1st John 5 lays out some principles for effective prayer:
14 This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us.
15 And if we know that he hears us--whatever we ask--we know that we have what we asked of him.
So, for one thing, we can be confident in approaching God. Hebrews 4 tells us that we can boldly approach the throne of grace. But, as we come to God, we need to be sure that we are presenting our requests in an earnest manner, wanting His will to be done - and asking accordingly. It's a matter of alignment - making sure that our desires line up with His. In some cases, we may not know exactly what His will is in a specific situation, but we pray for His will to be done. The Bible teaches that if we ask with incorrect, selfish motives, then we can't expect God to answer our prayers.
In James chapter 4, the writer cautions believers not to use prayer as a tool for selfishness.
2 You want something but don't get it. You kill and covet, but you cannot have what you want. You quarrel and fight. You do not have, because you do not ask God.
3 When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures.
So, here is a legitimate, incredible resource that God has given to us, that people attempt to use for illegitimate purposes and therefore it's rendered ineffective.
A word to the wise - the 911 emergency number is a wonderful service and is available for anyone, anytime. But, make sure that you use it in the purpose to which it was intended...
Just last month, a host of police officers, including a SWAT team, showed up at the Los Angeles home of Bruce and Kris Jenner; right the mom of the Kardashians. The fake 911 caller claimed someone was being assaulted or at least was in danger of physical injury. This is an incident of what is known as "swatting", or calling 911 and saying that a crime is in progress at someone's home - this is especially becoming more popular concerning celebrites. Tom Cruise was apparently the object of a "swatting" attempt last month.
These are cases of something that is very good being used in a manner contrary to the way it was intended.
And, then there's my man Gregory Jackson, Jr. - a middle-aged Indiana man who called 911 nine times to order a cheeseburger. During his first call the emergency operator hung up the phone when he realized that it was a prank call. However, police have explained that he quickly called back saying that he still wanted his cheeseburger. The operator told Jackson: "Well I asked if you had an emergency. You said no, you needed a cheeseburger. So we don't take cheeseburger orders."
Well, Jackson apparently continued to call and try to place his order. Eventually, the operators asked him for some personal information, police officers were sent out. It was realized that the man was wanted on other charges - he has reportedly been arrested more a dozen times before in a string of alcohol-related incidents since the 1990s. His other arrests have also been for theft, dealing a controlled substance, and criminal recklessness. So, Jackson was taken to jail, where he received (drum roll please) a peanut butter and jelly sandwich, not a cheeseburger.
It's a little bit humorous, somewhat disturbing, and sad, all at the same time. I really don't know what was going through Mr. Jackson's mind, but I think there may be an illustration for us about using something that is a legitimate instrument of assistance for illegitimate purposes. It's been called, "praying amiss" - and James cautions against it.
So, does it sometimes seem your prayers are hitting the ceiling? There are a number of reasons, but I believe Scripture teaches that it could very well be that you're asking with wrong motives. The Bible tells us that if we ask anything according to God's will, He hears us, and we can know that we will receive what we ask. This is predicated on being aligned with God's will. If we regard prayer as some kind of cosmic vending machine and approach God selfishly, we cannot expect for Him to give us what we want. Alignment with God is a critical component of an effective prayer life.
Thursday, February 28, 2013
Wednesday, February 27, 2013
The New 30 and the Value of Life
From Psalm 71, we can be challenged to allow God to use us, to trust in Him from our youth to the end of our days here on earth:
17 Since my youth, O God, you have taught me, and to this day I declare your marvelous deeds.
18 Even when I am old and gray, do not forsake me, O God, till I declare your power to the next generation, your might to all who are to come.
I believe that God has given us a certain number of days here on this earth and has entrusted to us a plan, a purpose, to carry out. Some of us have devoted ourselves to live for Him since our youth, others committed to Christ in adulthood - we recognize that God has created each of us and shaped us in a certain way, so that we can be effective in what He has called us to do here and now. He has formed us with inestimable value, we are fearfully and wonderfully made, and we are His workmanship - no matter what our age or stage of life, we have the capacity to serve Him and do His will.
Psalm 90 relates to us the concept of life of purpose and fulfillment:
12 Teach us to number our days aright, that we may gain a heart of wisdom.
13 Relent, O LORD! How long will it be? Have compassion on your servants.
14 Satisfy us in the morning with your unfailing love, that we may sing for joy and be glad all our days.
The headline this morning at a number of websites basically contained the words, "72 is the New 30". This attracted my attention, and I then thought that, well, I'm closer to 72 than I am to 30. Instantly, I pegged this as a story about aging and how we are living longer. Indeed, that is true...
Human longevity has improved so rapidly over the past century that 72 is the new 30, scientists say.
According to a story published at CNBC.com, researchers at the Max Planck Institute for Demographic Research in Rostock, Germany, touted the overall progress in lowering the odds of death at all ages, which has become quite rapid since 1900.
The study looked at Swedish and Japanese men – two countries with the longest life expectancy today. It concluded that their counterparts in 1800 would have had lifespans that were closer to those of the earliest hunter-gatherer humans than they would to adult men in both countries today.
Those primitive hunter gatherers, at age 30, had the same odds of dying as a modern Swedish or Japanese man would face at 72.
So, yes 72 is the new 30 - and that has great potential for the spread of the gospel and the proliferation of ministry. I believe that God will use us for His glory, no matter what age we are. I hear stories of those who have transitioned from a full-time occupation into devoting their time to doing the work of ministry. As God gives those of us that are older the gift of time in order to participate in His work, we recognize that He has perhaps enabled us to live longer and stronger so that He can express His life through us - a longer story, greater glory. So, that is one challenge for each of us individually, to maximize our days and take advantages of the opportunities that He gives.
Another concept arises from the published piece, dealing more in the macro sense...the article also says that the pace of increase in life expectancy has left industrialized economies unprepared for the cost of providing retirement income to so many for so long.
This is a phenomenon that has concerned Dr. James Dobson. He writes in a recent column that:
Dobson writes that,
Through his novel, Fatherless and his column, he is calling on everyone, including government, to cherish families, and the creation of children. And, as Christians, we believe that all life is sacred, from the pre-born child to the most senior among us. We do not seek to eliminate the elderly, as some do, and deny them their needed health care. But, in these times of demographic trends that discourage strong family structures resulting in the conception - and birth - of children, we must stand for the Biblical model of this incredible institution of marriage and the family.
17 Since my youth, O God, you have taught me, and to this day I declare your marvelous deeds.
18 Even when I am old and gray, do not forsake me, O God, till I declare your power to the next generation, your might to all who are to come.
I believe that God has given us a certain number of days here on this earth and has entrusted to us a plan, a purpose, to carry out. Some of us have devoted ourselves to live for Him since our youth, others committed to Christ in adulthood - we recognize that God has created each of us and shaped us in a certain way, so that we can be effective in what He has called us to do here and now. He has formed us with inestimable value, we are fearfully and wonderfully made, and we are His workmanship - no matter what our age or stage of life, we have the capacity to serve Him and do His will.
Psalm 90 relates to us the concept of life of purpose and fulfillment:
12 Teach us to number our days aright, that we may gain a heart of wisdom.
13 Relent, O LORD! How long will it be? Have compassion on your servants.
14 Satisfy us in the morning with your unfailing love, that we may sing for joy and be glad all our days.
The headline this morning at a number of websites basically contained the words, "72 is the New 30". This attracted my attention, and I then thought that, well, I'm closer to 72 than I am to 30. Instantly, I pegged this as a story about aging and how we are living longer. Indeed, that is true...
Human longevity has improved so rapidly over the past century that 72 is the new 30, scientists say.
According to a story published at CNBC.com, researchers at the Max Planck Institute for Demographic Research in Rostock, Germany, touted the overall progress in lowering the odds of death at all ages, which has become quite rapid since 1900.
The study looked at Swedish and Japanese men – two countries with the longest life expectancy today. It concluded that their counterparts in 1800 would have had lifespans that were closer to those of the earliest hunter-gatherer humans than they would to adult men in both countries today.
Those primitive hunter gatherers, at age 30, had the same odds of dying as a modern Swedish or Japanese man would face at 72.
So, yes 72 is the new 30 - and that has great potential for the spread of the gospel and the proliferation of ministry. I believe that God will use us for His glory, no matter what age we are. I hear stories of those who have transitioned from a full-time occupation into devoting their time to doing the work of ministry. As God gives those of us that are older the gift of time in order to participate in His work, we recognize that He has perhaps enabled us to live longer and stronger so that He can express His life through us - a longer story, greater glory. So, that is one challenge for each of us individually, to maximize our days and take advantages of the opportunities that He gives.
Another concept arises from the published piece, dealing more in the macro sense...the article also says that the pace of increase in life expectancy has left industrialized economies unprepared for the cost of providing retirement income to so many for so long.
This is a phenomenon that has concerned Dr. James Dobson. He writes in a recent column that:
For the first time in history, fewer American babies are being born while the number of senior citizens is growing. Baby boomers are reaching retirement age, increasing the ranks of the elderly. At the same time, women living without a spouse outnumber those who are married. The result is a birth rate in decline. If it were not for immigration, our nation would be in serious trouble.
Dobson writes that,
When calculations were made to test the viability of Social Security in the 1930s, the numbers appeared to “work” because the young and healthy were always expected to outnumber those who were old and sick. Now politicians are talking quietly about the inevitability of “rationed health care.”
Through his novel, Fatherless and his column, he is calling on everyone, including government, to cherish families, and the creation of children. And, as Christians, we believe that all life is sacred, from the pre-born child to the most senior among us. We do not seek to eliminate the elderly, as some do, and deny them their needed health care. But, in these times of demographic trends that discourage strong family structures resulting in the conception - and birth - of children, we must stand for the Biblical model of this incredible institution of marriage and the family.
Tuesday, February 26, 2013
Telling the Greatest Story
In 2nd Corinthians chapter 3, we see that the believers at Corinth were described in a unique way:
2 You yourselves are our letter, written on our hearts, known and read by everybody.
3 You show that you are a letter from Christ, the result of our ministry, written not with ink but with the Spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone but on tablets of human hearts.
4 Such confidence as this is ours through Christ before God.
So, you have the capabiilty to be a living letter, written by the hand of God. Our lives tell a story: of God's salvation expressed in our lives through Jesus Christ; of the handiwork of God, who has Himself declared that we are His workmanship; of the very love of Christ, as we allow Him to live through us as we die to self daily. So, what are people reading when they look at us? I hope that the story I am telling, not only through my words, but the way that I live, is the story of grace and peace through Christ. Lord, tell Your story and reflect Your glory through my life - be glorified in me today!!
In 2nd Timothy 3, the apostle Paul writes to Timothy about the sufficiency of Scripture:
(15) you have known the holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus.
16 All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness,
17 so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.
There's a buzz about "The Bible" - the book remains the best-selling book of all time, but there's also "The Bible": the miniseries. It's slated to debut on the History Channel this weekend, and by the accounts I'm reading, it's apparently quite compelling.
It's the work of successful reality show producer Mark Burnett and his wife, Roma Downey, who's been on this program before. According to AssistNews.net, this project was two years in the making and the Burnetts consider this "by far the most important project we've ever undertaken" and sought to paint "the grand narrative of God's love for all of us," from Genesis to Revelation.
"The Bible is a sacred text that continues to challenge and inspire," notes Burnett. "We … are deeply humbled to be given this once in a generation opportunity to breathe new visual life into the Bible's profound stories. The Bible gives meaning and purpose to billions of people around the world, and sparks the curiosity of millions more."
There's also a simulcast this weekend for churches and small groups featuring Saddleback Church pastor Rick Warren, who's been a vocal supporter of the project, along with Burnett and Downey. It starts at 11:30am Central Time, and you can learn more at www.incastevents.com.
And, a family of Christians who own a large company based in Oklahoma is planning to help people experience the Bible in an interactive way when they open a Bible museum in Washington, DC. The president of Hobby Lobby, Steve Green, tells Baptist Press that they plan to open a museum showcasing many of the 40,000 Bible artifacts in The Green Collection secured by the family's company over the past three years. The museum and accompanying research center will be housed in 400,000-500,000 square feet renovated from two office buildings two blocks from the Air and Space Museum and a few blocks from the U.S. Capitol. The yet-unnamed museum could open as early as the fall of 2016.
