulants often go by the name of pornography. My gender has built into us a seemingly never ceasing drive to satisfy the desires created by those stimulants.
I am a male living in the internet age of unlimited access to untraceable pornographic access.
This last week has been a bad week for me. I grew up with a strong father figure and very strict boundaries about what I take into my mind, and I know what is wrong and right...but there is this game that I like to play. I like to find likes on the Internet...simple links like a book store or the news and see how close I can get to porn without actually looking at porn. Because obviously that would be a sin. I caught myself playing that game a couple times this week, including this morning. It is wrong. It is shameful to admit. It is a sin.
But I do not struggle with it as bad as some people...I am not addicted and my main struggles are when I am bored and by myself. It is not like I am some sexually possessed monster. It is just occasionally and the images are not even that bad...
...I am not as bad as some people...
...it is not that bad... ...I have it under control...
I do not struggle with pornography as much as others. I also do not struggle with drug addictions as much as others. I do not struggle with violent anger as much as others. I do not struggle with alcohol, pride, liiing, homosexuality, depression, (fill in the blank) as much as others.
We may not struggle as much as others but we still struggle.
Life is full of struggles. Life is a war.
1 Peter 5:8 (NIV)
8 Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.
Despite my solid upbringing and the boundaries that I set for myself on movies, shows, and books, I still struggle. I will struggle for the rest of my life. The roaring lion will always be there waiting for me to slip. He is waiting for you too. Waiting for that one time that you lose focus and give in...a moment of human weakness and the devil will pounce. And I can guarantee from experience that he does more than just roar when he gets a piece of you...but there is hope. Here is the full text:
1 Peter 5:6-12 (NIV)
6 Humble yourselves, therefore, under God's mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time.
7 Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.
8 Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.
9 Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know that your brothers throughout the world are undergoing the same kind of sufferings.
10 And the God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast.
11 To him be the power for ever and ever. Amen.
12 With the help of Silas, whom I regard as a faithful brother, I have written to you briefly, encouraging you and testifying that this is the true grace of God. Stand fast in it.
There is a battle plan for this war:
1. Vs 6-7 - Humble yourself to God. You will not win this fight by yourself. Do not carry this burden but cast it upon the Lord's immeasurable strength. Pray and read scripture. Remember...you are loved.
2. Vs 9 - You are NOT alone in this fight. "you know that your brethren THROUGHOUT THE WORLD are undergoing the SAME kind of sufferings." Find someone that you can be accountable to. Someone that you can have as a partner in this fight so that can keep you in check.
3. Vs 10 - God makes you strong. He lifts you up gives your heart the strength that it needs to stand fast and firm in the face of any enemy. It is NOT your strength but the strength that comes from God. There will be suffering, you already know that but "the Joy comes with the morning".
4. Vs 11-12 - He is the Truth. He is Eternal. Thus you can stand fast.
Psalm 56:4 (NIV)
4 In God, whose word I praise, in God I trust; I will not be afraid. What can mortal man do to me?
As a male I am wired to be sexually triggered by visual and auditory stimulants. These stimulants often go by the name of pornography. My gender has built into us a seemingly never ceasing drive to satisfy the desires created by those stimulants.
I am a male living in the internet age of unlimited access to untraceable pornographic access.
This last week has been a bad week for me. I grew up with a strong father figure and very strict boundaries about what I take into my mind, and I know what is wrong and right...but there is this game that I like to play. I like to find likes on the Internet...simple links like a book store or the news and see how close I can get to porn without actually looking at porn. Because obviously that would be a sin. I caught myself playing that game a couple times this week, including this morning. It is wrong. It is shameful to admit. It is a sin.
But I do not struggle with it as bad as some people...I am not addicted and my main struggles are when I am bored and by myself. It is not like I am some sexually possessed monster. It is just occasionally and the images are not even that bad...
...I am not as bad as some people...
...it is not that bad... ...I have it under control...
I do not struggle with pornography as much as others. I also do not struggle with drug addictions as much as others. I do not struggle with violent anger as much as others. I do not struggle with alcohol, pride, liiing, homosexuality, depression, (fill in the blank) as much as others.
We may not struggle as much as others but we still struggle.
Life is full of struggles. Life is a war.
1 Peter 5:8 (NIV)
8 Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.
Despite my solid upbringing and the boundaries that I set for myself on movies, shows, and books, I still struggle. I will struggle for the rest of my life. The roaring lion will always be there waiting for me to slip. He is waiting for you too. Waiting for that one time that you lose focus and give in...a moment of human weakness and the devil will pounce. And I can guarantee from experience that he does more than just roar when he gets a piece of you...but there is hope. Here is the full text:
1 Peter 5:6-12 (NIV)
6 Humble yourselves, therefore, under God's mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time.
7 Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.
