A Letter to Myself in the Moment

Dear Me,

     I know that I'm not necessarily “with” you right now. I know that you may not be thinking clearly and I understand that what I'm telling you may not be obvious to you at the moment. I know that whether you are home alone or going about your day, that you are doing something seemingly normal and yet you are fighting. You are fighting an enemy that knows your every weakness, knows your deepest fears, an enemy that never tires, never loses focus, never doubts, an enemy that hates you more than you can comprehend and wants desperately for you to fail. Worse still you are also fighting yourself.

     I know that your judgment isn't currently at it's best and though you want to win this fight you grow more and more tired with every blow exchanged. I know that there is a voice trying to convince you that what you know to be wrong is anything but, or that it will be okay this one time. The voice tells you that you are weak, it reminds you of every time you have failed and every battle lost. It asks you why you should bother fighting. I know that in the midst of the battle it can all seem so impossible. The lure of the enemy seems so right and their voice so loud that you can barely hear me, can barely hear God. I know that your flesh is a traitor. Your own urges and desires are a turncoat working with your foe to pull you down. I know the outlook is bleak.

     I know all these things but I also know something that you may find difficult to remember as you struggle to lift your sword: the war is over. Th enemy screams and yells to distract you, to keep you from seeing that he has no sword and no shield; his fangs are long since broken and his oily tongue says nothing but lies.

     I implore you, me, for both our sakes, remember who has bought you! Remember that your chains are broken and your slave debt paid. Remember that Jesus has paid for your freedom in blood and that you never need to listen to your old masters again. Remember that the old man may writhe and struggle within you but he is already dead! Remember that you need not, indeed dare not, rely on your own strength. Remember that the spirit of God is there within you with all the power you need and more to win the day. Don't waste time fumbling with useless weapons or futilely raising your wooden shield, turn to your heavenly Father and scream for the help that only He can give! In Him and His strength will you find the victory, in Him alone is the battle won.

     Remember this please, for if you forget it during the fray you -will- fall and when next we meet it will not be in gratitude and praise to God but with with the knowledge that you had no reason for defeat and every assurance of victory. You know that I will remind you of these things. You are not alone. Though you may not hear me when the battle joins, remember these words, and live.

Real Life

Not a terribly deep thought today but an important one.  I often wonder about those of us who call ourselves “Christians,” how many of us really believe?  I don't even really mean that in the sense of how many of us are truly saved (although that's connected to it); I mean do you treat your faith as a real thing.  When I say that I'm a Christian what I 'mean' is that I believe in a God who really exists and with whom I have a relationship.  I believe in God who exists in one essence but in three persons whom we know as the Father, the Son, and the Spirit.  I believe in angels and demons and the souls of men.  I believe that beyond this physical reality is a whole spiritual realm that goes unseen by us but is in reality far more important than what we do see.  I believe that reality as we know it was created in a specific moment not too long ago and will cease to be, replaced by something far better, at a predetermined time in the near (according to God's reckoning) future.  I believe all of this and more.

This is important to point out because there are quite a few people who also claim to be Christians and by extension claim to believe all these things but who don't live as though they do.  You say that you believe in God but you don't work toward aligning your life with Him.  You say that you believe in His moral law but continue to fudge the rules and step close to and over the line.  We all do so much that is really quite contradictory to our “belief.”  What I'm really asking is do you just say that you believe, or do you believe but don't think about it much, or do you not really believe but you find your life more fulfilled when it has a lovely spiritual wrapping on it?  In the words of the The Truth Project (which I highly recommend), “Do you believe that what you believe is really real?”

If you do, then that has consequences.  You cannot live as the world would say, with a private spiritual life that doesn't effect your public actions.  God is real and He is watching!  I cannot pray at home but not in the square, I cannot make decisions in a moral vacuum, I cannot go against the Word that He has given to me, I CANNOT!  These are not fairy tales we were told as children, nor stories we use to comfort us in our older days; we carry in our hearts and in our heads and in the pages of sacred Scripture the very words of God!  We must not place them to the side and deal with them as a trivial thing.  We must be affected by them, we must be wholly transformed by them!

I have heard it said that it is not that Christianity has been tried and found wanting, but that Christianity has been found difficult and left untried.  God does not propose to us an easy life, He requires of us a hard life of struggle followed by an eternity of reward!  Some will have a harder time of it than others but we will all face problems.  In the light of eternity however, all our troubles will seem like such a minor thing.  Don't be fooled or mislead into an “easy believe-ism” mentality.  Let God's Word guide you and change you.  What can we do but listen, when we hear the truth?

Strength for the Moment

     Your average human is not particularly powerful. Oh sure, some of us are stronger than others, and still others are stronger still. We have body builders and weight lifters with rippling muscles and taught skin. Ultimately though, that strength is lacking. We all grow old and frail or come upon a task that is just too much for our limited muscles. And what about strength beyond the physical? How do we deal with pain, overcome hardship, or endure struggle? How do you measure that strength or how do you increase it? How do you work out a muscle that does not exist?

     The Christian understands that our true strength is not of ourselves. We can go only so far and so long on our own steam and that power we do have is pretty limited. However, we are not alone. God promises to provide us the strength to carry on, to continue, to conquer. It is in Him that we find true strength and the power to persevere. Though we are called to be meek we are not called to be weak. Meekness is strength under control, power properly guided. This world and all of its issues haven't got a thing that can threaten us as we lie in the hands of God. We needn't be afraid.

“For God did not give us a spirit of cowardice but rather of power and love and self-control. So do not be ashamed of your testimony to our Lord, nor of me, a prisoner for his sake; but bear your share of hardship for the gospel with the strength that comes from God.”

(2 Timothy 1:7-8)

     Whatever we do over the course of our lives, God is right there with us. Now if we are doing wrong that should frighten you since your actions sure aren't hidden. If your life is guided by His will however, His presence with you is a source of confidence! Our decisions can be made boldly when we understand that God is there in the details. God's plan for our lives is all inclusive and totally encompassing but it is also not for us to know. He has told us what He wants in His word, namely to love Him with all that we have. Every other choice is up to us to make and weigh against scripture. And I know that He does know those choices and has already incorporated them into the grand design but I'm talking about things from our perspective. So don't fear! Pray, read, consult those close to you and then take that first step!

“I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.”

(Philippians 4:13)

     Furthermore, our enemies may be powerful but only when compared to ourselves. When measured against the might of God all their vaunted power is nothing at all. The world, the flesh, and the devil; these things need not be a source of worry or of fear. God fights for you! Really I suppose a more accurate way to understand it is that all sources of evil and pain our on a leash, going no further than their line allows. Look at ancient Israel, when they stood with God and obeyed they were unstoppable. Their comparably tiny army of normal men destroyed the military might of vastly superior forces. The size of the army and the skill of the warrior means little when backed by the power of God.

“Finally, draw your strength from the Lord and from his mighty power. Put on the armor of God so that you may be able to stand firm against the tactics of the devil. For our struggle is not with flesh and blood but with the principalities, with the powers, with the world rulers of this present darkness, with the evil spirits in the heavens. Therefore, put on the armor of God, that you may be able to resist on the evil day and, having done everything, to hold your ground. So stand fast with your loins girded in truth, clothed with righteousness as a breastplate, and your feet shod in readiness for the gospel of peace.”

