Wednesday, April 17, 2013

Is my ear itching for what I want or what I need?


One idea that I have been mauling over recently is the idea of “what is truth?”  By no means has my faith been shaken or frustrated by this question, but at the same time I have been trying to make heads and tails of a concept that is getting pushed out further by post-modern ideology.

I am also wrestling with the fact that Christianity is becoming considered more and more archaic and irrelevant in society.  With me, I have never really looked at it that way because I have seen how Christ works harmoniously within human ethics, natural law and natural order.  To me it makes sense and it is timeless.  Having seen miracles, having come face to face with demonic spirits, and having had people who did not know me tell me something that “read my mail”, I am convinced that there is a spiritual realm and a God who is active in our lives.

So how did we get to this point?  I realize that because of what humans have done over the centuries, Christianity has become viewed as ritualistic, destructive, and closed-minded: something that Christ did not intend.  In fact, Christ was trying get the Pharisees out of the ritualistic and condescending mindset.  The crusades, the corruption of various churches, and the fallibility of church leaders (who happen to be just as prone to sin as you and I) demonstrates that the Church at times has been corrupted.  But Christ, the man and God that I follow, has not been corrupted.

So what I have been learning is that having the right truths in place is crucial to having a Christian Worldview.  A section of one of my text books describes the Christian Worldview, and it looks sort of like this (I added a little of my story to it):

-God is the creator:  When I have studied science and look at the Universe, I am in awe when I consider the nuances of our mere existence, it had to have been intelligent design.  Knowing that I was created by him and that I am unique empowers me and makes me grateful for what I do have, rather than focus on what I don’t have.

-I need God: Whether it is because of someone sinning against me or sin that I have committed on my own, I need God.  I have struggled since birth with trouble that is the result of sin, not my own sin, but someone else’s.  Rather than being angry or bitter, I chose to turn to God and ask him to bridge the chasm.  With sin that I commit, I ask for God’s help so that I can live a life that can bless others rather than take life from them and to leave my destructive tendencies in the past.

-God is the redeemer:  In the Old Testament, cultures would sacrifice to appease God.  The more perfect the creature was the better the sacrifice and the greater appeasement existed.  Jesus was the perfect sacrifice and died for our sins, and because I accepted his invitation (which is given to everyone) and take the time to know him, he accepts me for who I am.  It was not because I was anything great, because I have not been anything great.  Instead, it was because he loved me even as a broken person, and he redeemed me.  As bad as I can be, he still loves me.

-Until heaven, I will struggle, but I will get there:  As long as I am breathing, I will be tempted to make transgressions that hurt others, God, or myself (commit sin).  I will accidently make transgressions that hurt others, God, or myself.  But just like a child who spills his milk by accident, I know that God gives me grace and he understands my fallibility rather than screams at me for being careless.  The fact is, I do not want to take advantage of his grace and generosity… because using God for salvation is missing the point of being Christian.  So I continue my relationship with him and look forward to the day that I will see him face to face.

I found that it was very helpful for me to read that and I hope that you can find it helpful as well.  But as I am getting older and as I am watching the world change around me, I want to give you something to chew on…

2 Corinthians 4:3-  For the time will come when people will not put up with sound doctrine.  Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear.

When I read this verse, a few things come to mind:

1.     Postmodernism has taken truth out of the picture.  Truth not only convicts (what people are avoiding), but it gives life.  Even in painful moments, we are pruned to be more fruitful (John 15:2).  This is why it is significant that we have people in our lives who will guide us lovingly, prick our consciouses, and remind us of what the Bible says.
2.     Whether I am liberal or conservative, if I surround myself with people who only think like I do and I push out opponents, I will form a very lopsided worldview.  Not only do my views need to be challenged to create strength, but also I need to understand what others believe.  I don't have to agree with them, but I need to dialogue with them.
3.     I am responsible for studying the Bible myself, seeking its truths, and testing anything that is questionable that someone else tells me.  I am supposed to exegete (study not just the scripture but the context) and avoid pulling it out of context to suit my desires.
4.     I need to ask God to tell me what I NEED to hear, not what I WANT to hear.

