The Worth of Trophies

Would you like another feather, sir?

To put into your cap?

More accolades and honors earned

More fame that you can tap?

Do you let your eyes go wandering

Your many high awards?

Do you spend your free time pondering

How you can earn still more?

You can gather up the trophies

You can heap up much esteem

You can keep it all so closely

But what does it all mean?

Is all you are so tightly wrapped

In who you think you are?

Are your relationships all trapped

Behind narcissistic bars?

How do you deal with how they see

The life you daily live?

Do you miss the forest for the tree

Does truth fall through the sieve?

Can you take any of it with you?

Will it warm you in the tomb?

When your time on this world is through,

Will it save you from your doom?

Let love for self be love for others

Put 'me' back on the shelf

Let your heart beat for your brothers

And you will find true wealth.

by. Jonathan Schaefer

02/25/15

Nothing So Bad

     You find yourself once again in the shadows; at the bottom of a hole without even moonlight to brighten your vision. Maybe you've been traveling along just fine for quite a ways (for once) or maybe you just got out of another hole or maybe you're in the same hole you've always been in, doesn't really matter. We've all been there and it is probably one of the biggest barriers to salvation for a lot of people: how could God possibly forgive me?

     With true repentance comes a far better if not perfect understanding of the reality of our sin. We come to see to a much greater degree just how messed up we really are and how far God will have to bring us if we are to make it to perfection. This is a key part of salvation but many people get stuck here before they even accept God's grace. The shadows seem so dark and the hole they inhabit so deep that they can't imagine a light bright enough or a ladder long enough to escape. So they turn God away at the gate, refusing to believe that He can or will save them. I do think that a part of this is actually pride masquerading as humility, after all humans are not victims and we are not lost innocents who can't find the way despite a desire to do so. We will use even the knowledge of our sinfulness to reject God and continue living in a way that is comfortable and if we really admitted it, we like. However, there are folks that just simply can't imagine that a perfect God would give so much for them.

     Now this may seem an odd way to comfort those people, or it may seem like a totally non-helpful way to explain this but never the less it is a part of the truth: God didn't die for you. Not entirely, anyway. Yes, God gave His Son and died for sinners because He really does love us but if we stop there than we are left wondering why. We don't really have an answer as to why God would do such a thing because we don't have an answer to the follow up. Why does God love us? Many of us, even as Christians, get caught in a never ending spiral of confusion asking what it was that God saw in us that prompted our particular salvation. This is yet another instance where proper theology is vitally important to our faith and our day to day lives.

     The key here is to remember that everything that God does, from the big to the small, is for His glory. Now if we saw this in a human we would call it narcissism or egotism or something worse but with God it is simply proper behavior as He is worthy of all glory and honor and praise. As the one true God and King of all there is no amount of praise that is too much, no glory given that is over the top or inflated. He is due all the love and adoration that can be given and so much more, not just for what He has done but for who He is!

     This is comfort because it brings us to this simple fact: God did not save you because of anything He saw in you or in what you would become. That means that there was nothing of -you- that caused, brought about, influenced, or affected your salvation. Which further means that there is no amount of sin, no heinousness of deed, no depth of depravity that can make you any less fitting for heaven. God saves the horrible not because He lacks justice or because He saw “the good” in them but because the more unlikely the convert the more glorious the savior. If a “righteous” man turns to God how surprising is it? When the the “good” live by grace are we astonished? How about the murderer? How great is the glory to God when one who is so utterly removed from Him is turned back to their Master?

     So don't listen to the lie that you are too far gone to be saved. Whether it be the malicious misdirection of masked pride or the genuine confusion as to why God would want you, the lie is the same. God seeks the salvation of sinners and if you are more reprobate than your fellow man than your salvation will be all the greater and more telling of the awesomeness of God. There is no debt of sin and no cost of humanity that can be equal to the worth of the blood of Jesus. He has paid our price from an account that cannot run dry and cannot even be diminished. If you do not know Him, know this, He is there for you so turn. Turn away from your life and run to His death and you will find that true life is there under the cross of Christ. If you do know Him than remember when you fall that He knew you would and saved you anyway, that you cannot mount up a debt greater than what has been credited to your account. The glory of God is raised up by the hands of horrible people made new.

