Meaning

Merry Christmas everyone! I hope you all enjoy your time this year, I'll be taking a short vacation and returning after the new year on January 5^th! Thanks for reading and I'll see you next year!

     Where are you this Christmas? More to the point, where is your heart? Are you caught up in the celebrations? Do the silver bells chime in your mind as you drive to the store to get those last few gifts? Do carols ring as you trim your tree? In all your rush and busy, do take the time to remember why we do all of this? Debates over the origins of the day itself, this holiday is here to commemorate the second biggest event in earth's history; when God himself stooped to our level and came to us.

     Think about that for a moment. The God of all existence, who is far beyond anything we can truly comprehend, who is rightful ruler and master of all creation, who had sat in glory from eternity past, who is endlessly praised by uncounted angels, became a baby boy. He who had sat on the throne of heaven now lay nestled in a simple manger. He who was needed no other now depended on a peasant girl and a carpenter. The God who provides breath and life to every living creature now would need bread from the hand of man. He left all that He had and became one of us: a small, cold, helpless infant. Why?

     Why would He put aside all that He had, all that He deserved, and come here as He did? Because He chose to, because we needed Him to. God is infinite, holy, and righteous. We are finite, simple, and sinful. Every day we choose our doom by rejecting God and making our own path. We are -not- morally neutral, we are naturally God haters and sinners. Can you go one day without lying? One day without stretching the truth? One day without being selfish? One day without being perfectly loving? Caring? Honest? One hour? One minute? The world wants to say that we're all ok. The world will tell you that at least you're better than that guy over there. Hey, you're no Hitler right? But you are. We are all capable of anything given the right “reason.” God was fully within His right to simply scrap us and start over (or not for that matter), but He didn't. He spared us, because He loves us.

     God however, is not only love. God is love but He is so much more! He is also just and because of His justice, He couldn't simply sweep our transgressions under the rug of eternity. Someone had to pay the price of sin and the price of sin is death. We can't pay that price, when we die that's it, end of the road. So in order to fulfill His love -and- His justice, God needed a sacrifice for our sins. Unfortunately there is nothing that exists in creation that has such worth as to be an even trade for the punishment that is our due. The only thing with any real worth after all, is God Himself. So God's son, the second part of the trinity, that divine personality that we also know as the Word of God, that One who formed the world itself, shed His robes of glory and put on humility. For us.

     Only God could pay the price that He himself demanded for our sin. Only God has the power to be born of a virgin and thus apart from the nature of sin that now condemns us. Only God has the power to live a sinless life and fulfill the law, and thus able to provide His people with the same. Only God has the worth to cover the cost of our iniquity, and only God could raise from the dead and defeat the grave. The story of Christmas is a fantastic story but it is only the first chapter. Never forget that the little baby in the stable was already on the road to the cross. Remember to celebrate not just -that- Jesus came but why! That little newborn baby was as newborn lamb and His time on this earth the period of examination that marked Him a worthy sacrifice.

     I love Christmas, but the story of Christ's coming to earth means little apart from the story of how He left and how He lived. I thank the Lord for coming here but I thank Him forever for coming here as a lamb to be slaughtered. I am thankful that the blood of Jesus cleanses me from my sin and that the snow on the ground this holiday season is nowhere near as white and pure as the new garment of righteousness that Christ has laid upon my back. Praise God for what He as done for His creation, for His love and His sacrifice. Never forget that the love we feel at Christmas is God's love, and the joy we feel is because the coming of Christ is the coming of a savior.

Love, Because, Despite

When once we walked a weary road

Through hardship and through winter cold

When once the darkest night was set

and naught a single need was met.

Though we had journeyed long and struggled far

And still no closer to the nearest star

Though we had given all, offered all we had

We still found life was lonely, sad.

Despite our lengthy list of crimes,

impotent to pay the fines.

Despite the guilt we have had since birth,

He saw in us, essential worth.

Because of who He claims to be,

The God of all whose love is free.

Because He is the Way, the One,

Made a way for sin to be undone.

This God who rules the heavenly host,

Who built the world from peak to coast.

This God who knows the deepest sea,

Has love for even you and me.

Because our sin was vast and deep,

A bitter harvest we would reap.

Because of what we all had done,

We earned the wrath of the Holy One.

Despite how we deserved to die,

He sent us One to crucify.

Despite His unknowable and infinite worth,

God's Son came down to lowly earth.

Though He was here and perfect still,

We missed the point and chose to kill.

Though we threw away the perfect man,

We acted out God's perfect plan.

When nothing seemed to be at peace,

And darkness reined from west to east.

When sin would burn the whole of earth,

God saved us through a baby's birth.

by. Jonathan E. Schaefer

Prayer and the Power to Change

     Whether it's a physical issue, a personality quirk or a continuing sin, everyone has something they don't like about themselves. It can be hard to see a way around these issues, and even more difficult planning our route past them. Sometimes it feels like we're lost on the sea with no direction. How can we become more than what we are? How can we remove or fix something that is an inherent part of ourselves? To be honest we can't, not alone. Humans are fluid, we have the ability to make small changes in the pattern of our behavior, to build new habits and ways of living, but we lack the ability to truly change in a way that matters eternally.

     It surprises me how little we tend to equate personal change with salvation. The most significant change in our lives is that of sinner to son, from enemy of God to friend. Why so many of us (myself included sometimes) simply don't think of going to God for help with other changes is astounding. If nothing else the process of our perfection (known as progressive sanctification) is something we need God to be involved in, actually sorry that's backwards. We need to pray, asking God to make sure WE'RE involved in the process since it is His effort that changes us. We all enter the family of God at different times and in different states. The rest of our time on earth is primarily spent transforming us into the image of Christ. Some of us have longer journeys some of us shorter, some of us easier, some of us harder, but everyone is on that journey and no one is perfect until after we die or Jesus returns in His glory. If you're frustrated by sin and you're not seeking God then that's why you can't defeat it. If you are seeking God and you still feel like you're struggling then keep it up, remember that this is war and sometimes they last a long time; the enemy will not go down easily.

     Moving past sin and the real obvious things. What about things that aren't necessarily sinful but perhaps you just don't like about yourself? God is there as well. When we pray, we are speaking directly to God Himself. God who loves to give gifts to His children and desires for us to be happy (remember though that happiness comes after holiness and they are connected, but that's another post). I for example, know that I can talk to much and be loud and even come across as spastic and immature at times. I really hate that about myself on the occasions when it happens but unfortunately I don't realize how I've been until hours later. I've prayed about it before and I do feel that I'm a more measured person now (somewhat). I know that I have greater peace and I don't worry about things as much as I used to when I was younger. If you don't like your body, prayer can give you the wherewithal to stick to your diet or exercise.  Prayer can inspire you to change habits and even comfort you if you need to leave friends. The point is that God is with us as a father, not only as Lord. You don't have to worry about bothering Him with little things because He is far more aware than we are of the fact that we can't even exist without Him.

