Friday night, August 29, 2008 [a beautiful night and 78 degrees],
Continuing the subject of wild abandon to Jesus, I offer the following excerpt from the late Mike Yaconnelli's book, "Dangerous Wonder," pages 53-54: Little children start their lives unrule-ly, without rules, oblivious to society’s prescribed laws, which, according to the rule makers of our society, exist for children’s and everyone’s good. Eventually children are socialized. Domesticated. They learn how to behave, how to conform to the cultural ‘norms’ for the greater good of society. Children are told that learning the rules, becoming responsible and orderly, and discovering the boundaries of a civilized world are what growing up is all about. But is it? Or, in the process of socializing our children to follow the rules, do we rob them of the discernment needed to know when to follow rules and when to break them? Have we robbed our children (including those of us who have grown out of childhood) of the childlike intuition that caused us to know in our hearts how to recognize the Rule Maker? Christianity is this wild religion that has always been more concerned about following Jesus than following the rules of Jesus. Remember when you said yes to Jesus that first time? You didn’t know all the rules, but you knew Jesus. Sadly, the church immediately stepped in and told us we needed to know more than Jesus; we needed to know the rules of the Christian faith, otherwise we might end up in confusion and spiritual anarchy. The church is always worried we might make a mistake! Mistakes are the guaranteed consequences of wild abandon. Mistakes are signs of growth, which is why the Old and New Testaments are filled with stories of people who made mistakes. The church should be the one place in our culture where mistakes are not only expected but also welcomed. Every time the disciples started establishing rules—no children near Jesus; don’t let the crowd touch Jesus; don’t talk to Samaritan women; don’t let people waste expensive perfumes—Jesus told them to knock it off, and His rebuke was usually followed by a lecture that said, ‘You still don’t get it! We are substituting religious rules with Me!’ Jesus kept saying, ‘Follow Me,’ not, ‘follow My rules.’ So most of us have spent our Christian lives learning what we can’t do instead of celebrating what we can do in Jesus. What a tragedy! What a misunderstanding of Jesus; He is the One who taught us how to break the rules.
Maybe this helps us understand why Jesus said, “Permit the children to come to Me; do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these” (Mark 10:14). The truth is, Jesus is simply too bizarre, too radical, too dangerous for adults. There is no wonder that so many abandon Him. It is much more comfortable for them to abandon Him, than it is to abandon their religion. Interestingly, children have no religion to abandon until some adult brainwashes them into conforming to his/her idea of what religion should be.
I dare you to become like a child and live in wild abandon to Jesus!
Blessings,
Mac
PS: You should read Yaconnelli's book; it is excellent.
Friday, August 29, 2008
Thursday, August 28, 2008
Living in Wild Abandon!
Thursday evening, August 28, 2008 [sunny and 89 degrees],
Have you ever considered the fact that, although Jesus repeatedly told us to follow Him, e.g. Matthew 16:24, He never once told us to follow His rules? He did, however, say this: If you love Me you will keep my commandments (John 14:15). You see, our loving Jesus and loving one another are the fruit of being His children; they are not rules we must learn to obey. His call to us is to follow Him, not His rules!
I really do believe that God has a people who truly desire to live in wild abandon (to use Brennen Manning words) to Jesus. Are you one of them? This is one of the true indications that you are: you are struggling to abandon something. What are you afraid to abandon? Your comfort? Your religion? Your riches? Your career? Your theology? Your parent's expectations? Your security?
Remember this: the rich, young ruler could not abandon his riches and he, therefore, missed out on knowing the true riches of living in wild abandon to Jesus. The Pharisees could not abandon their religion, and they, therefore, missed out on knowing the joy of living in intimate relationship with Jesus, intimacy that only wild abandon could produce.
By the way, this was Jesus' prayer: And this is eternal life, that they may know Thee, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom Thou has sent (John 17:3). Did you notice how clearly He stated that eternal life has to do with knowing Him rather than following some system of rules? Did you notice that for Jesus, relationships were far more important than obedience to doctrine?
Until we are willing to live in wild abandon to Jesus, we will never truly know Him; instead, we will spend our lives trying to follow a system of rules, to obey some theological dogma, in an effort to please Him and, thereby, gain His acceptance. To say that another way: until we choose to live in wild abandon to Jesus, we will be nothing more or less than modern-day Pharisees—hypocrites. Rules will be far more important than relationships, and doctrine will always take precedence over relationships.
Unfortunately, most of us have spent our Christian lives learning what we cannot do (the rules of our religious culture), instead of celebrating who we are in Jesus.
Come on! Take the leap into wild abandon to Jesus—the Outlaw—who lived in wild abandon to His Father.
By the way, aren't politics something else! Just thought I would ask-
Wednesday, August 27, 2008
A Dangerous Bait
Wednesday morning, August 27, 2008 [cloudy and 73 degrees],
If you are as curious as I, then you have been watching at least some of the Democratic National Convention and you have probably seen and heard far-more than you believed necessary, except for the fact that we haven't really heard (or seen) anything of substance, at least regarding the issues that concern most of us. Political rhetoric is fine but worthless, as far as really defining a candidate's ability to be President of the USA. It amazes me that so many people will gather to dance, jump, yell, scream, wave banners, wear silly hats, listen to boring speeches, sit on hard seats for hours, imbibe far too much, and who knows what else, all in the name of Democracy.
Yes, I realize that the Republican National Convention will convene in just a few short days, and we will witness the same kind of nonsense, a nonsense that ought not exist, especially in these perilous days. In my opinion, far too many Americans have taken the bait the wisdom of the world offers—hook, line, and sinker—and are, consequently, betting the future of this country on shifting sands, rather than on the firm foundation of God's wisdom.
This is what James said: "But if you have bitter jealousy and selfish ambition in your heart, do not be arrogant and so be against the truth. This wisdom is not that which comes down from above, but is earthly, natural, demonic. For where jealousy and selfish ambition exist, there is disorder and every evil thing" (James 3:14-16). It is safe to say that we have witnessed plenty (and then some) of jealousy and selfish ambition over the past months, not to mention the past couple of days, with more to come. And then another week of it!
You can take this to the bank: people who live their lives based upon and motivated by human, ungodly wisdom are living in a world in which their own personal desires, ideas, and standards are the measure of everything. Whoever and whatever serves those ends is considered good and worthwhile; however, whoever and whatever threatens those ends is considered an enemy and worthless.
Granted, there is not much we can do to alter the mindset of those who lead this nation, but we can begin at home, within our own hearts, facing our own self-centeredness, and do something about our own proclivity toward following the wisdom of the world. What is it that we can do? We can begin by falling humbly at His feet. admitting our hopeless and helplessness apart from Him.
You think about this and do not take the enticing bait the world has to offer you.
If you are as curious as I, then you have been watching at least some of the Democratic National Convention and you have probably seen and heard far-more than you believed necessary, except for the fact that we haven't really heard (or seen) anything of substance, at least regarding the issues that concern most of us. Political rhetoric is fine but worthless, as far as really defining a candidate's ability to be President of the USA. It amazes me that so many people will gather to dance, jump, yell, scream, wave banners, wear silly hats, listen to boring speeches, sit on hard seats for hours, imbibe far too much, and who knows what else, all in the name of Democracy.