(Ephesians 6:10-15)

“...God is our refuge and our strength, an ever-present help in distress. Thus we do not fear, though earth be shaken and mountains quake to the depths of the sea, Though its waters rage and foam and mountains totter at its surging. The LORD of hosts is with us; our stronghold is the God of Jacob..”

(Psalms 46:1-3)

     Finally we know that God is with us in our tomorrows. Despite all the reassurance, despite all the calming truth, life can get really hard. We do have to encounter sorrow, deal with pain, battle adversity, and resist death. These are real issues and real problems that we face every day. God isn't leaving us here though, not alone, and not forever. The church has a hope that no one else can claim, a future free of despair. After the long years of our lives are spent we will find the gates to heaven open and eternity waiting for us full of joy and peace. We can make through today because tomorrow will come, a new day will dawn, and the Son has already risen.

“On you I depend since birth; from my mother's womb you are my strength; my hope in you never wavers.”

(Psalms 71:6)

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.

To Love and/or Condone

     Have you ever noticed that we as a people just can't seem to avoid extremes? Have you seen how we swing from one side to the other and nearly never find the happy medium? We spend a few years on one side of the tracks until someone notices a few problems and then we invariably throw the whole thing out and jump to the other side. Take for example the defense of the bullied and the 'oppressed.' The current culture and the internet culture especially seems all too ready to charge into battle and defend anyone we see as being put down or hurt or maligned. To a certain extent this is a good thing as humans have a natural tendency to attack the different and the unknown rather than learn about them. Even Christians have a hard time taking things for what they are and evaluating them in a more level-headed way. So often have we simply attacked sin and destroyed the sinner that the church has rather bad reputation now and many people would never dream of seeking help from the one place they should expect to find it!

     The culture as a whole seems obsessed now with defending the rights of others-or is it? Everywhere you go you'll find posters or .gifs or pithy comments or cute little comics about how we should all just be humans and not label or marginalize others. Although I agree that we should work to respect those around us, I suspect that one of the driving factors behind this movement is not some new found love for others but really a backseat effort to defend ourselves. Race and gender and nationality are all beyond debate but 'lifestyles' are all about the choice we make. We make a case that such and such group should be respected and then this other group and then this other group and pretty soon we have a hard time “judging” anyone and an easy time defending any lifestyle we want! I don't need to defend my sin if I can make a million people on the internet do it for me.

     More importantly I feel that we as a society have made a tragic error in our defense of the victims. We made the right choice at first; those who need help should not be ridiculed. We should foster an environment of love where we seek to help those who are in need of it and no one should have to face a life where they are daily bullied and beaten and accursed. That being said, we got so focused on the defense of these people that we up and forgot to keep in mind that sin is still sin and wrong is still wrong! Laziness, cowardice, homosexuality, “transgender-ism”, teen and unwed pregnancy, and so much more are problems, not lifestyles. God created reality as He intended and our sin has fouled up the works; that does not mean that we now get to define our reality, it means we have to work to keep our reality in line with the truth! We should do everything we can to help people who have made mistakes or who are trapped in sin or who have a condition that screws up their minds and emotions to the point they don't know who they are, but we have to remember that we are treating aberrant conditions and seeking to bring people back from them. If your doctor decided not to tell you about your cancer because he feared it would upset you, he would be considered a bad doctor who is failing in his duty. No one would remark on how caring he is or how much concern he has for the mental well being of his patients!

     In this post-modern world we like to think that everything is relative, even reality. The truth however, is that truth is a solid and unchanging thing not defined by anyone but God. It does not matter how you feel or how you were born because we know that this world is fallen and we cannot expect it to follow the line God has laid out. We must love those around us but to sacrifice truth for the sake of peace is not loving. We will love those in need most when we try to help their needs. The old adage may sound trite but I believe it still stands: hate the sin not the sinner.

Reflections On Waiting

     I have now been married for more than one year. It almost feels odd to say that, almost like it's not the reality I wake to. I've always wanted to get married, since my earliest memories. I remember feeling so depressed and lost as an even younger man because I saw no hope for this future. I would beg God to let me meet my one and only, to show me the way to the love I longed for. He always seemed so silent at those times. Looking back I see that God wasn't silent, He was quietly telling me “wait, wait, wait.” I can see now that it wasn't time yet, I wasn't ready and His plans hadn't come to fruition; but He did have a plan. I'm glad He made me wait. He had someone that He was preparing for me just as He was preparing me for her. Had my desire been answered I would have been with less than His best for me.

     I see this all the time in my life and in the lives of others. We want what we want and we want it now. It's not even just about greed or a lack of patience, I think we simply lack the ability to see or perhaps just ignore the possibility that getting something later can be better. We are convinced that we should have what we want or need at this moment and that any delay is damaging to us. Further, we tend to think of delays as punitive. I would have such and such thing or relationship if only I were a better Christian or read my Bible more or if I were more in line with His will for my life. So often we fail to see that maybe, just maybe, it is simply just not the time or the place for us to have something we desire.

     God often asks us to wait. In fact I think that through waiting we learn most of life's lessons. We learn patience and trust and contentedness and humility through waiting; and we often find other seemingly unrelated lessons being taught while we are waiting for something else to come about. Ultimately we all need to learn to just trust God. He will by no means turn us aside nor neglect our needs. God desires our ultimate good and He will achieve that by the best means and in the best time. Furthermore, as our heavenly Father He desires to give us good gifts. Just as our earthly fathers -if they are good- delight in giving things to their children so God has joy in bringing us joy in the things He gives.

"So I say to you, ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. "For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened. "If a son asks for bread from any father among you, will he give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will he give him a serpent instead of a fish? "Or if he asks for an egg, will he offer him a scorpion? "If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him!"

(Luke 11:9-13)

     We need to get away from the now mentality. Everything will come in God's time and if in His wisdom it does not come to us then we need to trust His choice. That new job or that girl or that guy may be the worst thing for us or the worst thing for us now, though we may find joy in them. Trust and obey for theirs no other way to be happy in Jesus. His will will bring all good things in time.

“But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.”

(Matthew 6:33)

What is Choice?

     What is the nature of free will? Are we all on this earth to simply dance to the beat of another's drum or do we make real choices? People have been pondering this question for probably as long as they've pondered at all and I can see why. We don't like to think that our lives our controlled by someone else and if we see that none of our choices matter than it leads to a depressing fatalism. So can we come to any meaningful understanding of this problem? I think we can.

     First off let's look at things from the naturalistic perspective, frankly because it's much simpler. If we are all just animals, meat machines, and more specifically if we are the end result of automatic process working as they have to ultimately culminating in the formation of man, then there is no choice. As Hawking pointed out we cannot avoid determinism if we come at life from this angle. There can be no transcendence in a world that evolved. If we are born of nothing but chemical reactions and the laws of physics and if nothing else exists to interact with this matter than nothing can ever happen but what is programmed into that material (so to speak). Every “choice” that you make is really just what your particular set of chemicals and structures has to do when encountering that situation. In this view all of existence is one big calculation, a series of equations where A + B will always equal C. Your personality, your beliefs, your choice of a job or a spouse, these things are all just illusions of sentience and the reality is that we are all just robots; DNA machines that run on a very complicated set of rules. Depressing isn't it?