     Prayer connects us to God and strengthens our relationship. It is the binding coord that draws us closer and closer each day. How strong would your marriage be if you never spoke to your spouse? How close would your friendships be if you never shared your day? We get our strength for life from our time spent with God. We simply cannot alter our reality without help from the creator of all reality.

Another Side of Omnipresence

     Humans have complex personalities; we're a walking talking mixture of thoughts, experiences, ideals, emotions and more. We're such a mixed up jumble of stuff that we're not even sure what exactly makes up our person-hood. Even more frustrating is that our emotions and ideas seem to activate and influence us beyond any kind of conscious control. We can be happy one minute and angry the next, crying now and laughing later. Consistently fickle and always changing we are a difficult thing to understand and an even harder thing to know. Thankfully God is not like us and although we cannot hope to fully understand Him, there are things we can know about Him.

     Today's focus is on the omnipresence of God. Now that's a big fancy 'impress your friends' word that means that God is everywhere. I'm sure you've heard this before but when we say that God is everywhere we really mean everywhere! He's with you at all times, whether you want Him there or not. He see's everything and hears everything that goes on at all times and in all places both on earth and beyond. When I was a child I used to imagine a million 'Jesus's standing in every possible position in a room, which is true to the point but not really accurate of course! The really interesting part is that God exists in all locations but takes up no space (being spirit). The general idea of omnipresence is a bit of a mind-blow but today were focusing on a something a bit more specific, namely that all of God is everywhere that God is.

     You may be wondering what I meant by that last sentence. Well, let's look at it this way: a human can be only partially 'present' in a given situation if the conditions are right. If I'm sad enough, my strength or my joy may not be represented; if I'm angry enough, my love or my compassion may not be seen in my actions. If one emotion or thought is given enough heed the rest of me may be absent from my actions. A man who murders someone in a fit of rage is a good example as his mercy, restraint, and rational thought are suspended from any level of active participation in His choices at that time. Even in the best of times we tend to give certain parts of ourselves greater weight than at other times. Some of us might be more emotive than logical or vice versa in our day to day decision making

     God is different. One of the facets of His omnipresence is the fact that wherever He is (which again, is everywhere) all of Him is present. God is never so angry that He is not also loving, nor is He so loving that He is not just. God's actions are always a perfect expression of Himself and they are always the correct choice in any situation. Now we may never really understand how this works exactly but it's a simple fact that God never loses control, never loses focus, never misses any details, and is always in perfect control of Himself (not to mention everything else).

     So what does this mean? Well to me it's a great comfort to know that even if my actions make God displeased with me I know that His anger will never override His judgment or His love or His mercy. I know that His love for mankind will never override His justice or his righteousness and so those who are deserving of punishment (who do not turn to Him in repentance) will receive the due of their actions. We do not serve a God who is capricious, like the Olympian 'gods' of old, but one who is reliable and worthy of trust.

Up to Par

Just a quick note of apology, I know lately the updates have been less and less often and I'm sorry for that.  I'm trying to fit several things into a tight schedule and the holidays do not make things any easier.  That however, is no excuse.  So again I'm sorry to those few readers I have and I promise to work harder at making things run more smoothly around here.  I'll be back on Monday with a regular post and God willing things will even out and become a touch more regular and worth-while.

Thanks for reading!

To Be a Man

     It has occurred to many that the standard and accepted portrayal of men in our society is twofold: either as bumbling idiots, likable yes, but no one you'd want balancing your checkbook or running the house; or as selfish sex-craving misogynists who see women as objects or less. I for one have often railed as to the unfairness of these portrayals and how they do little more than foster the belief that this is all men have to offer. Worse still are those who see the undervaluing of men in our culture and simply don't bother to be more. Biblicaly speaking men are called to be more than this. We are to be leaders, teachers, guides, protectors, guards, lovers, and more. Despite this high calling for men we see very little of it in our world. I've pondered this problem for some time and although there are many reasons why things have turned out this way I'm left with only one conclusion: Men are portrayed as idiots because men -on the whole- are.

     It is not however, an entirely conscious choice. Part of the effect of the fall was to have men become lazy and women developing the desire to take their place. This wouldn't seem like a huge problem if it weren't for the fact that these desire did not replace the knowledge of our proper positions. Due to our fallen nature men don't want to lead, we'd rather take it easy. Many women would rather make all the decisions (because men are pretty dumb, right?) but still think that men “should” be commanding and in charge and confident. This creates a viscous cycle of anger and resentment that destroys many homes.

     Looking outside the home and into society we see that it is not simply a relationship issue. Men everywhere are deliberately casting aside “manhood,” choosing instead to adopt more 'modern' ideas of gender roles. Traditional “manliness” has been nearly vilified by our culture as chauvinistic and elitist, even so far to make chivalry a form of demeaning behavior! All this is a problem but the biggest issue really is that many men simply never become men at all. We live in a world where adolescence simply continues on through a boys life, he never grows up and he never moves on from childhood. How many “young men” do you know -guys in their mid to late twenties- who have never had a long term relationship, have never given a single thought to marriage, who still live at home, or who don't put any effort into creating a substantial foundation to their life? This is a systemic problem, to such an extent that we don't even see the issue. In my own life I can perceive parts of my thoughts and behaviors that I know should probably be...more that they are. Of course there are extenuating circumstances and not every case is the same but people these days seem to be terrified of really growing up and cling to youth as long as they can.

     I'm not going to give you solutions, I don't really have them. This is a thing that must start at home; husbands and fathers taking their place and doing things right. They will influence their children and so on down the line. Men were meant to be the cornerstone, the strength in society that held firm against error and stood up to the problems around them. We've lost that today and I think we're suffering for it.

“Be watchful. Stand fast in the faith. Act like men. Be strong. Let all you do be done in love.”

(1 Corinthians 16:13-14)

Unstoppable

     Death is our ultimate enemy, or so it seems. We fear death more than anything else and try our very best not to talk about or dwell on it. Ultimately we will all feel its sting and there really isn't anything we can do about it. That being said should we really be afraid of it?

     To many death is the monster in the closet, the bogey-man who is just waiting to jump out and get you. We fear death like we fear so many things, because it's unknown. We don't know the day or the hour of our death and that is in and of itself terrifying. This fear and this worry tends to grow as we grow old. The young man thinks little of his eventual demise and the child doesn't think of it at all. However, we all have a moment, an instant when we first realize, when we really 'know', that we are going to die someday. Our life which up until that moment seemed like it would simply continue on forever, will cease. Understandably, we don't like that.