Yes, I realize that the Republican National Convention will convene in just a few short days, and we will witness the same kind of nonsense, a nonsense that ought not exist, especially in these perilous days. In my opinion, far too many Americans have taken the bait the wisdom of the world offers—hook, line, and sinker—and are, consequently, betting the future of this country on shifting sands, rather than on the firm foundation of God's wisdom.
This is what James said: "But if you have bitter jealousy and selfish ambition in your heart, do not be arrogant and so be against the truth. This wisdom is not that which comes down from above, but is earthly, natural, demonic. For where jealousy and selfish ambition exist, there is disorder and every evil thing" (James 3:14-16). It is safe to say that we have witnessed plenty (and then some) of jealousy and selfish ambition over the past months, not to mention the past couple of days, with more to come. And then another week of it!
You can take this to the bank: people who live their lives based upon and motivated by human, ungodly wisdom are living in a world in which their own personal desires, ideas, and standards are the measure of everything. Whoever and whatever serves those ends is considered good and worthwhile; however, whoever and whatever threatens those ends is considered an enemy and worthless.
Granted, there is not much we can do to alter the mindset of those who lead this nation, but we can begin at home, within our own hearts, facing our own self-centeredness, and do something about our own proclivity toward following the wisdom of the world. What is it that we can do? We can begin by falling humbly at His feet. admitting our hopeless and helplessness apart from Him.
You think about this and do not take the enticing bait the world has to offer you.
Tuesday, August 26, 2008
Does God Really Need Our Help?
Tuesday morning, August 26, 2008 [cloudy, stormy, and 77 degrees],
This is another quote from McArthur's commentary on James (p. 59-60): ". . . God's sovereign and uninfluenced will is the source and basis of the new life. Not only theologically but logically, that is the only way life could be given to those who are dead. The dead have no awareness or understanding of sin, no desire to turn from it [John 3:19-20], and no power or resources to change if they wanted to. They do not, of course, even know that they are dead. Regeneration could only happen by the sovereign will and power of God, the source and Giver of spiritual life . . . No child has ever been born into the world by its own will or plan. Its conception, gestation, and birth are completely out of its consciousness and control. It is merely the passive recipient of the will and action of it parents. Just as certainly, no person wills, much less creates, a new spiritual nature within himself . . . The natural man not only cannot make such a change in himself, but, apart from God's revelation, he cannot even know that he needs such a change. To the contrary, if he thinks he needs change at all, he underestimates what he really needs and presumes he can make it satisfactorily by himself. 'A natural man does not accept the things of the Spirit of God,' Paul explains, 'for they are foolishness to him; and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually appraised' [1 Corinthians 2:14]" In the end, this is the long and short of McArthur's comment: The Spirit of God sovereignly moves in where He wills and gives new birth to those whom He has predestined to salvation.
This is the way Paul (the Apostle) said it: "He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we would be holy and blameless before Him. In love He predestined us to adoption as sons through Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the kind intention of His will to the praise of the glory of His grace, which He freely bestowed upon us in the Beloved" (Ephesians 1:4-6). You see, left to ourselves, we are hopelessly lost and, completely, unaware of our need for The Savior. Left to ourselves, we do not improve; instead, we continue in our depraved state, aimlessly wandering through life.
In my opinion, this should raise some serious questions about the techniques of modern-day evangelism. For example, why is such emphasis placed on the "altar call," especially in evangelical churches? Do we, somehow, think God needs our help to redeem His elect?
Just thought I would ask-
This is another quote from McArthur's commentary on James (p. 59-60): ". . . God's sovereign and uninfluenced will is the source and basis of the new life. Not only theologically but logically, that is the only way life could be given to those who are dead. The dead have no awareness or understanding of sin, no desire to turn from it [John 3:19-20], and no power or resources to change if they wanted to. They do not, of course, even know that they are dead. Regeneration could only happen by the sovereign will and power of God, the source and Giver of spiritual life . . . No child has ever been born into the world by its own will or plan. Its conception, gestation, and birth are completely out of its consciousness and control. It is merely the passive recipient of the will and action of it parents. Just as certainly, no person wills, much less creates, a new spiritual nature within himself . . . The natural man not only cannot make such a change in himself, but, apart from God's revelation, he cannot even know that he needs such a change. To the contrary, if he thinks he needs change at all, he underestimates what he really needs and presumes he can make it satisfactorily by himself. 'A natural man does not accept the things of the Spirit of God,' Paul explains, 'for they are foolishness to him; and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually appraised' [1 Corinthians 2:14]" In the end, this is the long and short of McArthur's comment: The Spirit of God sovereignly moves in where He wills and gives new birth to those whom He has predestined to salvation.
This is the way Paul (the Apostle) said it: "He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we would be holy and blameless before Him. In love He predestined us to adoption as sons through Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the kind intention of His will to the praise of the glory of His grace, which He freely bestowed upon us in the Beloved" (Ephesians 1:4-6). You see, left to ourselves, we are hopelessly lost and, completely, unaware of our need for The Savior. Left to ourselves, we do not improve; instead, we continue in our depraved state, aimlessly wandering through life.
In my opinion, this should raise some serious questions about the techniques of modern-day evangelism. For example, why is such emphasis placed on the "altar call," especially in evangelical churches? Do we, somehow, think God needs our help to redeem His elect?
Just thought I would ask-
Monday, August 25, 2008
A New Identity
Monday morning, August 25, 2008[ [overcast and 78 degrees],
Well, now that we have the Sunday School issue settled, let us move on to simpler and less-controversial matters, such as sovereignty. The following is a quote from John McArthur's commentary on the book of James (p. 61): "The new birth results from God's sovereignly coming down to a sinner and by His grace cleansing him, planting His Spirit within him, and giving him a completely new spiritual nature. He then has 'put on the new self, which in the likeness of God has been created in righteousness and holiness of the truth' (Ephesians 4:24). After Augustine [354-430] was converted, a woman he formerly lived with called to him as he walked down the street, but he did not answer. She persisted and finally ran up to him and said, 'Augustine, it is I.' To which he replied, 'I know, but it is no longer I.' Our conscious experience of conversion, of believing in Jesus Christ, in His death and resurrection on our behalf, of committing our life to Him, is all the consequence of God's sovereign will."
Time and space will not permit me to give you the details of Augustine's life, so you will have to do a bit of internet research, and find out for yourself. It should, however, be very obvious that he was very familiar with the writings of the Apostle Paul, especially this quote from his letter to the Galatians: "I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me; and the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me" (Galatians 2:20; RSV Bible). I am certain that Augustine's reply to the woman left her thinking that he had lost his marbles, and I am just as certain that, should those of us who believe these words of Paul begin to tell others, as did Augustine, we would be looked upon as being without our marbles, as well.
It seems to me that most Christians have either never read Galatians 2:20, OR they haven't grasped what Paul said, OR they do not believe what he said, and this is evidenced by the fact that few ever seem to confess that they are no longer who they were, they never seem to confess that they are new creations in Christ Jesus. It is as if most are determined to sell the good news short, to refuse to accept the perfect and complete work of Jesus.
Listen, dear friend, IF you are one of His elect, then you ARE a new creation in Christ Jesus, as in completely new—no longer in Adam but in Christ! Why don't you accept your new identity and begin to introduce yourself to others accordingly?