Of course, as you know, Hobby Lobby has been pushed to the front lines of a monumental battle over religious liberty in refusing to pay for free contraception and abortion drugs in its corporate health care plan, which could result in the company paying heavy fines.
But, Green is resolute. He often says, "God's up to something."
"We're just along for the ride."
The Green Collection has become the world's largest private collection of rare biblical texts and artifacts since Green's first purchase in November 2009.
"We didn't buy them because we're collectors; we bought them because we wanted to tell the Bible story," Green said, reflecting a sense of ministry from more than 25 years of placing God first in the family business.
"The material we have to make a museum with trumps any museum that's there [in D.C.]," Green said. "Our story is the most incredible story to be told." The museum features fragments from the Dead Sea Scrolls, a private collection of Jewish scrolls, including Torahs, the largest portion of Scripture in the closest form of Aramaic that Jesus would have spoken, a third-century fragment from the book of Romans, a copy of Wycliffe's New Testament, a large portion of a Gutenberg Bible, a large fragment of a Tyndale New Testament and a sizable collection from the original printing of the 1611 King James Bible.
Green said the museum in Washington will have three sections with state-of-the-art museum technology -- the history, the impact and the message of Bible.
The Bible's message, as the museum will express it, involves the "story line that this book tells ... that God did create man, He gave us choice, we walked away from Him and were in need of a Savior, and He sent His own Son to pay the price for our sin.
"You don't have to believe it," Green said, "but that's its story."
It's especially a story for people "who have never understood, read, known what the Bible says. They may have it on their shelf but they've never read it. We want them to go away from this section saying, 'Oh, so that's what the Bible is all about.'"
2 families, 2 ways of expressing Biblical truth - Burnett and Downey on a cable television channel, the Greens through a museum of Biblical artifacts. And, it is hoped that these, and so many more ways to relate the greatest story ever told will pierce hearts and bring people to a knowledge of God through Jesus Christ. You may not be a film producer or a corporate leader, but you have ways to express God's Word, too - first and foremost, it's in the way you live your life...if you are living by the Book, then you give a testimony to the presence of God within you. If you believe that the word of God is alive and that Christ is sufficient, then your live will reflect a sense of utter dependence on the God through whom you can do all things, because He strengthens you.
2 You yourselves are our letter, written on our hearts, known and read by everybody.
3 You show that you are a letter from Christ, the result of our ministry, written not with ink but with the Spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone but on tablets of human hearts.
4 Such confidence as this is ours through Christ before God.
So, you have the capabiilty to be a living letter, written by the hand of God. Our lives tell a story: of God's salvation expressed in our lives through Jesus Christ; of the handiwork of God, who has Himself declared that we are His workmanship; of the very love of Christ, as we allow Him to live through us as we die to self daily. So, what are people reading when they look at us? I hope that the story I am telling, not only through my words, but the way that I live, is the story of grace and peace through Christ. Lord, tell Your story and reflect Your glory through my life - be glorified in me today!!
In 2nd Timothy 3, the apostle Paul writes to Timothy about the sufficiency of Scripture:
(15) you have known the holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus.
16 All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness,
17 so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.
There's a buzz about "The Bible" - the book remains the best-selling book of all time, but there's also "The Bible": the miniseries. It's slated to debut on the History Channel this weekend, and by the accounts I'm reading, it's apparently quite compelling.
It's the work of successful reality show producer Mark Burnett and his wife, Roma Downey, who's been on this program before. According to AssistNews.net, this project was two years in the making and the Burnetts consider this "by far the most important project we've ever undertaken" and sought to paint "the grand narrative of God's love for all of us," from Genesis to Revelation.
"The Bible is a sacred text that continues to challenge and inspire," notes Burnett. "We … are deeply humbled to be given this once in a generation opportunity to breathe new visual life into the Bible's profound stories. The Bible gives meaning and purpose to billions of people around the world, and sparks the curiosity of millions more."
There's also a simulcast this weekend for churches and small groups featuring Saddleback Church pastor Rick Warren, who's been a vocal supporter of the project, along with Burnett and Downey. It starts at 11:30am Central Time, and you can learn more at www.incastevents.com.
And, a family of Christians who own a large company based in Oklahoma is planning to help people experience the Bible in an interactive way when they open a Bible museum in Washington, DC. The president of Hobby Lobby, Steve Green, tells Baptist Press that they plan to open a museum showcasing many of the 40,000 Bible artifacts in The Green Collection secured by the family's company over the past three years. The museum and accompanying research center will be housed in 400,000-500,000 square feet renovated from two office buildings two blocks from the Air and Space Museum and a few blocks from the U.S. Capitol. The yet-unnamed museum could open as early as the fall of 2016.
Of course, as you know, Hobby Lobby has been pushed to the front lines of a monumental battle over religious liberty in refusing to pay for free contraception and abortion drugs in its corporate health care plan, which could result in the company paying heavy fines.
But, Green is resolute. He often says, "God's up to something."
"We're just along for the ride."
The Green Collection has become the world's largest private collection of rare biblical texts and artifacts since Green's first purchase in November 2009.
"We didn't buy them because we're collectors; we bought them because we wanted to tell the Bible story," Green said, reflecting a sense of ministry from more than 25 years of placing God first in the family business.
"The material we have to make a museum with trumps any museum that's there [in D.C.]," Green said. "Our story is the most incredible story to be told." The museum features fragments from the Dead Sea Scrolls, a private collection of Jewish scrolls, including Torahs, the largest portion of Scripture in the closest form of Aramaic that Jesus would have spoken, a third-century fragment from the book of Romans, a copy of Wycliffe's New Testament, a large portion of a Gutenberg Bible, a large fragment of a Tyndale New Testament and a sizable collection from the original printing of the 1611 King James Bible.
Green said the museum in Washington will have three sections with state-of-the-art museum technology -- the history, the impact and the message of Bible.
The Bible's message, as the museum will express it, involves the "story line that this book tells ... that God did create man, He gave us choice, we walked away from Him and were in need of a Savior, and He sent His own Son to pay the price for our sin.
"You don't have to believe it," Green said, "but that's its story."
It's especially a story for people "who have never understood, read, known what the Bible says. They may have it on their shelf but they've never read it. We want them to go away from this section saying, 'Oh, so that's what the Bible is all about.'"
2 families, 2 ways of expressing Biblical truth - Burnett and Downey on a cable television channel, the Greens through a museum of Biblical artifacts. And, it is hoped that these, and so many more ways to relate the greatest story ever told will pierce hearts and bring people to a knowledge of God through Jesus Christ. You may not be a film producer or a corporate leader, but you have ways to express God's Word, too - first and foremost, it's in the way you live your life...if you are living by the Book, then you give a testimony to the presence of God within you. If you believe that the word of God is alive and that Christ is sufficient, then your live will reflect a sense of utter dependence on the God through whom you can do all things, because He strengthens you.
Monday, February 25, 2013
Great Escapes
In 2nd Peter chapter 2, the writer, who had experience God's hand of deliverance on numerous occasions, painted the picture of an evil world, in which those who desire to follow Christ had to be dependent on God as their strength in order to walk in triumph:
1 But there were also false prophets among the people, even as there will be false teachers among you, who will secretly bring in destructive heresies, even denying the Lord who bought them, and bring on themselves swift destruction. 2 And many will follow their destructive ways, because of whom the way of truth will be blasphemed. In the midst of a world bent on evil, engaged in destructive practices, we can rest on this promise, from verse 9: ...then the Lord knows how to deliver the godly out of temptations and to reserve the unjust under punishment for the day of judgment...
And, we have the promise from 1st Corinthians that God has provided a way of escape. So, when temptation comes, and we recognize that we are being tempted, then we look to the Lord for His way ofescape - sometimes that will involve running, fleeing from it. Other times, it will involve standing in place, relying on Christ's firm foundation. It may involve speaking truth into a situation. And, as we resist temptation, we may have to go on the offensive and pray against the power of the enemy. God will give us the wisdom as we seek Him, but the central truth is that God is our rescuer, who makes a way of escape from the temptations we face.
In 1st Corinthians chapter 10, we have the promise from God of a way of escape when we are tempted.
13 No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it.
The Oscars were handed out last night, and even though the experts say it was a banner year for movies, with a number of strong nominees and performances, the telecast was generally panned by online reviewers, with much of the ire directed a Seth McFarlane, the creator of the off-color cartoon show, "The Family Guy", and the movie featuring a profane teddy bear called, "Ted". So, this should have come as no surprise to those responsible...
But, 2012 was a strong year on the screen and at the box office. Ticket sales rebounded last year, and the $10.8 billion take was an all-time record. And, the 9 Oscar Best Picture nominees have taken in somewhere around $2 billion going into last night's ceremony.
And, Barna reports that evangelicals are consuming films in significant numbers. According to Christianity Today, the research group surveyed more than 1,000 American adults and found that evangelicals reported an average of 2.7 movies in theaters last year, an average "bigger than any of the age groups except for Mosaics" (those aged 18 to 28, who saw an average of 3.4 movies).
The evangelical average is a full movie more than the national adult average, and just shy of the average of 3 films seen by those professing no religion.
Large numbers of evangelicals turned out to see summer blockbusters like "The Avengers" (42 percent of evangelicals reported seeing it) and "The Hunger Games" (36%). Fewer evangelicals reported seeing "Skyfall" (12%), "Argo" (3%), and "Lincoln" (3%).
"Argo", the Best Picture winner, is an R-rated film depicting a great escape - 6 Americans who first of all escaped the U.S. Embassy in Iran when it was overrun by militants. They ended up in the Canadian embassy, but they still needed to get out of Iran - enter a CIA agent named Tony Mendez, who led an effort, a ruse, to provide an escape for the Americans, under the auspices of a fictitious movie called, "Argo" - the Americans used fake Canadian ID, heavy makeup, and some ingenuity, and the escape attempt was successful.
I thought about escapes as depicted in the Bible - you have to think of Noah, who escaped God's judgment, and Moses, who escaped Pharoah's oppression. David escaped the murder attempts of King Saul, and Daniel was rescued from the lions. In Acts 5, Peter and the apostles were thrown into prison and were set free in the middle of the night, to appear in the temple the next morning. In Acts 12, as God's people prayed, Peter was rescued yet again, ending up at the house where these prayer meetings were going on. In Acts 16, as Paul and Silas sang praises, the angels intervened and set them free.
Now, that's not say God will always free us from what we perceive to be negative circumstances. But, we do know that it is God's will to set us free from the power of sin and the temptation to sin. The cross is a reminder that He has provided the way out and the way over regarding sinful behavior. When we are tempted, He gives us the power to overcome, the way of escape, if you will - using His resources, God will lead us in His way of victory.
1 But there were also false prophets among the people, even as there will be false teachers among you, who will secretly bring in destructive heresies, even denying the Lord who bought them, and bring on themselves swift destruction. 2 And many will follow their destructive ways, because of whom the way of truth will be blasphemed. In the midst of a world bent on evil, engaged in destructive practices, we can rest on this promise, from verse 9: ...then the Lord knows how to deliver the godly out of temptations and to reserve the unjust under punishment for the day of judgment...
And, we have the promise from 1st Corinthians that God has provided a way of escape. So, when temptation comes, and we recognize that we are being tempted, then we look to the Lord for His way ofescape - sometimes that will involve running, fleeing from it. Other times, it will involve standing in place, relying on Christ's firm foundation. It may involve speaking truth into a situation. And, as we resist temptation, we may have to go on the offensive and pray against the power of the enemy. God will give us the wisdom as we seek Him, but the central truth is that God is our rescuer, who makes a way of escape from the temptations we face.
In 1st Corinthians chapter 10, we have the promise from God of a way of escape when we are tempted.
13 No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it.
The Oscars were handed out last night, and even though the experts say it was a banner year for movies, with a number of strong nominees and performances, the telecast was generally panned by online reviewers, with much of the ire directed a Seth McFarlane, the creator of the off-color cartoon show, "The Family Guy", and the movie featuring a profane teddy bear called, "Ted". So, this should have come as no surprise to those responsible...
But, 2012 was a strong year on the screen and at the box office. Ticket sales rebounded last year, and the $10.8 billion take was an all-time record. And, the 9 Oscar Best Picture nominees have taken in somewhere around $2 billion going into last night's ceremony.
And, Barna reports that evangelicals are consuming films in significant numbers. According to Christianity Today, the research group surveyed more than 1,000 American adults and found that evangelicals reported an average of 2.7 movies in theaters last year, an average "bigger than any of the age groups except for Mosaics" (those aged 18 to 28, who saw an average of 3.4 movies).