     Here's the twist though, in every way and in every place God remains in control. He orders the stars and he regulates the beat of our heart, moves the clouds and moves our souls, keeps our planet spinning and our lungs breathing, everything that is only is because He makes it so. Understand me, I don't mean to say that only what God allows to happen happens, I'm telling you that God orders the happening of all things. Every single tiny detail of existence is part of God's plan. If He were to let go for even an instant, we wouldn't see the destruction of the universe, we would experience it instantly disappear from reality. Now there are a lot of extremely specific and nit-picky things to say about God and His sovereignty and how it meshes with our choices etc. but for now focus on what this means in regards to death.

     Death is a punishment yes, physically the most serious result of sin. That doesn't mean however, that it lies outside of God's control. You die, I die, everyone dies when and where and how God has ordained. Not one instant sooner. You cannot speed the process along nor slow it down nor can anything interfere. Until that day, you're unstoppable. Knowing this puts death in perspective right? What's more frightening: death, or what comes after?

"And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. But rather fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.”

(Matthew 10:28)

     So don't be afraid Christian, to preach in the open air or to go to some distant land for Him. Nowhere is dangerous for you until He makes it dangerous. Know that you're death is part of the plan and it will happen at the best possible time, at the right time. We may not know why that moment was the right one, but we can trust His decisions. Ultimately, for the Christian, death is no fear anyway. We may not care to think of the moment of transition, but in that instant we will be in glory, never to fear again.

“So when this corruptible has put on incorruption, and this mortal has put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written: "Death is swallowed up in victory." "O Death, where is your sting? O Hades, where is your victory?" The sting of death is sin, and the strength of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.”

(1 Corinthians 15:54-57)

Strength for Trials

Sorry for the late post, been busy lately (as always really).  I found this little post I'd made somewhere a while back and decided it was worth cleaning up a bit and sharing, enjoy!

     Life is a long walk, a far journey. Sometimes the way is clear and the sun shines. Sometimes the night is coming and all we see are shadows. Sometimes we struggle to remember where our path lies as the sun steadily falls, as the shadows swallow our world. We panic, we scream, we cry, and sometimes..we die. Remember my friends, that whatever is thrown at us we have Jesus. We need nothing but Christ!" This world is fallen, but Christ! Each day seems harder than the last, but Christ! All you ever seem to do is fail, but Christ! You're lost and alone, but Christ! You're trapped and scared, but Christ! You don't know what to do, you cannot see the way, You struggle to remember hope, your heart races, your tears fall, your mind blurs, your soul screams, and there is nothing that you can see that is good and reliable and truthful and holy and just and wonderful, but Christ! 

     In that one all consuming truth we may stand when everything is falling.  We can take that next step, we can face that new day, we can fell that next foe! For He is our strength and our hope, He is the Way, the Truth, and the Light! In Him we are more than conquerors! When you have done all else, stand! Though He slay me, yet I will praise Him! If my duty for a time is to walk through shadow and carry sorrow I will do so with HOSANNA on my lips! For these present struggles are not worthy to compared to the glory that will be revealed in us! 

  "The LORD is my light and my salvation; Whom shall I fear? The LORD is the strength of my life; Of whom shall I be afraid? When the wicked came against me To eat up my flesh, My enemies and foes, They stumbled and fell. Though an army may encamp against me, My heart shall not fear; Though war should rise against me, In this I will be confident. One thing I have desired of the LORD, That will I seek: That I may dwell in the house of the LORD All the days of my life, To behold the beauty of the LORD, And to inquire in His temple. For in the time of trouble He shall hide me in His pavilion; In the secret place of His tabernacle He shall hide me; He shall set me high upon a rock. And now my head shall be lifted up above my enemies all around me; Therefore I will offer sacrifices of joy in His tabernacle; I will sing, yes, I will sing praises to the LORD. Hear, O LORD, when I cry with my voice! Have mercy also upon me, and answer me. When You said, "Seek My face," My heart said to You, "Your face, LORD, I will seek." Do not hide Your face from me; Do not turn Your servant away in anger; You have been my help; Do not leave me nor forsake me, O God of my salvation. When my father and my mother forsake me, Then the LORD will take care of me. Teach me Your way, O LORD, And lead me in a smooth path, because of my enemies. Do not deliver me to the will of my adversaries; For false witnesses have risen against me, And such as breathe out violence. I would have lost heart, unless I had believed That I would see the goodness of the LORD In the land of the living. Wait on the LORD; Be of good courage, And He shall strengthen your heart; Wait, I say, on the LORD!"

(Psalms 27:1-14)

In Every Way

     I think we can say at this point that the Christmas “season” has officially started, we're past Thanksgiving and December is here. Many of us have started decorating and others have long since finished. I'm happy because unlike some previous years I feel like I am actually able to enjoy it all this time. I sometimes feel like its an unfortunate bi-product of adulthood that much of the magic of the holidays is swallowed up in work and life and errands and preparation.

     Part of my issue with previous years is the fact that one of my jobs is in retail. Anyone who works in that environment can tell you that it is difficult to maintain the “Christmas spirit” when the season is two months longer than it is for everyone else. When decorations and products hit the shelves in October it tends to kill some of the magic. If nothing else simply being around it all for so long tends to make it lose its charm by the time Christmas actually arrives. Not to mention having to listen to the same several songs over and over and over and over and over until you're willing to listen to anything -anything- else can be frustrating to say the least.

     This was, as I said, a major issue for me in past years. I simply found it quite difficult to keep any sort of enjoyment or excitement going for so long a period or even at all. Compound that issue with the fact that the songs I heard at work were usually the worst possible Christmas songs they could have found (don't even get me started on “Santa Baby”.) What really grated my nerves though was very same thing that irritates me every Easter; namely the preponderance of movies, songs, and TV shows “celebrating” Christmas, that are produced by people who obviously don't believe the Bible. I used to grumble at these people and wonder how could they possible sing or act about a topic that they don't hold to be true. How could they support something they don't believe in? In addition there is the whole problem of Christmas's real meaning not being supported much by society in general. This all weighed on me every year until a passage of scripture came to my mind while I was grumbling:

“Some indeed preach Christ even from envy and strife, and some also from good will: The former preach Christ from selfish ambition, not sincerely, supposing to add affliction to my chains; but the latter out of love, knowing that I am appointed for the defense of the gospel. What then? Only that in every way, whether in pretense or in truth, Christ is preached; and in this I rejoice, yes, and will rejoice.”

(Philippians 1:15-18)

     I realized than that it doesn't matter that these people may or may not believe. It doesn't matter that so many people mangle or ignore the whole reason for the season. It doesn't matter that a fictitious fat man in red has taken the place of a baby in a manger in the minds of many. The story of God's Son coming to earth is out there! A crucial point in God's redemptive plan is freely available everywhere for everyone to see for months every year, and even the fictions that swamp us give those of us who believe an opportunity to spread the Word. What used to be an annoyance has become a source of joy! Paul was telling us that it does not ultimately matter how God's Word get's told so long as it does get told. So I'll sing along to the Christmas songs (not all of them, again, do not bring up “Santa Baby”...or “Last Christmas” for that matter) and I'll help with the decorations, because I'll also tell people about the miracle of deity wrapped in humanity and the story of the Savior.