8 Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.
9 Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know that your brothers throughout the world are undergoing the same kind of sufferings.
10 And the God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast.
11 To him be the power for ever and ever. Amen.
12 With the help of Silas, whom I regard as a faithful brother, I have written to you briefly, encouraging you and testifying that this is the true grace of God. Stand fast in it.
There is a battle plan for this war:
1. Vs 6-7 - Humble yourself to God. You will not win this fight by yourself. Do not carry this burden but cast it upon the Lord's immeasurable strength. Pray and read scripture. Remember...you are loved.
2. Vs 9 - You are NOT alone in this fight. "you know that your brethren THROUGHOUT THE WORLD are undergoing the SAME kind of sufferings." Find someone that you can be accountable to. Someone that you can have as a partner in this fight so that can keep you in check.
3. Vs 10 - God makes you strong. He lifts you up gives your heart the strength that it needs to stand fast and firm in the face of any enemy. It is NOT your strength but the strength that comes from God. There will be suffering, you already know that but "the Joy comes with the morning".
4. Vs 11-12 - He is the Truth. He is Eternal. Thus you can stand fast.
Psalm 56:4 (NIV)
4 In God, whose word I praise, in God I trust; I will not be afraid. What can mortal man do to me?
This world has nothing against you. You are strong. You are firm on His rock. Do not fear man for what can they do?
I write this letter as a confession of my own weakness and struggles but hopefully also as an encouragement in whatever sort of battle, whether physical, spiritual, or emotional, you might find yourself in.
I once heard the following saying: "A true warrior can always put one foot in front of the other"
"A true believer, by God's Grace, can always put one foot in front of the other."
God Bless.
Thursday, August 30, 2012
Burned Alive
I have always been one that has been intrigued by the imagery of fire and light living as a Child of God. The imagery ranges from "we are the lighthouse standing strong in the storm to guide and direct others" to "in order to start a burning in someone's soul with the Gospel, you must first be lit" and more. I have just always been inspired by the power of these ideas and how effectively they convey the overwhelming impact God has upon our lives and how we live it.
Well, life led me to meet a person with a Jeremiah 20:9 tattoo with a flame around it, so obviously I had to check it out.
Jeremiah 20:9 (NIV)
9 But if I say, "I will not mention him or speak any more in his name," his word is in my heart like a fire, a fire shut up in my bones. I am weary of holding it in; indeed, I cannot.
When I initially read this it gave me the shivers. For a moment, I want you to close your eyes and picture a roaring camp fire, popping and cracking heat through the night. Now imagine what it would be like if that was inside your bones. Crazy right? When Jeremiah says these words, he is saying (it seems) that God's Word is so powerful and contagious that when he tries not to speak the Gospel, the Gospel just burns inside of him like a fire. Now the message from this section is two-fold.
Firstly, the obvious: speak the Gospel. When we chose to let Christ become the Lord of our souls, we also chose to let His entire presence inside of us (the fire). If you turn on the oven and keep the door closed, it will just keep getting hotter and hotter. Jeremiah is "weary of holding it in". Well...the short answer is this...don't. If the obstruction of the salvation of mankind is causing you pain, then stop obstructing. Let it loose. Go find the highest point in your area and shout to the world what the name Jesus Christ means. You say you do not have that fire...yes you do...you probably have not been tending to it. When the power and presence of the Lord is upon you, it takes your best to not just unleash everything. Point One: kiddle the fire and let it loose to start a forest fire.
Secondly, the less obvious: God will get you. While vs 9 may be a very popular verse, the previous two are probably not so much.
Jeremiah 20:7-8 (NIV)
7 O LORD, you deceived me, and I was deceived; you overpowered me and prevailed. I am ridiculed all day long; everyone mocks me.
8 Whenever I speak, I cry out proclaiming violence and destruction. So the word of the LORD has brought me insult and reproach all day long.
Jeremiah the prophet is complaining to God about his life situation. He was "deceived..and...overpowered". He is "ridiculed all day long; everyone mocks me". He is referring to the fact that when God called him to be a prophet, he did not feel like he had a choice. Jeremiah's situation is so bad that even when he tries to share what the Lord has given him (which is usually violence and destruction...not a good way to become well liked), he has to cry out. He cannot even calmly share like a sane man...no, he has to "cry out" like a mad man. The prophet feels like God forcibly put him in a very un-ideal position. "So the word of the LORD has brought me insult and reproach all day long." Point Two: if God wants you to do something, you will do. Point Two (again): what He calls you to do will often mean terrible things for your emotional, physical, and societal health.