Just wondering-
Well, now that we have the Sunday School issue settled, let us move on to simpler and less-controversial matters, such as sovereignty. The following is a quote from John McArthur's commentary on the book of James (p. 61): "The new birth results from God's sovereignly coming down to a sinner and by His grace cleansing him, planting His Spirit within him, and giving him a completely new spiritual nature. He then has 'put on the new self, which in the likeness of God has been created in righteousness and holiness of the truth' (Ephesians 4:24). After Augustine [354-430] was converted, a woman he formerly lived with called to him as he walked down the street, but he did not answer. She persisted and finally ran up to him and said, 'Augustine, it is I.' To which he replied, 'I know, but it is no longer I.' Our conscious experience of conversion, of believing in Jesus Christ, in His death and resurrection on our behalf, of committing our life to Him, is all the consequence of God's sovereign will."
Time and space will not permit me to give you the details of Augustine's life, so you will have to do a bit of internet research, and find out for yourself. It should, however, be very obvious that he was very familiar with the writings of the Apostle Paul, especially this quote from his letter to the Galatians: "I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me; and the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me" (Galatians 2:20; RSV Bible). I am certain that Augustine's reply to the woman left her thinking that he had lost his marbles, and I am just as certain that, should those of us who believe these words of Paul begin to tell others, as did Augustine, we would be looked upon as being without our marbles, as well.
It seems to me that most Christians have either never read Galatians 2:20, OR they haven't grasped what Paul said, OR they do not believe what he said, and this is evidenced by the fact that few ever seem to confess that they are no longer who they were, they never seem to confess that they are new creations in Christ Jesus. It is as if most are determined to sell the good news short, to refuse to accept the perfect and complete work of Jesus.
Listen, dear friend, IF you are one of His elect, then you ARE a new creation in Christ Jesus, as in completely new—no longer in Adam but in Christ! Why don't you accept your new identity and begin to introduce yourself to others accordingly?
Just wondering-
Friday, August 22, 2008
Much to My Surprise!
Friday afternoon, August 22, 2008 [Fay is passing by, ever so gently; 77 degrees],
Your responses to my previous "perspective" have been quite interesting, even surprising, I must say. No, I wasn't surprised at the reactions I received regarding wives submitting to their husbands; as I told you, this isn't my first "rodeo." I was surprised at the numbers of you who picked up on my comment about Sunday School. This is my direct quote: "Why, the chances of my convincing married women of the message of this text is about the same as my convincing the Southern Baptist Convention that Sunday School is a detriment to the Christian life."
Actually, there were three surprises: (1) Many of you concluded that I see Sunday School as being a detriment to the Christian life; (2) Many of you agreed with this conclusion; and (3) A few of you asked me to share my reasons for holding this belief. So, I figured that I should clear that air of any confusion.
In the first place, I don't know that I would say that Sunday School is a detriment to the Christian life, at least not always, but I do think it should be banned from church and my reasons are several. I will, therefore, cover item #2 with this list: (1) Most of those who teach Sunday School are not qualified to teach the Scriptures; (2) Many (probably, most) of those who teach SS do so in order to meet an emotional need[love, acceptance, or belonging]; (3) There is very little, if any, connection between what the pastor is preaching and what the SS teacher teaches; consequently, no one is able to assimilate all that is thrown at them on any given Sunday morning; (4) Too many parents trust the SS teacher to do what they should be doing; (5) Attendance at SS is used as the gauge by which the local church's success is measured; (6) High attendance becomes "bragging rights" for local churches; (7) SS is often seen as a means of evangelism [Since 7 is the perfect number, I will stop with these].
I really did get the strong feeling that many of you would prefer that your church end its SS programs and, thereby, stop some of the nonsensical busyness that it imposes. If this is true, why don't you, well, never mind, as I would hate for you to be "tarred and feathered" for wanting to destroy the golden calf.
I once heard Peter Lord say (actually, he said it to me) that, if he had it to do over again (he had a very successful church in Titusville, Florida, not to mention, and incredible teaching ministry all over the country) he would eliminate Sunday School, replace the pews in the sanctuary with round tables, and have everyone come together for a brief teaching session on Sunday mornings, and then give them time to discuss what he just taught. In my opinion he was correct, which is one of the reasons we do not have Sunday School and do have round tables in our sanctuary. If my crowd could get me to abbreviate my sermons, we would be right on target! Not many people, but what's new?
Your responses to my previous "perspective" have been quite interesting, even surprising, I must say. No, I wasn't surprised at the reactions I received regarding wives submitting to their husbands; as I told you, this isn't my first "rodeo." I was surprised at the numbers of you who picked up on my comment about Sunday School. This is my direct quote: "Why, the chances of my convincing married women of the message of this text is about the same as my convincing the Southern Baptist Convention that Sunday School is a detriment to the Christian life."
Actually, there were three surprises: (1) Many of you concluded that I see Sunday School as being a detriment to the Christian life; (2) Many of you agreed with this conclusion; and (3) A few of you asked me to share my reasons for holding this belief. So, I figured that I should clear that air of any confusion.
In the first place, I don't know that I would say that Sunday School is a detriment to the Christian life, at least not always, but I do think it should be banned from church and my reasons are several. I will, therefore, cover item #2 with this list: (1) Most of those who teach Sunday School are not qualified to teach the Scriptures; (2) Many (probably, most) of those who teach SS do so in order to meet an emotional need[love, acceptance, or belonging]; (3) There is very little, if any, connection between what the pastor is preaching and what the SS teacher teaches; consequently, no one is able to assimilate all that is thrown at them on any given Sunday morning; (4) Too many parents trust the SS teacher to do what they should be doing; (5) Attendance at SS is used as the gauge by which the local church's success is measured; (6) High attendance becomes "bragging rights" for local churches; (7) SS is often seen as a means of evangelism [Since 7 is the perfect number, I will stop with these].
I really did get the strong feeling that many of you would prefer that your church end its SS programs and, thereby, stop some of the nonsensical busyness that it imposes. If this is true, why don't you, well, never mind, as I would hate for you to be "tarred and feathered" for wanting to destroy the golden calf.
I once heard Peter Lord say (actually, he said it to me) that, if he had it to do over again (he had a very successful church in Titusville, Florida, not to mention, and incredible teaching ministry all over the country) he would eliminate Sunday School, replace the pews in the sanctuary with round tables, and have everyone come together for a brief teaching session on Sunday mornings, and then give them time to discuss what he just taught. In my opinion he was correct, which is one of the reasons we do not have Sunday School and do have round tables in our sanctuary. If my crowd could get me to abbreviate my sermons, we would be right on target! Not many people, but what's new?
Thursday, August 21, 2008
A Sight to Behold!
From what I have been able to tell, via the internet, a fully-equipped military Humvee costs the taxpayer approximately $150,000, which according to anyone's notion, AIN'T cheap. Yes, when you consider the value they are to our military, then the cost is justified, especially if they REALLY do save the lives our soldiers. Anyway, I was driving along, on my way to my office the other day, when I came upon quite a sight—roughly 75 (maybe more) of these things, loaded onto rail cars, patiently waiting to be shipped somewhere—probably Iraq or Afghanistan or Pakistan. If my calculations are correct, I saw $11,250,000 worth of Humvees, unattended, and sitting on railcars, in North Macon! (See the attached pictures! ) Anyway, as I walked alongside the track, looking over these machines, I couldn't help but wonder how many of them would one day, soon, carry some young soldier to his death, as he/she valiantly worked to protect our freedom, while our politicians sit at their walnut desks, trying to find another way to pad their already-too-fat pocketbooks, at the expense of our freedom.