Merry Christmas!

In Every Way

     I think we can say at this point that the Christmas “season” has officially started, we're past Thanksgiving and December is here. Many of us have started decorating and others have long since finished. I'm happy because unlike some previous years I feel like I am actually able to enjoy it all this time. I sometimes feel like its an unfortunate bi-product of adulthood that much of the magic of the holidays is swallowed up in work and life and errands and preparation.

     Part of my issue with previous years is the fact that one of my jobs is in retail. Anyone who works in that environment can tell you that it is difficult to maintain the “Christmas spirit” when the season is two months longer than it is for everyone else. When decorations and products hit the shelves in October it tends to kill some of the magic. If nothing else simply being around it all for so long tends to make it lose its charm by the time Christmas actually arrives. Not to mention having to listen to the same several songs over and over and over and over and over until you're willing to listen to anything -anything- else can be frustrating to say the least.

     This was, as I said, a major issue for me in past years. I simply found it quite difficult to keep any sort of enjoyment or excitement going for so long a period or even at all. Compound that issue with the fact that the songs I heard at work were usually the worst possible Christmas songs they could have found (don't even get me started on “Santa Baby”.) What really grated my nerves though was very same thing that irritates me every Easter; namely the preponderance of movies, songs, and TV shows “celebrating” Christmas, that are produced by people who obviously don't believe the Bible. I used to grumble at these people and wonder how could they possible sing or act about a topic that they don't hold to be true. How could they support something they don't believe in? In addition there is the whole problem of Christmas's real meaning not being supported much by society in general. This all weighed on me every year until a passage of scripture came to my mind while I was grumbling:

“Some indeed preach Christ even from envy and strife, and some also from good will: The former preach Christ from selfish ambition, not sincerely, supposing to add affliction to my chains; but the latter out of love, knowing that I am appointed for the defense of the gospel. What then? Only that in every way, whether in pretense or in truth, Christ is preached; and in this I rejoice, yes, and will rejoice.”

(Philippians 1:15-18)

     I realized than that it doesn't matter that these people may or may not believe. It doesn't matter that so many people mangle or ignore the whole reason for the season. It doesn't matter that a fictitious fat man in red has taken the place of a baby in a manger in the minds of many. The story of God's Son coming to earth is out there! A crucial point in God's redemptive plan is freely available everywhere for everyone to see for months every year, and even the fictions that swamp us give those of us who believe an opportunity to spread the Word. What used to be an annoyance has become a source of joy! Paul was telling us that it does not ultimately matter how God's Word get's told so long as it does get told. So I'll sing along to the Christmas songs (not all of them, again, do not bring up “Santa Baby”...or “Last Christmas” for that matter) and I'll help with the decorations, because I'll also tell people about the miracle of deity wrapped in humanity and the story of the Savior.

Merry Christmas!

Thankful

“Enter into His gates with thanksgiving, And into His courts with praise. Be thankful to Him, and bless His name.”

(Psalms 100:4)

     Its that time of year again, here in the US, where we take a day to spend time with family and friends and express our gratitude for what we have. Yeah I know I'm kidding. This is the time of year when we should be taking the time to show our gratitude but really we mostly shove a few mouth-fulls of turkey and stuffing down our impatient gullets and then run out to the store to express our overwhelming feelings of materialism and greed. Makes you feel all warm and fuzzy inside doesn't it? Honestly, we didn't always have this holiday and its not a biblical command; so why do so many of us get so irritated at how we treat Thanksgiving these days?

     We all know the story of the pilgrims and the Indians (Native Americans for you PC folks) and how they all got together and had a giant feast. The tale is mostly true and stands as the historical basis for the day we celebrate (or don't) to this day. The first actual proclamation of the holiday was given by President George Washington on October 3^rd 1789 declaring November 26 as “A day of public thanksgiving and prayer. Later the day was formalized by President Abraham Lincoln as the fourth Thursday of November in 1863. President Franklin D. Roosevelt tried changing the day to suit the Christmas shopping season but the general public didn't care for that at all and it was changed back. In President Washington's words:

“Whereas it is the duty of all nations to acknowledge the providence of Almighty God, to obey His will, to be grateful for His benefits, and humbly to implore His protection and favor; and Whereas both Houses of Congress have, by their joint committee, requested me "to recommend to the people of the United States a day of public thanksgiving and prayer, to be observed by acknowledging with grateful hearts the many and signal favors of Almighty God, especially by affording them an opportunity peaceably to establish a form of government for their safety and happiness:"

Now, therefore, I do recommend and assign Thursday, the 26th day of November next, to be devoted by the people of these States to the service of that great and glorious Being who is the beneficent author of all the good that was, that is, or that will be; that we may then all unite in rendering unto Him our sincere and humble thanks for His kind care and protection of the people of this country previous to their becoming a nation; for the signal and manifold mercies and the favorable interpositions of His providence in the course and conclusion of the late war; for the great degree of tranquility, union, and plenty which we have since enjoyed; for the peaceable and rational manner in which we have been enable to establish constitutions of government for our safety and happiness, and particularly the national one now lately instituted' for the civil and religious liberty with which we are blessed, and the means we have of acquiring and diffusing useful knowledge; and, in general, for all the great and various favors which He has been pleased to confer upon us.

And also that we may then unite in most humbly offering our prayers and supplications to the great Lord and Ruler of Nations and beseech Him to pardon our national and other transgressions; to enable us all, whether in public or private stations, to perform our several and relative duties properly and punctually; to render our National Government a blessing to all the people by constantly being a Government of wise, just, and constitutional laws, discreetly and faithfully executed and obeyed; to protect and guide all sovereigns and nations (especially such as have show kindness to us), and to bless them with good governments, peace, and concord; to promote the knowledge and practice of true religion and virtue, and the increase of science among them and us; and, generally to grant unto all mankind such a degree of temporal prosperity as He alone knows to be best.

Given under my hand, at the city of New York, the 3rd day of October, A.D. 1789.”

(signed) G. Washington

     Wow. Let's all just take a moment to think about how this was said by the President while he was in office! This day was from its infancy, designed that we may show our gratitude to God for His many blessings. Not only that but to repent of our misdeeds and pledge ourselves to future righteousness. This goes way beyond simply being content with what we have or taking the time to ruminate on how blessed we are; this about humility and submission and gratitude to God. What we see in our modern days is less rampant ungratefulness and more the continued rejection of God in our lives and a refusal to admit that He is the one responsible for every great and good thing.

“...although they knew God, they did not glorify Him as God, nor were thankful, but became futile in their thoughts, and their foolish hearts were darkened.”