The evangelical average is a full movie more than the national adult average, and just shy of the average of 3 films seen by those professing no religion.
Large numbers of evangelicals turned out to see summer blockbusters like "The Avengers" (42 percent of evangelicals reported seeing it) and "The Hunger Games" (36%). Fewer evangelicals reported seeing "Skyfall" (12%), "Argo" (3%), and "Lincoln" (3%).
"Argo", the Best Picture winner, is an R-rated film depicting a great escape - 6 Americans who first of all escaped the U.S. Embassy in Iran when it was overrun by militants. They ended up in the Canadian embassy, but they still needed to get out of Iran - enter a CIA agent named Tony Mendez, who led an effort, a ruse, to provide an escape for the Americans, under the auspices of a fictitious movie called, "Argo" - the Americans used fake Canadian ID, heavy makeup, and some ingenuity, and the escape attempt was successful.
I thought about escapes as depicted in the Bible - you have to think of Noah, who escaped God's judgment, and Moses, who escaped Pharoah's oppression. David escaped the murder attempts of King Saul, and Daniel was rescued from the lions. In Acts 5, Peter and the apostles were thrown into prison and were set free in the middle of the night, to appear in the temple the next morning. In Acts 12, as God's people prayed, Peter was rescued yet again, ending up at the house where these prayer meetings were going on. In Acts 16, as Paul and Silas sang praises, the angels intervened and set them free.
Now, that's not say God will always free us from what we perceive to be negative circumstances. But, we do know that it is God's will to set us free from the power of sin and the temptation to sin. The cross is a reminder that He has provided the way out and the way over regarding sinful behavior. When we are tempted, He gives us the power to overcome, the way of escape, if you will - using His resources, God will lead us in His way of victory.
Thursday, February 21, 2013
God's Way is Still Best
In Titus 2, we see a prescription for good spiritual health, and moral purity is an essential component:
11 For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men, 12 teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly in the present age... The world has plenty on its menu for the believer in Jesus Christ, and we have to be so careful to keep our hearts and our minds pure before God. The enemy will tempt us with the pleasures of sin for a season, and if we allow Him to have a foothold, then we can become desensitized to thoughts and practices that violate God's principles. The way of the world is insufficient for a fulfilling life, and if we pursue a path that runs contrary to His standards, then we become vulnerable to a life of brokenness. His ways are best - for the individual and for the culture.
1st Thessalonians chapter 4 addresses the important issue of purity:
3 For this is the will of God, your sanctification: that you should abstain from sexual immorality; 4 that each of you should know how to possess his own vessel in sanctification and honor...7 For God did not call us to uncleanness, but in holiness.
By the way, as you know, that is not the culturally correct message; but it's God's Word!!
Coming up, some material for mature audiences:
When la met, we were discussing Tim Tebow's withdrawal from a speaking engagement at First Baptist Church of Dallas in April. Pastor Robert Jeffress nailed the issues at hand, according to Todd Starnes of Fox News:
“To me, the real issue here is the controversy this has generated,” Jeffress said. “It’s amazing that a church that believes faith alone in Christ is what saves a person and that sex should be between a man and a woman in a marriage relationship – that somehow those beliefs are considered hate speech? That is historic Christian doctrine for the past 2,000 years.”
So did Tebow cave in to pressure from gay activists?
“People are going to have to make up their own mind about that,” Jeffress said. “The Bible hasn’t changed. Culture has changed and that’s why our beliefs are now considered hate speech.”
And, just because there are sizable elements of society that don't believe God's truth, that doesn't mean His ways are not the best for people to live. Just ask Sean Lowe - who's that, you might ask?
Well, Sean is the latest prize in the ABC hit series, "The Bachelor". He has taken a vocal stance of a "born again virgin" - he has now chosen to remain celibate until he is married.
According to Jim Denison, Sean's decision has drawn enormous criticism. For instance, former Bachelorette Jillian Harris asks, "How can you really know if you have met the person if you don't have sex with them?" She continues: "What happens if he doesn't meet the right person—he just won't have sex until he does? This is crazy, as it's a huge part of a healthy relationship."
Clearly, our culture sides with Harris, Denison says. According to a recent study by the National Campaign to Prevent Teen and Unplanned Pregnancy, 80 percent of unmarried "born-again" young adults (ages 18-29) say that they have been sexually active, only slightly less than the general population of unmarried adults.
To quote Dr. Phil, how's our unbiblical approach to sex working for us?
The U.S. leads the industrialized world in teenage pregnancy—one in three girls in America becomes pregnant before the age of 20, 81 percent out of wedlock. More than 40 percent of all births in our country take place outside of marriage. Pornography makes more money in America than Apple, Microsoft, eBay, Amazon, Yahoo, Google, and Netflix—combined. America ranks first in the world in divorce rate. In 1960, 72 percent of American adults were married; in 2011, the number had fallen to 51 percent.
Denison quotes C. S. Lewis in Mere Christianity: "God made us: invented us as a man invents an engine. Now God designed the human machine to run on himself...Terrific energy is expended—civilizations are built up—excellent institutions devised; but each time something goes wrong. Some fatal flaw always brings the selfish and cruel people to the top and it all slides back into misery and ruin. In fact, the machine conks. It seems to start up all right and run a few yards, and then it breaks down. They are trying to run it on the wrong juice. That is what Satan has done to us humans."
So here is a young man, like Tim Tebow, who has made a commitment to purity. Sean Lowe has been taken to task; but even though he may endure criticism, He has chosen God's way, believing His way is best. As Lewis says, we were designed to live in a certain way, in alignment with God - when we keep His laws, we experience His fruit. And, a commitment to purity is one of many ways in which we operate in that synchronicity with God.
11 For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men, 12 teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly in the present age... The world has plenty on its menu for the believer in Jesus Christ, and we have to be so careful to keep our hearts and our minds pure before God. The enemy will tempt us with the pleasures of sin for a season, and if we allow Him to have a foothold, then we can become desensitized to thoughts and practices that violate God's principles. The way of the world is insufficient for a fulfilling life, and if we pursue a path that runs contrary to His standards, then we become vulnerable to a life of brokenness. His ways are best - for the individual and for the culture.
1st Thessalonians chapter 4 addresses the important issue of purity:
3 For this is the will of God, your sanctification: that you should abstain from sexual immorality; 4 that each of you should know how to possess his own vessel in sanctification and honor...7 For God did not call us to uncleanness, but in holiness.
By the way, as you know, that is not the culturally correct message; but it's God's Word!!
Coming up, some material for mature audiences:
When la met, we were discussing Tim Tebow's withdrawal from a speaking engagement at First Baptist Church of Dallas in April. Pastor Robert Jeffress nailed the issues at hand, according to Todd Starnes of Fox News:
“To me, the real issue here is the controversy this has generated,” Jeffress said. “It’s amazing that a church that believes faith alone in Christ is what saves a person and that sex should be between a man and a woman in a marriage relationship – that somehow those beliefs are considered hate speech? That is historic Christian doctrine for the past 2,000 years.”
So did Tebow cave in to pressure from gay activists?
“People are going to have to make up their own mind about that,” Jeffress said. “The Bible hasn’t changed. Culture has changed and that’s why our beliefs are now considered hate speech.”
And, just because there are sizable elements of society that don't believe God's truth, that doesn't mean His ways are not the best for people to live. Just ask Sean Lowe - who's that, you might ask?
Well, Sean is the latest prize in the ABC hit series, "The Bachelor". He has taken a vocal stance of a "born again virgin" - he has now chosen to remain celibate until he is married.
According to Jim Denison, Sean's decision has drawn enormous criticism. For instance, former Bachelorette Jillian Harris asks, "How can you really know if you have met the person if you don't have sex with them?" She continues: "What happens if he doesn't meet the right person—he just won't have sex until he does? This is crazy, as it's a huge part of a healthy relationship."
Clearly, our culture sides with Harris, Denison says. According to a recent study by the National Campaign to Prevent Teen and Unplanned Pregnancy, 80 percent of unmarried "born-again" young adults (ages 18-29) say that they have been sexually active, only slightly less than the general population of unmarried adults.
To quote Dr. Phil, how's our unbiblical approach to sex working for us?
The U.S. leads the industrialized world in teenage pregnancy—one in three girls in America becomes pregnant before the age of 20, 81 percent out of wedlock. More than 40 percent of all births in our country take place outside of marriage. Pornography makes more money in America than Apple, Microsoft, eBay, Amazon, Yahoo, Google, and Netflix—combined. America ranks first in the world in divorce rate. In 1960, 72 percent of American adults were married; in 2011, the number had fallen to 51 percent.
Denison quotes C. S. Lewis in Mere Christianity: "God made us: invented us as a man invents an engine. Now God designed the human machine to run on himself...Terrific energy is expended—civilizations are built up—excellent institutions devised; but each time something goes wrong. Some fatal flaw always brings the selfish and cruel people to the top and it all slides back into misery and ruin. In fact, the machine conks. It seems to start up all right and run a few yards, and then it breaks down. They are trying to run it on the wrong juice. That is what Satan has done to us humans."
So here is a young man, like Tim Tebow, who has made a commitment to purity. Sean Lowe has been taken to task; but even though he may endure criticism, He has chosen God's way, believing His way is best. As Lewis says, we were designed to live in a certain way, in alignment with God - when we keep His laws, we experience His fruit. And, a commitment to purity is one of many ways in which we operate in that synchronicity with God.
Happy Places
Ephesians chapter 5 gives us some checkpoints as we seek to walk in a manner pleasing to God:
1 Therefore be imitators of God as dear children. 2 And walk in love, as Christ also has loved us and given Himself for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet-smelling aroma. 3 But fornication and all uncleanness or covetousness, let it not even be named among you, as is fitting for saints; 4 neither filthiness, nor foolish talking, nor coarse jesting, which are not fitting, but rather giving of thanks.
My goodness! We are actually called to be "imitators of God" - and, I have to admit that I fall short in what I do and what I say - our words actually become windows into our souls - that's essentially what Jesus said as He taught about the relationship between our mouths and our hearts.
So, we have to allow the Holy Spirit to search us internally, so that thoughts and attitudes that are not pleasing to Him are removed. If we are submissive and really, really want to walk like Jesus, even though we may miss it frequently, God will continue to do His work in our hearts and make us more like Him.
Some challenging words from Colossians chapter 3 can assist us in a "heart check":
5 Therefore put to death your members which are on the earth: fornication, uncleanness, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry. 8 But now you yourselves are to put off all these: anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy language out of your mouth. 9 Do not lie to one another, since you have put off the old man with his deeds, 10 and have put on the new man who is renewed in knowledge according to the image of Him who created him...
Well, here's something from the "people who have too much time on their hands" department - a survey that measured cities and states in terms of their happiness, or sadness. Researchers analyzed some 10 million geotagged tweets from 373 urban areas across America. To find these purported emotional extremities of the US, the researchers analyzed each tweet for its happiness content based on the positive words, such as beauty and love, and negative words, such as boo and lied, that were used. In addition to whether or not a tweet contained "happy" or "sad" words, the extent to which a city used certain words more or less than the national average also played a role in its rating. And, of course, some of these words considered were what you could consider "coarse" or "cuss" words.
And, while you might want to dismiss this as a really fun survey with a small scientific component, well, there's a 19-page pdf file that gives some pretty specific analysis, including over 400 demographic factors that are correlated with the results. Whew!
The results might surprise you: the top 5 happiest states in this survey are: 5) Vermont, 4) Utah, 3) Nevada, 2) Maine, and #1 - Hawaii! The saddest states are: 46) Alabama 47) Georgia 48) Delaware 49) Maryland 50) Mississippi 51) Louisiana. (We have 51 because of the inclusion of the District of Columbia).
Now, let's get specific with cities: the happiest city in America: Napa, California! The saddest: Beaumont, Texas. In the top 10 of happy places, you find Santa Cruz, CA, Santa Fe, NM, and San Clemente, CA at 5,4, and 3, respectively. Asheville, NC comes in at #10.
On the sad side, looking into the bottom 15 - there's Dothan and Montgomery at #15 and 14. 3 cities in Louisiana penetrate the bottom 10, including Monroe at 5 and Shreveport at 4. At #3, it's Texas City, TX, #2, Albany, GA and #1, Beaumont.