A Missions Trip to Zimbabwe!
Thursday morning, August 21, 2008 [cloudy, windy, and 73 degrees],
As some of you know, I am preaching through 1 Peter and for the most part enjoying it. No, this is not my first pass through this book, as is evidenced by the fact that I have about as many notes in the margins of each page and between the lines of the text, as Peter has words in his text. The truth is, I love to read Peter, especially in light of the relationship he had with Jesus; to say the least, they knew each other quite well. I have often wondered what Peter's response would have been, when Jesus called to him, saying "Follow Me and I will make you a fisher of men," had he known what that "call" involved. Well, now that I think about it, I wonder what my response to His call would have been, had I known what that call involved! To be sure, it was best that neither of us knew!
Anyway, this Sunday's text is quite a challenge (No matter how many times I might have preached it in the past!). The challenge is not in understanding the text but in, well, you listen to it and figure it out for yourself: "In the same way, you wives be submissive to your own husbands so that even if any of them are disobedient to the word, they may be won without a word by the behavior of their wives, as they observe your chaste and respectful behavior" (1 Peter 3:1-2). Why, the chances of my convincing married women of the message of this text is about the same as my convincing the Southern Baptist Convention that Sunday School is a detriment to the Christian life.
What makes this text so very difficult is the first phrase: IN THE SAME WAY! Yes, you will have to go back and read a portion of chapter two, in order to understand his inference, but when you do, putting this text into practice becomes quite a challenge, especially if you are a wife, not to mention the difficulty of teaching it, if you happen to be a preacher, who doesn't care to be tarred and feathered.
Listen to some of the statements to which Peter refers: (1) Submit yourselves. . . to every human institution; (2) Honor all men; (3) Servants be submissive to your masters with all respect, not only to those who are good and gentle, but also to those who are unreasonable; (4) Do what is right and patiently suffer for it; and then the "biggie" (5) You have been called for this purpose, since Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example to follow in His steps.
Now, IN THE SAME WAY, you wives, be submissive to your own husbands . . . .!
Come to think about it, I have to be in Zimbabwe on a missions trip this Sunday; at least, I will have some chance of survival, not much, but some.
As some of you know, I am preaching through 1 Peter and for the most part enjoying it. No, this is not my first pass through this book, as is evidenced by the fact that I have about as many notes in the margins of each page and between the lines of the text, as Peter has words in his text. The truth is, I love to read Peter, especially in light of the relationship he had with Jesus; to say the least, they knew each other quite well. I have often wondered what Peter's response would have been, when Jesus called to him, saying "Follow Me and I will make you a fisher of men," had he known what that "call" involved. Well, now that I think about it, I wonder what my response to His call would have been, had I known what that call involved! To be sure, it was best that neither of us knew!
Anyway, this Sunday's text is quite a challenge (No matter how many times I might have preached it in the past!). The challenge is not in understanding the text but in, well, you listen to it and figure it out for yourself: "In the same way, you wives be submissive to your own husbands so that even if any of them are disobedient to the word, they may be won without a word by the behavior of their wives, as they observe your chaste and respectful behavior" (1 Peter 3:1-2). Why, the chances of my convincing married women of the message of this text is about the same as my convincing the Southern Baptist Convention that Sunday School is a detriment to the Christian life.
What makes this text so very difficult is the first phrase: IN THE SAME WAY! Yes, you will have to go back and read a portion of chapter two, in order to understand his inference, but when you do, putting this text into practice becomes quite a challenge, especially if you are a wife, not to mention the difficulty of teaching it, if you happen to be a preacher, who doesn't care to be tarred and feathered.
Listen to some of the statements to which Peter refers: (1) Submit yourselves. . . to every human institution; (2) Honor all men; (3) Servants be submissive to your masters with all respect, not only to those who are good and gentle, but also to those who are unreasonable; (4) Do what is right and patiently suffer for it; and then the "biggie" (5) You have been called for this purpose, since Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example to follow in His steps.
Now, IN THE SAME WAY, you wives, be submissive to your own husbands . . . .!
Come to think about it, I have to be in Zimbabwe on a missions trip this Sunday; at least, I will have some chance of survival, not much, but some.
Monday, August 18, 2008
On Doing the Right Thing II
Monday afternoon, August 18, 2008 [a bit overcast and 85 degrees]
Many years ago, a couple I knew refused to attend their daughter's wedding because they did not believe her fiancé was a Christian. In their minds, their attending the wedding would have put their stamp of approval on the wedding, which they refused to do. Conservatively, that was 20+ years ago, and today that foursome has no relationship whatsoever; in fact, the daughter doesn't even know where her parents live.
For the past several weeks my sermons have been from 1 Peter, the most recent ones having to do with our doing the "right" thing, as we live our Christian lives. Of course, one of the questions that immediately comes is this: How can we know the "right" thing to do? As I am sure you know, that question has no "pat" answer; however, most base it on their notion of keeping the Ten Commandments. For example, if one's interpretation of keeping the commandment that tells us to remember the Sabbath Day to keep it holy means doing no work on Sunday, then they believe the "right" thing is never to cut grass on Sunday, or never to install a fence on Sunday, or never to operate their business on Sunday, et al.
On the other hand, if his interpretation of that commandments means doing no unnecessary work on Sunday, then he might be found cutting his grass but only if a family member died and visitors are on their way to pay their respects, or he might be found operating his restaurant on Sunday (people have to eat), or he might be found conducting church services on Sunday (the gospel must be preached; for some reason preaching is not considered work by most, anyway), et al.
Of course, there are many passages in the Bible, other than the Ten Commandments, that identify the "right" thing for us to do in virtually every situation. For example, Jesus chose to do the "right" thing and associate with winebibbers and gluttons, so much so, that He was labeled accordingly. Strangely, many Christians have managed to overlook this "right" thing, and steer clear of anything that would even hint that they would associate with such sinful people (of course, most of them overlook the "glutton" portion and seem to do right well with it. Go figure-
You can decide for yourself, if it is "right" for you to work on Sunday, or have sex on Monday, or drink wine on Tuesday, or overeat on Wednesday, or smoke cigars on Thursday, or eat pork on Friday, or associate with sinners on Saturday, BUT this is rather obvious, especially, if you use Jesus' life as an example—JUDGING OTHERS IS NOT THE RIGHT THING TO DO on any day of the week!
Whatever you do, please DO NOT choose to throw your child under the bus and forever lose that relationship because of your foolish judgment of him, her, or them! It simply ain't worth it, especially when your judgment is incorrect—terribly incorrect—and most often that IS the case. I know you won't admit it, but that IS the case, most of the time, which is one of the reasons we are told not to judge.
Preachers, feel free to use this; in fact, you have my permission to act as if you thought-it-up, on your own!
Sunday, August 17, 2008
Church Break-In!
Well, it happened! Some dingbat(s) broke into GCF in an effort to steal something, I am sure; however, the alarm must have motivated them to do the "quick step" and leave the premises in a hurry! Nothing was missing, as far as I know but the window will have to be replaced.
Just for the record!
