When I Look at the Heavens...

Psalm 8:  3 When I consider Your heavens, the work of Your fingers, The moon and the stars, which You have ordained, 4 What is man that You are mindful of him, And the son of man that You visit him?  I thought about that Scripture last night after I read a tweet by Louie Giglio and went outside to gaze at the western horizon and see not only a crescent moon, but a bright body underneath, identified as the planet Jupiter.   In fact, the stars just seemed unusually bright last night - a clear, crisp night to enjoy the beauty of creation.   Today, I was reflecting on this enormous God, great and mighty, who created the universe - the stars and the galaxies, the heavens and earth.  
In his new book, Indescribable, written with Matt Redman, Louie says:

“The glorious darkness that so accentuates the lights of heaven lifts us upward and draws us into its chorus. The longer we look up, the freer we become, lost in the wonder and mystery that surrounds us, lost in praise of the One who set each star in place.”

Every star, the wonders that we behold - crafted by a magnificent, and orderly God...and He has placed earth strategically in the midst of it, with the unique capability of sustaining life.   From Answers in Genesis, we read:

• Ratio of electron to proton mass (1:1836)...if this was larger or smaller, molecules could not form.
• Electromagnetic and gravitational forces are finely tuned, so the right kind of star can be stable.
• Our sun is the right colour. If it was redder or bluer, photosynthetic response would be weaker.
• Our sun is also the right mass. If it was larger, its brightness would change too quickly and there would be too much high energy radiation. If it was smaller, the range of planetary distances able to support life would be too narrow; the right distance would be so close to the star that tidal forces would disrupt the planet’s rotational period. UV radiation would also be inadequate for photosynthesis.
• The earth’s distance from the sun is crucial for a stable water cycle. Too far away, and most water would freeze; too close and most water would boil.
• The earth’s gravity, axial tilt, rotation period, magnetic field, crust thickness, oxygen/nitrogen ratio, carbon dioxide, water vapour and ozone levels are just right.

There is so much evidence of design in our universe, and random chance processes, embraced by the evolutionists, are incapable of explaining them.   The heavens tell an amazing story of a great God who, by His power, in His wisdom, made the universe, and created you and me, knowing each of us by name, and who sent His Son to redeem us and bring us into fellowship with Himself. 

No More Taboos?

Listen to what 1st Peter 1 says:13 Therefore gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and rest your hope fully upon the grace that is to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ; 14 as obedient children, not conforming yourselves to the former lusts, as in your ignorance; 15 but as He who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, 16 because it is written, "Be holy, for I am holy."   I was alarmed and amazed by the words spoken by TV icon Mary Tyler Moore in an interview before receiving the Screen Actors Guild Lifetime Achievement Award last night.   According to Zap2It.com:

She broke a number of taboos in her shows, but doesn't think there are many barriers left to break through on telelvision. "Taboos?" she says, "there aren't any taboos anymore."

I think this is disappointing, but very true - and perhaps the remaining taboos will crumble if court action concerning the FCC's policy on profanity is struck down - those that wish to see it revised say the current policy is unclear. 

And, while what is shown on television and depicted in movies does have a strong influence on our behavior, it does present a challenge to us as Christians to not only evaluate what we consume, but also what we regard as "taboo".   I believe that the Scriptures teach moral absolutes - what is right and what is wrong, what pleases God's heart and what does not.  And, as we have been cleansed by Jesus Christ in salvation by virtue of receiving a new heart, so we are encouraged to walk with clean hands and a clean heart - to monitor our thoughts and our behavior, to make sure that everything inside and outside lines up with the moral code that is given to us in the Bible.  That is what holiness entails...

...And in this age of grace, where so many, even within the church, have an "anything goes" mentality in a number of areas - God's absolutes, His holy standards remain.   So, as the standard has been set to be holy as He is holy, we recognize that we must protect our hearts and minds from cultural influences that run contrary to what pleases God and take seriously the call to be a peculiar, a different, a distinctive people, who reflect the nature of God.   Yes, for the Christian there are plenty of what you would call "taboos", leading to what the Bible calls "sin" - and I am thankful that I have a Savior who can cleanse us.

Ears to Hear, Lips to Sing

A familiar, but compelling passage from Jeremiah 29:
11 For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope. 12 Then you will call upon Me and go and pray to Me, and I will listen to you. 13 And you will seek Me and find Me, when you search for Me with all your heart.

USA Today has this account of last night's "American Idol" auditions from the Houston/Galveston area:

Ramiro Garcia was born with no ears. Doctors told his parents that he wouldn't be able to hear or speak. But surgeries that started when he was 4 revealed that he had inner-ear workings. Today, he's a worship minister in Houston.

He auditions with Chris Tomlin's rewrite of Amazing Grace, called Amazing Grace (My Chains Are Gone). And the judges are wowed.


"I guess we're taking a leap of faith with you today," Jennifer tells him.

Not only does Ramiro have an incredible testimony of God's greatness, which was acknowledged and even showcased last night in the Idol show, but the guy can sing.   After all, he leads worship at America's largest church.  And, there was such a "God-moment" - the simple, but profound lyrics of "Amazing Grace", the seriousness that the playful and sometimes raunchy Steven Tyler displayed, the heartfelt meditation of Randy Jackson, and JLo's comments about taking a leap of faith.   I think it really shows that when God shows up, His presence has the power to transform a place!!   And, perhaps the millions who were watching were touched, as well.   The power of a simple "God-moment" can bring a greater awareness of His truth and His love - witness the Google-fest of John 3:16 when Tim Tebow passed for that number of yards and Focus on the Family followed it up with their 30-second commercial in the next game.   Never discount or minimize the power of God in you...to express His love and His presence.

Check out the video:

What is That in Your Hand?

I want to draw your attention to Exodus 4:2 So the Lord said to him, "What is that in your hand?" He said, "A rod." 3 And He said, "Cast it on the ground." So he cast it on the ground, and it became a serpent; and Moses fled from it. 4 Then the Lord said to Moses, "Reach out your hand and take it by the tail" (and he reached out his hand and caught it, and it became a rod in his hand), 5 "that they may believe that the Lord God of their fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, has appeared to you."

Romans 12:6 gives us a great application in our own lives: "Having then gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us, let us use them..."

It was just about a year ago when a homeless man with an incredible voice was discovered by a TV reporter in Ohio - many embraced Ted Williams, who had made some bad choices and had a string of bad circumstances, but people were so enamored with his voice that they embraced him, and helped him.  They offered him voiceover jobs and helped him get into rehab.   Now, one year later, after even a rocky road to being drug-free, he's doing voice work, was offered a job with the Cleveland Cavaliers NBA team, and at least appears to have a bit of stability in his life - and he has a house for a home, rather than a box.


