Speaking of Heroes

Our culture seems to be enamored with heroes. What is it that draws our culture to embrace the exultation of men. Perhaps it is a deep-seated realization that we are all in need. We all know ourselves and because of this we know we are not sufficient. Turning to heroes is a hopeful reach for the expert the one who is capable. The one who is sufficient in the given situation. Yet heroes fail us again and again. Even the heroes on the big screen are shown to have flaws. Yet there is a hero who will never fail us. He is worthy of our attention and He is sufficient for every situation. That hero is the greatest hero ever and His name is Jesus.

 Jesus example is incredible. He is the creator of the world and has all the power in the world at His disposal. Yet in order to save us He became one of us. He was fully human but also fully God and He demonstrated that by what He did. He healed the sick. He made blind men see. He fed 5,000 people with just 5 loaves and 2 fish. He walked on water. He commanded the wind and the waves. He spoke with wisdom and compassion. He forgave sins. He was mostly rejected by us and yet He still loved us. As He was being crucified by us He prayed that God would forgive those of us who were acting against Him. He rose again by His own power and conquered death. After the resurrection He passed through walls and yet ate food. He was seen by over 500 people and literally flew into the sky. He now continues to rule and reign at the right hand of God on high. One day He will return and establish a new heaven and earth. He is the greatest hero ever and worthy of our greatest adoration and devotion.

Even the other great heros of the Bible point us back to Him. My second greatest hero in the Bible is Enoch. What strikes me as important about Enoch is that God recorded not what he did, but who he was in relation to God. As a matter of fact we really don’t know what he did. All we know is he walked with God and did not see death because God took Him. That would be totally awesome to be such a friend of God that He just takes you to be with Him in glory. Like I said, all of the other heroes in the Bible, like Enoch, point us to Jesus. The only reason Enoch could walk with God and have a relationship with God, is because of what Jesus did on the cross. Even though that event was a long way off, when Enoch walked with God, Enoch had to be looking to the forgiveness that could only be found in the savior. That savior was promised in the Garden when God declared that He would send a seed of the woman to crush the serpents head. Enoch walked with God by faith trusting in the coming hero of heros who would save all of those who put their trust in Him. It would be awesome for God to make us more like Jesus so we could walk with God like Enoch. One more reason to pray earnestly for God to grant us the ability to live a God focused life.

How can a sinful cultures fascination with zombies point us to God?

At church we are currently in a series on Romans. In Romans 11:33-36 Paul talks about how all things are from Jesus and through Jesus and to Jesus. Which makes me ask "all things?" Now I am not a fan of horror movies or books or anything of that genre. As a Christian I think I can justify that by pointing to God's call for us to dwell on things that are beautiful in Philippians 4:8. But I can't help but think that even in the culture's fascination with zombies there is a great reminder for us. I don't know much about zombies but I do know they are the living dead. How can that point us to God. We live among a people that the Bible tells us is spiritually dead (Rom. 8:10, Eph. 2:1). Even though they are spiritually dead they continue to live physically in this world. If nothing else I believe the world embraces the idea of zombies because they are in a spiritual sense like them. And like zombies moving together, they serve their father the devil without even being conscious of it. Rather than simply being repelled by the things in our world perhaps we should ask if the base things we see are perhaps a reflection of what is already in the heart of men. This should make us grateful that we have been made alive in Christ Jesus our Lord (Rom. 6:11). Perhaps even this could be an entry into a conversation that could help someone come to new life in Christ. This is one more backhanded way our sinful culture can remind us to live a life focused on God. What are some other ways our culture's fascinations point out their fallen state and remind us to look to God?

God provides a way

I have been away from this for several weeks now and I apologize for the absence. I have had quite a few contracting production jobs that I really needed in the last couple of weeks. These jobs on top of my job search has made blogging take a back seat. Rest assured I really enjoy bringing the gospel to bear on the day to day of life and will be blogging as often as I can for the sake of directing my heart and others to the great glory of our God and Savior Jesus Christ.

The last time I blogged I promised to talk about a fourth thing to consider when it comes to Halloween. Many would call this an alternative or a substitute but I believe that God in His great grace and mercy ordained that there be a great thing for Christians to celebrate on this day. October 31st is reformation day. It is considered the beginning of the protestant break from Roman Catholicism. Every single church that exist apart from the Orthodox, Anglicans and the Roman Catholics owes its existence to the break that began on this day. It was this moment in history when Martin Luther pounded the 95 Thesis on the door of the church in Wittenberg. It was this action that began the separation that became protestantism and ultimately has birthed evangelicalism. For modern Christianity this is perhaps one of the most important days on our calendar. Why? Well we need to remember the things that caused this separation.
We need to keep before us the points that many of these reformers gave their lives to make. Because without these basic things kept before us we are prone to repeat the errors, that led to the problems, that caused a need for reformation. These are the sort of things that can help to fortify our children's hearts and faith. Reformation day is a really great time to celebrate the lives and the issues that birthed the vibrant rich Bible saturated churches that we have today. We need to remember these things lest we lose them.