Thursday, August 14, 2008
Irresponsible Planning
Thursday evening, August 14, 2008 [86 degrees and beautiful],
"Come now, you who say, 'Today or tomorrow, we shall go to such and such a city, and spend a year there and engage in business and make a profit.' Yet you do not know what your life will be like tomorrow. You are just a vapor that appears for a little while and then vanishes away. Instead, you ought to say, 'If the Lord wills, we shall live and also do this or that.' But as it is, you boast in your arrogance; all such boasting is evil. Therefore, to one who knows the right thing to do, and does not do it, to him it is sin" (James 4:13-17).
To be honest, James’ writing style can be a bit distracting; especially, in light of the way he shifts from one subject to another without any warning. This passage serves as a good example because it forces my mind to wander from its focus on what appeared to be his theme, to wondering what prompted these seemingly off-the-wall comments. It seems that he ended verse 12 and left for a month’s sabbatical, and when he returned he started writing about whatever was on his mind at that time. Even so, it is Holy writ, so we should examine it.
Most of us have been taught the benefits of planning for the future; however, most of us neglected to practice what we have been taught. For example, most of us know that financial planning is a good thing but most never make financial plans, not even a simple budget; consequently, few of us have any financial goals. The trend today is to live from paycheck to paycheck and hope for the best, oftentimes with the erroneous mindset that says, “I am doing all I can do.”
In much the same way, most of us know that spiritual planning is a good thing but most of us never make spiritual plans; consequently, few of us have any spiritual goals. As a result, most wander aimlessly through the Christian life, wondering why the journey is so confusing and so difficult. The trend today is to live from sermon-to-sermon, oftentimes with the erroneous mindset that says, “I do not have the time or the ability to dig it out for myself.”
My point is this: Planning is a good thing, a very good thing, and we must never be deceived into believing anything less. Having said that, James is making an even greater point and it is this (said succinctly): Be careful about making plans you cannot change because you have no idea what will be going on in your life tomorrow, much less next year, not to mention that God just might have some plans of His own for you, plans that are diametrically opposed to yours. He goes on to tell us that our making plans without having first submitted them to Him, is not only boasting, but also boasting in our arrogance, which, of course, in any case, is evil.
It took me a while to understand why he closed this portion with these very haunting and familiar words: therefore, to one who knows the right thing to do, and does not do it, to him it is sin; however, it finally became obvious: We struggle to do what we know is the right thing to do because we have already made plans—selfish plans—to do otherwise.
What have you planned for tomorrow, for next week, for next year that will interfere with your doing what you know is the right thing to do?
"Come now, you who say, 'Today or tomorrow, we shall go to such and such a city, and spend a year there and engage in business and make a profit.' Yet you do not know what your life will be like tomorrow. You are just a vapor that appears for a little while and then vanishes away. Instead, you ought to say, 'If the Lord wills, we shall live and also do this or that.' But as it is, you boast in your arrogance; all such boasting is evil. Therefore, to one who knows the right thing to do, and does not do it, to him it is sin" (James 4:13-17).
To be honest, James’ writing style can be a bit distracting; especially, in light of the way he shifts from one subject to another without any warning. This passage serves as a good example because it forces my mind to wander from its focus on what appeared to be his theme, to wondering what prompted these seemingly off-the-wall comments. It seems that he ended verse 12 and left for a month’s sabbatical, and when he returned he started writing about whatever was on his mind at that time. Even so, it is Holy writ, so we should examine it.
Most of us have been taught the benefits of planning for the future; however, most of us neglected to practice what we have been taught. For example, most of us know that financial planning is a good thing but most never make financial plans, not even a simple budget; consequently, few of us have any financial goals. The trend today is to live from paycheck to paycheck and hope for the best, oftentimes with the erroneous mindset that says, “I am doing all I can do.”
In much the same way, most of us know that spiritual planning is a good thing but most of us never make spiritual plans; consequently, few of us have any spiritual goals. As a result, most wander aimlessly through the Christian life, wondering why the journey is so confusing and so difficult. The trend today is to live from sermon-to-sermon, oftentimes with the erroneous mindset that says, “I do not have the time or the ability to dig it out for myself.”
My point is this: Planning is a good thing, a very good thing, and we must never be deceived into believing anything less. Having said that, James is making an even greater point and it is this (said succinctly): Be careful about making plans you cannot change because you have no idea what will be going on in your life tomorrow, much less next year, not to mention that God just might have some plans of His own for you, plans that are diametrically opposed to yours. He goes on to tell us that our making plans without having first submitted them to Him, is not only boasting, but also boasting in our arrogance, which, of course, in any case, is evil.
It took me a while to understand why he closed this portion with these very haunting and familiar words: therefore, to one who knows the right thing to do, and does not do it, to him it is sin; however, it finally became obvious: We struggle to do what we know is the right thing to do because we have already made plans—selfish plans—to do otherwise.
What have you planned for tomorrow, for next week, for next year that will interfere with your doing what you know is the right thing to do?
Wednesday, August 13, 2008
The Real Enemy!
Wednesday evening, August 13, 2008 [a mere 76 degrees following a wonderful rain!]
Please read this verse carefully and prayerfully: This you know, my beloved brethren. But let everyone be quick to hear, slow to speak, and slow to anger; for the anger of man does not achieve the righteousness of God (James 1:19-21).
Thankfully, this verse does not exclude our being angry; instead it warns us to be slow about becoming angry. However, even with this concession, from what I have been able to observe, anger management is no small accomplishment. Most of the Christians, who are alive today, have ignored the “go slow” warning sign of long ago and, consequently, anger has become the “normal” way of the Christian life. In order for someone to think he/she needs a course in anger management, things have to get bad—really bad! As you know, most of us do quite well at expressing anger; albeit, some tend to be more covert than others—passive aggression (sitting down on the outside but standing up on the inside), as opposed to active aggression (standing up on the outside and the inside). Even so, those we target become victims of our abusive behavior and, strangely, they are most often those we love most.
Let me hasten to remind you that anger, in and of itself, is not evil or sinful, as is evidenced by the fact that Jesus Himself acted angrily: And he said to them, “Is it lawful on the Sabbath to do good or to do harm, to save a life or to kill?” But they kept silent. And after looking around at them with anger, grieved at their hardness of heart, He said to the man, “Stretch out your hand.” And he stretched it out, and his hand was restored (Mark 3:4-5; emphasis, mine). Of course, we all know about the anger He exhibited with the moneychangers in the Temple (see Matthew 21:12-13). Furthermore, God exhibited anger on many occasions (see Hebrews 3:10, for example).
Paul emphasized this with these words: Be angry, and do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger, and do not give the devil an opportunity (Ephesians 4:26-27). In other words, it is completely within the parameters of righteousness for us to exhibit anger; however, we must do so without sinning because we do not want to give the devil an opportunity to deceive us. Obviously, one of the keys to success lies within how quickly we forgive (release our anger) those with whom we are angry. As each of us knows, stored anger is NOT a good thing because it breeds the unquenchable desire to “get even” with the “enemy” who hurt us, and, unfortunately, that desire manifests itself in very hurtful and damaging ways, especially in light of the fact that we most often target our anger at those we love most, rather than the one(s) who hurt us.
Having said that, let me remind you of this: in the heat of the battle, most of us completely forget that our real enemy is Satan, not the one who hurt us; consequently, we seldom ever know what it really means to be “more than conquerors” when it comes to anger management. Thankfully, Paul has given us the truth and the key to overcoming sinful anger: For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places (Ephesians 6:12). May we never forget it!