Ted has made mistakes, but he has a gift, and if you've heard his voice, you'll agree.  And, I believe that God has given to each of us a gift, and from a Kingdom perspective, we have a purpose to be used for His glory.  And, the pages of the Scriptures show us scores of characters that are not perfect, but were used by Him anyway.   Moses was given a rod that would become a snake, and he was given a companion who would speak, because he just didn't think God could use his voice.   So, the application for us, is "What is that in your hand?"  In other words, what unique talent or ability has God given to you?   Thank Him for it and seeking His face regarding how you can use it for your glory.  Then, be obedient as God opens doors.   


And, I do believe that the Lord has given to each of us a voice - not necessarily in the physical sense, like our friend Ted, but we are called to affirm, to encourage, to do good works that speak volumes - sharing the love of Christ to others.   There will be divine appointments for us to share with others what God has done in our lives, to speak the good news that Christ has come to save, and to perhaps even reach out to people in our neighborhood, church, or workplace, who are in need, or to minister the love of Christ to those who are the most vulnerable among us.   Maybe there's a Ted Williams that you will encounter, who needs to be pointed in the right direction, to be affirmed in his or her worth before God, and maybe to come to a saving knowledge of Christ.   The President talked about income disparity last night, and I thought about those in poverty, and what a wonderful opportunity we have as Christians, as churches, individuals, and families, to address the needs of the poor - maybe even ministering to their physical needs temporarily, but teaching and reinforcing them in life skill and providing an avenue for them to exercise responsibility to become independent of government, but dependent on Christ.   The church can be a strong voice in our culture to address physical - and spiritual - poverty. 

Rescued!

There is good news from God's Word in Colossians chapter 1:
13 For He rescued us from the domain of darkness, and transferred us to the kingdom of His beloved Son, 14 in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.

They were merely visiting some sites in northern Somalia, doing some humanitarian work - as we know, Somalia is a dangerous place, a frontier where war lords and pirates vie for control.   And, foreigners are not treated hospitalibly - take American Jessica Buchanan and Danish worker Poul Thisted, who were captured back in October.   Well, this past Monday night, the President authorized elite Navy SEALS to be part of a daring rescue effort, as special forces in helicopters penetrated the place where 9 gunman were holding the duo.  They drew fire and explosives were present, but the mission was completed - a breathtaking attempt by our military forces to rescue the hostages.

Oh, and a little information about Jessica:
She is 32 years old and was born in Cincinnati, Ohio. She graduated from Valley Forge Christian College in Phoenixville, Pa., in 2007. She was a student teacher in Africa before graduating.  The president of the school said that, "She fell in love with Africa...She was so anxious to get back.”

Her home church, the York Cavalry Temple Assembly of God, put out a message during her captivity that combined her devotion and determination.

"Please pray for Jessica and her family. She is a former student at Valley Forge Christian college and she sold all she owned to become a missionary in Somalia. Pray for her safe keeping and safe return," the church said.   

Indeed, her rescue was an answer to prayer.


I thought of our troops going into a largely lawless region - in Somalia - to save 2 lives.   And, it reminded me that we as believers in Christ have been rescued from the bondage of sin, through which the enemy of our souls held us hostage.   He came to earth - a place that was under the power of sin and death, a fallen world - and Jesus submitted Himself to death so that we might live...it was a dramatic rescue effort, but it was necessary because God wanted to redeem us, to bring humanity back into fellowship with Him.    Jesus defeated that power of sin and death, making it possible for each of us to be released from our bondage, and giving us the ability to live the Christian life as we fellowship with His Spirit.   Thank God!   He has rescued us.

Lighting Up the Sky

From Hebrews 12:2-3:
2 looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. 3 For consider Him who endured such hostility from sinners against Himself, lest you become weary and discouraged in your souls.

NASA has made this announcement:  "The sun erupted late on Jan. 22, 2012 with an M8.7 class flare, an Earth-directed coronal mass ejection (CME), and a burst of fast moving, highly energetic protons known as a 'solar energetic particle' event..."  It's a solar flare, or a solar burst, that occurred Sunday and reached the magnetosphere of the earth earlier today.   The expectation was that northern regions, including parts of Canada, and even Scotland and southern England, that do not normally see the aurora borealis would actually experience the incredible show of the northern lights.   And, there could be a disruption in some forms of mass communications, including satellite and some sophisticated GPS devices.

I have to think about the spiritual parallel of this event.   The spectacular light shows do point to the wonders of the universe that were instigated by our Creator God, and reminds us of the power of the sun - we're just the right distance away from it to maintain so many natural aspects of life as we know it.   And, I do think this occasion can teach us about the nature of disruptions, or interruptions.

There are events in our lives that can disrupt or distract, and they may look appealing, even spectacular, but in the end, they do not satisfy.  While wealth is not sinful and having possessions is not necessarily a bad thing, if they serve to take our minds off the important things that God has ordained, and if we look to ourselves as our provider, rather than God, then they become disruptive.  (Author & speaker Jen Hatmaker will address some of those principles on TMH.)    So, when disruptions come and steal our attention, we have to be careful to continue to keep our eyes on Jesus, reading and meditating on His Word, spending time connecting with Him in prayer, and making up our minds to follow Him daily.   And, while this huge solar flare is only expected to cause minor glitches, in real life, when we encounter distractions, small instances can become bigger patterns that will take us off track.   So, we fix our eyes on Jesus...

The Expression of Hope

Hebrews 6 says this:
3 When God made his promise to Abraham, since there was no one greater for him to swear by, he swore by himself, 14 saying, "I will surely bless you and give you many descendants.", and at the conclusion of this passage, we read.
19 We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure. 

I've had hope on my mind today.   I read a quote from Arizona Representative Gabrielle Giffords, the victim of an assassination attempt, who posted a video on her website, saying, in part, "I don't remember much from that horrible day, but I will never forget the trust you placed in me to be your voice. Thank you for your prayers and for giving me time to recover.  I have more work to do on my recovery so to do what is best for Arizona I will step down this week"   Hope can bring strength...to change, to grow, to heal.

Then she said, "I'm getting better. Every day, my spirit is high. I will return and we will work together for Arizona and this great country. Thank you very much."  So she resigns, not in defeat, but in optimism for her recovery.

In contrast, Joe Paterno didn't resign when he was asked to in the wake of a horrific scandal at the university that he so dearly loved.  He wanted to coach the remainder of the season; he couldn't - he was abruptly fired.   Not too long after that, he was diagnosed with cancer, and 2 months later, he was dead.   He expressed regret that he had not done more in response to the report that his assistant coach was perhaps involved in deviant behavior. 