(Romans 1:21)

     What are you thankful for? How has God blessed you? I don't have much, I wouldn't say that I'm rich or “well off.” I don't have much but I have far, far more than I deserve. We have food on our tables, a roof over our heads, family and friends, jobs to make money, money to pay for what we need, cars to get us where we need to go, a church family to strengthen and support us, clothes on our backs, toys and games and entertainments, the beauty of the world, the wonder of worship, the very Word of God for us to read, we have His grace and His forgiveness, we have God Himself! We have everything we could possibly need and so much more besides! What right to do we have to want more? What a crime it is that we can't even take one single day out of a whole year of them to be thankful?

“Oh, that men would give thanks to the LORD for His goodness, And for His wonderful works to the children of men! For He satisfies the longing soul, And fills the hungry soul with goodness.”

(Psalms 107:8-9)

     I have to work on Thanksgiving. I won't be able to spend my time with my family around a table. I won't see my niece get jellied cranberry sauce all over her face or my parents telling old embarrassing stories from the past. I'll be a few blocks away -just a few blocks- dealing with hundreds of people pushing past each other to get a DVD player that's ten dollars cheaper than it was yesterday. Do me a favor wont you? Take a few minutes and thank God for me, for your quiet table and your lovely meal. We'll be fine, those of us who have to work, there will be other Thanksgivings and other holidays. I'm just sad that as a people so blessed and bountiful, we can't even let one day of gratitude remain. We can't even allow one day in the year when we thank God for all we have.

“Oh, give thanks to the LORD, for He is good! For His mercy endures forever.”

(1 Chronicles 16:34)

“Thanks be to God for His indescribable gift!”

(2 Corinthians 9:15)

What It Comes To.

It comes down to a choice,

We make each waking moment.

It comes down to the point,

When we have to stake our fate.

It comes down to an instant,

When we're out of time to stall.

It comes down to a decision,

When we can no longer wait.

Our lives are so chaotic,

So little still makes sense.

Our lives seem dull and hopeless,

Is there a point, is there a way?

Our lives are bent and broken,

And soon to fall apart.

Our lives have lost direction,

Does the wind blow where it may?

We're not trapped in the unknowable,

Nor lost amid the fog.

We may be unforgivable,

But still He came to came to save us all.

We are so undeserving.

We are so lost on our own.

He may be God the righteous,

But He'll still lift you when you fall.

This life seems often pointless,

We cannot keep from sin.

This life often confront us,

With anger, sorrow, pain.

This life will leave you empty,

If you try it on your own.

But there is more to live for,

Beyond the desert there is rain.

It comes down to a Person,

Who makes everything new.

It comes down to a little risk,

Living life out on a limb.

It comes down to a true love,

Life once given, grace received.

It comes down to more than human,

It all comes down to Him.

by. Jonathan Schaefer

11/24/14

**Hope you liked today's poem, tried out an experimental rhyme scheme.  Let me know what you think!  Also I'll be taking the rest of the week off for Thanksgiving, so my last post will be on Wednesday this week.  Thanks for reading!

Lower Case g

     How do you see God? To put it another way: how do you perceive God, or what do you think about when you think of God? What would you say is the nature of your relationship with Him? Interesting questions wouldn't you say? The answers to these questions are important, as it is the perceived nature of our relationship with God and how we view Him that influences our behavior in regard to Him.

     To many, God is a mystery; an unknowable and unsearchable force or being that floats about the universe just out of reach. To these people, knowing God in any real way is an impossibility. God may have made the world but certainly doesn't interact with it much, or when he does it happens on some incomprehensible whim. This god is impersonal, indescribable, and pointless. Truthfully, a god who stays apart from reality in virtually every way may as well not exist. This, I think, is the point. Many of the people who hold to this belief would rather god not exist at all but they cannot deny that voice inside that tells them otherwise. Some others want a sense of something more than what we see but don't want the accountability of a knowable, relational god. Sadly something that is merely spiritual but not coherent doesn't do them any good, nothing more than a painkiller for a gaping wound.

     Others see god as a sort of cosmic Santa Claus, there to provide for their needs and desires while comforting their hearts in troubled times. To these, our relationship with god is based most commonly on rules and rituals; if I do this than god will or must do that. This is god chained and tamed, more our servant than the Lord of the universe. You see this idea in the “name it and claim it movement”, as well as in “christian science” and many of the charismatic groups today. If we only have enough faith, or pray the right prayer, or give enough money, then god will make us healthy, wealthy, and happy. Sadly all this belief does is to make its followers into a group of greedy, materialistic adolescents obsessed with the miraculous and the now; or even worse to disillusion them to the idea of a God who cares. One of God's great promises was to be with us in times of trial, not to keep us fat and comfortable all our life. When we make demands of god and insist he do what we say, then we are daring to take His place and put ourselves upon the throne.

     So how should we relate to God? Let's take a quick look at a few things we know about Him. He is the creator of all things (John 1:1-3), the rightful King (John 18:37, 1 Timothy 6:14-15, Revelation 17:14, etc.), the sacrifice for our sins (Hebrews 9:24-26, John 1:29, etc.), and much much more! So how should we relate to one who is the creator of all things? We must recognize that He has right over us to do whatever He wishes. How do we relate to the rightful King? We are servants and subjects, those who must acknowledge His Lordship and obey. How do we relate to the one who bore our iniquity and died that we may live? How else but to throw ourselves down in gratitude for so great and undeserved a sacrifice? God is GOD! He is so big and so much 'more' than we are, how astonishing it is that we continue to forget that He is above and we are below? Join me in asking God to continually remind us of His glory and grace; that we would not forget our place in relation to Him. We are beggars at the door not the Lord on the throne.

     When we take God off His throne, when we forget who He is or who we are, we disgrace His name and deny Him the praise and glory that He is due. We cannot recognize our own sin or our need for a savior when we bring God down to our level. In the end everyone will acknowledge God for who He is. Wouldn't it be better to do so willingly and joyfully than by force, with the knowledge that its too late to change sides? Wouldn't you rather sing His praise as a joyful song in paradise, than mutter it bitterly while in torment?

“Therefore God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth, and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.”

(Philippians 2:9-11)

The Blessing of Guilt and Shame

     We have something built into the world to help discourage us from evil and encourage us to righteousness. It works both internally and externally, personally and socially. We feel it in our hearts when we take actions and we experience from others when those actions become known. We may try and minimize it or even vilify it but I see this system as a blessing not a curse. I'm talking about guilt, shame, and regret.

     These three “feelings”, for lack of a better word, go a long way in guiding our behavior. They are in essence, part of our conscience. When we do something wrong we grieve our conscience and feel guilt, when others hear of our wrong doing we feel ashamed and as we remember past mistakes we feel regret. Like our sense of taste which helps us to know which foods are good and which are bad by how pleasant or unpleasant they are to our tongue, guilt and shame serve as the negative responses to bad things that are unhealthy for us; regret in this analogy is the aftertaste, the bitter remnant that remind us of our mistakes.