You cannot cut the strings

     The problem with this ideology is that we do see glimpses of the transcendent in our lives. We are aware of what we are in a metaphysical, existential sense. This is where Christianity comes in. You see, in the Bible, we are shown to be more than just matter. Made from the dust of the earth God breathed life into us (Genesis 2:7) and made us a living thing. This is important because we see here two huge differences from how He made animals. First we were made 'from' something, unlike animals and the earth which were simply popped into existence by God's own power, we were formed from the “dust of the earth.” I'm sure there are ramifications and reasons for that but it's beyond my abilities to find them. The second and really more important bit is that our life was “breathed” into us by God directly. To me this connects us to God's Word which is described as “God breathed” (2 Timothy 3:16), and which is also described as being “alive” (Hebrews 4:12). Also we were made in the “image of God,” (Genesis 1:26) which obviously doesn't mean that we look like Him since God is spirit and has no set physical form (other than the humanity taken unto the Son, ie. Jesus). All of this points to a creation that is more than just the stuff it's made of, we are both physical and spiritual beings and this allows us the ability to look outside ourselves and to rise -just a bit- above our material.

We are more than the sum of our parts.

     It gets a bit more complicated from this point. You see, all of the previous stuff is quite clearly shown in the Bible but we also see that God has total control over His creation (1 Chronicles 29:11-12, Psalm 115:3, Isaiah 46:9-10, etc.). Many people have a hard time reconciling true free will with a being that can simply make you do whatever He pleases. Now I'm not going to get super deep here simply because there isn't time but I've done a lot of thinking on this over the years and I'll simply run you through my current conclusions. The short answer is that no you don't have free will. You do however have free choice, let me define that. Free will is the ability to do whatever you want, to make decisions and plan your life as you see fit. Honestly I don't see that as an option Biblicaly, we do seem to make choices and decisions but the ultimate outcome of those choices is far beyond our control. We can choose to obey or rebel against God but in the end we get heaven or hell and there is nothing we can do at that point to change our destination. I think what we have is what I call “Free Choice.” By that I mean that God has laid out His world and has given us options and we have the freedom to choose from those options. Obey or rebel, love this person or this other person or no one, this job or that job, school or no school, and on and on and on. These choices come to us and some are better than others and some are obviously where God would have us go but He doesn't necessarily force us down these more proper roads. Look at Jonah, God actually TOLD him what to do but he chose instead to run away. This is one way in which our choices can matter and how we can still be responsible for our sins. We chose, in a very real sense, to do that evil. We are always presented with options and we may not like them but they are there.

     When we speak of the big questions of salvation and sanctification, God is just doing what He wants to ultimately, and we can either choose to obey or to rebel. I think that when we move beyond the ultimate questions we have a lot of give and quite a bit of 'wiggle room.' God has plans and purposes but He made them with our personalities and preferences in mind, using us to tell His story so that we are truly involved in the telling; actors not puppets. We may say the wrong line or miss a cue every once and a while but we are right there on the stage. We have to be more than matter for anything we do to matter and our soul gives us that bit of transcendence.   

The Real Me

     How do you know who you are? It seems like a lot of time, money, and energy is spent these days on finding that answer. We seem to think that if we can experience just a few more things or learn a few more things or do a few more things, than we can find that missing piece in the puzzle that is ourselves. I think however, that all this effort is the problem -at least a part of it- and not the solution.

     I have heard quite a few stories of people who have left behind responsibilities or family in order to “find themselves” or “follow their dream.” These people often go to far flung locations on the globe helping others, or seeing whats out there and often leave important things behind. Every one of them is certain that they will come to some revelation about themselves while they are out there. Sadly, the journey tells us more about them than any eureka moment they may have. The only thing you are proving by leaving it all behind is that you are selfish enough to ditch your responsibilities and even abandon those who rely on you. The simple truth of life is that we are often restricted in doing what we want by what we must. It is our willingness to hunker down and simply work that speaks of character.

     

     There is also the often heard excuse that if only all these “things” weren't happening to me, I could be who I really am. The idea being that I am prevented from being the person I would really like to be because I am forced into being the person I must be. This is often said defensively, justifying present actions by insisting that underneath it all is the “real” you. As before, the “real” you is the you that you are right now! You are the one who chose your present course of action, you are the one who acts in a certain way in a given circumstance. Who you are is more about the quality of your character than your social status. How much money you make, or how glamorous your job, or how fancy your lifestyle only speaks of what you do with what you have; more important is how you got there or how you are without all that pomp.

     Now don't get me wrong, I'm not saying you shouldn't follow your dreams or be willing to make drastic changes to achieve them. What I'm saying is that if you are the good person you want to be than you will do what's right and not always what makes you happy or even fulfilled. The real you is not some nebulous concept that we must each discover in some arduous search, we are who we choose to be every minute of every day. That man who works two or more jobs to support his family when he'd rather be something else is no less honorable for not living out his fanciful desires. He knows his responsibilities and where his efforts must be focused. That man doesn't have to give up on himself to be honorable, he can pursue his dreams but at a perhaps slower pace. The would be writer, the wanna-be actor, the home chef, or the night school student with a full time job; they all honor their commitments and follow their dreams.

     We should never let our dreams destroy our reality, our maybe tomorrows to bring harm to our todays. Dreams are great but we cannot live in them, we cannot make our home in the clouds. In a world so obsessed with dreams and hopes and big futures we so often look down on the here and now. These day to days are not obstacles in our way but the building stones of our lives. If you cast aside your foundation, how high do you think you can build?

Battling Decoys

     My word do we love a good cause to rally behind! Every day there's some new atrocity to stand against or some new social initiative to support or some unknown injustice to raise awareness of. Social media lights up like a Christmas tree every time one of these things starts making the rounds on the internet. Nearly everyone it seems, likes to jump on the bandwagon of the newest bit of internet activism and we're no different as Christians.

     Let's take homosexual marriage as an example. Many evangelicals today are caught up in the fight to 'preserve' traditional marriage. They rally in town squares, they post long speeches online, they wear cute t-shirts and buttons, and they talk. They talk a lot. Many people also take this issue and just go crazy! They start spewing out hateful language and setting up their opponents as evil tyrannical conspirators out to destroy everything we hold dear. Because that's probably what's happening...sure. (Please visualize a sarcastic, dead-pan face while reading that last sentence.) When did the Christian life become about blasting other people and setting ourselves up as some kind of perfect, holy beings?

     Lets just say this right off, homosexuality is just not Biblicaly supported. We have plenty of verses against it. That being said, we have plenty of verses telling us to love our enemies, to spread the gospel (which in case you missed it, is the GOOD news), and to be humble. We have a whole lot of instruction to go forth and tell people about God and we have pretty much none at all about decrying social evils. Why is that? Well because as a Christian we are supposed to understand that the world apart from God -is- evil. We can't expect evil people and evil institutions to understand and desire good things. What we end up doing is raising our weapons and spending our energy fighting decoys and battling dummies.