This is God's world, and we are just living in it. People who spew fire so that they may be lit and burning are called arsonists and criminals. Being a christian and a prophet, the actions and the results are no different. You are called to be a spiritual arsonist. You will be treated like a mad man crying out and (in many places now and everywhere soon) a criminal. You are filled with the fire of life...the fire of love...the fire of everlasting peace. Time to share.
Well, life led me to meet a person with a Jeremiah 20:9 tattoo with a flame around it, so obviously I had to check it out.
Jeremiah 20:9 (NIV)
9 But if I say, "I will not mention him or speak any more in his name," his word is in my heart like a fire, a fire shut up in my bones. I am weary of holding it in; indeed, I cannot.
When I initially read this it gave me the shivers. For a moment, I want you to close your eyes and picture a roaring camp fire, popping and cracking heat through the night. Now imagine what it would be like if that was inside your bones. Crazy right? When Jeremiah says these words, he is saying (it seems) that God's Word is so powerful and contagious that when he tries not to speak the Gospel, the Gospel just burns inside of him like a fire. Now the message from this section is two-fold.
Firstly, the obvious: speak the Gospel. When we chose to let Christ become the Lord of our souls, we also chose to let His entire presence inside of us (the fire). If you turn on the oven and keep the door closed, it will just keep getting hotter and hotter. Jeremiah is "weary of holding it in". Well...the short answer is this...don't. If the obstruction of the salvation of mankind is causing you pain, then stop obstructing. Let it loose. Go find the highest point in your area and shout to the world what the name Jesus Christ means. You say you do not have that fire...yes you do...you probably have not been tending to it. When the power and presence of the Lord is upon you, it takes your best to not just unleash everything. Point One: kiddle the fire and let it loose to start a forest fire.
Jeremiah 20:7-8 (NIV)
7 O LORD, you deceived me, and I was deceived; you overpowered me and prevailed. I am ridiculed all day long; everyone mocks me.
8 Whenever I speak, I cry out proclaiming violence and destruction. So the word of the LORD has brought me insult and reproach all day long.
Jeremiah the prophet is complaining to God about his life situation. He was "deceived..and...overpowered". He is "ridiculed all day long; everyone mocks me". He is referring to the fact that when God called him to be a prophet, he did not feel like he had a choice. Jeremiah's situation is so bad that even when he tries to share what the Lord has given him (which is usually violence and destruction...not a good way to become well liked), he has to cry out. He cannot even calmly share like a sane man...no, he has to "cry out" like a mad man. The prophet feels like God forcibly put him in a very un-ideal position. "So the word of the LORD has brought me insult and reproach all day long." Point Two: if God wants you to do something, you will do. Point Two (again): what He calls you to do will often mean terrible things for your emotional, physical, and societal health.
This is God's world, and we are just living in it. People who spew fire so that they may be lit and burning are called arsonists and criminals. Being a christian and a prophet, the actions and the results are no different. You are called to be a spiritual arsonist. You will be treated like a mad man crying out and (in many places now and everywhere soon) a criminal. You are filled with the fire of life...the fire of love...the fire of everlasting peace. Time to share.
Monday, August 20, 2012
Just Boring Old Life
Life is…life.
Sometimes we as humans expect life to be jammed packed with
these incredible, pulse-pounding moments, worthy of stories that can be told
generations from now and still be funny, entertaining or inspiring. Truth is your pulse is pounding all the time
and thus every moment of your life is worth a story. It just depends how you choose to look at it.
In the beginning of Mark 9, we see one of those “epic” life
moments. Jesus took Peter, James, and
John up with him to the high mountain and he, get this, reveals himself to
him. Now we now that Jesus is God but
for the last 33 years he has been residing in the very boring and dull form of
a homosapien (If you think about, humans have to one of the blandest, least
visually stimulating beasts in all of creation) but here in verse 2 and 3, he
transfigures. “…His garments became
radiant and exceedingly white”. The dude
was shining like the sun that He helped create, and the Three Stooges are
standing there in person to witness it.
And it gets better. Vs. 4 says
that Elijah and Moses appear before them and start chatting with Jesus. These are probably the two most influential
men in Israel’s history and they appear (probably also shining some) next to
brilliant Son already radiating in glory.
Now skip ahead to vs. 7, “Then a cloud formed, overshadowing them, and a
voice came out of the cloud, ‘This is My beloved Son, listen to Him!’”
