Status Pain

Actually a website: visit for an idea of my concern here.

This post has been a long-time coming, but something I think about at least every day. When I scan the Facebook wall to see what "friends" are up to, I see many statuses that are a little confusing to me. They seem to be the equivalent of e-mail spam, personal contact's version of fishing for compliments, and can be at least as damaging or manipulative as either. Very little of the words on this post will be from me, so let's get to the status updates in question and I'll have some closing thoughts/questions at the very end: 

1. I personally believe in Jesus Christ. One Facebooker has challenged all believers to put this on their wall. The bible says, if you deny Me in front of your peers, I will deny you in front of My Father. This is a simple test. If you are not afraid to show it, re-post this. I proudly did! (: 
2. Like this status if I've ever made you smile(: repost and see how many likes you get(:
3. What if I died tomorrow -- would you miss me here?  
4. Single or not put this as your status & see what you get Inbox only!!!..

1. ♥ = I want a relationship
2. :) = I kinda like you
3. :p = I'm shy.... but your cute
4. XD = I want your number
5. :D = you mean everything 
6. </3 = I regret leaving
5. Ugh, I feel so ugly today! (posted alongside new profile pic, looking good) 
6. Truth is...
   
7. Repost if you're ending 2011 single. If someone wants to change that they'll send you a ♥.

Disappointment Waiting To Happen

I'll stop here because it's getting depressing to wonder about the emotional health of so many people I know. What are the unintended consequences of posts like these, of turning to "social media" while losing the ability (skill?) to socially engage others in person and build up meaningful relationships? Have we been sold the illusion of cyber-friendship? What if you don't re-post the first (are you denying Jesus?); what if no one likes, responds, re-posts, or affirms your internet-appeal for affirmation? What does that do to your self-worth?

How Do You See God? (January 2012)

Last year we talked about sin and how we will all, ultimately, see God as God is and be without excuse. This year we'll discover definitively who God is... just kidding. That would be hard! Not only that, but knowing God completely is impossible. Even through Jesus, we're only scratching the surface of the enormity of who God is - and yet God has chosen to reveal Himself to us through Jesus and enables us to get to know Him through the Holy Spirit. *

This year we're going to talk about how, as Christians, the way we treat others says volumes about us and what we believe about God. To start out, I want you to take a moment to think about the ways you might talk about God or describe God to someone who has never heard of God. What would you say?


....

Did anything come to mind? What are some of the descriptions you would use of God?

Long-haired, white-haired, blond-haired, dark-haired?
Non-existent, Figment of our imagination, Lie?
Concept of self, Concept of Greater Good?
Robe, Suit, Sandals, Glowing Orb?
Man, Woman, Both, Neither?
Involved, Disconnected?
Caring, Uncaring?
Strong, Weak?
Old, Young?
You, Me?
Us?

Often times, the things we've heard before shape the way we see God - good, bad, or indifferent. And sadly, many Christians are responsible for the ways their friends, family members, or coworkers see God. For example, if someone claims to know God but is hateful or indifferent to others, they will inevitably see that this must be what God is like if one of God's followers is like that. Don't we look like those we follow? Isn't that the point? How many people do you know who would say, "I can't stand this person. But you know what? I want to be just like them!" No - that would be absurd!

This year we will examine how what we are like as Christians tells others what God is like as God. This month, think about what you are telling others in your daily life. Are you showing them God, or just yourself?

______________________
* Video was removed due to copyright complaint by Focus on the Family.

All Things New (December 2011)

God has promised us that, in Christ Jesus, we will one day be clothed with bodies like these, but imperishable, and have lives like these, but without the pock-marked, bullet-riddled tell-tale signs of sin (1 Cor. 15:53-57). Can you imagine how great it will be to no longer have fear of death or harm, fear of sin’s consequences, or fear of separation from the relationship that even now gives life and breath to us?! There is no greater idea or hope on this earth with which to occupy ourselves. The redemption of the whole world–and that includes us!–is a glorious thing that we in Christ will witness for eternity as God reveals what He has known and seen since eternity past. This is the ultimate victory, the end of death and sin and isolation.

Take a moment to read Revelation 21:1-7. After all the evil, all the sin, all the selfishness of fallen humanity has run its course, and after the judgment of God falls against these things and restores His creation–all of it–we’ll see what we can scarcely imagine now. We’ll still have heaven and earth, but new. We’ll have bodies, but new. We’ll have God, but in a new way. Face to face, and with no fear of death, because death is gone, out of God’s presence. For eternity.

We all must respond to sin personally. It ultimately doesn’t matter what we think, but what God says about it–and the bottom line is we all have the disease. But this month we close the year out bringing our minds back to where they belong: on God. The work of God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit assures us that sin is not the final chapter of our story. In fact, because of Jesus, the final chapter of our story is the continuation of God’s story in a light we’ve never seen. We will be where we were designed to be, in the presence of God as God truly is, and no more allegory or metaphor or limiting descriptions will be needed. Free of sin forever, we will simply see that God is–and, for the first time in our lives, that will be enough.

Fictional, But True (November 2011)

The Spirit of God in us makes rejecting sin possible. But Satan lies to us about who we are and where our value lies. I was granted a rare phone interview that I’d like to share with you below. I think it covers the issue of rejecting sin daily better than I could, so I transcribed the recording:

David: I’m so glad to have you both on the line–And… it’s recording. So, this is so cool! I-

Lucifer: You have a really nasally voice. Anyone ever tell ya that? Was it hard as a kid?