Perhaps, perhaps not, despair and regret, two powerful forces, were prevalent in the wake of his losing the job he had held for 45 years, leading Penn State to 409 victories, the most in Division I history.  But, in the end, he became a symbol of a dark moment in university history, but perhaps his incredible legacy will be enshrined with his on-the-field heroics, rather than the off-the-field heartache.   Paterno was someone who instilled hope in student-athletes, and even though his final days were apparently not full of that hope, I know many Penn State fans hope that he is remembered appropriately.   Hope can bring a desire to achieve, to be the best...and despair & regret are enemies of hope.

And, even in the aftermath of some 54 million babies who have lost their lives to abortion since Roe vs. Wade in 1973, an anticipated hundreds of thousands gathered again this year at the National Mall to stand in favor of life, against abortion, with hope for the future that lives can be saved as we become involved.  Hope anticipates a better day even when there is tragedy...

And, that's a good word today for people in a section of Jefferson County north of Birmingham, the Clay area - a beautiful place where I used to live - which was one of many areas that suffered damage as the result of an early morning tornadoes.   I remember areas such as Center Point, Chalkville, Pinson, and Trussville fondly, and know that many are facing loss of hope today - but Christian volunteers are already swinging into action...I'm sure that the a number of faith-based organizations are either on the scene or will be soon.  Christian Service Mission, which was a major player in helping residents of north Birmingham after the April 27 tornadoes, is already mobilizing.  Hope can be expressed through acts of charity...

So, what's the source of your hope today?    In Christ, believers have the chance to experience this hope, and know that God is going before us to express His will and magnify His name.   The power of hope is an unstoppable force, and true, lasting hope is found in the power and presence of Jesus.

Game Change

Here's one of those life-changing moments, from the ministry of Jesus in Mark chapter 10:
47 And when he heard that it was Jesus of Nazareth, he began to cry out and say, "Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!" 48 Then many warned him to be quiet; but he cried out all the more, "Son of David, have mercy on me!" 49 So Jesus stood still and commanded him to be called. Then they called the blind man, saying to him, "Be of good cheer. Rise, He is calling you." 50 And throwing aside his garment, he rose and came to Jesus. 51 So Jesus answered and said to him, "What do you want Me to do for you?" The blind man said to Him, "Rabboni, that I may receive my sight." 52 Then Jesus said to him, "Go your way; your faith has made you well." And immediately he received his sight and followed Jesus on the road. 

Jesus asked the question of the blind man crying out for mercy, "What do you want Me to do for you?"   He replied that he wanted to see.   This was a game-changer, a defining moment in this man's life - his story intersected with God's story...he stood in the presence of the living God made flesh, and something dramatic, something wonderful happened.


The word, "gamechanger" is applied to one of those dramatic moments that changes the trajectory or the pattern of an event or series of events.  Numerous moments have been termed potentially game changing in the Presidential race.   There was a rather well-known coach who's set up shop not far from here about whom a movie was made, called "Gamechanger".   Google the word and you'll find references to Alzheimer's research, Olympic skiing, and a host of other topics.   


This blind man in Mark 10 was looking for a gamechanger, and knew Jesus had the power to do it.   And, while I believe that we are to abide in Christ, and seek Him daily, there may be occasions when we are trusting Him by faith to do BIG things in our lives - big things that bring Him glory, that demonstrate that He indeed does exceeding abundantly beyond what we ask our think.   Joshua is a great example - he got in the game, God gave him the playbook, and underscored its importance in Joshua chapter 1:
8 This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate in it day and night, that you may observe to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success. 


He certainly had some game changing moments:  seeing the Jordan River part, experiencing God's victory at Jericho, and learning how to overcome sin following the defeat at Ai.   So, if you're up against a situation that needs a "game changer"...


1 - Get in the game; surrender to Him in salvation and a commitment to discipleship
2 - Absorb the principles of the playbook
3 - Mention your request to God for what is needed
4 - Expect to receive; do what the Holy Spirit directs you to do
5 - Continue to trust Him for opportunities to show Himself faithful
6 - Hold on to those defining moments in the past to encourage you in the present
7 - Acknowledge the answer
8 - Note what He's done and thank Him for how He's worked in your life9 - Give credit to God as you tell others about what He's done.


10 - Exhibit confidence in Him that He will do exceeding abundantly beyond what we ask or think.
11 - Repeat these steps!!



God is in the business of bringing change, and He does not desire for us to stay static, but to grow and experience those life-changing, game-changing moments - again, not for our glory, but for His.

Religion vs. Jesus - False Dichotomy?

The warning comes in 2nd Timothy chapter 3, beginning in verse 1: ...in the last days perilous times will come: 2 For men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, 3 unloving, unforgiving, slanderers, without self-control, brutal, despisers of good, 4 traitors, headstrong, haughty, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, 5 having a form of godliness but denying its power. And from such people turn away! 

A form of godliness - some might say religion, others might say religion gone awry or astray.   But, as Jonathan Bethke proposes in his viral video, "Why I Hate Religion, But Love Jesus", which is up to over 15 million hits on YouTube:


Religion might preach grace, but another thing they practice.
Tend to ridicule God’s people, they did it to John The Baptist.
They can’t fix their problems, and so they just mask it.
Not realizing religions like spraying perfume on a casket.
See the problem with religion, is it never gets to the core.
It’s just behavior modification, like a long list of chores.

I’m just saying quit putting on a fake look, Cause there’s a problem.
If people only know you’re a Christian by your Facebook.
I mean in every other aspect of life, you know that logic’s unworthy.
It’s like saying you play for the Lakers just because you bought a jersey.
You see this was me too, but no one seemed to be on to me.

See I spent my whole life building this facade of neatness.
But now that I know Jesus, I boast in my weakness.
Because if grace is water, then the church should be an ocean.
It’s not a museum for good people, it’s a hospital for the broken.
Which means I don’t have to hide my failure, I don’t have to hide my sin.

Now let me clarify, I love the church, I love the bible, and yes I believe in sin.
But if Jesus came to your church would they actually let him in.