God! God himself showed up! These three mere men were privy to probably
one of the most indescribably fantastic awe-inspiring moments in the history of
ever. Elijah, Moses, radiating Jesus,
and speaking God…this is epic and awesome and note worthy and every other
poorly understated human description of the situation. This is definitely one of those moments that
you tell people later on.
But what do these disciples do in the moment with all this
glory being unveiled before them? They
ask to build Jesus, Elijah, and Moses tents.
Peter says, “Rabbi, it is good for us to be here.” No duh.
But even if we look beyond this moment of wisdom and basic brain
operation, after all seeing dead people and a glowing man and a talking cloud
can be pretty overwhelming, we need to see how they handled themselves later
on. In vs 31, Jesus tells them that He
will be killed and then raise three days later.
Cool. The disciple’s reaction: “But
they did not understand this statement, and they were afraid to ask Him”. Not all were there for the transfiguration
but even the three that were did not get the point. They SAW the Son of God and they missed the
point. I mean Peter later denies that He
even knows Jesus. He saw Jesus light up
like a light bulb, talk to (the long since dead) Elijah and Moses, and be
engulfed by the presence of God (beyond all the other miracles that he saw) and
yet he still did not get. These men had
probably one of the greatest dinner party stories to tell ever, and they
squandered it.
We in life get so caught up in that next great moment or
story. We want that next spiritual surge
of guiding a friend to Christ or feeling some godly buzz at a worship
service. We are hooked on the big
time. Well Peter, James, and John got
the big time and it did not seem to affect them much.
Here is a secret...everyday of your life is the big time. It may not be spectacular or adrenaline
inducing but you are living with the presence of God inside of you and all
around you every moment. You get to walk
out that door and go to work and radiate like the sun because the Son is in
you. I have had conversations with my
family about where we are in a walks with Christ and several times the words “Nothing
too crazy is going on” or “I am just living life” are used. First, God (you know the dude that created
the ENTIRE UNIVERSE…that dude) lives inside you. Second, life is God. In Genesis, He breathed life into us, us the
ones He made in His own image. Those
salvation stories are great and the spiritual highs are stimulating but so is
life.
Enjoy life because life is the breath of God, and He lives
in you. That is about as epic as it
gets. It would be incredible to see what
those three disciples saw but we are already seeing pretty cool things…just
open your eyes. Realize the intricacies
of your body and Creation as a whole.
Realize the magnitude of the calling to save the lost sheep. Realize how epic your life is.
So may your life be…life.
Saturday, August 11, 2012
A Pile of Crap
There is a rather popular contemporary Christian song, for which I cannot remember the name, that contains the lyrics "let me reach the unreachable, teach the unteachable, and love the unlovable". I think I get what the artist is trying to say. He wants God to give him the strength and courage to reach out to the people for which it is difficult to reach out to. He wants God to provide the ability to love those that society say should not be loved or the parts of society that do not want to be loved. It is overall a great idea for us all to go beyond our own personal boundaries to witness to and be the love of Christ the world.
But then this nasty little thought popped into my head the last time I heard this song on the radio, "This is a bunch of crap." I understand that the song is coming from the humanistic view of love and how and to who we show that love but the whole concept that we, as Christians, could ever say that there is anyone that is unlovable is a bunch of crap. I may just being getting overly technical with the wording of this song but come on...we can do better.
So what if a co-worker ignores you or thinks that you are a little strange. So what if your classmates find you awkward. 2 Timothy 3:12 states, "In fact, everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted". If you want to live as Christ you will be persecuted. Loving on mean people is almost a prerequisite for being a true follower of Christ. It is a must...not an option. Calling someone unlovable is like an Olympic hopeful saying training is impossible. They want to get there but have put up a giant immovable wall with their mentality. John 3:16 does not say, "For God so loved the lovable that He sent His one and only Son...". NO..."For God so loved the world that He sent His one and only Son (to die a miserable death and be PERSECUTED to an extreme degree) so that ALL (every person to live ever including the really stupid and jerkish ones that do not deserve the air to live) that might believe in Him shall not perish (spiritually) but have everlasting life (spiritually)."
People may think that I cannot say, "God loved everyone so we have to love everyone," because that would be comparing us to God. You are right. And one of my favorite verses is the biggest slap in the face in history: Matthew 5:48 - "Therefore you are to be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect." Unlovable is not a word allowed in the Christian conversation. Unlovable = Persecution = Blessings.
2 Corinthians 12:9-10 (NIV)
9 But he said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me.
10 That is why, for Christ's sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.
Time to change your vocabulary and get rid of that pile of crap called "The Unlovable" that is keeping you from running your race for God. Embrace the persecution. Embrace the pain. Embrace the Rage.