David: Uh, yeah, they did. But I’m okay with it because God made –

Lucifer: I’d be embarrassed, seriously. It’s weird. Not trying to be rude–I’m just saying.

Jesus: C’mon, Lucy, stop cutting him off. I’ve made him perfectly.

Lucifer: Jesus! Stop calling me that–You’re not as nice as people think you are.

Jesus: (laughing)

David: Okaaay, so I actually did want to talk about something today. Jesus, you beat sin and death on the cross… and so now we’re free from sin… but why do we still sin?

Lucifer: Nosetalker, Noseta–!… um, no He didn’t… uh, nu-uh, still guilty… because Jesus died for better people, not you. You missed the boat, Sally.

Jesus: Well, David, I’ve already won the victory, as you said, so death’s sting is gone for you because your sin won’t end in real death…

David: Which is not just the eternal consequence of punishing sin but separation from You forever…

Jesus: Right, right. But you’re still on earth and it’s hard to live with a Kingdom of God mindset when the kingdoms of this earth, as foolish as they are, are more visible.

Lucifer: Please! Foolish? I give’em what they want. You take. So much for good gifts, huh?

David: Right, so, so you told us we’d have trouble, but you also called us to be perfect like God. How can we do that if sin is such a part of us? I mean I get the Holy Spirit, but –

Jesus: That’s right, you get the Holy Spirit. So by putting my covering on yourself, and with His guidance, you have all you need to resist the devil. Resist him and he’ll flee from you.
Lucifer: (snorts)

David: But you quoted scripture to get him to back off. So don’t we need the word too?
Lucifer: I know the Bible, too, you know.

Jesus: I am the word, David, so yes. You have to get to know me to be successful against sin–all of me, not just the parts of me you already agree with.

David: Dang, I walked right into that one, and I even tell my youth that all the time!

Jesus: It’s simple, really. The plan. But it’s not easy. And no one’s perfect, except me…

Lucifer: Whoa, I’ll take arrogance for $1000, please, Alex.

Jesus: … so you need the Spirit to remind you who you are in me. Lies are powerful, but the Spirit reminds you of my words. He’ll daily empower you to reject sin, if you let Him.

Lucifer: Are you guys ignoring me? That’s rude.

David: Oh, that reminds me of a verse. You provide ways out of temptation and won’t tempt us more than we can bear. And you want us to be conformed to the image of… well, You.

Jesus: Yes, I remember saying that… It’s because I love you. And I want the best for you.
David: I know, Jesus. I just need to remind myself sometimes–

Lucifer: No, he doesn’t! You’re a fat, selfish, egotistical idiot who doesn’t deserve the –

David: Uh, I think we lost Lucifer. Hello?

Jesus: We did. He, and sin, can’t stand up to the truth, much less love. Because I am.

Freedom From Sin (October 2011)

Last month we saw how God’s word condemns sin, so the word became flesh in Jesus so God could offer us grace without denying who God is. And God IS, we can be sure of that. But sin also ‘is,’ so the question is how we avoid the hopelessness of it all. Now it’s time to focus on the conquering of sin–for three months! The Father, Son, and Holy Spirit all play a part. We can’t go any further if we don’t acknowledge that Jesus has conquered the finality of, and the death associated with, sin. 

It is a cancer. It’s a plague. But its days are assuredly numbered.

John the Baptist calls Jesus the lamb who takes away the world’s sin (Jn 1:29), a reference to the Jewish sacrificial system of removing the guilt of, or paying for, sin. And in Jesus, according to Paul, we should see ourselves as dead to sin because of Jesus; that is, set free from the death it brings (Rom 6:11, 18)! Death is sometimes a hateful, terrifying prospect (even when we know as a follower of Christ that death is not the gruesome end of our relationships with God and other believers)–maybe because on this side it seems so final. We remember losing loved ones. We remember the feeling of ‘never’ getting to see them again. And we remember how they, like us, had hopes of things they could have still done without death’s cold embrace.

And maybe that’s what we fear in death: not the moment or its coming but the separation of our lives from the hopes for the future. We dread the loss. In America it can be hard for us to contemplate what freedom means, since we are so free compared to the rest of the world. We appreciate that freedom, and yet we can become dulled to the cost of that freedom. We do not often think about its loss, not when the USA is at its strength. But events like 9-11 and the tragedy of New Orleans serve to remind us that nothing is permanent, we are not untouchable, and we will all one day be faced with loss. The schedule is not our own. But the hope, the peace we have because of Jesus, is.

That peaceful hope is indestructible, not manipulated by others or world events, and is based not on our goodness but on God’s greatness! Jesus took a ‘game over’ sign that hung around our necks like a millstone and tore it in half, once for all, and welcomed us into the biggest party the world has even known. Sin? Nah, I’m good–I’ve got another invitation. “God, in the power of Your Holy Spirit, mold me more and more into the image of Jesus.”