     Immorality isn't the issue, homosexuality isn't the issue, homosexual marriage isn't the issue, the breakdown of the family unit isn't the issue; SIN is the issue! We live in a fallen broken world and no matter how much we rattle and rail against these social and societal wrongs they will remain unchanged so long as the people remain unchanged! We don't need to see congress enact laws protecting 'traditional' marriage, we need to see human hearts and souls saved for Christ! And yes, we need to stand up for the Kingdom and defend life as God see's it, but our primary concern is the salvation of the lost. All these other issues will dissolve and fade away when people are brought to repentance. Christianity was never about forcing change on the world but about God changing the people -of- the world.

Is It Worth It?

     I'm coming very close now to the end of my first full year of marriage. We have our plans and are suitably excited and I thank God for this tremendous blessing. As I believe I've mentioned before, I've always wanted to get married.  Now that I'm here I can say that it is indeed better than I thought it would be but also different than I thought. In my previous post “The Amazing and Wonderful Normal”  I talked about the surprising 'normal-ness' of marriage. How everything becomes just another day, and yet more than that.

     Here is where we get to today's point. Some time ago while talking about marriage, I had a friend ask me “Is it worth it?” I nodded and said yes at the time but as I thought about that seemingly simple question I could not help but think of the meaning it might have possessed. Was it meant as more than a trite question that everyone asks but doesn't really think about, sort of like “how ya doin'?” I've had some time to ponder and here are my thoughts.

     On the surface of that question it has to be said that yes, yes it is worth it. Whatever “it” is, marriage's worth surpasses. Whether time spent waiting, the resources used, the effort involved, all of it is worth the result. There are times when, during dating, it may seem like a whole lot of trouble and it would make sense to question the worth of all this hard slogging work. Believe me, if you're doing your dating right there will be times when it is work indeed. The interesting thing is that you can never understand just how worth it it is until you've been married for a while, like how we cannot understand the Word of God as we do until we are saved.

     Beyond that though, I couldn't shake the feeling that behind that question was another question, “Is it worth waiting physically?” This question presents a problems for me as I want to simply answer yes, it is worth it! That however, is hardly the point is it? Our bodies desire that physical closeness and they desire the culmination of that relationship; but we are commanded to be masters of our desires, to lay them at the feet of Christ as our Lord! So whether or not it's 'worth it' to wait, we are to be obedient to God and reserve ourselves to the one to whom we become 'one flesh.' This is what is truly worth it, obedience and submission to God. Not merely God as Savior but God as King of our lives. As David was king in Jerusalem so should Jesus be King in our Hearts, the master of His domain with the final say in all things. We as Christians do not have the right to weigh the odds and compare lists of pros and cons. We listen, we read, we learn, and we obey. That may seem harsh or rigid or even insipid but that is where we will find real meaning. Our worth was only ever to be in our relationship with God and it is only there we will find meaning today! Besides the pragmatic benefit or emotional worth of being able to give all of yourself to your spouse with no one else to lay any claim to you, it is simply of far greater benefit to obey the one who is Lord over all.

     Don't fall into the trap of trying to decide as if you had any power to make a choice. We know what God wants of us and that is all we need. The Christian life is not hard because we have so many choices to make, it is hard because those choices are already made for us and those choices go against the flow of the world. The choice you do have, the only choice, is whether or not you will obey the God who made you, bought you, saved you, and adopted you. The God who loves you. 

Is it worth it?  Yes.  Yes it is.

Where We Stand

We stand upon this shifting sand

The pillars of this aging land,

Are shaking now and falling soon

The death knell of impending doom.

Though many fought and died to make

A country free and hard to break

It seems we've thrown aside the crown

We praise the walls we're smashing down.

Our firm foundation, once so strong

Has little now to stand upon.

When all beneath has given way

What chance is there to stand today?

In God we trust our battle cry

Freedom laid out from on high

We swore we'd live as He had shown

A land, a people, all His own

But soon we lost the taste for bread

Gave up our soul for what's in our head.

Will we repent, will we implore

Will we beg to have our land restored?

Will we return to grander skies?

Will we damn ourselves

and waste our lives?

Truth, it seems, is now passè.

The crowd decides what leaders say.

Will anyone have the heart to stand

To rise up in this fractured land.

Will someone choose to stand alone

To point us to the Father's throne?

Will anyone have the heart to cast

His lot in with our noble past?

We'll see what stuff the future hides.

What once united now divides.

Our souls need more than easy dreams,

Empty men and hollow schemes.

We need a new revival plan,

A reformation of modern man.

by. Jonathan E. Schaefer

09/15/2014

Those Who Persevere

     Perseverance of the Saints. I'm sure you've heard of it. It's one of the primary doctrines of Christianity and one that offers great hope to us all. Unfortunately it is also a doctrine that is widely misunderstood. The idea behind the doctrine is God's people cannot lose their salvation, sadly it has been used and abused by quite a few preachers.

“This is a faithful saying: For if we died with Him, We shall also live with Him. If we endure, We shall also reign with Him. If we deny Him, He also will deny us.”

(2 Timothy 2:11-12)

“Then Jesus said to those Jews who believed Him, 'If you abide in My word, you are My disciples indeed. 'And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.”

(John 8:31-32)

     Let's look at the problem. The common saying used these days is the well known “Once saved always saved.” Now to be honest there is nothing said by that phrase that isn't true. If we are really and truly saved by God we cannot be taken from Him. The problem lies in the path that saying takes to get there. When you say “once saved always saved” the thought behind it is that nothing I do will make me go to hell. Again, nothing being said is technically wrong but it SO the wrong attitude! The attitude expressed here is that I don't have to worry, I don't have to try, and I don't have to care at all, because I'm set. I've got my fire insurance, I prayed my little prayer, I went to the front of the church and that is all I need right? Wrong! There is so much more to Christianity and so much more to perseverance than that! It may sound like nit-picking but we have to remember that the words we use have power and the meaning and attitude behind them has a ripple effect as it moves away from us. What we meant to say will probably not be what the fiftieth person to hear it hears.

"My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me. "And I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; neither shall anyone snatch them out of My hand. "My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all; and no one is able to snatch them out of My Father's hand. "I and My Father are one."

(John 10:27-30)

“Moreover, brethren, I declare to you the gospel which I preached to you, which also you received and in which you stand, by which also you are saved, if you hold fast that word which I preached to you; unless you believed in vain.”

(1 Corinthians 15:1-2)

“For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

(Romans 8:38-39)

     Now for the truth. What is meant by perseverance of the saints is that those who are truly God's will endure until the end. We will stumble and fall, we will sin and sorrow, but we will never full leave God's side. We will outlast temptation and make it to the end of this long road, we will meet our Father at the highways end. God's power keeps us going and the only real sign of a true believer is endurance. We will see fruit from their efforts and we will see growth indeed but so much of this can be mimicked by hard work and human effort. Remember that God rules over everything and nothing surprises Him. He knew from the moment you came to Him -from the moment of creation really- every sin you have and will ever commit. When He forgives your sin He forgives ALL of it, what could you do to lose that salvation that doesn't fall under “all?” You could do nothing to save yourself. We cannot earn our salvation and thus we cannot disqualify it either. The true saints of God will continue!