Have a peaceful night!
Mac
Please read this verse carefully and prayerfully: This you know, my beloved brethren. But let everyone be quick to hear, slow to speak, and slow to anger; for the anger of man does not achieve the righteousness of God (James 1:19-21).
Thankfully, this verse does not exclude our being angry; instead it warns us to be slow about becoming angry. However, even with this concession, from what I have been able to observe, anger management is no small accomplishment. Most of the Christians, who are alive today, have ignored the “go slow” warning sign of long ago and, consequently, anger has become the “normal” way of the Christian life. In order for someone to think he/she needs a course in anger management, things have to get bad—really bad! As you know, most of us do quite well at expressing anger; albeit, some tend to be more covert than others—passive aggression (sitting down on the outside but standing up on the inside), as opposed to active aggression (standing up on the outside and the inside). Even so, those we target become victims of our abusive behavior and, strangely, they are most often those we love most.
Let me hasten to remind you that anger, in and of itself, is not evil or sinful, as is evidenced by the fact that Jesus Himself acted angrily: And he said to them, “Is it lawful on the Sabbath to do good or to do harm, to save a life or to kill?” But they kept silent. And after looking around at them with anger, grieved at their hardness of heart, He said to the man, “Stretch out your hand.” And he stretched it out, and his hand was restored (Mark 3:4-5; emphasis, mine). Of course, we all know about the anger He exhibited with the moneychangers in the Temple (see Matthew 21:12-13). Furthermore, God exhibited anger on many occasions (see Hebrews 3:10, for example).
Paul emphasized this with these words: Be angry, and do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger, and do not give the devil an opportunity (Ephesians 4:26-27). In other words, it is completely within the parameters of righteousness for us to exhibit anger; however, we must do so without sinning because we do not want to give the devil an opportunity to deceive us. Obviously, one of the keys to success lies within how quickly we forgive (release our anger) those with whom we are angry. As each of us knows, stored anger is NOT a good thing because it breeds the unquenchable desire to “get even” with the “enemy” who hurt us, and, unfortunately, that desire manifests itself in very hurtful and damaging ways, especially in light of the fact that we most often target our anger at those we love most, rather than the one(s) who hurt us.
Having said that, let me remind you of this: in the heat of the battle, most of us completely forget that our real enemy is Satan, not the one who hurt us; consequently, we seldom ever know what it really means to be “more than conquerors” when it comes to anger management. Thankfully, Paul has given us the truth and the key to overcoming sinful anger: For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places (Ephesians 6:12). May we never forget it!
Have a peaceful night!
Mac
Tuesday, August 12, 2008
Change? Who Me?
Tuesday evening, August 12, 2008 [ONLY 71 degrees and raining!],
Each of us is well-aware that we live in a world of change, a world in which nothing seems to stay the same. About the time we think we have something figured out, it changes and we have to refigure (a teenager, for example). Just when we finally have the circumstances of our lives arranged as we want them, somehow the proverbial “rug” gets jerked from under us and everything changes (finances or marriage, for example). The fact of the matter is this: from the moment of conception, each one of us lives in a state of constant flux (change that produces unrest). As we continue to grow and to mature, the experiences of life send us a very clear (clearly negative) message about change; consequently, it doesn’t take us long to develop the perception that change most often brings very severe and unwanted consequences. As a result, we develop a very strong resistance to any and all change.
Regardless, however, of personal perception, and even though it sounds like an oxymoron, change is a part of life that is here to stay! The good news is this: God designed it for our benefit and for His glory. The bad news is this: because of our strong resistance to change, we tend to fight it in order to preserve the status quo, and we do so, even when the status quo is the very thing that is robbing us of His perfect gift, the gift that He designed for our good and for His glory; namely, victorious Christian living.
For reasons that are better left with God, we are very prone to acclimate ourselves to the familiar, even the painfully familiar; consequently, we resist any change that might move us out of these familiar places into the not-so-familiar. Sadly, many people (uneducated, financially strapped, caretakers, battered women, abused children, victims of affairs, for examples) choose to remain in these familiar places, rather than to take the risk of being moved outside their perceived comfort zone, even though their choice is robbing them of God’s perfect gift. Fortunately, however, God has whatever it takes to force a move, and to do so without respect to our preferences, and when He does, it is always good—very good—even though we probably won’t agree (at least, not at first).
Just thought I would remind you-
Monday, August 11, 2008
Monday evening, August 11, 2008 [ONLY 78 degrees!]
Having seen pictures of the blazing, roaring forest fires that have occurred at various locations around our nation, we are all aware of their devastation. Without exception, these terribly destructive fires are started by relatively small flames—a camper’s match, an arsonist’s torch, a smoker’s cigarette butt, or a thunderstorm’s lightning bolt. Once started, however, their destruction is widespread and merciless, their course is relentlessly pursued, and nothing is spared their fierce rage. The devastation that is left behind is incomprehensible—acres and acres of blackened earth, the cremated remains of innocent people and animals, the smoke-stained rubble of once-beautiful houses, and the charred stubble of once-beautiful, pristine forests.
Interestingly, James compares the tongue with one of these small, devastating flames. Behold, how great a forest is set aflame by such a small fire (vs.5b)!Although I think most of us have a very clear picture of the terrible devastation a small blaze can bring, I do not believe we have as clear a picture of the magnitude of the devastation the tongue can bring, as is evidenced by the fact that most of us are much more careful and prophylactic in the way we handle fire, even a small flame, than we are in the way we handle our words—what we say. For example, none of us would think of abandoning a burning campfire or throwing a lighted cigarette onto the dry roadside grass; however, most of us think nothing about abandoning all reason and speaking a “burning” word about another or judging another guilty and condemned.
The fact is if we really believe that the tongue is a fire, a fire that is set on fire by hell, a fire that defiles the entire body, a fire that sets on fire the course of our lives, a fire that leaves much more devastation than any forest fire could ever leave, then, surely, we would at the very least be as careful with our words as we are with fire. I am fully convinced of this: If any one of us were given the opportunity to see the devastation the fires of our own tongues have left in their path, we would be astonished and horrified, even more than we would be at seeing the devastation of all the forest fires that have ever burned.
Sunday, August 10, 2008
On Doing the Right Thing
Sunday afternoon, August 10, 2008 [ONLY 88 degrees!],
Yes, I am aware that the use of the words "always" and "never" is "always" hazardous and, therefore, "never" without risk; however, I chose to take the risk and use "always" in my message this morning. This is what I said: There are some things that (in my opinion) are ALWAYS the right things to do. As soon as I uttered the words, I could see the facial expressions of some of my congregants change; in other words, at least for the moment I had their attention.
I went on to say that doing the "right" thing has nothing to do with following some list of rules because rules do not fit every situation; instead, doing the "right" thing has to do with following the leadership of the Holy Spirit. What that means is this: In the same situation, He could very well lead you to do one thing and me another, and both of us be doing the "right" thing. For example, He could very well lead you to give to some charity and lead me not to give to it and both of us be doing the "right" thing because we would be following His leading.