Letting The Word Reign (September 2011)

Last month we saw God’s plan to use the imperfect perfectly shows His glory, and that brings us to our third possible response to the reality of sin in us–we can admit the sin and let God’s word reign in us. In the beginning, God created all that is with words (Gen 1:3) and is called the word, in John 1:1, that was both with God and became flesh in Jesus, as testified by John the Baptist (John 1:14-15). That same word of God came in the flesh to save the world through Him (John 3:17, 12:47-48) and yet, there it is in black and red, that word that the Word speaks is going to condemn those that don’t listen. Anyone else catch it? The word that became flesh convicts the world of its sin by His words, but through the Word’s -- through HIS -- death and resurrection He saves from sin and brings life. Does anyone else see how counter-cultural that is?

Letting God’s Word reign in us is letting Jesus reign in us. That means He’s in charge. It means that where God’s Word leads, we follow. Where the Word rebukes our behavior, speech, or life, we take it to heart and adjust accordingly. Where the Word instructs us for our benefit, we move and allow that Word to change us. When we ignore God, our tendency is to ignore ideas like sin. But when we admit this truth and let the redemptive person of Jesus change the way we see life, we learn that the same Word that condemns sin saves us through His death. Put God’s Word in the place of supremacy this month, and together we’ll look forward to learning how sin gets conquered the rest of this year.

The Direction of Jesus (August 2011)

Last month we saw that, in regards to sin, we can’t hope to be good enough on our own. That kind of worldview makes God out to be less than God is. When we lessen what our sin is, we also lessen the great redemption of God in our minds, and God won’t put up with that. We also must avoid fatalistic thoughts about our sin that will lead us to another possible response to sin. We could give up and sin unashamed because we cannot be without sin. But scripture tells us we neither sin more to increase God’s grace to us (Rom.6:1-2) nor to admit that we can’t be without sin (1 John 1:8)! The Bible is full of examples of God using the imperfect to accomplish His purposes, so leading lives pock-marked with sin is no cause to give up the fight, to stop the race mid-stride.

Take a moment to read 1 John 1-3:10 – it’s long but key to understanding a life lived in God. The first image given is walking in the light or the darkness. The image is one of action, of practice, of will and direction and continuation and process. The same John that writes 1:8-10 also wrote 3:4-6. What looks fatalistic in Chapter 1 looks legalistic in Chapter 3. Is John confused? I don’t think so. We are not to give up because we struggle with sin. Giving up will show what we’re walking in: light or darkness. We struggle toward that pinnacle of perfection in Jesus, reach for that level of purity (3:3). If we truly belong to God in Jesus, we cannot sin without the Holy Spirit waking us up to what we’re doing. To know God means we will walk in the Light of Christ – not perfectly, not without incident, and not without our wills sometimes leading us astray, toward the darkness. But our direction will be toward Jesus, the One who forgives, and cleanses us from, all sin (1:7,9), serves as our advocate (2:1), appeases God’s wrath in His death (2:2), and gives us the example to follow. Not one, but THE example.

This month consider your steps, your momentary interactions with others, and be honest about whether you are walking in the Light of Life, or the darkness of death. Follow Him and you will practice the righteousness you witness in Jesus… moving from lost to found.

Stacking The Sin Deck (July 2011)

Thus far this year we’ve talked about how God sees sin (rebellion against Him, perversion of His good gifts, separation from Him) and the universality of sin (all of us sin, are worthy of judgment, and will be held accountable). What I hope we have seen is the story of God is, ultimately, about God, not us. We are then invited to be a part of that story and either contribute to the glory of God, or try to make our own way in the brief years we have on this earth. Over the next quarter we’ll see three major ways to respond to God’s gracious story as it relates to sin and hopefully tackle some hidden pitfalls in each.

The first is in Luke 17:9-17.

Over the course of our lives we pursue God in different ways. As we are led by Him, the Spirit of God deals with our junk, some of which we’re ready to receive and work on, and other things we’re not. Sometimes I find myself trying to do God’s work on my power and when it doesn’t work, I’m finally ready to hear from God about His way. Jesus tells us a story about a religious leader and a tax collector. It may not mean anything to us today, so let’s put it in more modern, applicable terms for us: a pastor (or pope) and a thief. Does this give the story more meaning for you? What social conventions does Jesus turn on their heads?

The pastor stands at the altar of God and even in his prayers can’t help but play the comparison game. Rather than focusing on God, he focuses on everyone (maybe even everything) else. As I read it, I think there’s some subtext of this pastor choosing to look at only those people who make him look better, deftly avoiding those who might be able to do the same with him! He points out sins of others that he doesn’t struggle with while avoiding the sins he does struggle with. In subtlety, his mind moves away from God and toward his perception of what being good is–and he passes the test!

We do this in our lives as well, stacking the proverbial deck until our junk smells like roses and everyone else is just struggling to catch up. It’s not even a conscious choice most of the time–a deliberate, slanderous act–but a series of small, seemingly inconsequential decisions over a course of weeks, months, and years. Sin is like that. It’s deceptive. It’s at home in feelings of self-assured self-sufficiency. It’s slow-growing but fast-acting. And when it gets warmed up, it brings a quick chill that hardens the heart to others’ sufferings and certainly to God. Before we know it, we are gladder that we’re not like “them” (we think with smug superiority) than we are that God, in His mercy, has delivered us from the consequences of our own despicable sin.