     Take this to heart, Christian, if you mire in worry and doubt. Are you working to get closer to God? Does your sin burden you? Do you always come back and repent no matter how far you stray? That presence in your soul, that burden on your heart is most likely the Spirit of God dwelling in you and keeping you! Don't fear doubts, face them! Don't get lazy and don't give up, God will empower those who are His own to last to the end! Our work doesn't save us, but as James points out it acts as the evidence of a changed life. So work out your salvation as the Bible says, seek God, ask for strength and don't sit on your laurels and assume that your prayer saved you. For it is the changed life and new hunger for God and His path for you that signifies your salvation.

The Missing Source

     Probably the biggest or at least the most public battle in the Christian world today is the debate over origin. Christians such as the well known Ken Ham of Asnwers in Genesis continue to propose the idea of Biblical creation and the naturalists such as Richard Dawkins continues to promote the belief in naturalistic evolution as the means by which we came to be. Both sides have spilled a lot of ink and used up a lot of bandwidth and a lot of screen time arguing over particulars and data points and yes's and no's. Oddly enough though, there's a few points that are rarely if ever brought up.

     First let's talk about eternity and nothing. This is the question: Was there ever a point when there was nothing? Does it matter? Actually it matters quite a bit because those who claim that the universe created itself from nothing are standing on, well, nothing. Look at the word 'nothing', it literally means “no” “thing.” If there is nothing there, than nothing can happen. You can't have chemical reactions without chemicals, you can't have friction without things to rub against each other, and you can't have even have time without something to 'pass through it.' Now some would argue that you can create something from nothing but don't listen to them. They're using logical dishonesty because energy is still a 'thing.' If there was ever a time when there was truly nothing, then there could never be anything. So ultimately even the evolutionist has to agree with the creationist on one point, there is something that has the power to exist within itself, ie. something that has always been. The naturalist will say it's matter and energy or just energy, while the creationist will say it is God. Others might try and propose an infinite regression of creators. That this was created by that, which was created by this other thing, which was in turn created by this other other thing, etc. This is of course preposterous and not worth even discussing.

     The second issue is a bit more odd to describe; where did information come from? Let me put it this way, matter is essentially stuff and energy is energy but where does data fit in? It's not made of matter nor energy and you can't hold information in a jar. You can store information in matter and in energy but neither one can make it. Here's anther way of looking about it: chemical reactions. When you put vinegar and baking soda together, what happens? It bubbles and swells out to a much larger size, right? Why? You can look into the science and understand what is happening in the reaction but why do those particular vinegar bits now how they should react to those baking soda bits? We don't find a long list or rules for the behavior of atoms written on their itty-bitty parts, and there's no explanation as to why they should react one way and not another. 

     Think of DNA, the life instructions. It's all find and dandy to say that it contains all the data needed to build a life form, but that arrangement of chemicals is only useful because the parts of cells know how to read that information. They know the language. If you took a bag full of scrabble tiles and had a group of people pull them at random, it's entirely possible that someone might eventually spell a word, like bat for example. That might sound amazing, but those three 'letters' are just ink on wood. The are completely without meaning and use without the knowledge of the specific English language! The reality is that matter has never been seen and simply cannot create information, only an intelligence can. So even if matter existed forever, there's still no way for it to interact because there would be no rules, no instructions for how the pieces should fit. Here's where it get's really interesting; even if that information did exist on it's own, there's no reason for it to stay that way. In the chaos and anarchy of a randomly generated world there is no authority, no power that makes things stay the same so the rules of matter that exist today could theoretically change tomorrow! When God runs things however, when an all powerful creator makes and keeps existence, everything dances to His drumbeat. He keeps matter in line, He adds data and information to dead matter, He makes life and order even possible!

     So there we go, a look at a couple of issues that don't get talked about much. Give 'em a turn or two around your mind and let me know what you think. Apart from all the information being used in the evolution/creation debate these are a couple of ideas that really make you pause and consider their implications, and getting people to think is something Christians should be doing all the time.

Don't Give Up

Dear Christian,

     I know where you are right now. Alone and angry and frustrated. You're sitting in the dark as you rail against yourself. “Again.” You ask yourself. “Why have I done this again?” For the hundredth time you find yourself in the aftermath of sin, of sin you chose to do for reasons that have now evaporated. I know this because I've been there, we all have. The life of a Christian is not one of perfection and sadly we often find ourselves repeating the same bad choices we swore never to make again.

     The first thing I'll say is this: Use it. Sin won't stop at merely getting you to choose the 'flesh'. It will use your grief to drive you further from God.  Grief and guilt are unusual. When used properly they can keep us humble, drive us to do better, and cause us to draw closer to God. Often though, our guilt makes us unwilling to approach the perfect God and can actually push us to further sin. It's important to remember that we are undeserving of His grace and deserving of His punishment, but we can't focus on that. We have to keep that fact in mind so that it informs the wonder and awe we experience from the knowledge of what He has done for us. That the Holy God of the universe would deign to save such as us shouldn't make us cower into the dirt, it should have us shouting for joy and praise! On the flip side, we must examine our sins and our behaviors and our history to be sure that the overall pattern is growth not simply a lack of freedom from sin. God has given us freedom, we don't -have- to sin, but we will. Not until glory will we be totally free. Use it, don't let your guilt simply sit there. Go to God and repent, ask for His help and He will be there with you.

     Furthermore, remember that you never deserved your salvation in the first place. I know that when I sin, when I have to repent of my actions, one of the first things that comes to my mind is the question “why on earth would God have saved me?” It's helpful to remember that God didn't save you because of anything within 'you'. To put it bluntly, He saved you because He chose to. That's it and we may never understand the reasons. We were utterly unworthy of salvation in the first place so we can't become less worthy than that. God saw all of your sin, all of it, from the time that He made time itself. He knew exactly what He was getting into when He saved you. There are no surprises, there are no regrets, and there is nothing that will cause Him to revoke that which He has given. If you're saved, if you really are, then know that you will never fall fully away. You will always return, God will always be calling you back or even dragging you back.

     So don't give up. Use your guilt and your mistakes. Take what the enemy want's to use to destroy you and give it to God so that He can build you up instead. Repent and move on from that dark room you find yourself in. Keep your eyes on the bright horizon and keep walking, keep fighting for every step and when you fall, get back up. 

 I'll be praying for you.

Something From Nothing

     I don't really think I have anything profound to say today. I'm not sure I ever do. If I'm to be completely honest the last thing I want to do today is write. Yet here I sit, typing away at my keyboard and trying to form some kind of cogent thought. That's something anyway. You don't hear much about this side of creative work, about the hard work times or the nothing comes to mind times. Really though it's there where the real artistry and the real passion shows. It's not just something you do, it's something you kind of have to do. Something is stirring inside you and even when you can't seem to reach it you've got to do … something.

     Writing especially I've seen seems to always come down to the slog. You love it, you love every knuckle cracking keystroke or hand numbing pen scratch but sometimes you are just pushing forward like Sisyphus. The blank page taunts you from your notebook or your typewriter or you computer screen. El Diablo Blanco. Sometimes it's like trying to save someone from a pit and your fingers can't quite reach so you push and you strain for one more inch, one more sentence.