See because religion says do, Jesus says done.
Religion says slave, Jesus says son.
Religion puts you in bondage, while Jesus sets you free.
Religion makes you blind, but Jesus makes you see.
And that’s why religion and Jesus are two different clans.
Religion is man searching for God, Christianity is God searching for man.
Which is why salvation is freely mine, and forgiveness is my own.
Not based on my merits but Jesus’s obedience alone.
Because he took the crown of thorns, and the blood dripped down his face.
He took what we all deserved, I guess that’s why you call it grace.
And while being murdered he yelled. “Father forgive them they know not what they do.”
Because when he was dangling on that cross, he was thinking of you.
And he absorbed all of your sin, and buried it in the tomb.
Which is why I’m kneeling at the cross, saying come on there’s room.
So for religion, no I hate it, in fact I literally resent it.
Because when Jesus said it is finished, I believe he meant it.

After a rough start, Jonathan really does get to the heart of the gospel.   And, I've heard practically all my life that we are to pursue a relationship with Christ, not religion.   Andrae Crouch, in a memorable monologue in Carnegie Hall, said something like, "Religion is man's search for God, but we're talking about a relationship."  I do think Jonathan generalizes and even demonizes religion, and it's so true, as I was reading in the book of Mark this morning, the religious people of Jesus's day opposed Him for a variety of reasons:  forgiving sins, healing on the Sabbath, and even eating with those they perceived to be sinners, like tax collectors.   But, organized religion is not the problem, but replacing a relationship with Christ with a "form of godliness" is. 

So, while Jonathan's video has generated discussion, there are those who point out that religion and Jesus are not opponents - in fact, in religion's attempt to search for or acknowledge God, it can be a tool God uses to draw people to Himself.   And James said that true religion is to care for widows and orphans.   

Laura Ortberg Turner, writing for Christianity Today, says:

Bethke risks appearing supremely arrogant by claiming to love Jesus and hate religion—an arrogance of which, I must point out, I am as guilty as anyone. To separate Jesus from religion is to create a false dichotomy an untrue juxtaposition of two non-mutually exclusive concepts. Jesus did not come to abolish religion. He did not come to abolish the law. (Matthew 5:19) He came to do what he is still in the business of doing: to redeem all.

We do not get to separate ourselves from the Church, as Christians. We do not get to claim non-religiosity simply to fit in, or to feel better about ourselves. As a friend of mine put it, to say that you love Jesus but hate religion is akin to saying you love your best friend but hate his wife. That relationship will not last. 

According to The Christian Post, pastors Kevin DeYoung and Jared Wilson took issue with some of Jonathan's choice of words, including "religion":

DeYoung pointed out. He was a Jew, went to services at the synagogue, observed Jewish holy days, did not come to abolish the Law or the Prophets but to fulfill them, founded the church, established church discipline, instituted a ritual meal, told his disciples to baptize people and to teach others to obey everything he commanded, and insisted that people believe in him and believe certain things about him.

“Jesus was not your go-to-guy for hating religion,” he emphasized.

Jesus made it his mission to obey God perfectly, Pastor Wilson also clarified on his blog. “You better hope Jesus was super-religious, in fact, because it’s his perfect religion we rely on for our righteousness.”

Wilson stated that though the word “religious” made sense on the surface level, it brought much opportunity for error, with people able to confuse Bethke’s definition of what he deemed as “religious” – hypocrisy, legalism – with the biblical definition.

But, all in all, substitute some more accurate words, maybe take out a clunky rhyme or two, and Jonathan Bethke does give us plenty to think about - are we merely going through the motions in our religious actions, or do we have a vibrant, growing relationship with the Savior of our souls?    If we're merely following rules or attending church for an outward show, or to gain status in the eyes of people we deem to be important, then we are missing the point, and practicing a form of godliness, but lacking the power!





 

May I Speak Freely?

The 10th Commandment, found in Exodus 20: 
17 "You shall not covet your neighbor's house; you shall not covet your neighbor's wife, nor his male servant, nor his female servant, nor his ox, nor his donkey, nor anything that is your neighbor's." 

And James chapter 4 warns against what the Bible calls covetousness - defined as:  to wish for earnestly,

to desire (what belongs to another) inordinately or culpably, or to feel inordinate desire for what belongs to another.  

 

1 Where do wars and fights come from among you? Do they not come from your desires for pleasure that war in your members? 2 You lust and do not have. You murder and covet and cannot obtain. You fight and war. Yet you do not have because you do not ask. 3 You ask and do not receive, because you ask amiss, that you may spend it on your pleasures.

We're seeing a lot of initials today on the Internet - mainly SOPA and PIPA.   There are some 7000 websites that are, in essence, "blacked out", or not operating today in order to protest these bills...so what's that all about?

They're nearly-identical bills - SOPA stands for Stop Online Piracy Act, and it's the House version; PIPA is the "Protect IP Act", and that's the Senate bill.  According to the website Digital Trends, the bills aim "to curb the illegal distribution of copyrighted material by foreign websites, which by definition operate outside the jurisdiction of US law. These bills provide the power and the framework to restrict access to these types of sites."   Opponents believe that, because the wording is ambiguous, "they hold the power to usher in unprecedented censorship online, stifle online innovation, and even “break the Internet” by allowing (or requiring) Internet service providers to tamper with the domain name system (DNS), the underlying architecture of the Internet. Supporters of these bills say all of these concerns are completely unfounded."

Some of the most well known sites participating in the blackout include Wikipedia, Reddit, all 64 Cheezburger Network blogs, Boing Boing, Destructoid, Mozilla, TwitPic, Imgur, MoveOn,org, MineCraft, FreakOutNation and I Heart Chaos, among many others.   Google has a black rectangle covering its name on its site, with a link to an information page about the proposed bills.   Its site says that:

1. SOPA and PIPA would censor the Web

2. SOPA and PIPA would be job-killers because they would create a new era of uncertainty for American business

3. SOPA and PIPA wouldn’t stop piracy

The Internet has become an engine of commerce and a marketplace of ideas - but there does seem to be a desire for control of content - from the FCC's attempt to enact so-called "net neutrality", which was identified on this program as a possible form of government censorship, at least content control, to those that want to tax transactions on the Internet, this has become somewhat of a "holy grail" for some in authority who would like to gain quite a bit more power.   But, as we see in today's blackout, liberals and conservatives alike enjoy the free flow of ideas through the Internet, and as we understand the proper, Biblical role of government, we can see that while we do desire for activities that are morally objectionable, such as pornography and gambling, should be restricted, the broad range of activities do not need government oversight.

But, I believe there are those that covet such regulatory power.   And, that gets down to our spiritual application - what do we covet in our lives?   Are there things that we cannot or should not have, yet in our desire for power, control, or wealth, we become excessively fixated on those matters - even at the expense of our walk with God?   Any tangible or intangible item in our lives upon which we place a higher priority than our relationship with Christ is termed an "idol", and our pursuit becomes a detriment to us. 