This is where thoughts of being “good enough” get us. Ideas of comparison are deadly to faith. This is also why we had to lay groundwork about God’s views on sin and His truth about all people and their sin. If we don’t first align ourselves with God’s word regarding who we are we can be tempted to see too small a crack between who we are and who God made us to be–the distance is a chasm of immeasurable distance and depth. When our sin ain’t that bad, and we’re all pretty good, then God’s word isn’t as true, God’s love isn’t as glorious, His redemption isn’t as necessary, His voice isn’t as strong, and His glory isn’t as big. God won’t put up with that kind of worldview because it makes God out to be less that who God is. And that’s simply not good enough.

One Shot (June 2011)

In this quarter we’ve talked about how everyone on earth is a sinner, we’re all worthy of judgment by God, and are closing up this month with the impeccable timing of God’s judgment. The OT tells us our sins will find us out (Num 32:23) and the NT tells us we were not made for a life of sin (i.e. darkness), but to be children of the light (1 Thess 5:4-11). Moreover, when Jesus is talking about the truth of God’s word He likens it to seed and light, giving a great harvest and great light to the world. This light will make all things clear. Read Luke 8:16-21.

Timing regarding God’s judgment shows up regularly in the media and especially in tabloid rags. We are enamored with the idea of the “end” but it means different things to different people. I’m mixed with humor and sadness to drive around Santee and El Cajon and see billboards boldly proclaim the day of judgment as May 21, 2011. Perhaps you’ve seen them yourself, or you actually believe them. In either case, I’m sorry and I don’t mean to be offensive when I say how ridiculous these claims are. I do intend to rely on the supremacy of God’s timing and not that of any other. God alone knows the timing of this reckoning – not the Mayans (ca. 12-21-2012), not the numerous radio or television personalities (ca. May 21, 2011), and not even the physical person of Jesus (Matthew 24:36). God literally became flesh to show us the way–to be the Way for us–and told us the day is not for us to know, only to expect its coming. In the light of God’s brilliance, everything – all our deeds, words, thoughts, and assuredly all of our sins – will come to light (Eph. 5:13).

We only have one shot – to live and choose Jesus – before death claims us. It’s been said the mortality rate of human beings is 100%, and scripture tells us that judgment comes swiftly upon our death (Hebrews 9:27). As we wait for God’s perfect timing for each of us, we must make a decision: to be children who live in darkness, or sons and daughters who walk – bravely, faithfully, lovingly and with confidence – in the light. If we are to do this, it must be on God’s terms, not our own. We must hear God’s word and do what it says. Live in such a way that our love for God draws us away from sin, and the inevitable consequences of them, toward the gracious arms of Jesus.

Relaxing Into God (May 2011)

Last month we talked about how all of us sin, and are thus imperfect, and need God’s help to be cleansed of that next one thing in our life. We need God’s help to be purified, and the Spirit of God in us is the worker toward, and reason for, a life that’s being continually molded more and more into the image of Jesus. But when is it good enough? When can we kick our shoes off, kick back in our BarcaLounger, and just relax? Well, the bad news is every rebellion, perversion, and imperfection is worthy of God’s judgment so, unfortunately, never. Not until we quit this life. We’ve always got something else to work on, no matter how good we appear to be. But the good news is that God never changes (Num. 23:19), so His plan of redemption through Jesus is the hope-filled constant in an otherwise disordered and chaotic existence.

There is a blessing behind this curse of sin, and it’s nestled in the consistency of the character of God. We already know what God wants! And so you know, if you look in the Word again tomorrow… it’ll still be the same! This God loves us immensely and has already shared with us the way to be made right with Him. We must obey and serve God completely or things won’t turn out too well for us. If we rebel against God’s commands, we’re imperfect; if we pervert what God says, in word or deed, we’re imperfect; if we even slip up (the Christian ‘oops’) and follow imperfectly God’s perfect law we are – you guessed it – imperfect. Now, I haven’t often been accused of being a Debbie Downer, but I can literally sense the words forming in your minds now. “Jeez, David, lighten up! Don’t be such a dill weed about sin – that’s not the way to get people to come to church!”

Everything that falls short of God’s glory, however, is sin and if God doesn’t change His mind, we’re better off orienting our thoughts to God’sinstead of ignoring the problem. Take some time to read a few times over 1 Peter 1:14-19. For many, it will be familiar or seem ‘old hat,’ but trust the Spirit to help you see something new of God’s character. For others, it may be foreign, seem too like ‘works-based salvation,’ or an unattainable ideal but not a realistically achievable goal. But here in these verses we see the battle of the flesh and spirit Paul talks about. The struggle that makes sense of foolishness, and such foolish ideas the very wisdom of God. God judges all wrong so if none but God can stand, then God alone must bear both standard and punishment.

And that’s the beauty and pain of Christianity. That God has set the standard and paid the penalty–not because He didn’t know what it felt like to be a human; not because He couldn’t make things work some other way; and not because He is a blood-hungry murderer. God rescued us this way because truth doesn’t change people against their will. Sacrifice and forgiveness despite our wrong humbles us, and shows us what love is really about. Love isn’t about nullifying truth, but inserting grace into the equation when truth would otherwise destroy us. Love is grace. And God is love.  When our guilt seems overpowering, just think on that in repentance… and relax.