     Yet there are times when the work disappears. There are times when all your words and all your tapping of keys fades away and the world you're building springs up around you. There are times when your thoughts flow directly onto the page and it's like music. Those times are rare though and you can't live in them forever, but they keep you going.

     I love to write. I love forming sentences and phrases, putting my thoughts together like Lincoln Logs or Lego bricks until they form something wonderful. If I don't like it, I can take it apart and rearrange or even start all over. Putting things into words, into words on a page, makes them more than just errant thoughts. Thoughts become propositions which become arguments which become beliefs. I have through my words the chance to not only influence others but the opportunity to examine myself. To work through my own beliefs and thoughts and dreams and tear them apart for inconsistencies. It provides for me a means of self examination and reflection that is more structured and useful than simply 'thinking' about things. It's been said that whatever you don't teach you forget and I suppose that's what I mean. Simply believing something is fine but having to write it down and explain it in a way that makes sense really forces you to codify what you believe and work it out.

     Maybe I didn't say anything terribly interesting today. Maybe I never do, but I'm not sure I can describe how much better I feel now that I've written … something. My mind has chewed on thoughts and words and I've produced a something that wasn't there before. Spend some time today if you can on whatever is inside you. Stare at that blank page and start typing, start writing, start scribbling until you make your something and I'll bet you'll feel a million times better than before. Don't give up because “it's hard” or “you don't feel like it” or “You can't think of anything.” Being a creator -a maker- is more than just having something else pull you along; you have to pursue your loves and find them for yourself. Don't let your something stay nothing.

What Does it Matter Who God Is?

      How much does the truth matter?  Does it matter exactly what you believe about God?  Can't we all just have our own differing perspectives and still get along?  Well, yes and no.  We can get along with each other because as Christians we are told in scripture to live at peace with all men (Romans 12:18), but that does not mean that the truth doesn't matter.  Everyone is entitled to their own opinion but it is crucial that the opinion you hold to is correct.

One of the great things about Christianity is that it allows for so much wiggle room.  It makes it possible for people to have opinions and disagree on things without breaking fellowship.  We don't all have to have every little peg pushed firmly into every little hole to be Christians, but we do have to believe in Christ.  That's where the problem lies.  We can allow for variance of perspective and thought on much of what we believe but we absolutely must have our theology correct or we're simply not Christians.  That may sound harsh but remember, I'm not saying that everyone has to believe what -I- believe or what -that guy- believes, what I'm saying is that we all have to believe what God tells us and luckily the Bible is often quite clear; and when it doesn't confirm something definitively it usually shuts down the false thoughts rather completely.

If we believe in a Father that is not The Father, or a Jesus that is not The Son, or a Spirit that is not The Spirit than we are not believing in the Father, the Son, or the Spirit.  We may as well be worshiping golden cows in our living rooms.  Look at the early centuries of the church.  They fought against heresy so much that modern day scholars try and tell us they were just pushing down opposition and enforcing their own views; when really they were just stating more specifically what everyone already believed but perhaps hadn't put down succinctly until that point.  For example they debated the modelists who believed that God existed only as one but who showed Himself in three 'modes', namely as Father, Son, and Spirit but never at the same time and they were not distinct persons.  It became quite popular but the Bible again kills it due to several instances of all three persons of the Trinity appearing together; most notably at the baptism of Jesus (see Matthew 3:16, Mark 1:9-11, and Luke 3:21-22).

This isn't going to be a full description and defense of the Trinity, perhaps another time.  The point I'm making is that truth matters and if we're not worshiping in truth we're not worshiping properly.  God is not who we want Him to be, nor is He so vague that we cannot know Him with certainty.  We hear the old phrase used for Christian peace all the time “major on the majors and minor on the minors, namely that we shouldn't push so hard on the less specific things in scripture.  But how much time do we spend on the first half of that phrase, on majoring on the majors?  We need to study, to debate, even to argue with the people around us -always in love- but with the knowledge that how someone defines God will point them either toward or away from the one true God of the universe.

Recommended Reading:

The Nicene Creed

The Athanasian Creed

The Apostles Creed

The Madness of Methods

     We love a process don't we? Everyone has a twelve step program or three simple rules or five things you should know or whatever. People everywhere are constantly on the look out for the rules to follow to make their lives better. There is a problem with that though, namely that the Christian life isn't usually about following a process or sticking to a strict set of guidelines. There are rules of course and there are guidelines but the Bible actually gives us a tremendous amount of freedom in our daily lives.

     I've seen a few blog posts and articles both from Christians and non-Christians that lay the blame for bad things at the feet of some statue or ideology. One writer blames their youth for their failed marriage another blames the path they took to get there and others simply give up and say that the divorce rate is just the modern way. Well to be honest everybody is wrong. Not literally everybody of course but the point I want to make is that we love the process and the system because not only does it give us something to follow (we are sheep as you know - Isaiah 53:6) but it gives us something to blame when we screw things up. 

     For example, I read an article (http://www.thomasumstattd.com/2014/08/courtship-fundamentally-flawed/) where the author makes the case that the somewhat recent “courtship” movement is, as they put it, 'fundamentally flawed.' Now the author makes some good point and some not so good points but the thing I disagree with the most is that 'courtship' is blamed for the failed marriages that resulted in the lives of the people they knew and in the lives of others. I'm certain it contributed since what the author describes has some serious flaws but the reason those marriages fail -why any marriage fails- is because people allow it to. There are, of course, contributing factors but eventually the choice is made to end it. If we then narrow the field to marriages comprised only of two faithful Christians...what are you doing? Who told you to give up? Who told you that you could walk away? Does not the Bible tell us to make your yes 'yes' and your no 'no'? You vowed before God and man, you made a covenant, once you're in -you're in- and it doesn't matter what path you took to get to that vow or what your family was like before then or what baggage you bring to the party! The process isn't to blame, the steps aren't to blame, the rules aren't to blame, you are.

     We bring this desire for steps and rules into our general Christian walk as well. How many times have you lamented your lack of growth because you 'didn't know what to do?' What do you need to know? The process of sanctification is basically God changing you and you working with Him. It's somewhat straight forward, you pray and ask God to point out the things you should work on and then you read what His Word says you should work on and how you should be according to God and then you work on those issues! Excuse the wonky sentence but God has said that the Scriptures contain what is necessary for life and doctrine, why do we keep looking elsewhere for instruction? We aren't expected to perfectly understand everything, that's why we look for good teachers, but we needn't spend our lives trying to find the secret to growing in grace; read the Bible! It doesn't matter what devotional book you follow or whose teaching you study or what treatise you read if you're not reading God's Word and spending time in prayer.

"And keep the charge of the LORD your God: to walk in His ways, to keep His statutes, His commandments, His judgments, and His testimonies, as it is written in the Law of Moses, that you may prosper in all that you do and wherever you turn”

(1 Kings 2:3)

“The law of the LORD is perfect, converting the soul; The testimony of the LORD is sure, making wise the simple; The statutes of the LORD are right, rejoicing the heart; The commandment of the LORD is pure, enlightening the eyes; The fear of the LORD is clean, enduring forever; The judgments of the LORD are true and righteous altogether. More to be desired are they than gold, Yea, than much fine gold; Sweeter also than honey and the honeycomb. Moreover by them Your servant is warned, And in keeping them there is great reward. Who can understand his errors? Cleanse me from secret faults. Keep back Your servant also from presumptuous sins; Let them not have dominion over me. Then I shall be blameless, And I shall be innocent of great transgression. Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart Be acceptable in Your sight, O LORD, my strength and my Redeemer.”