More Than Humanity 3: Strength From God

     We can't fight on our own. When we face temptation, when we run up against a choice to either live faithfully or fleshly, when those moments come and we fail, it's because we tried to do battle on our own strength. We're only human and so we lack the ability to succeed in a war against evil if for no other reason than evil is within us! We are born of shadow and will run from the light given the slightest chance. Thanks to Jesus' redemptive work we aren't “cured” from sin but brought from death to life; not sick men made better but dead men made alive. We need God to get us through those difficult moments.

     Our example in this, like in all things, is Jesus. We see in the pages of scripture that while He was on earth He limited Himself. He did not exercise the full range of His Godhood so as to be a proper example and a fit sacrifice. When we see Jesus perform miracles, we often see Him praying before hand asking for these miracles from the Father. Jesus, just like we must do, sought the Father and relied on the Spirit to do what He needed to do. The primary example for our discussion today is Jesus temptation in the wilderness (Matthew 4:1-10).

     The devil appears and presents Jesus with several scenarios, different forms or avenues of temptation designed to push Jesus away into sin. It's quite fascinating that no where does Jesus simply tell satan to bugger off or even cast Him away; this of course is well within His power and authority as a part of the God-head. What Jesus does do is use the Word of God. Each time He is presented with a temptation He replies with a piece of Scripture. Jesus knew in that time that no lies can supplant the pure truth of God and that we find that truth in the Word given to us. Again, He didn't simply cast satan away but used the same resources we have available to us: the Word of God and the Holy Spirit.

     We need to learn, to train ourselves to go to God and His word when we are under temptation. More than that we need to ask God to keep us aware of what's going on around us, to make us sensitive to temptation so that we recognize it when it rears its ugly head. If we continue to rely on our own strength we will never see anything more than failure. We were dead before, and dead men cannot fight a war; if we cut ourselves off from that which makes us alive in the first place what do we think will happen?

The Great Debate

     Have you ever been on a social media site or a forum page and noticed someone posting yet another anti-Christian quote or rant or phrase? We all have, and like me I'm sure you go through that little internal conversation about whether it's worth getting into it. The biggest problem I see is that we got into it attempting to prove the other person wrong. We see ourselves as “defending” the Word or “defending” God. That may seem all well and good but the way I see it there are two major flaws with that perspective: God doesn't need our help, and we should be worrying about the salvation of that persons's soul.

     It's tempting to try and defend the gospel, after all people -are- attacking it. As I said though, God doesn't need our defense and He doesn't need our help. The Bible will endure no matter what is thrown against it, no one will ever prevail against it. I don't remember who said it but I love the phrase “The Bible goes on to outlive its pole-bearers.” There have been detractors from the very beginning so one or two or a million pithy atheistic comments on Facebook are not going to bring it down. Furthermore, I can't help but wonder if when we “defend” the Bible are we really just defending ourselves? We see this person attacking our faith and so we attack back, but do we care about the truth or just being right? Our we not secure enough in our faith that we can handle others disagreeing with us? God will sort out who will be saved and who won't and who cares if people think I'm stupid?

     The real point I'd like to make though is this: when we jump into these arguments do we care about the soul on the other side of the debate or do we only let ourselves see an enemy? That person over there may be blaspheming the name of God, He may be calling into question the very character of our Lord Jesus Christ, but what do you expect Him to do? We are all naturally God-haters and enemies of the Lord so it does not surprise me at all when I see people attacking Christianity. It's not a perspective or a mindset that comes naturally so we have to pray and ask God for His perspective on people. I don't want to see enemies, I want to see the lost. These people need Jesus, they desperately need the God they hate so much or understand so little. I'm not saying not to debate but our goal can't be about being right or proving wrong but about shedding light onto darkness and putting the truth of God into the minds of others, about pushing that person one step further in the right direction.

To Marry or to Stand Alone

     Well, tomorrow is the big day, Valentines Day! A day of love and romance and other gooshy, lovey-dovey topics. You might expect another post about relationships and marriage and whatnot but no sir! Today we are going to discuss darn near the exact opposite, singleness. I know, I know, kind of a weird topic given the time of year but I think its rather appropriate, so lets go!

     Marriage is such an oft discussed topic that I think it overshadows singleness, and that's understandable. Marriage is the picture used to describe the relationship between Christ and the church. A proper respect of our marriages is vital to our lives and one of the backbones of the church. That being said, I think we get so focused on the importance of marriage that we think that everyone should be married and that singleness is a lesser state.