Not of This World

In John 17, Jesus is praying for those whom He would call His own...14 I have given them Your word; and the world has hated them because they are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. 15 I do not pray that You should take them out of the world, but that You should keep them from the evil one. 16 They are not of the world, just as I am not of the world.

The will of God is not that all believers would be suddenly taken out of this world.   And, we have to recognize that while He does desire that we refrain from participating in sinful activities, we don't completely isolate from this world - instead, He calls us to integrate, recognizing that we are in this world but not of it.


A good example of this just laid down one crown, but she is living her life for eternal crowns.   That would be Teresa Scanlan, Miss America 2011, who just transferred the title to Miss Wisconsin this past Saturday night.   Teresa is from Nebraska, a devoted believer, who will be attending Patrick Henry College.   Her platform was to educate people about eating disorders and to help young girls not succomb to the pressures that would bring that behavior about.  


Teresa's story reminds us that we can communicate God's truth through not only what we say, but how we live.   The Lord gave her a tremendous platform, which she has used, and I believe will continue to use for His glory.  She's just released a musical album, called, "Dueling Pianos", with Calvin Jones, who composed the tune, "White Water Chopped Sticks", that she used in the pageant's talent competition...through that, perhaps more people will learn about the story of God expressed in her life.   She chose to integrate, rather than isolate, to be in the world, but not of it - and that's the call placed on all our lives. 

Agents of Change

Galatians 2:20 I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.

And later in that letter, Galatians 6:
14 But God forbid that I should boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world...17 From now on let no one trouble me, for I bear in my body the marks of the Lord Jesus.

On Friday's program, I offered these 4 steps regarding embracing a cause with passion -

1 - Identify a cause about which you're passionate (Perhaps a crisis has provided a catalyst for wanting to bring change.)

2 - Pray about how God would have you fulfill that passion

3 - Develop a plan or strategy for addressing the cause

4 - Ask God how best to communicate the passion with others

I appreciate Martin Luther King Day because it challenges me to explore some of the events taking place in and close to our area, think about what life was like back in the days of the civil rights movement, and maybe even make some application to our own lives.   Today on TMH, we will be hearing about some of the characteristics of change agents - and often, a passion for change is birthed in a crisis.   Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. did not allow the resistance he faced to deter him from his desire to be a strong advocate for justice.   In March of 1963, Dr. King, Fred Shuttlesworth, and Ralph Abernathy turned their attention to Birmingham for the sake of the cause of bringing an end to some of the vestiges of segregation there.   Daily demonstrations took place, and finally, an Alabama court issued an injunction for them to stop.   Dr. King was among those placed in jail, where he stayed for 8 days, including Easter Sunday - during that stay, he wrote what was regarded as a unifying narrative for the civil rights movement, in response to white pastors in Birmingham that said they supported the cause, but felt that the time to address it had not come and that a different method should be utilized.  Dr. King wrote:

Human progress never rolls in on wheels of inevitability; it comes through the tireless efforts of men willing to be co workers with God, and without this hard work, time itself becomes an ally of the forces of social stagnation. We must use time creatively, in the knowledge that the time is always ripe to do right. Now is the time to make real the promise of democracy and transform our pending national elegy into a creative psalm of brotherhood. Now is the time to lift our national policy from the quicksand of racial injustice to the solid rock of human dignity.

After quoting a number of religious and political leaders, King asks:

So the question is not whether we will be extremists, but what kind of extremists we will be. Will we be extremists for hate or for love? Will we be extremists for the preservation of injustice or for the extension of justice? In that dramatic scene on Calvary's hill three men were crucified. We must never forget that all three were crucified for the same crime--the crime of extremism. Two were extremists for immorality, and thus fell below their environment. The other, Jesus Christ, was an extremist for love, truth and goodness, and thereby rose above his environment. Perhaps the South, the nation and the world are in dire need of creative extremists.

So, we can be challenged ourselves to be change agents, ordinary people who allow God to do extraordinary things through them - people who develop a passion, speak and do the truth, and rely on the power of God.

Just 'Cause

Galatians chapter 6 says this:
 7 Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, that he will also reap. 8 For he who sows to his flesh will of the flesh reap corruption, but he who sows to the Spirit will of the Spirit reap everlasting life. 9 And let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart. 10 Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all, especially to those who are of the household of faith.

Have you heard?   There are 2 ladies who are attempting to get toymaker Mattel to manufacture what they call a "Beautiful and Bald Barbie" doll.  In fact, Facebook page was started a few days before Christmas. By Wednesday afternoon, the page had more than 16,000 fans.   Their motivation - to raise awareness for children with cancer.   There is now apparently a companion move to move Hasbro to manufacture a bald GI Joe toy!

Here are some ladies who are pursuing what I have to admit is a creative way to communicate a cause.   There's a young lady from California who passed away recently, who had established a national campaign to help children with cancer - her name was Jessica Joy Rees, and her "Joy Jars" have become quite popular - she has over 116,000 followers on Facebook, and her jars have been used across the country.   Her father, pastor Erik Rees said:

“For the last seven months, Jessie and I would make Joy Jars every Monday in the Joy Factory, aka, our garage, for the courageous kids around the country fighting cancer...I’d read the information we received from each child and she would make the jar just the way she felt fit.”

“Her wish was that she would send one to every kid fighting cancer, which is over 50,000 children today in hospitals. We ended last year with over 3,000 jars stuffed. I will miss making Joy Jars with Jessie, but I will make sure every kid gets their jar. I promise you sweat pea.”

Jessie's funeral drew an overflow crowd at Saddleback Church.

These are examples of people with passion. And I believe God has placed certain passions, desires in our hearts, to fulfill His call and to make the lives of others better.   That passion may be to fight cancer, like area basketball teams will be doing this weekend.   It may be to help inner city young people have hope in the midst of difficult times - there's a nice piece in the Wall Street Journal today tracing the life and ministry of Danny Wuerffel, who has made a dramatic impact through Desire Street Ministries and played a role in establishing Common Ground Montgomery.    The point of the article is that Danny is regarded as a role model to someone whose name is on the lips of millions of Americans these days - Tim Tebow.   Here's a guy with passion - to play football well and bring glory to God, and to use his platform to share Christ, and his physical resources to build a hospital in the Philippines.

Many will be embracing service-related causes this weekend and Monday - in fact, Martin Luther King Day is regarded as a huge day of service - a "day on", not a "day off".  

So what are you passionate about?   And can God use that desire to bring honor to Him and hope to others? I thought about 4 helpful steps to embracing a cause with passion:

1 - Identify a cause about which you're passionate (Perhaps a crisis has provided a catalyst for wanting to bring change.)