Lakeside Visitor April 2011

 

The first three months of the year we saw how God sees sin–sin is serious business! God says our sin is open rebellion against His Lordship, a perversion of what He created and called good, and the imperfection that separates us from Him. Over the next three months we’ll look at the universality of sin in all people. Such topics will not release Christians from sin’s guilt and encourage a sense of superiority but will provide a universal standard for us to contend with.

We remember Paul’s admonition that all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God (Rom 3:23), but we could be tempted to downplay the conviction of Paul’s words or point to someone else that we appear ‘better’ than. Need we be reminded of scathing rebukes Jesus gave the Pharisees, His focus on the heart’s condition, or His offering of grace to the adulterous woman caught in sin? What I want us to look at more is Jesus’ exchange with a rich young man–read all accounts, starting with Matt 19:16-22. Something more is going on here than a seeming admission from Jesus that we can obtain eternal life from following the commandments, isn’t there? Wouldn’t that be ‘us being good enough’ on our own? How then could we all fall short? I greatly enjoy this account! It not only shows the humanity of Jesus–exemplifying humility by calling none but God good, even though being God in the flesh–but how He deftly leads those who are interested to the deeper truths that can change us.

Jesus, our Jewish savior in a Jewish nation, addresses the Jewish idea of being right with God–you follow the law, period. Matthew records the man as thinking he’s got to be missing something; Mark, Jesus’ love for the man; and Luke, how Jesus has set the young man up to drop a bombshell on traditional views on Jewish piety. Jesus wants us to see that being a ‘good’ boy or girl isn’t good enough, because no one but God is good. I can picture the young man thinking, “Saweet!” before walking away with a big smile on his face. Maybe Jesus even lets him get a step or two away before saying, “Oh yeah, but there’s one more thing.” Really? Just one? Does Jesus mean ‘1’ or is he about to light a fire of divine providence that rips away our human self-sufficiency?

Never forget that Jesus is the Word made flesh (Jn 1:14) and that Word cuts to the quick (Heb. 4:12). The rich young man has done all he can think of but that glory is still beyond him. The Word of God will at once acknowledge all we’ve done but always give us one more thing to work on, one more area of our life that’s not perfect. Confucius once said that a journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step. Jesus takes us step-by-step to His likeness. After all, perfect is the standard, God’s level of ‘good.’ Are you God’s level of good? I’m not–I’m not even gonna wait for your answer! Are we going to walk away from Jesus like this rich young man, or will we focus our attention on our next one thing that needs the Spirit’s cleansing? After all, it’s just one…

Lakeside Visitor March 2011

 

Last month we talked about how the perversion of the good things of God is sin. Perversion takes what is perfect and corrupts it. This is an immutable law that is proven in daily life and yet we sometimes ignore it when it comes to God. Would you eat a cookie with a little poop in it–after all, there’s only a little bit, right? Does it matter what “a little” means, or if it came from a dog or a cat? Or if you were on Fear Factor? Think about diamond purchases: no one is getting out of a jewelry purchase without a little cost. Two things affect the price of a diamond: it’s size and clarity. The larger, and clearer, the diamond is, the lighter your wallet will feel when you leave the store. The seller will tell you one diamond is cheaper than another because of its imperfections. It could be some tint of color in the diamond, the cut, or the clarity. Another element that is a part of the diamond, be it nitrogen or some other mineral, increases its relative imperfection. And that imperfection lowers the value.

What can be difficult to grasp at first is how much sin lowers our “value” in the sight of God. I don’t mean that God stops loving us or would just as soon kill us–that’s not biblically accurate (Ez. 33:11). What I mean is we assign value to sins that make us look better or worse in comparison to others. But God doesn’t do that–perfect is perfect. Where we’d look at a flawed diamond and say, “Man, that’s good enough–it’s gorgeous!” God would say, “but it’s not perfect.” We might say, “that’s hideous” and God would say, “no, it’s not perfect, but neither are you.” What God must do is deal with the imperfections, those impurities that have been worked into our makeup, so that we will be perfect, no matter our condition before we came to Him. A pinch of imperfection is all it takes to separate us from the absolute holiness of God.

When we go against God’s law in any way (1 John 3:4) we sin–God’s law is the standard, not our value judgments. And that introduction of an imperfection makes us guilty and requires a sacrifice to make us right with God again (Lev. 4:22-23). The same mean ol’ God who says no one can see His face and live (Ex. 33:20)–a great picture of the chasm between perfection and imperfection–describes the Messiah as the bearer of our sins, the final intercessor (Is. 53:12b). In effect, what God did is picked up His dirty followers, saw that all those imperfections were hopelessly intermingled with our finer qualities, and decided to be our perfection for us. “Well, these diamonds just won’t do. I can’t say sin doesn’t matter anymore, or my holiness is pointless, because both would make me a liar–and I don’t lie (Num. 23:19). But if I replace these imperfect diamonds with my one perfect diamond–myself–then my standard stays intact.” So He did. And those who choose Christ are not standing on their own merit but are wearing Christ Himself like a garment when God’s judgment comes to call. Though sin separates us from God, there is a final chapter–our imperfection is replaced by the perfection of Jesus. Now that’s a flawless diamond!

Lakeside Visitor February 2011

 

Last month I said that those areas not submitted to God are sin traps for us because God demands His rightful place in our lives and won’t accept anything less. When we don’t do what God says (whether we call Him ‘Lord’ or not), it’s sin–plain ol’ rebellion against the living God. This month we’ll look at the other phrase I used: sin is a perversion of the good things of God.