Looks like the language being used by some of our fellow citizens is contributing to a less-than-stellar showing in this one survey. And, it can challenge us in several ways:
Jesus said that out of the abundance of our hearts our mouths speak. So, if we find ourselves using negative or discouraging words, we need to check our hearts and see if there needs to be a spiritually-motivated attitude adjustment. So we can ask ourselves: Do our words short circuit our witness? If we have acquired a reputation for complaining, gossiping, and slander, then does that draw people to Christ or does it repel people? Do people want to be like us if we skew toward the negative? We have to be so careful that we reflect the character of Christ, with an attitude of humility toward God and compassion toward others.
1 Therefore be imitators of God as dear children. 2 And walk in love, as Christ also has loved us and given Himself for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet-smelling aroma. 3 But fornication and all uncleanness or covetousness, let it not even be named among you, as is fitting for saints; 4 neither filthiness, nor foolish talking, nor coarse jesting, which are not fitting, but rather giving of thanks.
My goodness! We are actually called to be "imitators of God" - and, I have to admit that I fall short in what I do and what I say - our words actually become windows into our souls - that's essentially what Jesus said as He taught about the relationship between our mouths and our hearts.
So, we have to allow the Holy Spirit to search us internally, so that thoughts and attitudes that are not pleasing to Him are removed. If we are submissive and really, really want to walk like Jesus, even though we may miss it frequently, God will continue to do His work in our hearts and make us more like Him.
Some challenging words from Colossians chapter 3 can assist us in a "heart check":
5 Therefore put to death your members which are on the earth: fornication, uncleanness, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry. 8 But now you yourselves are to put off all these: anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy language out of your mouth. 9 Do not lie to one another, since you have put off the old man with his deeds, 10 and have put on the new man who is renewed in knowledge according to the image of Him who created him...
Well, here's something from the "people who have too much time on their hands" department - a survey that measured cities and states in terms of their happiness, or sadness. Researchers analyzed some 10 million geotagged tweets from 373 urban areas across America. To find these purported emotional extremities of the US, the researchers analyzed each tweet for its happiness content based on the positive words, such as beauty and love, and negative words, such as boo and lied, that were used. In addition to whether or not a tweet contained "happy" or "sad" words, the extent to which a city used certain words more or less than the national average also played a role in its rating. And, of course, some of these words considered were what you could consider "coarse" or "cuss" words.
And, while you might want to dismiss this as a really fun survey with a small scientific component, well, there's a 19-page pdf file that gives some pretty specific analysis, including over 400 demographic factors that are correlated with the results. Whew!
The results might surprise you: the top 5 happiest states in this survey are: 5) Vermont, 4) Utah, 3) Nevada, 2) Maine, and #1 - Hawaii! The saddest states are: 46) Alabama 47) Georgia 48) Delaware 49) Maryland 50) Mississippi 51) Louisiana. (We have 51 because of the inclusion of the District of Columbia).
Now, let's get specific with cities: the happiest city in America: Napa, California! The saddest: Beaumont, Texas. In the top 10 of happy places, you find Santa Cruz, CA, Santa Fe, NM, and San Clemente, CA at 5,4, and 3, respectively. Asheville, NC comes in at #10.
On the sad side, looking into the bottom 15 - there's Dothan and Montgomery at #15 and 14. 3 cities in Louisiana penetrate the bottom 10, including Monroe at 5 and Shreveport at 4. At #3, it's Texas City, TX, #2, Albany, GA and #1, Beaumont.
Looks like the language being used by some of our fellow citizens is contributing to a less-than-stellar showing in this one survey. And, it can challenge us in several ways:
Jesus said that out of the abundance of our hearts our mouths speak. So, if we find ourselves using negative or discouraging words, we need to check our hearts and see if there needs to be a spiritually-motivated attitude adjustment. So we can ask ourselves: Do our words short circuit our witness? If we have acquired a reputation for complaining, gossiping, and slander, then does that draw people to Christ or does it repel people? Do people want to be like us if we skew toward the negative? We have to be so careful that we reflect the character of Christ, with an attitude of humility toward God and compassion toward others.
Wednesday, February 20, 2013
Defending the Decalogue
Today, I want to talk about the importance of a solid foundation. 2nd Timothy chapter 2 says:
19 ....the solid foundation of God stands, having this seal: "The Lord knows those who are His," and, "Let everyone who names the name of Christ depart from iniquity." 20 But in a great house there are not only vessels of gold and silver, but also of wood and clay, some for honor and some for dishonor. 21 Therefore if anyone cleanses himself from the latter, he will be a vessel for honor, sanctified and useful for the Master, prepared for every good work.
We have to check up on ourselves and reflect on what our lives are built upon. If God's Word is the central focus of our lives, if our thinking is shaped by His precepts, then we will walk through lives with a strong confidence in Him and our actions will reflect the presence of Jesus Christ within us. If Jesus is Lord, then our lives revolve around pleasing Him and making Him famous. If His ways are our foundation, then we grow in Him and we honor Him in all we say, think, or do.
In 1st Corinthians 3, the apostle Paul addresses the importance of having a strong foundation for our lives:
10 According to the grace of God which was given to me, as a wise master builder I have laid the foundation, and another builds on it. But let each one take heed how he builds on it. 11 For no other foundation can anyone lay than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ.
Christianity Today is reporting that in Russia, a group of 134 Muslims, Jews, and Christians from several denominations convened this past Sunday to create the Ten Commandments Party.
At the event, Russian Orthodox Archpriest Vsevolod Chaplin called for a “real moral revolution” that would bring moral values back to Russian politics. Party members hope to institute religious doctrines in Russian society, get honest people appointed to government, and fight against corruption.
And there may be some sentiment for these ideals - earlier this month, Russian President Vladimir Putin said the Russian Orthodox church should have more input in the country’s family life, education, and armed forces. Last year the Russian parliament passed a bill that enforces jail terms for people who “offend religious feeling,” but has postponed putting it into effect. The government later asked that the bill be replaced with an amendment to existing legislation that would protect faith communities. And, Putin approved a law last fall requiring Russian public school students to take religion courses.
I don't know what's up with at least a superficial encouragement to turn to God by Russian leaders, but in the grassroots, these religious leaders forming the new party recognize how a spiritual foundation, based on the 10 Commandments, can aid a nation in peril.
It's a lesson that has defined America since its beginnings, and it's no surprise that there are some that would like to continue to acknowledge God and His laws - after all, His principles are woven into the laws of our country and contain moral concepts that are universally accepted.
Last year in Tennessee, lawmakers approved a bill that would allow local officials to post displays of the Decalogue. After minimal debate, the measure passed the House with a vote of 93-0. By April 2012, the General Assembly passed the measure. In Alabama, a bill that has been characterized as making it legal to display the Ten Commandments on state property and in public schools has already passed a Senate committee - I contend that this practice is not illegal, but under a new wave of constitutional challenges, this type of legislation has been introduced.
The Ten Commandments have stood up to court challenges recently in Kentucky and Florida. A 6-year case in Dixie County, Florida resulted in an appeals court allowing a 10 Commandments monument to continue to stand on the courthouse steps there, turning back a challenge by a mythical "John Doe", set up by the ACLU to file a superfluous lawsuit. And, in Mercer County, Kentucky, a Federal judge dismissed a case brought by the ACLU against a monument there.
World Net Daily founder has recently announced the launch of a dramatic new national billboard campaign featuring the Ten Commandments to help awaken believers and non-believers alike to “the wickedness and evil that abound in our country.” The campaign kicked off this week with 11 major billboards – all in the heart of what some call “sin city,” Las Vegas.
I believe that there is a yearning of people across our land for a moral foundation. Our nation is adrift and we need the guidance provided by Almighty God. And, other nations, such as Russia, are sensing that a departure from God and His principles is certain to be destructive. There's nothing magic about a monument, a billboard, or a bill, but I believe that the intent is clear - we want to acknowledge God as our source, His laws are the foundation of our civil laws, and without His presence and His wisdom, we are certainly a nation at risk. Pray for America, and we must make sure that we as believers are following His precepts.
19 ....the solid foundation of God stands, having this seal: "The Lord knows those who are His," and, "Let everyone who names the name of Christ depart from iniquity." 20 But in a great house there are not only vessels of gold and silver, but also of wood and clay, some for honor and some for dishonor. 21 Therefore if anyone cleanses himself from the latter, he will be a vessel for honor, sanctified and useful for the Master, prepared for every good work.
We have to check up on ourselves and reflect on what our lives are built upon. If God's Word is the central focus of our lives, if our thinking is shaped by His precepts, then we will walk through lives with a strong confidence in Him and our actions will reflect the presence of Jesus Christ within us. If Jesus is Lord, then our lives revolve around pleasing Him and making Him famous. If His ways are our foundation, then we grow in Him and we honor Him in all we say, think, or do.
In 1st Corinthians 3, the apostle Paul addresses the importance of having a strong foundation for our lives:
10 According to the grace of God which was given to me, as a wise master builder I have laid the foundation, and another builds on it. But let each one take heed how he builds on it. 11 For no other foundation can anyone lay than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ.
Christianity Today is reporting that in Russia, a group of 134 Muslims, Jews, and Christians from several denominations convened this past Sunday to create the Ten Commandments Party.
At the event, Russian Orthodox Archpriest Vsevolod Chaplin called for a “real moral revolution” that would bring moral values back to Russian politics. Party members hope to institute religious doctrines in Russian society, get honest people appointed to government, and fight against corruption.
And there may be some sentiment for these ideals - earlier this month, Russian President Vladimir Putin said the Russian Orthodox church should have more input in the country’s family life, education, and armed forces. Last year the Russian parliament passed a bill that enforces jail terms for people who “offend religious feeling,” but has postponed putting it into effect. The government later asked that the bill be replaced with an amendment to existing legislation that would protect faith communities. And, Putin approved a law last fall requiring Russian public school students to take religion courses.
I don't know what's up with at least a superficial encouragement to turn to God by Russian leaders, but in the grassroots, these religious leaders forming the new party recognize how a spiritual foundation, based on the 10 Commandments, can aid a nation in peril.
It's a lesson that has defined America since its beginnings, and it's no surprise that there are some that would like to continue to acknowledge God and His laws - after all, His principles are woven into the laws of our country and contain moral concepts that are universally accepted.
Last year in Tennessee, lawmakers approved a bill that would allow local officials to post displays of the Decalogue. After minimal debate, the measure passed the House with a vote of 93-0. By April 2012, the General Assembly passed the measure. In Alabama, a bill that has been characterized as making it legal to display the Ten Commandments on state property and in public schools has already passed a Senate committee - I contend that this practice is not illegal, but under a new wave of constitutional challenges, this type of legislation has been introduced.
The Ten Commandments have stood up to court challenges recently in Kentucky and Florida. A 6-year case in Dixie County, Florida resulted in an appeals court allowing a 10 Commandments monument to continue to stand on the courthouse steps there, turning back a challenge by a mythical "John Doe", set up by the ACLU to file a superfluous lawsuit. And, in Mercer County, Kentucky, a Federal judge dismissed a case brought by the ACLU against a monument there.
World Net Daily founder has recently announced the launch of a dramatic new national billboard campaign featuring the Ten Commandments to help awaken believers and non-believers alike to “the wickedness and evil that abound in our country.” The campaign kicked off this week with 11 major billboards – all in the heart of what some call “sin city,” Las Vegas.
I believe that there is a yearning of people across our land for a moral foundation. Our nation is adrift and we need the guidance provided by Almighty God. And, other nations, such as Russia, are sensing that a departure from God and His principles is certain to be destructive. There's nothing magic about a monument, a billboard, or a bill, but I believe that the intent is clear - we want to acknowledge God as our source, His laws are the foundation of our civil laws, and without His presence and His wisdom, we are certainly a nation at risk. Pray for America, and we must make sure that we as believers are following His precepts.
Tuesday, February 19, 2013
Early Warning System?
In 1st Timothy chapter 1, we see the importance of being connected to Christ:
5 Now the purpose of the commandment is love from a pure heart, from a good conscience, and from sincere faith, 6 from which some, having strayed, have turned aside to idle talk, 7 desiring to be teachers of the law, understanding neither what they say nor the things which they affirm.
As Christians, we so often know the right thing to do, but we don't do it - sometimes we think we know best; other times, we can discern that God is leading in a particular manner, or directing us to resist a certain plan of action, and we just ignore His Spirit as He speaks to our hearts as He activates our conscience.