(Psalms 19:7-14)

     Remember that we are not ruled by procedures, we are not enslaved to steps, we are not chained by guidelines, and when you mess things up it's because of the choices you made not necessarily because you didn't have the right instructions. We lose a great deal of understanding when we try and pass the buck or lay the blame outside ourselves and our sin, and that can actually lead us farther from the truth than we were to start. Read God's Word, seek wisdom and understanding and discernment and you'll be equipped to make the right decisions apart from any program.

Neither Slave Nor Free

     Christianity gets blamed for a lot of things in society. I think more than nearly anything else though, we get called out for being racist and homophobic and sexist and a whole variety of generally unkind things. Unfortunately there is some basis to these claims as many people over the years have sought to use the Bible as a club to beat down those they didn't like or to control the people around them. In other instances, such as with homosexuality, we have people reacting to a societal problem in an un-biblical way, thus distorting the public’s view of God's Word.

     The main problem we have is actually two-fold: people judging Christianity based on the actions of people not acting like a Christian should, and the public at large having a very poor understanding of what the Bible actually says. It's a standard rule that no one talks about, you cannot judge a belief based on what people do in it's name. You have to judge it based on what it says, what it teaches. For example, the Bible says “though shalt not kill”; specifically translated that means “though shall not murder.” Basically we as normal humans do not have the authority to decide when someone else dies. Knowing that, we can know that any person or government going around killing people in the name of God is -not- following His Word! (And for those of you who might want to bring up ancient Israel and the killing of the Canaanites etc., remember that they were directed by God and that His message to them was verified by numerous unmistakable signs and miracles.) It doesn't matter how many people run around acting like fools with Jesus' name on their lips, the only thing that matters is what the Bible actually teaches. This leads to the next problem, a profound lack of Biblical knowledge amongst the general populace. People think they know a lot about the Bible but all they really know is hearsay or rumor at best. People in general don't know or understand what the Bible teaches so that void is filled up by what they hear, and the world says quite a bit against God and His Word. It is our responsibility as Christians to make known the truth of Word of God to those around us and around the world; sadly many Christians lack a decent understanding of Scripture as well.

“For 'whoever calls on the name of the LORD shall be saved.' How then shall they call on Him in whom they have not believed? And how shall they believe in Him of whom they have not heard? And how shall they hear without a preacher?”

(Romans 10:13-14)

     The truth of the matter is that without these two problems, all the specifics I mentioned earlier clear up. We can't have misogyny and the rumor of it if Christians and Non-Christians understand that the Bible teaches men to love their wives as Christ loves the church and to care for their children. We can't have sexism or racism or any other 'ism' when we understand that God see's our souls and does not care about who or what we are externally!

For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek, for the same Lord over all is rich to all who call upon Him.

(Romans 10:12)

There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus.

(Galatians 3:28)

     Let's talk for a moment now about homosexuality. We get hit by this a lot these days, and in a certain sense we deserve it. The Bible is quite clear that practicing homosexuality is a sin, (Jude 1:7, Romans 1:26-27, 1 Corinthians 6:9-10, just to name a few verses.) But we are told as Christians to love our enemies and to love our neighbors (ie. everyone around us). To the world at large: I have to tell you that we cannot back away from the clear Word of God, we cannot except this “lifestyle”; and to the Christians living in this world: I say we have to remember to love these people like we should love everyone. One sin isn't any worse than another in God's eyes, all are equally damning. Let's do our best to work for the Kingdom and spread the truth -the real truth- of God's Word to the people around us and to do it in love and with a desire to save not to condemn.

“But even if you should suffer because of righteousness, blessed are you. Do not be afraid or terrified with fear of them, but sanctify Christ as Lord in your hearts. Always be ready to give an explanation to anyone who asks you for a reason for your hope, but do it with gentleness and reverence, keeping your conscience clear, so that, when you are maligned, those who defame your good conduct in Christ may themselves be put to shame.”

(1 Peter 3:14-16)

"Behold, I send you out as sheep in the midst of wolves. Therefore be wise as serpents and harmless as doves.”

(Matthew 10:16)

"Rape Culture"

     There seems to be quite a bit of talk lately about so-called “rape culture” in the world. People of every theological, spiritual, and intellectual stripe are throwing around all kinds of explanations for this heinous act of violence. More often than not however, it comes down to the blame game. Some people blame women for “putting themselves on display” or “being where they shouldn't be.” Others blame men for thinking sex is due them or looking down on women or not listening when she says no. The problem with any one step explanation is the fact that this issue is more complex than that. Every situation is different and every rape has its own causes and its own victims. I will say this; ultimately 'rape culture' is a necessary result of a 'sex culture.'

     Put down your pitchforks please and let me explain that statement. The camp that blames men generally tries to do two things: point out the wrong mindset and behavior of offending males, and make all non-offending males appear to part of the problem simply because of their gender. The camp that blames women tries to make men out to be some sort of automatic machines that can do nothing more than react to stimuli; thus a scantily clad women creates sexual desire which the man has no choice but to act upon. Both camps are wrong not because they are inherently wrong but because the problem is both more complex and more simple than they would claim. Men are to blame because they are the perpetrators (most of the time). Many men do in fact have a horribly skewed view of women and that viewpoint plays out in their lives. Women are not to blame but are not without responsibility either, you cannot have your social cake and eat it too in this case. You cannot flaunt your sexuality and expect no one to notice, you cannot go home with a man you only met that night in a dark bar and simply expect perfect safety. The rapist is still the only one to blame, and in many if not most instances the woman involved did nothing wrong or unwise; but not always. Like I said, ultimately you really can't blame the victim in this kind of thing, the blame simply can't go in that direction, but the responsibility gets on all of us. The real cause behind a “rape culture” where women are afraid and every man is seen as a potential attacker, is sin.

“...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. Therefore God also gave them up to uncleanness, in the lusts of their hearts, to dishonor their bodies among themselves, who exchanged the truth of God for the lie, and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever. Amen. For this reason God gave them up to vile passions. For even their women exchanged the natural use for what is against nature. Likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust for one another, men with men committing what is shameful, and receiving in themselves the penalty of their error which was due. And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a debased mind, to do those things which are not fitting; being filled with all unrighteousness, sexual immorality, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, evil-mindedness; they are whisperers, backbiters, haters of God, violent, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents, undiscerning, untrustworthy, unloving, unforgiving, unmerciful; who, knowing the righteous judgment of God, that those who practice such things are deserving of death, not only do the same but also approve of those who practice them.”