 

2 - Pray about how God would have you fulfill that passion

 

3 - Develop a plan or strategy for addressing the cause

 

4 - Ask God how best to communicate the passion with others

 

Someone can't do everything, but everyone can do something.

When we think and act in accordance to our relationship with Christ, good things are bound to happen!

Answering the Call

2nd Corinthians 4:
16 Therefore we do not lose heart. Even though our outward man is perishing, yet the inward man is being renewed day by day. 17 For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, is working for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory, 18 while we do not look at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen. For the things which are seen are temporary, but the things which are not seen are eternal. 

One of the great stories, I believe, about the National Championship season for Alabama is the response that the team had to a very tragic situation that took place in Tuscaloosa in April.   That was the day that a potent F4 tornado came within yards of the University campus, damaging homes, displacing students, and resulting in the sudden end to the school year.   It's been a rebuilding year for Tuscaloosa - physically, and emotionally, and the University of Alabama players played a key role.  

Nick Saban really desired for his team to be part of the healing - for the city and the state - and for one of its own.  You see, Crimson Tide long snapper Carson Tinker's girlfriend perished...in his arms...after being carried from the house where they were huddled.   Bruce Feldman of CBS Sports wrote this:

The camaraderie that can build within these teams is truly one of the best things about sports. Not just about what it can mean to these 18- and 19-year-olds, but also the faith and trust they can feel from those around them who invest so much energy and passion into supporting them.

This year's Crimson Tide developed a unique sense of community and support for one another - I believe that is why Coach Saban said it was a special team, and why there are those who think he enjoyed this one more than before.

The adversity the team faced and their response provides some valuable lessons for us.   Another football story I discovered this summer was the amazing journey of Brenda Warner, wife of NFL great Kurt Warner.    In her book, One Call Away, Brenda shares her challenges:  such as an accident that left her son blind and brain damaged, a tornado that killed both her parents, her relationship with Kurt, and the pressures that his sudden success brought to their family.  Through all of those challenges, she discovered a source of strength, giving her the power to answer the call, when that "one call" comes - offering hope when the circumstances would seem hopeless.   When we face trials, we can trust the hand of God, leaning on Him, and leaning on others, and learning that He is our only source of hope.   When challenges - or opportunities - call...how will we answer?

Spiraling Toward Doomsday

From 1st Thessalonians 4:
15 For this we say to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord will by no means precede those who are asleep. 16 For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. 17 Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord. 18 Therefore comfort one another with these words.

No doubt, there's plenty of interest about what we might call "the end of the world".   With this whole 2012-Mayan calendar thing and the antics of Harold Camping last year, that actually made some top 10 lists from last year, but not mine, there is a fascination with what we might call a doomsday scenario.   Interestingly enough, 1st Thessalonians 5 says that reflecting on the end of days or coming of Christ should bring comfort.

Here's an interesting piece from Fox News:

In a sign of pessimism about humanity's future, scientists today set the hands of the infamous "Doomsday Clock" forward one minute from two years ago.

"It is now five minutes to midnight," Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists (BAS) director Kennette Benedict announced today (Jan. 10) at a press conference in Washington, D.C.

That represents a symbolic step closer to doomsday, a change from the clock's previous mark of six minutes to midnight, set in January 2010.

The clock is a symbol of the threat of humanity's imminent destruction from nuclear or biological weapons, climate change and other human-caused disasters...The Doomsday Clock came into being in 1947 as a way for atomic scientists to warn the world of the dangers of nuclear weapons. That year, the Bulletin set the time at seven minutes to midnight, with midnight symbolizing humanity's destruction. By 1949, it was at three minutes to midnight as the relationship between the United States and the Soviet Union deteriorated. In 1953, after the first test of the hydrogen bomb, the doomsday clock ticked to two minutes until midnight.

The Bulletin — and the clock ­— were at their most optimistic in 1991, when the Cold War thawed and the United States and Russia began cutting their arsenals. That year, the Bulletin set the clock at 17 minutes to midnight.

I don't know where we are on God's timetable - the standard that matters - but I think we CAN read the signs of the times; remember what Jesus told His disciples about the fig tree and recognizing its future by its fruit.   The question is: are you ready?   And, are you bringing others along with you?

For the Glory of God

We read in Colossians 3:17 - And whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him. 

I believe that the Scriptures teach excellence in all things.   And, whatever we're called to, as God empowers us, it's important that we use the skill we've developed and the strength He gives to bring glory to Him, and not ourselves.

The past couple of days, we're hearing a lot about being #1 - it was certainly important to the Alabama Crimson Tide last night in their domination of LSU.   And, it's important to the Presidential candidates who are competing today in the New Hampshire Primary.   Even at Vaughn Park today, in a friendly sense, Faith Radio wants to be #1, the "Top Dog", in the Radio for Red Cross blood drive, realizing that the more of our listeners show up and give blood today, the greater the potential for saving lives.


So, while I think it's OK to want to do your best, and for the believer, I believe it brings glory to God.   But, Jesus added another kingdom dynamic in his teaching of the disciples...you see, James and John wanted to be #1, or at least #2 behind Peter, in the rankings of Christ's inner circle.    We see that there were periodic disputes about this issue of rank.   In fact, one of them occurred at Christ's Last Supper with them, according to Luke 22:


24 Now there was also a dispute among them, as to which of them should be considered the greatest. 25 And He said to them, "The kings of the Gentiles exercise lordship over them, and those who exercise authority over them are called 'benefactors.' 26 But not so among you; on the contrary, he who is greatest among you, let him be as the younger, and he who governs as he who serves.

So, the Bible teaches to do your best, and let God take care of the position.   Ambition is great, but only when tempered with humility.  A dominant characteristic of leadership, as Jesus demonstrated, is humility.   Jesus said the greatest person is the one who serves.  He depended on the Father, and put the needs of others before Himself.

For Alabama last night, AJ McCarron exhibited great leadership and will to win, but his success was predicated on a great offensive line, dependable receivers, and a credible coaching staff.   Jeremy Shelley kicked 5 field goals, but his teammates had to get him in the position to make them.    The Christian players were playing for a higher purpose, but I'm sure that mostly everyone realized in order to win a national championship, they had to play well, function as a team and submit to their coaches.    Want to be #1?   Do it for the glory of God, depend on Him, and serve others - it's a winning combination.

Page xx of 366

1st Peter 2:9 says that: 
you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light...

I've been seeing this trend on Twitter that says Page so-and-so of 366 - and today, of course, January 9th, is DAY 9.   Some have actually seen this as a reference to a diary, or perhaps a journal.  And, I think that it can be helpful to us to see our lives as a story - not only reflecting on God at work in our lives this day, but also being able to look back and see how He has shown Himself to us; giving Him thanks for significant events in our lives, and realizing that He has had His hand on us.