If we are sensitizing our conscience by devotion to the word of God, meditating on the Scriptures and entering into consistent prayer, then we can avoid danger to our spiritual life, walking in victory over the impulses that would cause us to walk outside of the will of God.
In Acts 17, we can observe an attitude toward the Scriptures that can be very helpful as we prevent spiritual decline:
10 Then the brethren immediately sent Paul and Silas away by night to Berea. When they arrived, they went into the synagogue of the Jews. 11 These were more fair-minded than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness, and searched the Scriptures daily to find out whether these things were so. 12 Therefore many of them believed, and also not a few of the Greeks, prominent women as well as men.
It is still considered to be an unbelievable astronomical event - a meteor hurtling toward earth at 46,000 miles per hour, heading downward over the Ural Mountains of Russia before exploding 15 miles above the earth. NASA estimates that it weighed about 10,000 tons and was 55 feet in diameter. The LA Times reports it is the largest space rock to enter the planet’s atmosphere since a 1908 incident in Tunguska, Siberia. The meteor released an estimated 500 kilotons of energy, the force of 20-30 atomic bombs, creating a blast that broke windows and left hundreds of people with injuries. There were around 4000 buildings damaged, at a value of 1 billion rubles, or 33 million dollars.
And, it came with no warning.
In Alabama, we have become quite familiar with the severe weather warning systems - wall-to-wall media coverage, tornado sirens, and weather radios are common in our area, which sees its share of storm warnings. But, detecting a meteor and then spreading the word is actually quite a daunting task.
According to the Daily Mail, Russia is said to have one of the most high tech early warning systems of any nation on Earth. Many are wondering why the nuclear superpower was not able to detect the incoming object itself.
Experts from the Russian Nuclear Forces Project have attempted to explain how the rock could have slipped through the net.
The group, which offers definitive information on the state of Russia's nuclear arsenal and intercontinental weapons systems, published an image how far into space the country's radar systems can penetrate.
The Russian-based group claims that despite the size of the object, early warning radars 'never had a chance' - particularly since they were never designed to detect rocks hurtling in from outer space.
Basically, Russian radar is trained to see ballistic missiles, not meteor from outer space. A spokesman is quoted as saying that "The Dnepr radar in Mishelevka might have detected the meteorite if it looked up, but it didn't - as an early-warning radar its mission is to search the narrow strip of space just above the horizon, which a ballistic missile would cross if it ever comes.
'They don't (and shouldn't) much care about anything else. These radars are not supposed to search the entire sky on a continuous basis - it would be a waste of energy and would decrease the effective detection range."
The LA Times also pointed to the futility of early detection attempts:
“It’s hard to find small objects in the daylight until they get closer,” said Paul Chodas, a scientist at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory, during a teleconference on Friday. “An asteroid needs to be found against a dark sky.”
Caltech astronomer Mike Brown said a region might have one to two hours of warning if a meteor was detected at night.
But with astronomers already monitoring hundreds of other celestial objects, it might be a difficult task.
“You would have to look everywhere,” Brown said.
While technology cannot detect all the threats to our natural security, we do have a powerful friend who can help us detect threats to our spiritual well-being - He is the Holy Spirit, and He can help us to read the danger signs in our own lives. We cannot ward off all the threats that come into our lives and cannot prevent all the negative circumstances we encounter - and we wouldn't want to, right? Since the trying of our faith produces patience.
But, we can learn to discern danger signs. If we are walking in disobedience, and the Spirit of God is trying to get our attention, then we may be in for some reaping of what we have sown. If we make decisions that run counter to the principles of God's Word and stray off His path for our lives - if we listen, He'll get us back on course. Being proactive by praying about decisions and following His precepts can prevent us from walking into trouble. And, our "early warning system" can clue us in to things that are just not right. And, if we miss it, He can provide us a course correction. But, we're better off if our discernment kicks in and our spiritual antenna detect those spiritual meteors that come to steal, kill, and destroy our lives.
5 Now the purpose of the commandment is love from a pure heart, from a good conscience, and from sincere faith, 6 from which some, having strayed, have turned aside to idle talk, 7 desiring to be teachers of the law, understanding neither what they say nor the things which they affirm.
As Christians, we so often know the right thing to do, but we don't do it - sometimes we think we know best; other times, we can discern that God is leading in a particular manner, or directing us to resist a certain plan of action, and we just ignore His Spirit as He speaks to our hearts as He activates our conscience.
If we are sensitizing our conscience by devotion to the word of God, meditating on the Scriptures and entering into consistent prayer, then we can avoid danger to our spiritual life, walking in victory over the impulses that would cause us to walk outside of the will of God.
In Acts 17, we can observe an attitude toward the Scriptures that can be very helpful as we prevent spiritual decline:
10 Then the brethren immediately sent Paul and Silas away by night to Berea. When they arrived, they went into the synagogue of the Jews. 11 These were more fair-minded than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness, and searched the Scriptures daily to find out whether these things were so. 12 Therefore many of them believed, and also not a few of the Greeks, prominent women as well as men.
It is still considered to be an unbelievable astronomical event - a meteor hurtling toward earth at 46,000 miles per hour, heading downward over the Ural Mountains of Russia before exploding 15 miles above the earth. NASA estimates that it weighed about 10,000 tons and was 55 feet in diameter. The LA Times reports it is the largest space rock to enter the planet’s atmosphere since a 1908 incident in Tunguska, Siberia. The meteor released an estimated 500 kilotons of energy, the force of 20-30 atomic bombs, creating a blast that broke windows and left hundreds of people with injuries. There were around 4000 buildings damaged, at a value of 1 billion rubles, or 33 million dollars.
And, it came with no warning.
In Alabama, we have become quite familiar with the severe weather warning systems - wall-to-wall media coverage, tornado sirens, and weather radios are common in our area, which sees its share of storm warnings. But, detecting a meteor and then spreading the word is actually quite a daunting task.
According to the Daily Mail, Russia is said to have one of the most high tech early warning systems of any nation on Earth. Many are wondering why the nuclear superpower was not able to detect the incoming object itself.
Experts from the Russian Nuclear Forces Project have attempted to explain how the rock could have slipped through the net.
The group, which offers definitive information on the state of Russia's nuclear arsenal and intercontinental weapons systems, published an image how far into space the country's radar systems can penetrate.
The Russian-based group claims that despite the size of the object, early warning radars 'never had a chance' - particularly since they were never designed to detect rocks hurtling in from outer space.
Basically, Russian radar is trained to see ballistic missiles, not meteor from outer space. A spokesman is quoted as saying that "The Dnepr radar in Mishelevka might have detected the meteorite if it looked up, but it didn't - as an early-warning radar its mission is to search the narrow strip of space just above the horizon, which a ballistic missile would cross if it ever comes.
'They don't (and shouldn't) much care about anything else. These radars are not supposed to search the entire sky on a continuous basis - it would be a waste of energy and would decrease the effective detection range."
The LA Times also pointed to the futility of early detection attempts:
“It’s hard to find small objects in the daylight until they get closer,” said Paul Chodas, a scientist at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory, during a teleconference on Friday. “An asteroid needs to be found against a dark sky.”
Caltech astronomer Mike Brown said a region might have one to two hours of warning if a meteor was detected at night.
But with astronomers already monitoring hundreds of other celestial objects, it might be a difficult task.
“You would have to look everywhere,” Brown said.
While technology cannot detect all the threats to our natural security, we do have a powerful friend who can help us detect threats to our spiritual well-being - He is the Holy Spirit, and He can help us to read the danger signs in our own lives. We cannot ward off all the threats that come into our lives and cannot prevent all the negative circumstances we encounter - and we wouldn't want to, right? Since the trying of our faith produces patience.
But, we can learn to discern danger signs. If we are walking in disobedience, and the Spirit of God is trying to get our attention, then we may be in for some reaping of what we have sown. If we make decisions that run counter to the principles of God's Word and stray off His path for our lives - if we listen, He'll get us back on course. Being proactive by praying about decisions and following His precepts can prevent us from walking into trouble. And, our "early warning system" can clue us in to things that are just not right. And, if we miss it, He can provide us a course correction. But, we're better off if our discernment kicks in and our spiritual antenna detect those spiritual meteors that come to steal, kill, and destroy our lives.
Monday, February 18, 2013
Rescue At Sea
In Psalm 37, the writer lays it out so beautifully that God is our rescuer. For example, here is what verses 39 and 40 say:
39 But the salvation of the righteous is from the LORD ; He is their strength in time of trouble. 40 The LORD helps them and delivers them; He delivers them from the wicked and saves them, Because they take refuge in Him.
When we are born, we set sail, in a sense, on a journey. As we accept Christ, we recognize that He, not ourselves, is the captain of our ship. As long as we continue to allow Him to have control, He will steer us in the right direction, and we can trust Him to get us back on course when we drift. When we encounter rough seas, we can be confident that He will correctly navigate through them, and we will grow in that confidence. Even if there is something broken aboard the ship, we can still trust in the hand of the Almighty, who will sustain us - He is our rescuer, and we do well to relinquish control to Him, even when circumstances look bleak and desperate.
In 2nd Timothy chapter 4, the apostle Paul acknowledges God as his rescuer:
17 But the Lord stood with me and strengthened me, so that through me the proclamation might be fully accomplished, and that all the Gentiles might hear ; and I was rescued out of the lion's mouth. 18 The Lord will rescue me from every evil deed, and will bring me safely to His heavenly kingdom ; to Him be the glory forever and ever. Amen.
The deteriorating conditions aboard the Carnival Triumph cruise ship that lost power in the Gulf last week resulted in passengers of various faiths meeting nightly to lift each other up and pray for everyone on the boat carrying over 4000 people.
AL.com quotes Shajwanda McCain of Houston, as saying: “We had to pray that God would cover the whole boat on their behalf — and cover the people who were driving the tugboats." She said she attended some of the Bible studies, which included singing, prayers and testimonies, with about 70 attending. The services were announced to the entire ship and held in the London Dining Hall on the cruise ship’s 10th floor.
“You had Baptists. There were a few Catholics,” said McCain, who described herself as nondenominational.
“Each person talked, gave a testimony and encouraged everybody. It was uplifting.”
"You had very irate people," she recalled. "You have to intercede for everybody."
“We were scared,” said Marie McCain, 53, who attends PowerHouse Church in Katy, Texas.
“We stayed in prayer. All our friends were on Facebook in prayer.”
According to BillyGraham.org, Joseph and Cecilia Alvarez were involved in starting a Bible study on the ship:
Ruthart said she did not attend any of the Bible studies but she relied on her personal faith. “I just didn’t have the fear that a lot of people had,” she said. “I felt we could come through it.”
And, on this President's Day, I want to pivot and call attention to another rescue at sea, this time involving an American President, who, while commanding the Continental Army, experienced what he believed was the hand of God. Kerby Anderson of Probe Ministries tells the story:
So, let's look at ourselves. Do we believe that God is our rescuer? When times are desperate, do we rely on Him first and foremost, or do we exhaust every conceivable method of escape before we turn to Him? I believe that when the ship of our life has encountered difficulty, He is the One who can right the ship, and the One who can bring repair as we trust in Him.
39 But the salvation of the righteous is from the LORD ; He is their strength in time of trouble. 40 The LORD helps them and delivers them; He delivers them from the wicked and saves them, Because they take refuge in Him.
When we are born, we set sail, in a sense, on a journey. As we accept Christ, we recognize that He, not ourselves, is the captain of our ship. As long as we continue to allow Him to have control, He will steer us in the right direction, and we can trust Him to get us back on course when we drift. When we encounter rough seas, we can be confident that He will correctly navigate through them, and we will grow in that confidence. Even if there is something broken aboard the ship, we can still trust in the hand of the Almighty, who will sustain us - He is our rescuer, and we do well to relinquish control to Him, even when circumstances look bleak and desperate.
In 2nd Timothy chapter 4, the apostle Paul acknowledges God as his rescuer:
17 But the Lord stood with me and strengthened me, so that through me the proclamation might be fully accomplished, and that all the Gentiles might hear ; and I was rescued out of the lion's mouth. 18 The Lord will rescue me from every evil deed, and will bring me safely to His heavenly kingdom ; to Him be the glory forever and ever. Amen.
The deteriorating conditions aboard the Carnival Triumph cruise ship that lost power in the Gulf last week resulted in passengers of various faiths meeting nightly to lift each other up and pray for everyone on the boat carrying over 4000 people.