     When properly understood and used these emotions, these reactions can serve to align us with proper living. What makes us guilty or ashamed is most likely something to be avoided, and thinking ahead can help us decide against things that we will regret doing. This is all paired, of course, with the positive responses: joy, pride (the healthy kind), and praise. Together they enforce the good and discourage the bad, so long as we use them properly.

     That being said, look at what the modern era thinks of guilt and shame. How often are we told that we needn't feel guilty about our choices? How rarely is anyone ashamed of their choices and how much time is really spent on regret? This culture views guilt and shame as societal programming left over from a more closed-minded time. What you're doing isn't wrong they say, it was just looked down up on in the dark ages of fifty years ago. Whatever you like and whatever you want to do, do proudly and openly! Feel no shame in what and who you are, throw all of who you are into the public square (personally and physically) and don't spare a second thought about what's “proper.” Isn't that what we hear?

     How can we expect to know what choices are wrong when we silence the voice that would warn us? How are we supposed to know to avoid the behaviors that damage us when everything is accepted and nothing is decried? Many of us have so ignore and seared our consciences that we don't even feel the twinge of guilt or hear the whisper of restraint. Mankind no longer feels the chains of sin because we've convinced ourselves that it was “righteousness” that held us prisoner.

     Listen to your guilt, listen to your shame, let yourself feel regret. Ask God to resuscitate your conscience and give it life anew. Your guilt will remind you of your sinful nature and keep pride from devouring you, shame will keep your public behavior proper and help you shape your private self, and regret will never let you forget that the God who saved you had every right to condemn you. These three are important, don't let them die in you.

For Him

I cannot sing the loudest

Nor can I sing the best.

I cannot sing as sweetly,

As a bird does from her nest.

But when I make a joyful sound,

I sing unto the King.

I sing to thank Him for His love,

And the blessings that He brings.

I am not a famous artist,

My works are not well known.

I'm in no uptown galleries,

Or art collector's homes.

My work is far from popular,

But ask me if I care,

My purpose is to praise my God,

His glory to declare.

My words don't always leave my pen

With fervent, eager glee.

I don't always make a perfect point,

Or paint fitting imagery.

My writing tells of stories,

That are hundreds of years old,

Yet still the truth contained therein

Is fierce and live and bold.

We may never find great riches,

We may never have grand homes,

But with every work that glorifies,
We lay an alter stone.

Our lives will be the sacrifice,

A gift to One on high.

We know the only way to live,

Is every day to die.

by. Jonathan E. Schaefer

11/16/2014

That Which Matters Most

“All the paths of the LORD are mercy and truth, To such as keep His covenant and His testimonies.”

(Psalms 25:10)

“But You, O Lord, are a God full of compassion, and gracious, Longsuffering and abundant in mercy and truth.”

(Psalms 86:15)

“Jesus said to him, "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.”

(John 14:6)

“Pilate therefore said to Him, "Are You a king then?" Jesus answered, "You say rightly that I am a king. For this cause I was born, and for this cause I have come into the world, that I should bear witness to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth hears My voice."

(John 18:37)

     I've heard it said, and quite recently, that the true message of Christianity is love, peace, and forgiveness. Isn't that a beautiful sentiment? Truly one of the most amazing things about what God has done for us is that He has loved us apart from -and indeed despite of- all the evils we have done. That being said, is love and all that really the central message and purpose of Christianity? From my perspective, I'd have to say no.

     Love is important, very important. Without love we would all have been cast down by the righteous fury of God long, long ago. Love is what spared our lives and saved our souls. Love is what brought Christ down from heaven in the form of a man to die for us. Understanding God's love for us goes a long way in explaining the pattern of history. Verse after verse of scripture is dedicated to God's love for His creation and our love for Him and each other. Their is a whole chapter devoted to love in the new testament and a whole book in the old about love! Yet love has its limits.

     Love is only good when it is informed by the truth. The less truth and knowledge we have the more superficial love becomes and the more we undermine its power. What good does it do to “love” someone and ignore their sin? How much benefit does someone get from being cared for, if we never share with them the gospel? God loves us and cares about love, but He cares about truth more. Think about it: sin was started, not with an unloving act, but with a lie. When the serpent tempted Eve it didn't batter her and stuff the fruit down her throat, it lied. The truth was warped and broken and cast aside and that act is what ultimately began humanity's descent into shadow.

     We must uphold the truth. If we do nothing else, this we must do. If we allow false teachers to degrade the message than people will not be truly saved. If they listen to lies and fictions about God, how will anyone come to know Him? If we allow the unskilled, ungifted, and untaught to steer our beliefs what will be the meaning of any of our confessions? Do you think God cares that we are sincere if we are sincerely wrong? Remember, we are called to abstain from idols and to worship only the true God. Idols can be made from many materials, including ideas. Those who teach falsely are not just errant preachers they are holding up a God that is not God, an idol.

     It is important that we love. Though love without knowledge and truth is powerless and ultimately pointless, truth without love is harsh, unforgiving, and merciless. We cannot allow a desire to love others to blind us to lies and to allow the existence of false teaching and pagan doctrine. We must confront these evils with love and a desire to save those captured by them. Love will save no one if uninformed and truth will condemn everyone unless softened by love.

“And this I pray, that your love may abound still more and more in knowledge and all discernment, that you may approve the things that are excellent, that you may be sincere and without offense till the day of Christ...”

(Philippians 1:9-10)

Which Way?

The path we walk is narrow

With no walls to mark the sides

The trail often twists and turns

Like the best of theme park rides.

How are we to know the way?

And how are we to stay,

Upon the one and only path

That leads to brighter days?

How can we know with surety

The truth of any thing?

When all around us people claim

That truth is anything?

Are they all right?

Is every thought and dream

Equally true?

Can I hold to my own musings

And still find my way to You?

And what about this “narrow gate”

You talk about in Luke?

Did You mean the way was slim and small

Or was it just a fluke?

If truth means this is right

And that this other thing is wrong,

How can we think that every thought

Can equally belong?

If Jesus claimed to be the way,

The truth and to be light,

How can He we say He wasn't

and still think we'll be alright?

by. Jonathan E. Schaefer

11/12/2014

Starting Points

     Every idea and every world-view has a starting point. We like to think that we can be objective but in reality, that is just not possible. We bring our own assumptions and perspectives to every thing we think about and every discussion we have. Ultimately the only real objectivity we can have is to be aware of our bias and work with it, doing what we can to look at things in the best and most honest way possible. Our understanding of objectivity is especially important when discussing God and in particular His existence and relationship with modern “science.”