The good things of God are perverted throughout scripture. Adam and Eve were given only one rule to follow: don’t eat fruit from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, or you’ll die (Gen. 2:16-17). God’s rule. God didn’t tell Adam the fruit was nasty, or would cause some kind of stomachache. He simply said don’t eat it. All the serpent had to do was cast doubt in their minds and human reason did the rest, biting down hard on supposed injustice. “Seriously? I eat fruit and I’m dead?! That’s a little harsh. In fact, it’s too harsh to be true. Therefore, I deduce that a bite or two ain’t that bad.” Murder, she wrote, and we’ve been killing ourselves ever since. In that one scene from history we see reflected back to us our doubt that God means what He says, the shame that results from disobedience, our excuses for actions that deny God’s word, and the inevitable punishment of God. When the law is set, breaking it brings the punishment assigned to that law.

Sin earns death, and God is justified in carrying out the sentence. Because of this act, the good things of God–apparently the hardest work Adam had to do was enjoy creation, name a bunch of animals, and enjoy Eve–were lost and hard work and pain took their place. Why? Because they didn’t believe God. What God intended as a blessing was perverted by their unbelief. They were duped into the party line of sin that says you have the right to do whatever you want, even if you’re told otherwise, and no one can make you suffer for it–not even God. Problem is, want doesn’t excuse us from consequences because we didn’t make the rules. I’ve wanted to fly since I was a kid, and not the ‘plane’ kind but the superhero kind. But if I jump from a building, the law of gravity will hold me accountable regardless of my desires.

In the same way, God has given us the beauty of creation and relationships to enjoy, holds us accountable in our treatment of both according to His rules, and we now suffer because we have perverted His good gifts. If we are ever to control sin’s impact in our lives we must see sin as a rejection of God’s perfect law and, by extension, God Himself. When we believe God wants our best by guiding us to His best, we don’t have to fear His just and holy punishment of sin because He’s given us the best of good things in Jesus. This month let’s prayerfully seek God’s best and saving One, Jesus. And if we find ways, in the process, that we have been dismissing God’s law and walking in sin, let us kick that perversion to the curb!

Lakeside Visitor January 2011

 

Last year I talked about getting our speech under control. The reason I gave in December was to become more like Christ, not about properly ‘doing’ religion. If hampering the tongue isn’t about Jesus, then the Church is just “a self-help club for the inwardly mobile.” To keep us from becoming a country club of like-minded people who don’t serve a purpose past ourselves, we need to get serious–not to mention honest–about everyone’s favorite topic of dinner conversation: sin.

I know. Time for a much-needed potty break or a drink of water, right? Sin is one of those topics we try to avoid. It doesn’t make us feel good about ourselves so we avoid the topic altogether. Or, better yet, keep a loose grip on the definition of sin. Well, my goal over the next 12 months isn’t to remove the teeth from ‘SIN’ but to castrate the power of it over our lives. That’s powerful language, yes, but we need power to… well, I don’t want to get ahead of myself. In each quarter we’ll discuss sin in four areas: how God sees sin, the universality of sin in our lives, our response to sin, and finally the conquering of sin. The goal is to move from foundation to house, not vice versa. The clear imagery here is that if we first build our house and fill it with things that comfort and put us at ease, then any thought to a foundation will have to conform to what we already believe. But if we build a foundation that is true in all ways, even if life destroys the house we’ve carefully built, we ourselves will stand firm.

So what is sin? Is it doing bad things? Making God mad? Hurting others or yourself? We try to define these boundaries so we can know before we cross the line. We are not so different from children in the sense that a defined line gives us a chance to flirt with disaster, push the envelope, without actually sinning. We’ll talk about that later, but for now I’ll just say we go about it wrong this way. I have been telling the youth that sin is a perversion of the good things of God: remember, God made everything good and we messed it up. But let me give you the meat behind the easy-to-remember line. We’ve all heard the word for sin (hamartia [+] in the Greek, for my fellow nerds) means to ‘miss the mark,’ or some variation thereof, but that’s an oversimplification. It can also mean to err, go astray, do wrong, offend, harm, or rebel–and that’s just for starters!

God sees our sin as not just something we do, but an extension of what’s inside–our fatal flaw. Our wrongs come from being wrong toward God. When Israel wanted a king other than God, they weren’t rejecting Samuel, but God Himself (1 Sam. 8:7)! We have not simply missed getting to God in our pursuit of Him, or anything so sterile as this, but have rejected God as king. We continue to do so, and whatever is not submitted to Him is sin. We enjoy the good things of God but not with thankfulness to God. And that is a perversion of God’s good gifts. We were never meant to replace God with God’s creation or our own devices (Rom. 1:21). This month I encourage you to think about what areas in your life you have built up a wall to divide you from God. God sees sin as rebellion against His lordship in our life, not just missing the mark. See how you might keep rebellion from perverting the good things of God this month.

Lakeside Visitor December 2010

 

Last month I dealt with how motives are not slicked over by glossy words. Inevitably people will get hung up on the jagged inconsistencies between our words and their underlying tone. All the speech we’ve talked about this year has been about keeping free of harming others with our words, what our words should do, and the consequences when words are not used wisely. But it’s not quite good enough, is it? It seems like another Do/Don’t List that, quite frankly, makes religion a little tiresome, doesn’t it? Is there another reason to curb our speech?