But I want you to be without care. He who is unmarried cares for the things of the Lord; how he may please the Lord. But he who is married cares about the things of the world; how he may please his wife.

(1 Corinthians 7:32-33)

But I say to the unmarried and to the widows: It is good for them if they remain even as I am;

(1 Corinthians 7:8)

     Paul points out that although marriage is a good thing, it adds to you a whole host of concerns that you did not have before. A single man (or women) is free to live wholly for God, but the married must give of themselves to their spouse as well as to God. This is the critical factor, we have done so much to promote proper marriage that we have neglected to encourage people to see if God would have us get married at all! Not everyone wants to get married, and not everyone is “supposed” to get married.

     Those who remain single have the opportunity to use their time and their efforts more freely for the kingdom. Think about how much you could do without a spouse to care for, provide for, and protect; how much work could you do for the kingdom if you didn't have to raise your children? Now I am not by any means belittling marriage and family here. They are wonderful things and encouraged by God but our message seems to be all marriage all the time and that those not married should be preparing for marriage. We should be teaching our young men and women (and the old ones as well, frankly) to almost ignore marriage specifically and learn to live for God! If God has planned for you to marry than He will make it happen and you will be all the better prepared for it if you are focused on Him! We are God's first and our spouse's second, that has to be at the heart of marriage and our singleness.

     So don't feel bad this year if you don't have an “S.O.” to cuddle. God has a plan for you and that may include marriage and it may not. In either case you will most fulfilled when trust yourself to Him first. Remember to use the time and freedom you have as a single person to do what you can for God and His kingdom. Who knows, out in the mission field may just be where you find him/her anyway.

Progress?

What does it say

When you throw it away

Where does your future go?

How can we see

Eternity

When we've lost sight of what's below?

They tell us that progress

Is what we should seek

They tell us the past is passe

They tell us the future

Is coming and soon

The old things must pass away.

But what makes what's here

something to fear

What makes our own past something wrong?

Why do we eschew

The truths we lived through

When we've known them for so very long?

I think that the past

Holds things that should last

There are truths across history's span.

I don't think that we'll reach

The vision we teach

If we lose sight of where we began.

by. Jonathan Schaefer

02/10/2015

On Love

*Sorry about the lack of updates last week, had a project that required my time, but now we're back!*

“Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up; does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil; does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth; bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never fails. But whether there are prophecies, they will fail; whether there are tongues, they will cease; whether there is knowledge, it will vanish away.”

(1 Corinthians 13:4-8)

     I'm going to be talking about marriage again today, it seems an appropriate topic given the soon to be arriving holiday. February is often seen a s “love month” so why not, right? I've learned some things to be sure but I have only been married for about a year and a half, so don't take this as the words of a master. That being said this is what I've seen and realized and learned after a year of marriage and a number of years in this relationship: love is magical, not magic.

     What I mean is that while love is an amazing thing that rocks the foundations of your world, its not what the world at large thinks it is. Love is not a single glance and a captured heart, it is not passion, it is not a need or desire or any feeling at all, love is not something that is outside your control (to an extent). We see it all the time, the story on the screen; two young people have a chance encounter and love explodes and they spend ninety to one hundred and twenty minutes stressing over it until they have a passionate kiss in the rain until the credits roll. It makes for a good popcorn selling flick but have you noticed that we never stick with them? We don't see their relationship a few days or weeks or years down the line. We don't see them realize that they have no shared interests, or that the guy is obsessed with his career or that she belittles things she doesn't personally like or understand. We don't see real people with the real personal issues that make relationships hard and love interesting.

     Love isn't a spark and an explosion, its a carefully built campfire. The wood and tinder and everything else need to be placed and maintained properly if they're going to burn for a long time. Long story short, love is a choice and a willful act not something that just 'happens' to you. That feeling you get when your heart is full and the world is a song? That's the result of love not love itself and in mistaking one for the other we've made a horrible mess. The love that is most true and stands the test is the love that is chosen once and every day.