     It is important to remember that no one has or can disprove the existence of God. Since God is apart from nature -above and beyond it, really- nothing that you study 'in' nature can either totally prove or disprove His existence. Now the Bible does talk about seeing God in nature:

“...because what may be known of God is manifest in them, for God has shown it to them. For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead, so that they are without excuse,”

(Romans 1:19-20)

We see that nature does reveal some limited information about God, not the gospel to be sure, but enough so that men are “without excuse.” In our modern day people down-play this truth and a great deal of study is done really, just to come up with excuses as to how God wasn't involved in our beginnings. Yet still, after all that study and experimentation they can never 'prove' that what they say happened the way it happened nor does it preclude God's involvement, let alone to say whether He exists or not.

     The real heart of the matter is this, the Bible never tries to prove the existence of God. Seriously, read through it (which you should be doing anyway!). From beginning to end the Bible presupposes the existence of God.

“In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.”

(Genesis 1:1)

“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God.”

(John 1:1-2)

This is also important as it brings us (finally) to the main point today, everybody has presuppositions. Those who do not believe in God are not at that point because they have been convinced by some winning argument or eloquent speech, they have simply chosen to believe that God is not, they presuppose the non-existence of God.  Once that choice is made every idea that comes after is filtered through that perspective. All the 'evidence' and argument that might lead to a belief in Him becomes turned to the other direction.

     The point here today is not to bandy talking points back and forth. I am not here today to argue creation or the existence of a higher power. I am here to say that the atheist who puts down the Christian for “assuming” that God exists instead of using evidence is covering up the fact that they are just as biased. We don't kneed to prove God to people, they already know He's there.

“...because, although they knew God, they did not glorify Him as God, nor were thankful, but became futile in their thoughts, and their foolish hearts were darkened. Professing to be wise, they became fools, and changed the glory of the incorruptible God into an image made like corruptible man; and birds and four-footed animals and creeping things.”

(Romans 1:21-23)

     Whether or not they want to admit this is their issue to deal with. God has called us to tell the world of Him and let the Spirit work on their hearts. We are nothing more than paperboys on the corner of the world, calling out to those around us and hoping someone listens. Remember that no one but God is objective and everyone brings opinions to the debate; don't let anyone tell you otherwise.

“Love” Thy Neighbor

     Love is very popular. This has always been the case and I suspect it always will be. I think it's safe to say that most people think that if something has love in it, it can't be wrong. Love is a powerful and important force, something that can motivate and destroy us depending on the circumstance. As a Christian we get asked all the time: Why can't you just love everyone? Why do we have to judge others and make sinners out of everyone?

“And we have known and believed the love that God has for us. God is love, and he who abides in love abides in God, and God in him.”

(1 John 4:16)

     The world seems to see the Christian's need to point out sin as being very unloving. We get called intolerant and hateful, bigoted and closed-minded, out of touch and stubborn. They ask us how can the love between two people be bad and why can't we just let them be happy? This world has a love affair with love but sadly, like a teenage girls affection for a celebrity, it's based more on what they think they know then the truth. To love as the world prescribes is to allow everyone their choice and to make no judgments and no comparisons, let us each find joy in whomever's arms we choose. The question is, is this acceptance really love?

“But whoever keeps His word, truly the love of God is perfected in him. By this we know that we are in Him.”

(1 John 2:5)

“Love has been perfected among us in this: that we may have boldness in the day of judgment; because as He is, so are we in this world.”

(1 John 4:17)

     Imagine that you're best friend is terribly ill, terminal. He will die eventually, it's only a matter of time. Now further imagine that you hold in your hand the cure for his ailment. Now what would be said of you if you -knowing you had the cure- said nothing of it to your friend? This world asks for us to on one hand believe that all men are dead apart from God, and on the other hand to tell no one of their need for Him. They expect us to carry the cure for the only true disease that is killing billions and yet tell no one! Constantly we are told that we can believe what we want, just don't push it on others. They do not understand that to hold our faith properly, we must tell those around us! It is not hatred that compels us to bring light to the shadows where sin is hiding, it's love; or at least it should be.

     It's not love when you allow others to wallow in sin. Would you be considered loving if you let your brother or sister pursue an addiction to some life destroying drug? Would you be hailed for your great acceptance if you allowed a friend to continually rape and murder others because that's where he finds joy? In reality, society is more than happy to accept any sin that a man can do without hurting someone else; “as long as it doesn't effect me,” right? Real love will not stand by and let someone be slowly strangled by sin just because they wish for them to be happy! I love my family and my friends, but I would have every hardship and suffering fall upon them if that is what is necessary to lead them to God! I do not much care for someone's earthly happiness, not for it's own merit at least. Happiness will come when we are right with God. Anything else is a sugar coat on refuse, a nice new paint job on a derelict building.

     Christians should be paragons of love. But that love cannot be shown by sacrificing the soul of the recipient. Love is not a goal. Love is a choice, a means, an action; love is a verb. I don't care if your choice makes you happy if it also makes you sick. God is love. He exampled it and shared it with us as a gift and blessing. God also framed the right and the wrong. This great God of love is the King of creation as well, and we cannot promote peace by lawlessness. So no, I cannot just love my neighbor as you say. I must love them as God has said, by showing them the truth; by showing them God.

"For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. "For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved. "He who believes in Him is not condemned; but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. "And this is the condemnation, that the light has come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. "For everyone practicing evil hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his deeds should be exposed. "But he who does the truth comes to the light, that his deeds may be clearly seen, that they have been done in God."

(John 3:16-21)

More than Humanity Part 2: A Little Bit Above

     Where does humanity stand in the whole of creation? More importantly, how do we compare to the spiritual realm? We humans occupy a unique place in the world of matter, in that we also occupy a place in the realm of the spirit. Animals, plants, objects; none of these things have a spiritual component. What makes us different is that God made us a bit like Himself, namely a threefold being. We are body, soul, and spirit (debates about the differences or lack there-off between soul and spirit aside).

     All of what we see, and most of what we concern ourselves with is this physical form. This isn't terribly surprising as it is the point of most of our conflict. We are concerned with getting sick or getting injured, worried about future weakness as age takes it's toll and of course we're all a little concerned about death. This body is like a screaming baby, perhaps not the most pressing concern, but the most noisy and what draws our attention most of the time. Humanists would have us believe that this flesh is all there is, that we occupy no higher plane. One wonders though, if that were the case, why all the philosophical thought in the world? How did we get the idea of anything more if there isn't anything more? How are we able even to have thought that is self-aware if all we are is a meat-machine?

     What makes us different is that we are more than mere humanity. What I mean by that is we aren't just meat-machines we are “semi-transcendent.” I used to believe the old phrase “I'm a soul in a body not a body with a soul,” and that sounds good and all but it's not really accurate. In actuality we are physical beings with souls, that combination is what we are; which explains why we will have bodies in eternity. You cannot divorce yourself from your soul and still be really alive, but you also can't say that you are only physical. Our semi-transcendence means that we are slightly above the physical realm. We are not angels so we are not removed from this world, but we aren't animals either. We have a perspective that allows us to see beyond what we see. It is this state that allows for our sentients, that allows us to be self-aware.