Enough. These are the things that I said are always the "right" things to do:
1. It is always "right" to be selfless, so much so that you regard others as being more important than yourself.
2. It is always "right" to abstain from judging—always.
3. It is always "right" to abstain from tale bearing and gossip, even not to associate with those who do.
4. It is always "right" to forgive others, even yourself, and to do so quickly.
5. It is always "right," when you do not know what is the right thing to do, to be still, to cease striving to know, and to watch and wait until the Holy Spirit shows you the "right" thing to do.
In my opinion, if each of us could begin to practice these things, not as a legalistic means to an end, but out of our love for the One who imputed His righteousness to us, life would be much improved, especially the relationship part of it!
Saturday, August 9, 2008
As Paradoxical as it Might Sound
Saturday evening, August 9, 2008 [beautiful evening but 90 degrees!]
Hopefully, you will try really-hard to read through this quote from Mason's book (p. 47) before you decide to discard it: "From the outset Job blames no one but God for his problems. Of course he does no really 'blame' God at all—he trusts Him. He trusts God enough to locate the final source and cause of all his adversity directly with Him, the Sovereign Lord of the universe, and yet still to hope in Him. And this remains the hallmark of Job's faith throughout the book. Always he looks directly to the Lord as the one ultimately responsible for everything that happens, and never does he get sidetracked into blaming his troubles on a multitude of more obvious, yet secondary causes such as the weather (Job 1:16, 19), other people (1:15, 17), or the Devil (of whom he has no knowledge anyway0. Most surprisingly of all, Job does not blame himself." Careful now, take it easy; don't throw the proverbial "baby" out with the bathwater!
Yes, I realize that this, even the thought of it, this makes some folk very ill, as in angry. The very idea that God is responsible for everything that happens in this universe is just too much for some to handle, especially when it makes us face the fact that "everything" includes EVERYTHING—sickness, death, even bad things happening to good people (whatever that means).
Now listen up: either God is God, or He is not, and, just for the record—HE IS! Now, because He is God, as in GOD, we must come to grips with some things that are not easily gripped, especially with our finite abilities to grip. For example, neither you nor I get to dictate to God how He is supposed to behave; if we could, then guess what: we would be God (or god, I should say!).
If you will take note of what went on in the first part of the book of Job, you will notice another example: Satan had to have God's permission before he could do anything to Job. In other words, had God chosen not to give Satan permission to attack Job, then Job would have lived and died without ever having to go through any of the pain and agony that he suffered BECAUSE God chose to give Satan permission.
This is just my not-so-humble opinion: I would hate to think that ANYTHING could happen anywhere in God's universe, without God being the One responsible; otherwise, someone else would be and that would scare the daylights out of me, especially if that "someone" happened to be Satan (or some people I know, for that matter).
Anyway, until we accept the fact that God is the Sovereign Lord of the Universe, we will stay bogged-down trying to understand all the "reasons" for our misfortune. This is the way Mason said what I just attempted to say: "Here we need the kind of faith whose God is so big as to be not just unmanageable, but to a large extent (as paradoxical as this may sound to Christian ears) unknowable" (p.47).
You think about that-
Friday, August 8, 2008
A Night to Remember!
As you can tell from these pictures, we had a great time at our monthly fellowship supper—maybe the best yet! Of course, Kevin got lost enroute but after several cell phone calls, he made it just in time to eat (vintage Kevin)! Cassie, even though she goes to her Doc today to learn when her cervical fusion surgery will take place, came and, I might add, her smiling face, exuberant personality, and optimistic outlook lifted the spirits of each of us. Shamona shared with us that she took another step toward becoming qualified for SSI, which will be a HUGE benefit for her, especially with her medical needs. Please pray that her application will quickly pass through the bureaucratic "red tape". On another note, the Whites are leaving for a week on the Outer Banks! We trust that they will have a safe and wonderful trip! As you might imagine, Travis ate enough for six but that is probably not newsworthy because he does that every time he eats! Oh, yes, there is one more thing: Dudley is having trouble getting Debbie to obey his orders! If I understood correctly, the next time she disobeys, she has to have a pastoral consult! Please pray that she obeys!! We did continue our study of the Revelation, looking not only at the picture John "painted" of Jesus, but also at the two Isaiah painted (Isaiah 6 & 53). Those of you who missed this event, well, what can I say—you were missed and you missed! Enjoy the pictures!
Thursday, August 7, 2008
Fig Leaves or Rose Petals?
Thursday morning, August 7, 2008 [Another HOT one but a cool spell is on the way!],
Another quote from Mason's book (p. 37): "When Adam discovered he was naked, he hid from the Lord. But when Job was faced with his nakedness, he worshipped, and this is what sets the fallen man apart from the redeemed man." Hmmm. . .
Truthfully, there is a side of Adam's attempting to hide from God that is almost comical—he used of all things, fig leaves. Yes, I know that fig leaves are larger than rose petals but they weren't large enough to hide the "private" side of Adam's life from God, or anyone else, for that matter, but when one is "running scared" any old hiding place will do, I suppose (or so we think).
There is, however, a side of Adam's attempting to hide from God that is very serious—we still attempt to do it, even though we KNOW it is futile. There is, however, a reason for our inane futility: we haven't learned that Jesus ended our need to hide from God. Peter said it quite clearly: ". . .and He Himself bore our sins in His body on the cross, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness, for by His wounds you were healed" (1 Peter 2:24; NASB).
Paul said it this way: "And when you were dead in your transgressions and the uncircumcision of your flesh, He made you alive together with Him, having forgiven us all our transgressions, having canceled out the certificate of debt consisting of decrees against us and which was hostile to us, and He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross" (Colossians 2:13-14).
You see, unlike Adam, when we find ourselves doing the most despicable act we could ever imagine, we can run TO Jesus and be received with open arms—accepted and loved without condition—having NO reason to hide and EVERY reason to embrace Him.
After all, He did take ownership of our sins, was punished to the full extent of the Law's requirement, took them away, and promised never to remember them again—A DONE DEAL!
Hallelujah for the cross and for the Christ of the cross! Maybe it is time for us to scatter some rose petals!
Wednesday, August 6, 2008
Torn Robes, Shaved Heads, and Prostration
Wednesday afternoon, August 6, 2008 [HOT AS BLAZES!]
Back to Mason's book, "The Gospel According to Job," at least for a perspective or two-
This is what Mason has to say about worship (p. 15): "Think of Mary at the foot of the cross: was it a sweet and mystical experience for her to stand there and watch her son die? No doubt years later, looking back on that day, she had more tender feelings. But at the time, surely, it was hellish. And so it will be for us whenever we make direct contact in our daily lives with the central object of mystery in Christian worship, the cross. It is marvelous to meditate on the cross and to be flooded with peace and joy. But that is the Holy Spirit showing us the effects of the cross; it is not the cross itself. It is wonderful to be filled with mystical rapture at the thought of Calvary. But more wonderful still, because more worshipful, is the moment when the rough wood touches our flesh and the nail bites. Real worship has less to do with offering sacrifices than with being a sacrifice ourselves. 'Present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God,' urges Paul, 'for this is your spiritual worship' (Romans 12:1)."
Sometimes, I wonder just how far we can stray from the truth. On the one hand, most Protestants sincerely believe that worship is directly connected to emotions. On the one hand is the group who believes that the higher the emotions run, the more worshipful is the "worship". On the other hand, is the group who believes that emotions are contraindicated in true worship; consequently, the more stoic the service, the more worshipful the "worship". And, yes, there are those who fit somewhere in between these two extremes. But what is the truth about worship?