Look at Ephesians 5:1-4 with me, and take a moment to meditate on what you read there. Believers in Jesus are given a rule, not a suggestion. Brothers and sisters, we are encouraged in God’s word to be imitators of Him! This goes for our speech as well as our actions? Can you see Jesus cussing someone out or telling a vulgar joke? Then should we? We are to walk in love, sacrificially, in the example of Christ whose name we bear. Do you know that when we stand up for Christ–no matter when we do it–those outside our ranks take notice? And when we choose to slack off and carryon like the world, they notice that too, and the name of Jesus is maligned. Do others say, “Why would I need to accept Jesus? You have, and you’re just like me” because of us?

Paul’s admonition in 1 Timothy 4:12 is for the young, but we would all do well to heed its warning. We are to be examples of those who believe in Jesus now, not cautionary tales for our grandchildren. We need the rebuke and power of the Holy Spirit to be that imitator of God. It does not come naturally to us. We must work at it, and we must be willing to use our speech to keep each other in line. In verse 5:20 Paul calls us to rebuke publicly those who continue in sin, so fear of sin will spread. I wonder what Jesus would say when we shrug off a timely rebuke with, “Don’t judge me.” We are not to judge, for there is only one Lord and judge of all, but we are missing the mark if we do not hold each other accountable for our sin.

Our speech can be sinful, and it can hurt others as well as us. We must do our part to be formed in the image of Jesus–yes, by His power and, yes, in a continual process. It’s a process that demands progress, not apathy. We are called to a higher standard, to be ambassadors for Jesus on earth. We will fail if we do not curb our tongues and take our speech captive to Christ. It’s not about works, or religion, but imitating the God we follow. If it ceases to be about Jesus, then–really–we’re nothing more than a self-help club for the inwardly mobile. But that, my friends, is a topic for another year.

Lakeside Visitor November 2010

 

Last month I’m sure I tripped many of you up with my Shakespearean quip and possibly gave others the license to jump down someone’s throat with a rebuke. But hopefully you are all wise enough to proceed with caution when confronting others. I would like to say I am, but sometimes I think it’s better to be right than to be like Christ. Let me explain.

Galatians 5:13-26 has been speaking volumes to me over the past months. Please read it now, or my words will be weak and ineffectual. I read that we are called to live in freedom–but to love and serve others, not to bite and consume. Yet this is so often what we do. I find my heart breaks for those in my life I care about as others mercilessly attack them. The vocabulary may be normal and pleasant enough (or not), but the spirit behind their words is not for their benefit and–though this is hard to write–most likely not of God. It is hard to know what to do in such situations. When should we speak? When should we stay silent? More importantly, what are the unintended consequences of each option?

Now, I encourage you all to read the list of fleshly deeds over and over again. Are you there? Have you been? Relating these words to our speech can immediately make me feel ill at ease, especially since Jesus said our thoughts are as real as the actions themselves. How often do we use our words to cause strife in another’s life, disputing non-essential issues until hearts are pulverized by our personal convictions? How often do we break people apart by asking others to see our side of an issue instead of the truth? What is most important to us?

Bottom line, all my articles come from a place, and this one is no different. In Paul’s epistle the fruits of the Spirit of God come after the deeds of the flesh because they are where the Spirit works, where God covers our sinfulness. The deeds of the flesh are by-products of our selfish and controlling natures. But the Spirit? Those who practice living by the Spirit of God exhibit love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. If people are controlled by the words we say, if they are manipulated by our speech, then we have taken the reins on our tongues from God for our own ends. It takes self-control to advise where we might rather demand. It takes gentleness to hear another’s story when we’d rather conform them to ours, or at least something we’re more comfortable with. And it takes patience to get to know another well enough to speak with them about certain issues and convey love instead of judgment. I have fallen here more than I care to admit. But I do not practice those deeds. I practice living out the fruits of the Spirit I received because of Jesus the Christ.

The greatest of these is love. Have we shown ourselves to be loving children of God, above reproach (Phil. 2:14-15), or children of God who love to reproach? Hopefully we don’t practice deeds of the flesh, but we would do well to be mindful of them so, as they creep up in us, we can overpower them by practicing life in the Spirit. And please, for the sake of Jesus–whose name we bear–and others, put aside your own stake in another’s life so the Holy Spirit can accomplish in them what He has set out to do. Either way, your words will betray your motives.

Lakeside Visitor October 2010

 

Last month we talked about the vulnerability of children that is sometimes covered over by our adult tendencies to whitewash our own issues. We look to everyone but ourselves when the hammer’s gotta fall, and hope that the wrongs of another will somehow take the focus off of us. That kind of selfishness needs to die in us or we’ll watch it grow to new life in our kids. But there are times when we need to be ready to confront what is wrong (and do so with a loving heart and gracious attitude) so our kids will also know how, and when, they need to stand up. Think about Peter, Paul and, marry, a difficult confrontation in Antioch (Gal 2:11-16)! Go back in time with me and read the scene: Enter those of the circumcision.