But then this nasty little thought popped into my head the last time I heard this song on the radio, "This is a bunch of crap." I understand that the song is coming from the humanistic view of love and how and to who we show that love but the whole concept that we, as Christians, could ever say that there is anyone that is unlovable is a bunch of crap. I may just being getting overly technical with the wording of this song but come on...we can do better.
So what if a co-worker ignores you or thinks that you are a little strange. So what if your classmates find you awkward. 2 Timothy 3:12 states, "In fact, everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted". If you want to live as Christ you will be persecuted. Loving on mean people is almost a prerequisite for being a true follower of Christ. It is a must...not an option. Calling someone unlovable is like an Olympic hopeful saying training is impossible. They want to get there but have put up a giant immovable wall with their mentality. John 3:16 does not say, "For God so loved the lovable that He sent His one and only Son...". NO..."For God so loved the world that He sent His one and only Son (to die a miserable death and be PERSECUTED to an extreme degree) so that ALL (every person to live ever including the really stupid and jerkish ones that do not deserve the air to live) that might believe in Him shall not perish (spiritually) but have everlasting life (spiritually)."
People may think that I cannot say, "God loved everyone so we have to love everyone," because that would be comparing us to God. You are right. And one of my favorite verses is the biggest slap in the face in history: Matthew 5:48 - "Therefore you are to be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect." Unlovable is not a word allowed in the Christian conversation. Unlovable = Persecution = Blessings.
2 Corinthians 12:9-10 (NIV)
9 But he said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me.
10 That is why, for Christ's sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.
Time to change your vocabulary and get rid of that pile of crap called "The Unlovable" that is keeping you from running your race for God. Embrace the persecution. Embrace the pain. Embrace the Rage.
No more crap.
Friday, July 6, 2012
Loved
Love.
We do not understand this word. Proverbs 5:18-20 is a very interesting
section scripture. It is very sexual in
its nature. It tells men to take delight
in their wife and rejoice in her love and exhilarated by her breasts. Again, to some this may see a rather crude
and unnecessary passage, especially to talk about with friends and
strangers. Vs 20 asks the reason for the
sons of man the logic behind feeling up a stranger when you have such a joy at
home waiting for. Vs 19 says “As a
loving hind (deer) and a graceful doe, Let her breasts satisfy you at all times;
Be exhilarated always with her love.”
Being the 22 year old male that I am, the first thing that comes to my
mind is sex…God is telling us to take physical pleasure in our wives and to
take pure carnal satisfaction in her body and person. God created sex to be beautiful and he is
telling us here to keep our joy within our wife and our wife only.
I have read this scripture before and naturally only noticed
it because of its obvious sexual nature.
Well this week when I re-read it, I got something more.
First, I saw the passage beyond the physical nature of the
images. This is God talking about the
beauty of the relationship between a man and women. The complete fullness of the love that is
unwritten in these verses struck me. God
made man as relational creatures. He
made us to be together. In Genesis 2:22,
God created women of man and thus they will leave the families to become one in
flesh (sex). But a funny thing happens
when you are connected in flesh (so I have been told), you become connected
emotionally and mentally as well. Vs 25
says Adam and Eve were naked and were not ashamed. In the book “Looking for God Knows What”, the
author explained things like this: The
were unashamed because they were loved.
Why do you think people love to be loved? If someone loves them, then they feel they
can be justified in themselves. And guess
why they need that confirmation?
Beyond my desire for my own earthly relationship, I got an insight
into the relationship that matters. Man
was unashamed of their nakedness because God loved them. Think of the grandest scale of a boy telling
a girl that she is pretty. For that
girl, nothing else matters because her lover says she is okay. She feels free to do whatever and live
without inhibitions because there is only one opinion that matters. Now put yourself in Adam and Eve’s shoes. If the creator of the Universe said “You are
perfect and loved”…are you going to have any insecurities? NO.
The reason people play games, dunk, have awards is so others can tell
them how good they are. When we sinned
we lost that perfect love and we have thus been trying to fill that whole with
the insignificant approval of men.
God refers to himself as the bride groom and the Church (us)
as the bride. The earthly marriages that
we are in are made to model this bigger relationship. In the same way that we are to only find
satisfaction with our wife’s breast, we are only to find confirmation and value
in our Heavenly lover.
Men…love your God and love your wife in the same
manner. Rejoice in your wife alone…physically,
emotionally, mentally. Rejoice in your
Loving Redeemer alone…soully…that means everything in your being.
You are loved.
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