     Men, this brings me to the real point I'd like to make today. We all need to understand that it is both easy and difficult to love our wives and girlfriends. We forget sometimes that its a daily effort to maintain a relationship, that its another full time job but one that is way more important than that which puts food on the table. Your love for her is hard in that your responsibility never lets up, never gives you a holiday, never really changes, and will never be fully understood. It's easy in that you don't have to move mountains to show her you care. Love is more often than not, I've found, to be a skyscraper built of Lego bricks; something great made out of a million small things. Write her little notes, buy her candy or a card for no reason, do the dang dishes without being asked! And above everything else, talk to each other! Ask her what makes her feel loved and do it! Love and marriage are exercises in self-sacrifice, you're supposed to be uncomfortable sometimes; remember that your perspective should be to make your spouse happy not vice-verse.

“Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself for her”

(Ephesians 5:25)

The Meaning of Words 1: Fundamental

     You see a lot of words getting thrown about in the world today and most of them with little care for their actual meaning. Often groups or individuals will take a word or phrase that sounds good or has a particular popular understanding and adopt it for their own purposes. Take the word “fundamental” for example, you've probably seen it used more as a part of “fundamentalist” or “fundamentalism” and nearly always in a negative context. That being said however...

     According to Webster: ( fun·da·men·tal ) forming or relating to the most important part of something; of central importance; serving as a basis supporting existence or determining essential structure or function.

     So something that is fundamental is something that is based on, connected to, or is a part of the most basic necessary factors of a thing. Kind of strange when you see fundamental behavior being characterized as something weird, illogical, or insane. You most often see this word used in regards to religion and specifically religious people. They get labeled as “fundamentalists” and everyone knows right away that you're talking about crazy people who live on a ranch somewhere and don't let their daughters date or wear pants instead of dresses. Thanks to Webster though we can see that someone who is a fundamental believer in something is really just someone who holds to what that system actually teaches. Ultimately then, it comes down not to whether someone is fundamental or not but to what those fundamentals are that they believe whether or not you think them defensible.

     Lets make a quick comparison of Islam and Christianity. Now of course this a cursory look but the point should still be served. Anyone who reads the two texts (the Qur'an and the Bible respectively) will or at least should notice a marked difference in the way each text treats those who don't believe. Now the Bible doesn't mince words, there is only one way to heaven and those who do not choose to follow God will face Hell but it is Islam that calls for the earthly destruction of non-believers.

From the Qur'an:

“Kill disbelievers wherever you find them. If they attack you, then kill them. Such is the reward of disbelievers. (But if they desist in their unbelief, then don't kill them.)”

2:191-2

“Fight them until "religion is for Allah."

2:193

“War is ordained by Allah, and all Muslims must be willing to fight, whether they like it or not.”

2:216

And now, the New Testament of the Bible:

"Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,”

(Matthew 28:19)

“Repay no one evil for evil. Have regard for good things in the sight of all men. If it is possible, as much as depends on you, live peaceably with all men. Beloved, do not avenge yourselves, but rather give place to wrath; for it is written, "Vengeance is Mine, I will repay," says the Lord. Therefore "If your enemy is hungry, feed him; If he is thirsty, give him a drink; For in so doing you will heap coals of fire on his head." Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.”

(Romans 12:17-21)

"You have heard that it was said, 'You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.' "But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you,”

(Matthew 5:43-44)

     Now there are all kinds of points that can be made about context and historical text verses commanding text but again my point holds. To be a fundamental Christian is to be one who loves their enemies and wishes harm on no one, to be a fundamental Muslim is to work for the kingdom of Allah on earth either by conversion or by the sword. No where in the New Testament are we told to establish a kingdom for God or to “convert” others by any means. We are teachers, preachers, and prophets telling the people around us what God has said; they are responsible for their own souls after that. Those who murder and steal and cause harm in the name of Christ are in fact, not following the words of Scripture.

     Being fundamental is not necessarily a bad thing. Its important for example that a chemist be a fundamental chemist, otherwise they'll be ignoring some very important laws and they won't be very useful. Don't let people around you lump “fundamentalists” into one giant group of crazy people, study the beliefs and ask yourself if their being fundamental is really the right way to be. I am a fundamental Christian because I hold to what the Bible actually teaches; not what people think it says, not what people say about what it says, and certainly not because everything in there is easy or liked by whoever reads it. A belief must be judged by what it claims and not necessarily by what the “followers” actually do, it must be judged by its fundamentals.