We, like Paul, will sometimes have to confront the wrong we see in other believers so that others are not also led into sin. That takes, at bare minimum, two things: 1) knowledge of the truth according to God’s word (2 Tim 2:15) and 2) the courage to speak the right words (4:2). Thank God that He gives us these things if we rely on Him and learn from His word! I don’t mean to imply that doing this is easy. It’s not. Confrontation is often one of the most difficult things we have to do, but it is a natural consequence of living with others. I’m sure that even if we got away from everyone else in the world, we would soon be arguing with ourselves like Tom Hanks in Castaway. We must learn to say (in love) what needs to be said when the time comes or instinct and/or sin will take over… either way it will not be pretty.

Think about it from a recipient’s perspective. Have you ever done something that seemed like a good idea at the time but the fall-out wasn’t worth the pay-off? What if someone had just said something, or you had listened when they did? If Paul hadn’t rebuked Peter, maybe the other Jews and Barnabas would have “learned” that a necessary double standard exists for Jews who follow Christ. “With Gentiles, we can do whatever we want, but when other Jews are around, we have to reject the Gentiles to win the Jews.” That double life would have fall-out on both sides, and the body of Christ would be harmed. I don’t always think of my words and actions as having that kind of consequence, but maybe I should. Perhaps you, like me, can think of times when our speech in church, in the community, and even on social networking sites on the computer show less of Christ in us than, well… something else.

We all need a gentle rebuke sometimes. If it can happen to Peter–one who walked and talked with Jesus–it can happen to any one of us. If we don’t hold each other accountable, we can be misled by almost anything (Eph 4:14-16, 2 Tim 4:3-4) and that’s not what we’re called to in Christ. We need to grow up (in Christ), speak truth in love, and present a mature body to both the world and our Lord and Savior. The alternative is to keep quiet and let sin do its dirty work in us, and those around us. But, hey–at least that way we won’t hurt anyone’s feelings. I know, talking about sin is messy business, but where sin abounds God’s grace, love, and open arms are always waiting for the repentant heart. What will you do this month?

Lakeside Visitor September 2010

 

After three weeks of camp I'd say I was changed as much as, if not more so than, the students. There's something about being around the untainted genuineness of youth that shames our stodgy adulthood. A moment of watching youth shows me positives and negatives: 1) Their natural search for independence has them trying to get away by themselves to do what they know they shouldn't or being disobedient just because they can. 2) Their youth keeps their moldable young frames from the petrified and guarded behaviors of adulthood, where we trade youthful exuberance for calloused maturity.

We talked about being authentic with ourselves, our family and friends, and with God. Our speech is a great place to begin with such a topic and I was immediately reminded of the pitfalls we, who have gone before, have left for the youth. We adults expect our kids to be better than ourselves when we instruct them along the lines of Proverbs 15:1-4, but we slowly bury such teachings beneath our contrary actions. The youth pulled the word out easily: hypocrisy. Read this passage and pick a moment from your own life that convicts you. We all have at least one. Jesus says even if our actions are clean, our minds share the condition of our hearts and show us to be guilty. I know I am guilty of the "she started it," "but he..." mentality, but these kids helped me to see the healing available to the vulnerable.

Sometimes people deserve a harsh word, but where does it get us? Does the truth coming from my mouth act as a cleansing agent or as castor oil on the teeth? Do my words crush the spirit or give life and hope to those in need of both? After hearing some of the things these kids heard from the mouths of their parents I am positive that we are too lax with our tongues and the damages are sometimes irrevocable. Thank God children are more resilient than we are (but then again, I remember all the hurtful things said of me even when I was younger). We would do well to remember all our words will leave us answerable to God, who sees all, and speak with a view to the speech we leave behind/pass on in our children. I don't know about you, but that's a terrifying thought to me. But it’s also an incredibly encouraging thought, and challenge.

Lakeside Visitor August 2010

 

Have you ever been in a church member circle where the double speak of church politics or 'keeping up appearances' seems a little too much to take? Your pulse might quicken now at the thought of a situation particularly irksome to you. You might even have decided church is not the place for you because of such unchristlike behavior. Perhaps you believe we should actually be known by our love like Jesus said (side note: we should practice self-examination and know without doubt that someone likely thinks of us like this as we think of them).

You may be pleased to know you're not alone. Even Paul dealt with this unfortunate church reality. In Romans 16:17-18 Paul talks about people within our midst that are better left to their own devices and toxic ways. It certainly wasn't advisable to mimic such ways and even less advisable to be simple enough to fall prey to their teachings. Paul is urging us to be wise with our company (1 Cor. 15:33) and that might seem horribly intolerant in our tolerance-obsessed culture. We often wave this cultural buzzword like a messianic flag when it's closer to dirty underwear. There is a time to deal with what's going on in our hearts and minds and to do anything less is disingenuous.

At camp this week we are studying how to be authentic with ourselves, friends, family, and God. I have been pleased by how well students have responded to the material and hope that, in our failure to live out such authenticity, we do not inadvertently encourage them to think such an ideal is not worth pursuing – or worse, not possible. Can I model for these youth an example of being real with others whether it’s easy (as in good times) or hard (as in painful times)? If I do so I know I might hurt feelings, or have mine hurt, but I could consequently build up a better friendship or lose some dead weight. It seems harsh to think someone in our lives might be dead weight, but that could be the case. Either that or maybe we’re faulting them for the very issues we are guilty of.