(Romans 1:21-32)

     Part of the world's fallen state is the idea that we can rightfully engage in sexual activity outside of the confines of marriage, outside of the limits that God has put in place. We want the reward without the risk, the pay check without the work, the benefits without the responsibility. You see it everywhere in movies and music and books and TV and in the minds of the people you know, sex is a natural part of a romantic relationship. Even that definition doesn't work today as many people see it as just a recreational activity at best that requires no special relationship between the individuals involved. Sex was meant to be a benefit to marriage and a means by which a husband and wife bonded even more closely. Taking it from the marriage bed and putting on public display has destroyed what it was meant for and opened the gates for a host of issues that we now have to deal with as a society.

     When you have a population of people with no set moral compass, a people who believe that sex is something with no boundaries, no rules, and without even a final definition, you will have those who choose to simply take what they want. Rape is a horrible vivid picture of a very simple problem. Humanity is fallen and wants to remain as such. Ultimately the reason that some people are raped is the same reason someone steals or murders or cheats-they want it. They want it and they don't give a second thought to the idea that taking it might be wrong. The thief takes what they want, the cheat says what they want, the murderer takes the life they want, and all because of pride and sin.

     Women should not have to think of every man as a potential attacker because male society should be on the look out to protect those (of any gender) that are weaker than themselves. Men shouldn't have to walk on egg shells trying to appear safe and non-threatening at all times and in all ways; we cannot sustain that kind of life. Sin destroys what it touches, branching out and infecting everything connected to it. Our explanations will always fall short if they fail to address the simple obvious fact that humanity is desperately in need of a Savior.

**Note**

     For those of you who may disregard my thoughts because of my gender, after all what can a man say about this, know that I have a source for my perspectives. Someone who taught me what I believe and who has a very real understanding of it. Someone who shall go unnamed here but has every right to talk about it.

True Good and What Matters Most -Part 2-

(This is the part two of my discussion of the article found here: http://sojo.net/blogs/2014/08/18/what-saved-my-faith

You can read part one >here< 

From the Article:

“My faith was threatened as I began to question what else had been wrong about what I had been taught. As I edged closer to the perimeters of the church, all the time being drawn and inspired by the beauty and unconditional love (which I was told only existed within Christianity) I saw outside of her, the light from beyond cast even more shadows on the church. Darkness existed in the forms of misogyny, empire-building, anti-intellectualism, and systematic marginalization of GLBT persons; they were injustices coated with spiritual language — wolves in sheep’s clothing. I suffered through severe storms of righteous rage. I wept with the pain of marginalized peoples against the church’s exclusion”

     I'm bothered by the phrase “what I had been taught.” A Christian is taught things, of course, but we come to know more as we commune with God in His Word. I can't really know, but it just doesn't feel like the author has a relationship with God. The language of the article speaks as if Christianity was simply an organization or a movement (She even calls it a movement at one point). Everything we see, every feeling we have, every idea that is presented to us or pops into our minds needs to be taken to Scripture and analyzed. The author constantly refers to “the church,” but doesn't ever mention the Word or God. The church, its membership, and its activities are not what we reference for truth and they are not what we hold up as our standard. God has revealed in Scripture and through His Son what we are to be. It is through that light that we look upon the world.

     “The light from beyond cast even more shadows on the church.” Satan was an angel of light, and he works in distractions and misinformation. He deals in lies and untruths. That light may cast shadows but it's a pale sickly light when understood. You say you see misogyny? The Bible speaks against that. You see 'empire-building' and 'anti-intellectualism'? God tells us to love Him with all of our mind, soul, and strength and think of others more than ourselves. You see the church marginalize the 'GLBT' folks? Well what do you mean by that? Do you mean that we exclude them from church? Do you mean that we refuse to allow what is clearly a sinful life, one repeatedly denounced by God in His word into the body of Christ? Then yes, that is there and it will remain for everyone who holds the Bible to be true. We must love these people, they are no different and no more fallen than any others but sin is sin and we do no one any favors by playing nice and trying to 'reinterpret' the Bible.

From the Article:

“You see, I want all of the beauty. I want the irreverent, gritty honesty out there AND the deeply mystical sacred prayers in here. I want the pragmatic, scientific solutions for the world’s problems out there AND the earnest faith for the impossible in here. I want the big, huge tent that welcomes everyone out there AND the narrow road of life giving sacrifice in here. I want to glean the wisdom of the world AND own Jesus’ beautiful vision.”

Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him.

(1 John 2:15)

“Adulterers and adulteresses! Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Whoever therefore wants to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God.”

(James 4:4)

"The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom, And the knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.”

(Proverbs 9:10)

Co 1:20 Where is the wise? Where is the scribe? Where is the disputer of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of this world?

     What honesty does the author think she'll find in a world of lies? Not that everyone is constantly telling lies but the prince of this world is the father of lies and humans speak his native language! Furthermore that 'big, huge tent that welcomes everyone' does not welcome true Christianity, it never has. Try it, go to that tent -so to speak- join in the hand holding and smiling, and then tell everyone that there is ONE way and one way ONLY that man can be saved from his sin. Tell them that the ONE true God CONDEMNS their sin and is right to PUNISH them. Tell them that despite that He sent His Son to die on their behalf and all we need to do to enjoy His grace is repent and OBEY. See how long they welcome you. This world hates us, some more than others, but all of it the same. We are not of this world and should not seek inclusion in it. We desire a oneness, we desire unity, but unity in Christ and oneness of Spirit. The kingdom of God is not one that exists on earth, at least not yet. The kingdom is not one we bring about, it is not one we help at all. God will do His work and we have the privilege of coming along for the ride. We do not seek a “better world” or a utopia, we seek Christ and Christ alone.

From the Article:

“The paradox in my spiritual journey is that beautiful people, ones who are overly kind, extravagantly generous, yet remain unassuming and humble — they threaten my faith and simultaneously save it. My faith, it teeters on again and off again, never secure, keeping me on my toes.

I will never stop being drawn outside of the faith circle, because selfish person that I am: I need to have all of the beauty. I can’t ever go back to the safe kind of faith, the one that is full of certainty and claims beauty only for itself. I want my faith to be fragile and vulnerable and dangerous, because without the risk of losing my faith, there would cease to be any need to save it.”

     The beauty she claimed to see outside, as if it only exists out there, is a facade. It's a remnant of the fact that as God's creation we can never be fully removed from the evidence of His work. I would ask why seeing people do good threatens her faith? Why does an atheist at a soup kitchen drive her to doubt? Is it because they're not a Christian? Is it because they're doing things she, for some reason, thought only Christians could do? The Bible tells us that all of our righteousnesses (apart from Him) are as filthy rags. It does not say we have no 'goodness', it only says that our 'goodness' is not ultimately good and by comparison is not very good at all. Frankly I'm concerned for her, with her faith so fragile as she says. We should not allow doubts to linger. When we doubt we need to use that doubt to drive us to deeper understanding. We need to strive for the death of doubts, not hold to them as some sort of indicator of higher truth. Our faith does not require saving. We do. I feel as if the author needs to be reminded that we hold to a faith that is sure in the storm, steady on the sea, and firm as a house built upon stone rather than sand. We cannot be led astray by the beauty of this world; a lost man can be confident but following him still gets you nowhere.

“For if, after they have escaped the pollutions of the world through the knowledge of the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, they are again entangled in them and overcome, the latter end is worse for them than the beginning.”

(2 Peter 2:20)