Memories can be powerful, and we can draw strength - and great joy - from those positive occurrences in our lives, as well as from perhaps instances that weren't particularly pleasant, but through which God was able to show Himself to be faithful to us.  So, look at the story of your life through God's eyes, and document what He is doing and saying today...and think about how your story is part of God's story, the overwhelming grand design of God's kingdom on earth, displaying His glory through you!!    So on this Page 9 of the 366-page story of 2012 - give honor to the author and finisher of our faith story.


Another number for you - 316!   That's not only a familiar Scriptural reference, but did you know that is the number of passing yards that Tim Tebow amassed yesterday in the Broncos' improbable playoff victory?   Talk about someone through whom God is writing His story - so surrendered to the will of God, so committed to excellence...people are noticing.   I think there will be a renewed interest in Tebow-ing this week.

The Value of Influence

In 2nd Timothy chapter 2, the apostle Paul gives this admonition to a young man that he has taught and essentially poured his life into:
1 You therefore, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus. 2 The things which you have heard from me in the presence of many witnesses, entrust these to faithful men who will be able to teach others also

A little over a month ago, I was talking about some of the most influential people in our culture.   And, I contend that while we may look to politicians and celebrities as trend-setters at large, the people with whom we interact personally have a dramatic impact on shaping our lives.   And, that, of course, includes those who labor so diligently in the classrooms across America - our teachers.

There's a new study, a huge study, that has been conducted over the past 20 years.   The New York Times reported about it.  It leads off by saying:

Elementary- and middle-school teachers who help raise their students’ standardized-test scores seem to have a wide-ranging, lasting positive effect on those students’ lives beyond academics, including lower teenage-pregnancy rates and greater college matriculation and adult earnings, according to a new study that tracked 2.5 million students over 20 years.

Now, I don't necessarily advocate tying teacher salaries to student test scores, but this does indicate to some degree that someone who is devoted to teaching well and leading well can have a definite influence on the people that he or she leads.

In fact, some financial values are placed on the impact of a good teacher.

Replacing a poor teacher with an average one would raise a single classroom’s lifetime earnings by about $266,000, the economists estimate. Multiply that by a career’s worth of classrooms.

“If you leave a low value-added teacher in your school for 10 years, rather than replacing him with an average teacher, you are hypothetically talking about $2.5 million in lost income,” said Professor Friedman, one of the coauthors.

And, the Bible challenges us to seek to be excellent leaders, recognizing that God will call each of us, at some point in our lives or multiple points throughout our lives to influence someone else.  Hebrews 5 says:
12 For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you have need again for someone to teach you the elementary principles of the oracles of God, and you have come to need milk and not solid food. 13 For everyone who partakes only of milk is not accustomed to the word of righteousness, for he is an infant. 14 But solid food is for the mature, who because of practice have their senses trained to discern good and evil. 

 
 

I Love Lamp

James chapter 1 says this:
19 This you know, my beloved brethren. But everyone must be quick to hear, slow to speak and slow to anger ; 20 for the anger of man does not achieve the righteousness of God. 21 Therefore, putting aside all filthiness and all that remains of wickedness, in humility receive the word implanted, which is able to save your souls.



The words have been posted on Facebook and comprised a hash tag on Twitter today - "I Love Lamp"...when I first saw it, I thought it was maybe a reference to a Montgomery high school my daughter attends - but then realized the people posting weren't connected to the school.   It's actually a reference to a line uttered by Steve Carell in the movie, "Anchorman" with Will Farrell - a line that was inserted into a script on a teleprompter and read out loud by a Green Bay weatherman - the video, yes, has gone viral - and the weatherman is actually making light of it on his blog, much as Rick Perry made light of the embarrassing gaffe where he attempted to name 3 departments of the Federal government he'd like to see eliminated.


I was thinking about how we are prompted to speak, and to speak incorrectly or inappropriately, to speak words that are harmful, that perhaps can make a permanent impression.   I think that we allow ourselves to be baited by the devil, or the power of sin, and we become prompted to say the wrong things.   Our mouths are connected to our minds, and if we don't exercise the proper self-control and don't think before we speak, then we can say things for which we'll be sorry and that can do damage.


I do think that we are set up by the power of sin and the enemy of our souls, who seeks to steal, kill, and destroy - James 1 tells us to be slow to speak, but factors such as time, tension, and tiredness can keep us from reading the prompts in our minds before the say the words.   Time -when we're rushed we can sometimes respond in a short or uncivil manner.  Tension - when an atmosphere exists where it's ripe for conflict, harsh words can be said.  Tiredness - sometimes we just need to rest, realize we're not functioning at our best, and reset our lives.    So, when these factors exist and we don't examine the prompts in our minds, i.e., think things through before we say them, we can make verbal errors.   Self-control comes as we neutralize these factors, rely on the Holy Spirit, and meditate on God's Word.

Lessons from Iowa

The news is well-known - Mitt Romney edges Rick Santorum by 8 votes in the Iowa Republican caucus.   Ron Paul finishes a hearty third with 22% of the vote.  Newt Gingrich finishes 4th, followed by Rick Perry, who's going back to Texas to re-evaluate his campaign, Michele Bachmann drops out, and Jon Huntsman sits it out.

Now, let's look at how evangelicals voted:  According to CNN, 58% of those voting indicated in entrance polls that they were evangelical, down from 60% in 2008.   But, their choices were split: 32% for Santorum, 18% went for Ron Paul, 13% each for Romney, Gingrich and Rick Perry, 6% for Michele Bachmann and 1% for Jon Huntsman.

So, there are some storylines emerging out of Iowa:
Romney - the value of consistency...he's been working at it since before 2008, he's not so emotional, stays focused, and has remained at around 25% of the Republican electorate.   That's good, in one respect, but he can't seem to break that threshold and perception of "we are the 25%".
Santorum - the value of hard work...with limited resources and a pickup truck, he's criss-crossed the state and remained hopeful, even though he lost his last election - his re-election attempt to the US Senate by 18% to the son of the former governor of Pennsylvania in a tough election year for GOP candidates.
Paul - the value of passion...he has motivated his supporters, especially young people, who really feel they, and their candidate, can make a difference.
Gingrich - the value of an active mind...Newt's full of ideas, and can articulate them fairly well - but sometimes his ideas have been characterized as off-base, and his intellect has led to periodic arrogance.
Perry - the value of a position...but position isn't everything - he's in his third term as TX Governor, but has proven to be less-than-prepared for the national stage - but he's well-financed and could pick up votes from supporters of...
Bachmann - the value of ideology...she's knowledgable, strong on social issues, and comes across as strident at times...she's pulled out, but I believe will continue to be a challenging force in the GOP and the House.