AL.com quotes Shajwanda McCain of Houston, as saying: “We had to pray that God would cover the whole boat on their behalf — and cover the people who were driving the tugboats." She said she attended some of the Bible studies, which included singing, prayers and testimonies, with about 70 attending. The services were announced to the entire ship and held in the London Dining Hall on the cruise ship’s 10th floor.
“You had Baptists. There were a few Catholics,” said McCain, who described herself as nondenominational.
“Each person talked, gave a testimony and encouraged everybody. It was uplifting.”
"You had very irate people," she recalled. "You have to intercede for everybody."
“We were scared,” said Marie McCain, 53, who attends PowerHouse Church in Katy, Texas.
“We stayed in prayer. All our friends were on Facebook in prayer.”
According to BillyGraham.org, Joseph and Cecilia Alvarez were involved in starting a Bible study on the ship:
Cecilia kept thinking about one Bible verse, Joshua 1:9: “Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.”
Wouldn’t it be great, she thought, if she and Joseph could get together with other Christians on the ship? If they could join other believers to lift each other up? It wasn’t long after that they heard an announcement over the ship’s intercom; passengers were invited to join a Bible study on deck...
“The Bible studies were great,” he said. “We did it for four days. … It put our minds and our hearts at ease. We felt peace the whole time. We knew that there was a Mighty Power out there that would get us home and keep us safe so we could get home and see our children.”“There were things that didn’t go right, but things that did go right I took as a blessing,” said Doreen Ruthart, 50, of Paris, Texas. “It makes you appreciate what you have.”
Ruthart said she did not attend any of the Bible studies but she relied on her personal faith. “I just didn’t have the fear that a lot of people had,” she said. “I felt we could come through it.”
And, on this President's Day, I want to pivot and call attention to another rescue at sea, this time involving an American President, who, while commanding the Continental Army, experienced what he believed was the hand of God. Kerby Anderson of Probe Ministries tells the story:
One event that George Washington believed showed God’s providence was the Battle of Long Island in 1776. Washington and his men were trapped on Brooklyn Heights, Long Island. The British were poised to crush the American army the next day and that would have been the end of the rebellion. Washington planned a bold move and began evacuating his troops under the cover of darkness using everything from fishing vessels to rowboats. But there was not enough time to accomplish the task. When morning came, the fog of night remained and only lifted in time for the British to see the last American boat crossing the East River beyond the reach of their guns. You can read more about this miraculous event in Michael Novak’s book, On Two Wings: Humble Faith and Common Sense at the American Founding.The evidence is clear and abundant that George Washington was, in fact, a Christian. And, this particular instance is just one of many that can demonstrate for us God's direction in the founding of this great nation.
Washington also required chaplains for the Continental Army, and personally took time for prayer. He forbade his troops under pain of death from uttering blasphemies, even profanity. He called upon them to conduct themselves as Christian soldiers because the people demanded it.
So, let's look at ourselves. Do we believe that God is our rescuer? When times are desperate, do we rely on Him first and foremost, or do we exhaust every conceivable method of escape before we turn to Him? I believe that when the ship of our life has encountered difficulty, He is the One who can right the ship, and the One who can bring repair as we trust in Him.
Friday, February 15, 2013
Warning: People Rising from the Dead!
In John chapter 11, we read the story of Jesus coming to the tomb of Lazarus, who had been physically dead for 4 days. He said to Mary and Martha, the sisters of the dead man:
(25) "I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live. 26 And whoever lives and believes in Me shall never die. Do you believe this?" Jesus is the One who has come to bring us new life - because He is risen and lives forever with God the Father, we have the promise of living and reigning with Him...we will be living for eternity in His presence! God brings dead things to life - he transfers us out of the kingdom of darkness into His marvelous light. And of the spiritual death into which we were born, He transforms us and gives us new life in the power of our risen Lord. And, when we leave this earth, we have the promise that we will be alive - more alive - in eternity that what we've experienced here in this world.
In 1st Corinthians chapter 15, Paul lays out the certainty of the resurrection of Christ and the resurrection of believers in Him:
12 Now if Christ is preached that He has been raised from the dead, how do some among you say that there is no resurrection of the dead? 13 But if there is no resurrection of the dead, then Christ is not risen. 14 And if Christ is not risen, then our preaching is empty and your faith is also empty.
The emergency alert system of a Montana TV station delivered the following message this week:
"Civil authorities in your area have reported that the bodies of the dead are rising from their graves and attacking the living...Follow the messages onscreen that will be updated as information becomes available. Do not attempt to approach or apprehend these bodies as they are considered extremely dangerous."
This warning of an impending zombie apocalypse was apparently the work of a hacker.
Now, the Great Falls Police Department said it had received four phone calls asking if the alert was real.
The TV station acknowledged that there was no danger from a zombie attack.
Nor will there be a training exercise in Quebec province in Canada to ward off a potential zombie apocalypse. Participants at an annual symposium on civil security had been planning to use a hypothetical zombie attack to test emergency preparedness.
The logic behind it was to use something that can never actually occur, as opposed to a flood or an ice storm, because that way emergency-preparedness officials might think of new problems and solutions.
So now the provincial cabinet has stepped in. Public Security Minister Stephane Bergeron says he has ordered a change of plans.
The new scenario will simulate a flood.
A member of the Canadian Parliament took to the floor this week and said: "I rise today to salute the Center for Disease Control in Atlanta and the province of Quebec for putting in emergency measures to deal with the possibility of an invasion of zombies," [Pat] Martin said on the Parliament floor. "I don’t need to tell you, Mr. Speaker, that zombies don’t don’t recognize borders and that a zombie invasion in the United States can easily turn into a continent-wide pandemic if it’s not contained...So on behalf of concerned Canadians everywhere, Mr. Speaker, I want to ask the Minister of Foreign Affairs: Is he working with his American counterparts to develop an international zombie strategy so that a zombie invasion does not turn into a zombie apocalypse?”
There is a fascination with zombies these days: Sunday's episode of "The Walking Dead" is now the highest rated telecast ever for a basic cable series. Including encore airings, 16.6 million people tuned in to watch the mid-season premiere, the ninth episode of the 16-episode season.
(25) "I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live. 26 And whoever lives and believes in Me shall never die. Do you believe this?" Jesus is the One who has come to bring us new life - because He is risen and lives forever with God the Father, we have the promise of living and reigning with Him...we will be living for eternity in His presence! God brings dead things to life - he transfers us out of the kingdom of darkness into His marvelous light. And of the spiritual death into which we were born, He transforms us and gives us new life in the power of our risen Lord. And, when we leave this earth, we have the promise that we will be alive - more alive - in eternity that what we've experienced here in this world.
In 1st Corinthians chapter 15, Paul lays out the certainty of the resurrection of Christ and the resurrection of believers in Him:
12 Now if Christ is preached that He has been raised from the dead, how do some among you say that there is no resurrection of the dead? 13 But if there is no resurrection of the dead, then Christ is not risen. 14 And if Christ is not risen, then our preaching is empty and your faith is also empty.
The emergency alert system of a Montana TV station delivered the following message this week:
"Civil authorities in your area have reported that the bodies of the dead are rising from their graves and attacking the living...Follow the messages onscreen that will be updated as information becomes available. Do not attempt to approach or apprehend these bodies as they are considered extremely dangerous."
This warning of an impending zombie apocalypse was apparently the work of a hacker.
Now, the Great Falls Police Department said it had received four phone calls asking if the alert was real.
The TV station acknowledged that there was no danger from a zombie attack.
Nor will there be a training exercise in Quebec province in Canada to ward off a potential zombie apocalypse. Participants at an annual symposium on civil security had been planning to use a hypothetical zombie attack to test emergency preparedness.
The logic behind it was to use something that can never actually occur, as opposed to a flood or an ice storm, because that way emergency-preparedness officials might think of new problems and solutions.
So now the provincial cabinet has stepped in. Public Security Minister Stephane Bergeron says he has ordered a change of plans.
The new scenario will simulate a flood.
A member of the Canadian Parliament took to the floor this week and said: "I rise today to salute the Center for Disease Control in Atlanta and the province of Quebec for putting in emergency measures to deal with the possibility of an invasion of zombies," [Pat] Martin said on the Parliament floor. "I don’t need to tell you, Mr. Speaker, that zombies don’t don’t recognize borders and that a zombie invasion in the United States can easily turn into a continent-wide pandemic if it’s not contained...So on behalf of concerned Canadians everywhere, Mr. Speaker, I want to ask the Minister of Foreign Affairs: Is he working with his American counterparts to develop an international zombie strategy so that a zombie invasion does not turn into a zombie apocalypse?”
There is a fascination with zombies these days: Sunday's episode of "The Walking Dead" is now the highest rated telecast ever for a basic cable series. Including encore airings, 16.6 million people tuned in to watch the mid-season premiere, the ninth episode of the 16-episode season.
Thursday, February 14, 2013
Love, Marriage, and God's Perfect Blueprint
On Valentine's Day, we concentrate on strengthening our relationships, and on living in the love of Jesus Christ. Here is what 1st John chapter 4 has to say:
16 And we have known and believed the love that God has for us. God is love, and he who abides in love abides in God, and God in him. 17 Love has been perfected among us in this: that we may have boldness in the day of judgment; because as He is, so are we in this world. 18 There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves torment. But he who fears has not been made perfect in love. 19 We love Him because He first loved us.
We talk about love, we hear about it, but it's important to recognize how the love of God is expressed - there is an element of selflessness and sacrifice, regarding another person's needs as higher than our own. Being sensitive to the needs of others so that the love of Christ can flow from us to them. Walking in God's love gives us the satisfaction of knowing that we are pleasing Him and building others up. We have the capacity to love because He first loved us...on this Valentine's Day, we can reflect on the enormous blessing of extending His love toward someone else.
Ephesians chapter 5 quotes from the book of Genesis in its presentation of Biblical marriage as representative of Christ and His church:
31 "For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh." 32 This is a great mystery, but I speak concerning Christ and the church. 33 Nevertheless let each one of you in particular so love his own wife as himself, and let the wife see that she respects her husband.
On Valentine's Day, attention is focused on the people whom we love - and it gives us a chance to reflect on the state of our relationships and how healthy relationships contribute to a more stable, healthy society - in a variety of ways.
And, when we look at relationships, obviously, to the Christian, our relationship with Christ is the central focus, the foundation of how we relate to others. And, in Genesis 2:24, we see what could be described as a gold standard of earthly relationships - marriage: clearly defined as one man for one woman.
And, on this Valentine's Day, young people - of all ages - are being called to purity; waiting until marriage to experience God's gift of intimacy. Liberty Counsel is sponsoring its 10th "Day of Purity". Director Amber Haskew says, “While progressives seek to distort the differences between men and women, publically fund contraceptives and abortion, and elevate personal rights over marital responsibilities, Liberty Counsel and thousands of people around the world will recognize February 14, the Day of Purity, as a time to return to God’s plan for intimacy and oneness."
Traditional, Biblical marriage benefits the participants in a number of ways - spiritually and emotionally, for sure, but also in the realm of physical health, as Andrew Hess and Glenn Stanton of Focus on the Family point out. They say that the current body of research consistently finds married men and women are:
Sociological research shows that strong marriages impact society - this reinforces the notion that God's way is best, not only for individuals and families who follow Christ, but for the culture at large. From the website www.familyscholars.org, you can find a .pdf of 30 conclusions from the social sciences on "Why Marriage Matters". Just to name a few here:
As Christians, we strongly stand for the preservation of marriage, and stand with our young people as they resist compromising their purity, with singles as they pursue God's best and seek a mate in His perfect timing, and with married couples as they protect their marriages against the forces that would pull them apart.
16 And we have known and believed the love that God has for us. God is love, and he who abides in love abides in God, and God in him. 17 Love has been perfected among us in this: that we may have boldness in the day of judgment; because as He is, so are we in this world. 18 There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves torment. But he who fears has not been made perfect in love. 19 We love Him because He first loved us.
We talk about love, we hear about it, but it's important to recognize how the love of God is expressed - there is an element of selflessness and sacrifice, regarding another person's needs as higher than our own. Being sensitive to the needs of others so that the love of Christ can flow from us to them. Walking in God's love gives us the satisfaction of knowing that we are pleasing Him and building others up. We have the capacity to love because He first loved us...on this Valentine's Day, we can reflect on the enormous blessing of extending His love toward someone else.