     This state of being is a blessing and a burden. Though we are fallen from grace thanks to our sin, our semi-transcendence gives us a sense of the eternal, of the “more than this.” This is a part of that “God-shaped hole” we all have in our hearts. Though we are separated from God, we were created to be more than just animals and so we strain against the bonds of our sin and this material world. We yearn for more than just rocks and air and flesh. It is this desire, this unfulfilled and indefinable pull that ultimately leads many to God. To many the party line of molecules to man just doesn't cut it because they know that there is something more, something beyond what they see and touch and taste.

     Man is an interesting creature, made to be more than just skin and bones. God made us a little like Him, not deity, but stamped with the image of God. We do a disservice to ourselves and our creator when we attempt to remove or ignore the part of ourselves that moves beyond what we can study in a lab or see on the street.

“Then God said, "Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over the cattle, over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth." So God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them.”

(Genesis 1:26-27)

The Forest for the Trees

     Let's be honest for a moment here, Christianity does not have the best public image; at least not here in the US. To many people, we are the embodiment of intolerance and closed-minded, bigoted, and superstitious belief. They see us a simple-minded holdouts of a time gone by, long since left behind by those with discerning minds. Anti-science, anti-thought, and anti-love are the labels many would place upon us. We have not, for the most part, done much to help this image.

     Many modern day “Christians” spend a great deal of time blasting other groups and other people, hammering away at them and shoving the Bible in their faces. They do not care for the souls of others, only that those evil sinners stop making their lives so uncomfortable. They are crass and rude and belligerent and do nothing to progress the cause of Christ. Let's be honest once more, would you willingly seek out the faith held by these people? Would someone screaming in your face at the grocery store really convince you of the truths of scripture? Is it not more likely that these people who blithely use the name of our Lord and become indignant and preachy at the slightest offense, push people further from God?

     Worse still are those far from truth who claim it still. People like the members of the Westboro Baptist Church who seem to have no love at all, or the “name it and claim it” groups who turn God into a servant of man. People who claim the name of Christ but are not known to Him. These people parade the image of the people of God before the firing line of society. The world see's them, see's their hatred and their cold facade, their greed and materialism, and that image bleeds across everyone who calls themselves a Christian. God is just yes, but He is also love. Any message of judgment must come through the voice of one who desperately yearns for the salvation of the damned! God does not find joy in killing off the evil or the sinful (Ezekiel 33:11) rather He desires that all would be saved. These people and these groups lift up an image of Christianity that is heartless and mean, devoid of any attractive features, or who is weak and subject to the whim of his followers. Again, how likely is it that anyone will hear this message and truly repent? How will they see the love of God who longs to forgive if those who are supposedly His people lack all forgiveness?

     Don't get me wrong, this is not a popularity contest. Christians -real Christians- will be hated by the world (John 15:20). A sinful world cannot and will not accept a message that says that it must change. That being said, we must be sure that we are accurately displaying and relaying the message of God to those around us. God is just but He is also the justifier. He is the judge who condemns and who has mercy. He is the sword and the sacrifice. Real biblical Christianity is to so many, lost in a fog of falsehood; hidden behind a crowd of inaccurate teaching and unbiblical behavior. We must stand strong and show the world the Christ of the Scriptures. We must stand against false teachers and preach the truth of God in our land. People need to hear the words of God and if we must shout to be heard above the din then so be it. If we must risk our lives by standing above the foxholes then that is what we must do. Eternity lies before us, whether in heaven or in hell. Let those who reject Christ reject the real Christ of Scripture. Show Him to the world that hope may be found.

“As was the man of dust, so also are those who are made of dust; and as is the heavenly Man, so also are those who are heavenly. And as we have borne the image of the man of dust, we shall also bear the image of the heavenly Man.”

(1 Corinthians 15:48-49)

More Than Humanity: A Higher Perspective

     Society all around us is fractured, some would say failing. Our husbands and fathers have become lazy buffoons ripe for parody and mockery. Our wives and mothers are overworked, cynical and depressed; unwilling to fully trust their men and doubtful that they should at all. Our children and teens are jaded, rebellious, narcissistic, and corrupt; unable or unwilling to see past their smart-phones or the opinions of their peers. And in between them all we have an army of the young and unwed, obsessed with themselves and their desires, oblivious to any higher calling and suspicious of anything that claims to be true. These people, our people, need help. This world needs something more than what we see.

     At the heart of this problem is, of course, sin. Mankind will always desire to do what satisfies the flesh rather than what is truly good; all we need is the chance. Every one of us has the potential to be the abusive husband or the cheating wife or rebellious child or whatever. We sin, not just because we have to, but because we want to. The reason these ills seem “more” prevalent now is that we have simply given people the opportunity to sin in greater amounts and more freely than ever before. The proposal and rapid acceptance of naturalistic evolution and the advent of “higher criticism” have made it easier and easier to reject God and His Word. We have “science” telling us that God didn't create and so we can ignore the arguments the Bible makes without even reading them. Those who do read them, find that the critics tear them apart so much as make them seem to lose all meaning.

     We once lived in a society -in a world- where you had no choice but to at least consider the possibility of God. Creation screamed at you, the preacher spoke to you, the Spirit whispered to you, and all the world tried to be “good people.” Things are different now aren't they? Creation has been muzzled and painted over with a landscape of death and change, the preacher has been compromised and spends more time building his flock than actually teaching them (not to mention that virtually no one goes to listen anymore but those who already believe), and all the world sings to the tune of “just follow your heart.” Never mind that God tells us in Jeremiah 17:9 that “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked...” Those who we trust with leadership have put forth an immense amount of effort to drive our view earthward, away from the sky and the Son.

     We need to recapture eternity. Our lack of perspective has given people the means they need to pursue their sins. Their is no 'ever-after' so find all the joy you can today, right? There's no judge to make the rules so you decide how to play the game, it's your game after all isn't it? No one made us this way, so we can be whatever we want to be and be with whoever we want to be with. There is no right and wrong only mine and yours. If all we have to look at is the ground around us, is it any surprise that our worldviews have gotten so muddy? When God is on His throne and in His proper place in our minds, we see things as they should be. Our actions have consequence and meaning because they will echo in eternity, who we are matters because He has fashioned us for a purpose, and what we do matters because reality reflects the very nature of its Creator.

     God is more than just a crutch for hard times. He is more than just a nice thought on holidays or a cultural hold-over. God is the very thing that gives our lives meaning and worth. If there is no God then there is no law-giver for reality. If there is no law-giver then there is no objective law by which to differentiate good and evil. If there is no good and no evil then nothing we do can rightfully be condemned. If we make the rules then every argument is simply a matter of survival of the fittest and our future will be nothing but cannibalism, as we devour each other in our effort to have things our own way.