Thy Word is a Lamp Unto My Feet

From Psalm 119, which extols the power of God's Word:
105 Your word is a lamp to my feet And a light to my path. 106 I have sworn and I will confirm it, That I will keep Your righteous ordinances. 107 I am exceedingly afflicted ; Revive me, O LORD, according to Your word. 

Yesterday, you heard a portion of a conversation about how phrases from God's word have been incorporated into our language:  When the Boston Globe profiled a work by linguist David Crystal in November of 2010, it opened up with: 

In the past week or so, anyone following the news might have read that Jon Stewart is “a thorn in the side of politicians”; that Senator Harry Reid of Nevada won reelection “by the skin of his teeth”; and that people in the newspaper industry “see the writing on the wall.”

In the book, “Begat: The King James Bible and the English Language,” Crystal identifies 257 familiar idioms, that he credits to the stature and popularity of the King James Bible.

A relatively familiar phrase from the Scriptures is found in Hebrews 13:2 - 'Be not inhospitable to strangers, lest they be angels in disguise..."

Author Eric Metaxas, in a recent column entitled, "Does Anyone in the Media Ever Read the Bible?", he cited a misappropriation of that Bible verse in an obituary for a bookstore owner: 

"[George] welcomed visitors with large-print messages on the walls. 'Be not inhospitable to strangers, lest they be angels in disguise,' was one, quoting Yeats."

Eric said,

Yeats!? Did you catch that? I choked on my toast. Did the Times actually just say that "Be not inhospitable to strangers, lest they be angels in disguise" was from Yeats? Unless I had fallen down a rabbit hole, that quote was from the Bible. It’s from Hebrews 13:2 and it’s quite famous. If you didn't catch it, don't feel too badly, because you are probably not The New York Times. You are probably not America's "paper of record", proud owner of 106 Pulitzer Prizes in Journalism -- more than any other newspaper.

The Times issued a retraction.   Eric made 2 observations...first, regarding the fact that multiple news sources ran the story with the errant attribution:

First, have you ever heard the old adage, "a lie goes around the world, before the truth can get its boots on." Here's yet another example of the truth in that statement, especially in this hyper-electronic age.

Second, it's no secret that Manhattan and Hollywood cultural elites are deeply secular. There's a reason many of them consider the middle of America "fly-over country". Since at least H.L. Mencken, many secular elites think those who actually read the Bible need to be educated away from such nonsense. So the ignorance they often show about religion can be staggering. I remember two prominent instances.

The first was when I heard that patting-ourselves-on-the-back anthem "We Are the World" on FM radio 25 years ago. In his solo, Willie Nelson warbled: "As God has shown us, by turning stone to bread..." Did Willie really sing that Jesus had turned stone into bread? Yikes. Um, that's not quite what happened, Willie. What actually happened was that Jesus refused to turn stone to bread. And do you remember who tried to get him to turn stone to bread? That's right, Willie: it was um, Satan, as in Lucifer. As in it was a bad idea...

The second was when a secular Manhattan friend revealed that he didn't know who had come up with the Golden Rule. When told it was Jesus (Matthew 7:12) he didn't believe it. And this is a brilliant man, who knows just about everything there is to know. But in the world of Manhattan cultural elites, the Bible is mostly thought of as a quaint and useless artifact, like that old colonial butterchurn near the fireplace in your country home. Did it really ever make butter?

So, how well do we know the Bible?   Do we recognize the incredible effect it has on the way we speak?   Hopefully, it will be a powerful governing agent of the way we think and act.

Resolution without Resolve

I would think that a large majority of Bible reading plans begin the new year somewhere in the book of Genesis - you may already be in chapter 10 by now, but that's OK - it means you may have already come across this passage in chapter 2:
15 Then the LORD God took the man and put him into the garden of Eden to cultivate it and keep it. 16 The LORD God commanded the man, saying, "From any tree of the garden you may eat freely ; 17 but from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat from it you will surely die."

So, here we have Adam placed in the Garden, Eve fashioned for him, and they are endowed with God's confidence in them that they will carry out the plan of God, the Creator.   But, they were given an "opt out" - a choice: they could eat from all the trees freely, but one and only one tree was forbidden to them.   And, that choice became a snare to them.   

As Pam Smith will share on TMH next week, there are 5 leading new year's resolution, the majority of which are never kept, and most abandoned by the end of the first week.   They are: lose weight, eat better, stop smoking, exercise more, and get out of debt.   

Just like Adam and Eve lacked resolve to follow God's commands, even though He had given them the ability to walk in His ways and given them an abundance of trees from which to eat - thousands vs. just one - the solitary tree became a unit of temptation, and the serpent capitalized on it.   So, when we make resolutions - if they are practical and attainable, then we have to recognize, that with God's help, activating our ability, that we can reach the goals, or at least make progress.   But, because we lack resolve, the root verb of the word resolution, we often fail in our attempts.   

God, through His word and by His Spirit, can give us the fuel for our resolve.   And, as we rely on Christ and make quality decisions, intentional choices, we can see Him do the work He intends.


I think of a recent use of the word "resolution" outside the context of the New Year - it was a resolution that was stated by the men in the leading roles in the movie, "Courageous", and it went like this:

I DO solemnly resolve before God to take full responsibility for myself, my wife, and my children.

 

I WILL love them, protect them, serve them, and teach them the Word of God as the spiritual leader of my home.

 

I WILL be faithful to my wife, to love and honor her, and be willing to lay down my life for her as Jesus Christ did for me.

 

I WILL bless my children and teach them to love God with all of their hearts, all of their minds, and all of their strength.

 

I WILL train them to honor authority and live responsibly.

 

I WILL confront evil, pursue justice, and love mercy.

 

I WILL pray for others and treat them with kindness, respect, and compassion.

 

I WILL work diligently to provide for the needs of my family.

 

I WILL forgive those who have wronged me and reconcile with those I have wronged.

 

I WILL learn from my mistakes, repent of my sins, and walk with integrity as a man answerable to God.

 

I WILL seek to honor God, be faithful to His church, obey His Word, and do His will.

 

I WILL courageously work with the strength God provides to fulfill this resolution for the rest of my life and for His glory.

Do you possess the resolve to live out this resolution?   It was recited by the men in the movie, but women can embrace the principles, too.  I pray we would be people of resolve, who do more than make and break resolutions, but who would spark a revolution in our hearts.