Ephesians chapter 5 quotes from the book of Genesis in its presentation of Biblical marriage as representative of Christ and His church:
31 "For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh." 32 This is a great mystery, but I speak concerning Christ and the church. 33 Nevertheless let each one of you in particular so love his own wife as himself, and let the wife see that she respects her husband.
On Valentine's Day, attention is focused on the people whom we love - and it gives us a chance to reflect on the state of our relationships and how healthy relationships contribute to a more stable, healthy society - in a variety of ways.
And, when we look at relationships, obviously, to the Christian, our relationship with Christ is the central focus, the foundation of how we relate to others. And, in Genesis 2:24, we see what could be described as a gold standard of earthly relationships - marriage: clearly defined as one man for one woman.
And, on this Valentine's Day, young people - of all ages - are being called to purity; waiting until marriage to experience God's gift of intimacy. Liberty Counsel is sponsoring its 10th "Day of Purity". Director Amber Haskew says, “While progressives seek to distort the differences between men and women, publically fund contraceptives and abortion, and elevate personal rights over marital responsibilities, Liberty Counsel and thousands of people around the world will recognize February 14, the Day of Purity, as a time to return to God’s plan for intimacy and oneness."
Traditional, Biblical marriage benefits the participants in a number of ways - spiritually and emotionally, for sure, but also in the realm of physical health, as Andrew Hess and Glenn Stanton of Focus on the Family point out. They say that the current body of research consistently finds married men and women are:
- More likely to live longer
- More likely to be physically healthier
- More likely to be mentally healthier
- More likely to be happier
- Recover from illness quicker and more successfully
- Generally, take better care of themselves and avoid risky behavior.
Sociological research shows that strong marriages impact society - this reinforces the notion that God's way is best, not only for individuals and families who follow Christ, but for the culture at large. From the website www.familyscholars.org, you can find a .pdf of 30 conclusions from the social sciences on "Why Marriage Matters". Just to name a few here:
- Marriage increases the likelihood that fathers and mothers have good relationships with their children.
- Divorce and unmarried childbearing increase poverty for both children and mothers, and cohabitation is less likely to alleviate poverty than is marriage
- Married couple seem to build more wealth on average than singles or cohabiting couples
- Children whose parents divorce have higher rates of psychological distress and mental illness
- Boys raised in non-intact families are more likely to engage in delinquent and criminal behavior
- Marriage appears to reduce the risk that adults will be either perpetrators or victims of crime.
As Christians, we strongly stand for the preservation of marriage, and stand with our young people as they resist compromising their purity, with singles as they pursue God's best and seek a mate in His perfect timing, and with married couples as they protect their marriages against the forces that would pull them apart.
Wednesday, February 13, 2013
I Look at All the Angry People
In Ephesians 4, verses 31 and 32, we see a list of certain emotions that we would do well to eradicate from our souls:
31 Let all bitterness, wrath, anger, clamor, and evil speaking be put away from you, with all malice. 32 And be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, just as God in Christ forgave you.
Verse 31 lists some of these attitudes and behaviors - and verse 32 gives the antidote - the power of Christ's love, exercised in forgiveness.
It is certainly no fun to walk around thinking you have been wronged. And, if we allow that emotion to permeate our consciousness, we will harbor resentment toward other people, and indeed act upon that powerful, destructive emotion. And, while we can hurt others in the process, we end up hurting ourselves - our bitterness becomes a barrier to the life and freedom that God wants us to have. If we harbor anger, it will produce harmful fruit. The Lord has given us His resources to overcome anger - the power to make the choice to resist it, and by His Spirit, to eliminate it. But, we have to be sensitive to the Lord when He points out that we are in the danger zone. And we replace sinful, angry thoughts with the truth of God's Word, which will set us free!
In Hebrews chapter 12, the writer delivers a warning to us about the destructive power of bitterness:
(13) make straight paths for your feet, so that what is lame may not be dislocated, but rather be healed. 14 Pursue peace with all people, and holiness, without which no one will see the Lord: 15 looking carefully lest anyone fall short of the grace of God; lest any root of bitterness springing up cause trouble, and by this many become defiled;
It is another unspeakable tragedy, which had caused quite a few fearful moments across Southern California, as law enforcement officials believed themselves to be targets of their former comrade as he sought to exact revenge for what he believed to be an incorrect dismissal from the police force. For days, Christopher Dorner, who posted a "manifesto" on Facebook that promised "unconventional and asymmetrical warfare" against law enforcement officers and their families, was at large, and allegedly ended up taking the lives of 4 people before his life apparently ended yesterday in the mountains in California in a cabin to which he apparently set fire.
He had written, "Self-preservation is no longer important to me. do not fear death as I died long ago." He said he felt the LAPD fired him unjustly a few years ago, when a disciplinary panel determined that he lied in accusing his training officer of kicking a mentally ill man during an arrest. The case may be reviewed.
Tragic. And, a reminder to us that anger is not something to be trifled with. And, if we are harboring bitterness in our hearts, while we may not be preparing to go on a shooting rampage and harm other people, we are still dealing with the same force - and the same source of evil - that has caused more spectacular instances of violence. Instances that were highlighted in the President's State of the Union address, as families of victims of gun violence were present in the chamber last night. Mr. Obama's recognitions were the most passionate moment of the night.
And, while there has been a solid amount of discussion about regulating the sale of firearms after the Newtown tragedy, truth is, the guns would have not been fired there, or Blacksburg, or Tucson, or Aurora, or Columbine, if there were not some significant issues of the heart - a seething anger, a blatant disregard of the lives of others. People believing that somehow they had been wrong and that doing harm would somehow level the scales, or perhaps give them the illusionary satisfaction of revenge.
How often do we, when we feel we are wronged, lash out in some way - again, not to these extremes, but we set out on a course that will result in harm - to others and to ourselves. Maybe not physical harm, but in the form of broken relationships, verbal insults, a less-than-congenial atmosphere in the workplace. Participating or orchestrating a competition for control. The end result of bitterness and anger is destruction - the wages of sin is death.
So, don't play with it - do not harbor sinful anger in your heart. Use the spiritual resources available to you to eradicate the root of bitterness from your soul. And, we can be challenged to identify people around us that may be absorbed by the power of anger and attempt to counteract it with the love of Christ. One of the root causes of violence in our society is a deep-seeded anger, and when it is acted upon, people get hurt - and it takes more than a government program; it takes a recognition that were are dealing with spiritual forces, that there is a serious moral component, and we know that we have the effective antidote to the anger that penetrates the souls of men and women.
31 Let all bitterness, wrath, anger, clamor, and evil speaking be put away from you, with all malice. 32 And be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, just as God in Christ forgave you.
Verse 31 lists some of these attitudes and behaviors - and verse 32 gives the antidote - the power of Christ's love, exercised in forgiveness.
It is certainly no fun to walk around thinking you have been wronged. And, if we allow that emotion to permeate our consciousness, we will harbor resentment toward other people, and indeed act upon that powerful, destructive emotion. And, while we can hurt others in the process, we end up hurting ourselves - our bitterness becomes a barrier to the life and freedom that God wants us to have. If we harbor anger, it will produce harmful fruit. The Lord has given us His resources to overcome anger - the power to make the choice to resist it, and by His Spirit, to eliminate it. But, we have to be sensitive to the Lord when He points out that we are in the danger zone. And we replace sinful, angry thoughts with the truth of God's Word, which will set us free!
In Hebrews chapter 12, the writer delivers a warning to us about the destructive power of bitterness:
(13) make straight paths for your feet, so that what is lame may not be dislocated, but rather be healed. 14 Pursue peace with all people, and holiness, without which no one will see the Lord: 15 looking carefully lest anyone fall short of the grace of God; lest any root of bitterness springing up cause trouble, and by this many become defiled;
It is another unspeakable tragedy, which had caused quite a few fearful moments across Southern California, as law enforcement officials believed themselves to be targets of their former comrade as he sought to exact revenge for what he believed to be an incorrect dismissal from the police force. For days, Christopher Dorner, who posted a "manifesto" on Facebook that promised "unconventional and asymmetrical warfare" against law enforcement officers and their families, was at large, and allegedly ended up taking the lives of 4 people before his life apparently ended yesterday in the mountains in California in a cabin to which he apparently set fire.
He had written, "Self-preservation is no longer important to me. do not fear death as I died long ago." He said he felt the LAPD fired him unjustly a few years ago, when a disciplinary panel determined that he lied in accusing his training officer of kicking a mentally ill man during an arrest. The case may be reviewed.
Tragic. And, a reminder to us that anger is not something to be trifled with. And, if we are harboring bitterness in our hearts, while we may not be preparing to go on a shooting rampage and harm other people, we are still dealing with the same force - and the same source of evil - that has caused more spectacular instances of violence. Instances that were highlighted in the President's State of the Union address, as families of victims of gun violence were present in the chamber last night. Mr. Obama's recognitions were the most passionate moment of the night.
And, while there has been a solid amount of discussion about regulating the sale of firearms after the Newtown tragedy, truth is, the guns would have not been fired there, or Blacksburg, or Tucson, or Aurora, or Columbine, if there were not some significant issues of the heart - a seething anger, a blatant disregard of the lives of others. People believing that somehow they had been wrong and that doing harm would somehow level the scales, or perhaps give them the illusionary satisfaction of revenge.
How often do we, when we feel we are wronged, lash out in some way - again, not to these extremes, but we set out on a course that will result in harm - to others and to ourselves. Maybe not physical harm, but in the form of broken relationships, verbal insults, a less-than-congenial atmosphere in the workplace. Participating or orchestrating a competition for control. The end result of bitterness and anger is destruction - the wages of sin is death.
So, don't play with it - do not harbor sinful anger in your heart. Use the spiritual resources available to you to eradicate the root of bitterness from your soul. And, we can be challenged to identify people around us that may be absorbed by the power of anger and attempt to counteract it with the love of Christ. One of the root causes of violence in our society is a deep-seeded anger, and when it is acted upon, people get hurt - and it takes more than a government program; it takes a recognition that were are dealing with spiritual forces, that there is a serious moral component, and we know that we have the effective antidote to the anger that penetrates the souls of men and women.
Tuesday, February 12, 2013
Giving It Up for Lent
God is calling us to reflect His nature through our actions, and we are given this admonition in Romans chapter 6:
(19b) For just as you presented your members as slaves of uncleanness, and of lawlessness leading to more lawlessness, so now present your members as slaves of righteousness for holiness. 20 For when you were slaves of sin, you were free in regard to righteousness. 21 What fruit did you have then in the things of which you are now ashamed? For the end of those things is death. 22 But now having been set free from sin, and having become slaves of God, you have your fruit to holiness, and the end, everlasting life.
So, you're reading that right - it is God's desire for us to be - dare I say it? Holy!! And, holiness is not governed by the externals, trying to be perfect in our own strength. It comes through the internals, from the inside out, as our hearts are aligned with God, His nature flows through us. Sure, we are called to choose, to put aside fleshly desires and resist temptation - we put off the old nature, so that the new nature may be expressed. And, this time of year, many are commemorating Lent, representing putting off the activities of the flesh, so that we may live in more of the power of the Spirit.
2nd Corinthians 7:1 is a great verse to ponder on this day before the Lenten season opens:
1 Therefore, having these promises, beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God.
Today is the traditional "Fat Tuesday", a.k.a. Mardi Gras - since tomorrow is Ash Wednesday, this day was set aside to, well, indulge, because people were about to give something up for Lent. The Lenten season represents the 40-day period, excluding Sundays, leading up to Easter Sunday, which this year is set for March 31st.
So, as many Christians reflect on the season of Lent, there is an element of sacrifice that is present; thinking on the sacrifice of our Lord for us. The 40-day unit of time has some significance, too - Jesus spent 40 days in the wilderness praying and fasting and being tempted by the devil. There were 40 days between His resurrection and his ascension into heaven. It rained 40 days and 40 nights on the ark. And, the children of Israel wandered for 40 years before entering the Promised Land.
Although statistics report that over 700 people give up reading the Bible every day in America, one Christian church in NJ is bucking the trend. Liquid Church is devoting 40 days to reading through the New Testament by Easter. In response, over 3,300 adults and children have begun to read the Bible during the season of Lent.
(19b) For just as you presented your members as slaves of uncleanness, and of lawlessness leading to more lawlessness, so now present your members as slaves of righteousness for holiness. 20 For when you were slaves of sin, you were free in regard to righteousness. 21 What fruit did you have then in the things of which you are now ashamed? For the end of those things is death. 22 But now having been set free from sin, and having become slaves of God, you have your fruit to holiness, and the end, everlasting life.