Well, in my not-so-humble opinion, genuine worship does, indeed, stir the believer's emotions, but stirred emotions are not the evidence of genuine worship. The evidence of genuine worship is found in what happens in the heart of God, not in what happens in us. You see, genuine worship is NOT about us; instead, it is about Him. It has nothing to do with whether we sing, dance, clap, shout, run around the building, cry, laugh, or sit quietly; instead, it has to do with whether He is singing, dancing, clapping, shouting, running around Heaven, crying, laughing, or sitting quietly.
This is what Mason said (p. 5): "Perhaps there is not better test of true faith than when worship tears its robe, shaves it head, and falls prostrate on the ground.
This is what Job said in what was probably the highest moment of worship in his life: "Naked I came from my mother's womb, and naked I will depart. The Lord gives and the Lord takes away: Blessed be the name of the Lord" (Job 1:21)!
Maybe we would do better with much less of what we think is worship and a lot more of "torn robes, shaved heads, and prostration" before Him.
Tuesday, August 5, 2008
Foreordination & Predestination, continued
Tuesday morning, August 5, 2008 (sunny and muggy),
Your responses to yesterday's perspective have motivated me to follow it with this, also from Gerstner's, "A Predestination Primer": "Thus, when I drop a piece of chalk, foreordination generally and predestination specifically are being carried out. The chalk's dropping is an instance of foreordination proper. It is a part of that totality of things which have been eternally decreed by God. But since the chalk is inanimate and not a free moral agent it does not belong to the domain of predestination, properly speaking, but rather to foreordination, properly speaking. It does not will to fall. It does not choose to drop. It is acted upon and not acting. It, therefore, does not pertain to predestination but it is a part of foreordination, merely. When, however, we consider my dropping the chalk, we have an instance of predestination. Unlike the chalk, which does not decide to fall, I am a free moral agent, who does decide to cause the chalk to fall. Being a free moral agent, I come within the domain of predestination. Thus when we speak of the chalk's falling, we speak of foreordination; and when we speak of my dropping the chalk, we speak of predestination."
Got it? Good!
Now listen to what Paul had to say, "He predestined us to adoption as sons through Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the kind intention of His will, to the praise of the glory of His grace, which He freely bestowed on us in the Beloved" (Ephesians 1:5; NASB).
Got that? Even better!
Now listen to what Mac has to say (for whatever it is worth!): Had God failed to foreordain and, thus, predestine that some of the human race be His children, all of us would be eternally and hopelessly lost!
Monday, August 4, 2008
Foreordination & Predestination
Monday afternoon, August 4, 2008 [RAINING!],
The following is what Dr. John Gerstner had to say about "foreordination": "'Foreordination is the comprehensive, all-inclusive term. This informs us that there is nothing at all in the whole universe which is exempt from this pre-ordinating of the Eternal God. Thus, if it be a stone or an animal, if it be a man or an angel, if it be in this world or some other, if it be in the past or the future, if it be in heaven or in hell, it makes no difference what it is, where it is, when it is—'foreordination' teaches that it is the outworking of the eternal God." [John H. Gerstner, A Predestination Primer (Winona Lake, Indiana: Baker Book House, 1960), 4]
This is what he had to say about "predestination": "Now when we come to the doctrine of predestination, we come to consider a part, and only a part, of 'foreordination.' As we said, 'foreordination' pertains to everything, but predestination pertains only to a part of the total whole—a very small part of the total whole. As far as importance is concerned, however, and especially importance for us, it is incomparably more significant than anything else which falls within the foreordination of God. Predestination is that part of foreordination which deals with the actions of free moral agents, be they angels, men, or devils. This doctrine teaches that God foreordains specifically the actions of free moral agents." [John H. Gerstner, A Predestination Primer (Winona Lake, Indiana: Baker Book House, 1960), 5]
Suppose, if only for a minute, that God from the foundation of the world has predetermined your actions, that He has foreordained not only that you travel a certain road, but also the steps you take along the road.
Now, before the "minute" is over, tell me what you are feeling.
Blessings and wonder,
Mac
Saturday, August 2, 2008
Days Gone By--way by!
As I said yesterday, this matter of time is quite significant. In the black & white picture you can see yours truly (left) and Al Coppedge (right). We were in High School in the black & white picture, visiting Emory University (I was dating Annis, pictured next to me and Al was dating my sister, Kikky, pictured next to him). In the color picture, almost 50 years later, we were having lunch together this past Friday at "Sticky Fingers" here in Macon. Al and I attended Asbury College together for a while; after which, he went on to Scotland to earn his PhD degree and, then, to return to teach at Asbury Seminary, where he continues to teach today. Annis and I eventually married and Al and Kikky eventually didn't. I don't know why, but I thought you would want to know all of this, so I told you. Now you know. Oh, and by the way, I have never even been to Scotland but I have been to Miami, and notice that more of our foreheads are pictured in the color photo than in the black and white (I have no reason, as to why; maybe it is because we both attended Asbury College). Did you notice Al's white buck shoes?
Friday, August 1, 2008
Time's A Wasting?
Friday evening, August 1, 2008
That is correct; it is August 1, 2008! How can time be passing so quickly? But then, what is time, when you have been given Eternal Life? Yes, I am well-aware that we all live within the parameters of "time" but do we have to live, as if we are its slave? As I sit here in my office, looking through one of the windows, the small lake is as still as a mirror and the leaves on the trees are just as still, as if they are posing for the sun to paint them a multitude of shades of green. In fact, everything is still and quiet; it is as if every created thing is standing at full attention waiting on Someone to give it direction, to tell it what to do next. For the moment, it seems like time is standing still; however, I know better. I have lived too long to be so easily fooled.
Just now, a white crane is making her way along the banks of the small lake, slowly, ever so slowly, searching for food, for supper, and then, without notice, she flies to the other side, slowly landing on the green lush shoreline to continue her search. No hurry. No fretting. Just being what she was created to be—nothing more, nothing less. Then it happens: she catches her prey and flies away for the night. I get the feeling that she knows better than I that her Creator will take care of her every need. To be sure, she is, certainly, no slave to time! Much to the contrary, time is her slave; she makes time work for her, not the other way around.
Why do we humans have to mess things up so badly? Why do we insist on living at the speed of light? Why can't we understand that we miss most of life, when we are traveling so fast? It is as if we think we are wasting precious time, when we sit and wait and watch. Don't we remember how much time Jesus spent sitting, watching, and waiting—just being still. There is not one account of Jesus racing around like "a chicken with his head cut off," trying to keep the next appointment—not one! He didn't even get in a hurry when His close friend was dying and needed Him! Surely, we do not think He was wasting precious time.
And then, as if out of nowhere, the entire scene is interrupted: a foursome comes racing around the cart path, as if a bear were chasing them, attempting to finish 18 holes before dark! Frogs leap into the water, turtles fall off the log, and a hoot owl hoots! Go figure! I can promise you this: they will barely remember (if that) playing the last three holes, which makes me wonder why they took the time to play in the first place. I guess they have a church meeting to attend and they cannot afford to miss the "brownie" points.
There really is a time for everything and NOW is the time to let time work for you, rather than you working for it, even being its slave. Stop, wait, be still and know that He is God! Truthfully, there is no other way.
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