This is just a starting point, so let me ask you rhetorically, how does this verse speak to you?  Does it make you second guess where your source of truth comes from, or does it motivate you to continue down the path you are on?  To me, it motivates me to constantly seek the most Christ-like path and it challenges me to grow a person, leader, and teacher.

Also, be sure to ask yourself, am I going to this person because they validate me or am I going to this person because they love me and want me to grow?

Thank you for letting me share my heart today and thank you again for reading, I love you guys!

Friday, April 12, 2013

Hard Question: Only One Way?


John: 6:14 Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.

I am finding that this might be one of the toughest verses for people to swallow.  So many people say, “how can a loving God do such a thing and exclude someone from heaven?”  To answer this question, I am going to answer this in the form of a parable.

There was once a man who grew up in relative obscurity.  When he went to school, he was not Mr. Popular since he was not good at the popular things such as (fill in the blank).  He was actually very savvy with business, which was not a subject that was offered at school so he could never really show his true strength.  But he kept honing his skill while trying to do well at sports and other activities.  All in all, his high school experience was rather uneventful and not many people lined up to hangout with him even though he was willing to hang out with anyone.

A few years down the road, he had a great business idea and moved on it.  He hit the jackpot!  He had more money than he knew what to do with.  He took care of his family, his friends that were loyal to him, and others close to him.  Then something unexpected happened…

He started getting phone calls and emails from people who he had vague recollections of from his past.  People who gave him very little time in his past were trying to reconnect with him!  At first he was okay with it, because he loved reconnecting with people he knew years ago and he thought it was really cool to see them again.  Then he found something terrible… they only called him when they needed money or help!

They did not want him or his friendship they just wanted his money.  Knowing this, he did not share with them because he knew that he was being used.  He felt hurt and insulted that people thought that he was naïve enough to give them his money without being friends with him.

This is the same way with Jesus.  Jesus fulfilled the prophecies and satisfied God’s wrath so that we could be with him.  Jesus wants us to be friends with him not just for what he can share with us, but because he wants the relationship with us.

Is that fair?  I would say so.  If I have a friend that I only talk to when I want something, it would not be much of a friendship and I really would not know him at all.  In the same way, if I were to give my life to Jesus but never pray, read scripture, or participate in any other discipline, it would not be much of a relationship.  I would be using him.

A good friend once told me that you are known by the company you keep.  If you have an active relationship with Jesus and spend time talking with him and knowing him, it will be evident to you and others because you will begin to bear a resemblance to him. 

With these things in mind, I ask, “If I have nothing in common with someone and I turn down the person’s invites, mock him, and screen his phone calls, do I have the right to be offended when he stops inviting me over to his house?  I do not.

The good thing is that we are not doomed.  We can always talk to him and get to know him.  Whether it is knowing him through scriptures, praying/talking with him, or spending time in the disciplines, it is not a monumental task.

I am sure that most of you that are reading this have a relationship with Jesus, so please don’t feel that I am being holier than thou.  I am just sharing a perspective that has helped me not only answer this hard question, but it allowed me to reassess what my motives are for having a relationship with Christ.

For the other group of people that might have to reassess their relationship with Christ, just know that it is never too late.  For a time in my walk, I pretty much used him.  That’s what I was taught, “turn or burn.”  It was not healthy, but that’s what I knew and understood… that he would punch my ticket and I had to appease him to get that approval.  It wasn’t until I realized that he wants a friendship with me and that I wanted one with him that it wasn’t this legalism that I was confined to, there was grace and relationship.  It was a choice that I will never regret!

In conclusion, I want you to know that even though it looks as if it is harsh that there is only one way to the Father, it is not as bad as it sounds.  The invitation is out there.  It always has been and always will be.  It is just a matter of whether or not we pick it