So, you're reading that right - it is God's desire for us to be - dare I say it? Holy!! And, holiness is not governed by the externals, trying to be perfect in our own strength. It comes through the internals, from the inside out, as our hearts are aligned with God, His nature flows through us. Sure, we are called to choose, to put aside fleshly desires and resist temptation - we put off the old nature, so that the new nature may be expressed. And, this time of year, many are commemorating Lent, representing putting off the activities of the flesh, so that we may live in more of the power of the Spirit.
2nd Corinthians 7:1 is a great verse to ponder on this day before the Lenten season opens:
1 Therefore, having these promises, beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God.
Today is the traditional "Fat Tuesday", a.k.a. Mardi Gras - since tomorrow is Ash Wednesday, this day was set aside to, well, indulge, because people were about to give something up for Lent. The Lenten season represents the 40-day period, excluding Sundays, leading up to Easter Sunday, which this year is set for March 31st.
So, as many Christians reflect on the season of Lent, there is an element of sacrifice that is present; thinking on the sacrifice of our Lord for us. The 40-day unit of time has some significance, too - Jesus spent 40 days in the wilderness praying and fasting and being tempted by the devil. There were 40 days between His resurrection and his ascension into heaven. It rained 40 days and 40 nights on the ark. And, the children of Israel wandered for 40 years before entering the Promised Land.
Although statistics report that over 700 people give up reading the Bible every day in America, one Christian church in NJ is bucking the trend. Liquid Church is devoting 40 days to reading through the New Testament by Easter. In response, over 3,300 adults and children have begun to read the Bible during the season of Lent.
"The outpouring of interest surprised us," said Tim Lucas, Lead Pastor
of Liquid Church, the Christian non-denominational church with 3
locations in New Jersey. "Although the media often highlights how
irrelevant the Bible seems to modern culture, there is a growing hunger
among the next generation to open the Scriptures and see what God's Word
says for themselves."
To support the Bible reading, the church gave away over 4,800 copies of
the New Testament for free to members, friends, and anyone interested.
Over 300 volunteers have been trained by the church to host and
facilitate almost 200 local reading groups across the state. Ten of the
groups will meet weekly online using Google+ Hangout video conferencing
services. Each group, consisting of 5-12 people will meet weekly for 8
weeks during the next two months leading up to Easter Sunday.
And, to give you some food for thought (pun intended), Christianity Today has published a list of the top 100 things that Twitter followers gave up last year, based on the responses of some 300,000 followers. Here are the top 20:
1. Twitter
2. Chocolate
3. Swearing
4. Alcohol
5. Soda
6. Facebook
7. Fast food
8. Sex
9. Sweets
10. Meat
11. Lent
12. School
13. Junk food
14. Chips
15. Coffee
16. Candy
17. Bread
18. You
19. Smoking
20. Giving up things
2. Chocolate
3. Swearing
4. Alcohol
5. Soda
6. Facebook
7. Fast food
8. Sex
9. Sweets
10. Meat
11. Lent
12. School
13. Junk food
14. Chips
15. Coffee
16. Candy
17. Bread
18. You
19. Smoking
20. Giving up things
Some notable items: the new site, Pinterest, almost made the list, showing up at #118. (Pinterest does have a number of Lent-related boards, by the way).
Chocolate was #2--however, if you add up all the mentions of chocolate in its various forms (“chocs,” “chocolate chips,” etc.), it totals over 14,000 mentions, enough to put it at #1.
Last year’s biggest gainers are “breathing” and “makeup,” both of which jumped up more than 30 places in the list.
No celebrities make the top 100 this year. Boy band One Direction was at #144, followed by Justin Bieber at #194 and Tim Tebow at #221.
Last year’s biggest gainers are “breathing” and “makeup,” both of which jumped up more than 30 places in the list.
No celebrities make the top 100 this year. Boy band One Direction was at #144, followed by Justin Bieber at #194 and Tim Tebow at #221.
Hopefully, young Justin will permanently refrain from marijuana use - After Bieber's pictures appeared on the Internet smoking what appeared to be marijuana, a cloaked apology was included in a Saturday Night Live skit this past weekend - he was playing the part of the president of the Miley Cyrus fan club and in a reference to himself, “I also heard he got busted for
smoking weed, and he’s really sorry about it, and that people make
mistakes and he’s never gonna do it again.” He also tweeted out after the pictures leaked, “i see all of u. i hear all of u. i never want to let any of you down. i love u. and..thank u. #beliebers.”
Lent is definitely more of a tradition that a Scriptural admonition, but can be a tool in order to focus on the Lord's desires for us and to reinforce the notion of sacrifice in our lives, as we seek to perfect holiness in the fear of God.
Monday, February 11, 2013
Faith and the Grammys
In Isaiah 55, we read about the superior wisdom of God and the power of His word, which we're told will not return void:
8 "For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways," declares the LORD. 9 "As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts. 10 As the rain and the snow come down from heaven, and do not return to it without watering the earth and making it bud and flourish, so that it yields seed for the sower and bread for the eater, 11 so is my word that goes out from my mouth: It will not return to me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it.
That passage helps us to concentrate on the power of God's word. And, it can offer encouragement for all of us who have been planting seeds - we may not see the fruit, or any growth at all, but God just might be at work bringing His word to mind. We have to think that the influence that we exert toward others can have a lasting effect and eternal consequences. When you observe someone who was raised in the church and turns away from those principles or apparently is not serving Christ, or you see someone drifting from Him...you can draw strength from the assurance that God's word is at work - so don't be discouraged and keep planting the seeds.
Ephesians 1 talks about being connected to Christ:
18 I pray also that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints, 19 and his incomparably great power for us who believe... 22 And God placed all things under his feet and appointed him to be head over everything for the church, 23 which is his body, the fullness of him who fills everything in every way.
The Grammys were handed out last night in Hollywood, and there are 5 categories in which Christian musicians are recognized. Of course, these were all given during the Grammy pre-show.
My Testimony - Marvin Sapp
So, even outside the Christian "box" at the Grammys, there is a faith element - there are some of the top names that got their start singing in church - and there are those who integrate their faith or at least communicate their faith influence through their music. I think there's great symbolism here for us - we can be challenged to look for ways to radiate our faith, even outside the four walls of the church...not in a compromising fashion, but being tethered to Christ and intentional in our outreach.
8 "For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways," declares the LORD. 9 "As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts. 10 As the rain and the snow come down from heaven, and do not return to it without watering the earth and making it bud and flourish, so that it yields seed for the sower and bread for the eater, 11 so is my word that goes out from my mouth: It will not return to me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it.
That passage helps us to concentrate on the power of God's word. And, it can offer encouragement for all of us who have been planting seeds - we may not see the fruit, or any growth at all, but God just might be at work bringing His word to mind. We have to think that the influence that we exert toward others can have a lasting effect and eternal consequences. When you observe someone who was raised in the church and turns away from those principles or apparently is not serving Christ, or you see someone drifting from Him...you can draw strength from the assurance that God's word is at work - so don't be discouraged and keep planting the seeds.
Ephesians 1 talks about being connected to Christ:
18 I pray also that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints, 19 and his incomparably great power for us who believe... 22 And God placed all things under his feet and appointed him to be head over everything for the church, 23 which is his body, the fullness of him who fills everything in every way.
The Grammys were handed out last night in Hollywood, and there are 5 categories in which Christian musicians are recognized. Of course, these were all given during the Grammy pre-show.
Best Gospel/Contemporary Christian Music Performance
Winner: 10,000 Reasons (Bless The Lord) - Matt Redman
Other nominees:
Jesus, Friend Of Sinners - Casting Crowns
Take Me To The King - Tamela Mann
Go Get It - Mary Mary
Best Gospel Song
Winner: Go Get It (written by Erica Campbell, Tina Campbell & Warryn Campbell; recorded by Mary Mary)
Other nominees:
Hold On (Cheryl Fortune, James Fortune & Terence Vaughn, songwriters; recorded by James Fortune
& FIYA, Monica & Fred Hammond)
I Feel Good (Phillip Feaster, Fred Hammond, Jonathan Miller & Calvin Rodgers, songwriters; recorded
by Fred Hammond)
My Testimony (Aaron Lindsey & Marvin Sapp, songwriters; recorded by Marvin Sapp)
Released (Donald Lawrence, songwriter; recorded byBill Winston & Living Word Featuring
Donald Lawrence)
Best Contemporary Christian Music Song
TIE: 10,000 Reasons (Bless The Lord) - Jonas Myrin & Matt Redman, songwriters (Matt Redman)
AND
Your Presence is Heaven - Israel Houghton & Micah Massey, songwriters (Israel & New Breed)
Other nominees:
Jesus, Friend of Sinners - Mark Hall & Matthew West, songwriters (Casting Crowns)
When Mercy Found Me - Jeff Pardo & Rhett Walker, songwriters (Rhett Walker Band)
White Flag - Jason Ingram, Matt Maher, Matt Redman & Chris Tomlin, songwriters (Passion & Chris Tomlin)
Best Gospel Album
Winner: Gravity - Lecrae
Other nominees:
Identity - James Fortune & FIYA
Jesus At The Center Live - Israel & New Breed
I Win - Marvin Sapp
Worship Soul - Anita Wilson
Best Contemporary Christian Music Album
Winner: Eye On It - TobyMac
Other nominees:
Come To The Well - Casting Crowns
Where I Find You - Kari Jobe
Gold - Britt Nicole
Into The Light - Matthew West
And, of course, there are faith-related backstories of some of the nominees. Also, in the pre-show, the haunting song played during the closing credits of the movie, "The Hunger Games" won a Grammy for country-folk duo, the Civil Wars, which includes Joy Williams, who has recorded a number of Christian albums. Even though the duo has apparently either broken up or gone on hiatus both Joy and John Paul White were on stage to receive the award along with Taylor Swift.
And, in the Country Duo or Group category, the song was up against "Pontoon" by Little Big Town. That group was co-founded by former Truth member Karen Fairchild, who met bandmate Kimberly Schlapman while they were students at Samford University.
Plus, there was the Album of the Year award to a quirky and enormously popular group from the U.K. called Mumford and Sons. Leader Marcus Mumford's parents are leaders in the Vineyard movement, and a piece in the American Spectator that highlights some of the pushback that the band has received due to their overtly spiritual, even Christian lyrics, says:
The piece goes on to say:An NPR piece on the backlash against the band notes that the group’s singer was “raised in a devout Christian household” and that the “rise of the megachurch… has a lot to do with the newest wave of folk-rock taking hold.” The writer references a “rock ‘n’ roll code” that celebrates outsiders and subversives. Mr. Mumford, a Christian in the pop world of Lady Gaga, Ke$ha and Eminem, rebels against that code. This makes him a conformist. Do you follow?
Lyrically, Mumford, even if sparingly and obliquely, addresses matters of faith...
The closing line is classic:
In a world without taboos the only taboo is God. A higher power reminds of limitations, authority, and that something greater than number one exists. The rock star imagines himself as a human deity, and his many worshippers treat him accordingly. God’s a real buzz kill in that anthropocentric universe.
We don’t learn from the reviews of Babel whether or not Mumford & Sons are closeted Jesus freaks. We do learn that reviewers freak out about Jesus.So who knows what is running through the soul of Mumford and Sons? But, if their lyrics are exploring spiritual themes and challenging people to think about Jesus, then perhaps God can use these references in pop culture in thoughts and conversations. The pedigree is there - Mumford is bringing it out; unfortunately, another preacher's kid, Katy Perry, is not - but there's even hope for her...it's been a crisis period in her life, circulating around a failed marriage - and we all know that the trials of life can force us to cry out to God. You have to pray that God is not finished with the former Christian artist Katy Hudson. So often, when you see musical artists that were raised in the church and it appears they are not walking in that truth, you have to remember that you don't know what is going on in that person's heart, and perhaps even now that artist or actor is considering spiritual truth.
So, even outside the Christian "box" at the Grammys, there is a faith element - there are some of the top names that got their start singing in church - and there are those who integrate their faith or at least communicate their faith influence through their music. I think there's great symbolism here for us - we can be challenged to look for ways to radiate our faith, even outside the four walls of the church...not in a compromising fashion, but being tethered to Christ and intentional in our outreach.
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