I am all for remembering the birth the death and the resurrection of Jesus. But keep in mind we would not have the opportunity to know and enter into an unmediated relationship with Jesus were it not for the reformation. I am not really arguing for an alternative to halloween I am advocating that we embrace something that God in His grace ordained to happen on this very same day. I believe God gave us this so that we could be engaged in something that was God glorifying. Something that could completely crowd out the worldly pagan celebration that we call halloween. I hope that this gives you food for thought as you consider what you do in the future so that you and your families might live a more God focused life.

When words speak louder than...words

A discussion with a friend reminded me of one of those things that pagans do that reveals a tacit admission that they know there is a God. This acknowledgement means that they are without excuse and are actively suppressing the truth (Romans 1:18-19).

What is this acknowledgment? It is found in the words that they say. When someone gets angry at someone or something they quite often declare that God should enter into the situation and bring damnation upon it. They will declare this at inanimate objects if they happen to produce physical pain for them i.e. dropping a box on ones foot or smashing a finger in a door. What I find remarkable about their request for God's damnation is that it will even be shortened to just His name, or just Jesus Christ name. So what? Well I have yet to hear any other name under heaven used in this way. I have never heard anyone asking Buddha or Mohammed to damn anything. Why?

Let's think about it. When someone is in a situation like this they are looking for some means of mental satisfaction. The average pagan innately hates God. They usually claim that there is no God or that they cannot know there is a God. Yet these very same people will readily call on His judgment on something in their pain and anger. I propose that calling on God in this manner gives the pagan a mental satisfaction that calling on Buddha or Mohammed cannot give.

Our pagan is angry or in pain. They want something to salve them mentally. They have usually already judged God declaring that He cannot be good and all powerful by allowing so much pain and suffering in the world. So they trot out the use of His name in a frivolous and blasphemous manner. In a sense they say if you won't take care of eliminating the pain and suffering then damn the pain and suffering. This frivolous use of God's name or Jesus name makes them feel powerful because for a moment they have verbally shaken their fist at the God that they hate. They have defied this God that they hate by breaking His law of not blaspheming His name. The mental satisfaction that they derive from this activity can only exist because there really is a God and His Son's name really is Jesus the Christ. Buddha and Mohammed simply will not satisfy because neither of them are truly God. So the next time you hear someone swear with God's name or Jesus name realize that their reference to God is damning. Their words are self satisfying because there really is a God for them to be angry with, and no matter what they declare to the contrary their use of His name shows that they know He exists. Their blasphemous words speak so loudly of God's existence that their denials of His existence are mere whispers of irrationality. So instead of getting offended by them, recognize their self condemnation evident in the very words that they use. Allow their personally damning actions to drive you to pray for them and perhaps share the gospel with them. The best example of grace they may ever see may issue from the love of a person living a God focused life.

The Cohabitation Conundrum

Marriage is declining and cohabitation is on the rise. How has this come to be? A God focused perspective can point to only one thing. "There is no fear of God before their eyes."(Romans 3:18) It was God who created marriage. It was God who made it between one man and one woman for one's lifetime. It was God who in His law said we should not commit adultery. It was God who created this marriage union to symbolize His Son's relationship to His bride (the redeemed) (Ephesians 5:31-32). As the world drifts from believing in the God of the Bible they drift from what He has said and why its important. This does not mean that we just give up and go against God. What this means is that we must be more burdened for the lost people of this world than ever before. They glibly store up God's wrath against themselves with reckless abandon. They encourage one another in public by publishing articles like the one that sparked this blog (Going Cohab? 8 survival tips for staying together). Jonathan Edwards said once in a sermon, "When someone has suffered in the fires of God's wrath in hell for 10,000 years they will not be one day closer to the end than the day that they entered." This is a terrible fate. People are choosing it without a thought by simply following their hearts, which are in natural rebellion against God. Be heart broken for them. Pray for them. Seek to reach them with the gospel of Jesus Christ. Keep the fires of compassion for them alive by living with your eyes firmly fixed on Jesus. Never forget that Jesus can save them because we know He has saved us from the same fate.

Atheist just don't get it

Dave Silverman the president of American Atheist, inc. posted an article on Foxnews.com called, "It's No Surprise That Atheists Know More About Religion Than Most Americans." In his article he points to the article that I blogged about yesterday. The study from the Pew forum that showed atheist knew more about religion in general then the people who are actually part of the different religions in America. What is surprising to me is the same old rhetoric that gets trotted out by these guys. Silverman says:

The simple truth is this; the more someone knows about religion, the more likely they will reject it as mythology.

He then goes on to point out books like Leviticus, Job or Revelation as examples of books that are filled with barbaric rules, ruthless torture, and threats from a petty and bloodthirsty God.

Atheist like Silverman have just enough exposure to religion and faith to inoculate them from the truth behind it.

• Leviticus is where God gives to His people the guidelines for the sacrificial system. That system points the Israelites and those who joined them to the ultimate sacrifice that was completed in Jesus Christ. The people of Israel made these sacrifices for sins on a regular basis because the sacrifices of men were not sufficient to cover their sins. They looked forward in faith to the sufficient sacrifice that is found through faith in Christ. We are the ones that sinned and rebelled against God. That rebellion deserved death. The book of Leviticus shows us a God who is pointing His people to have faith in a reconciliation that is coming in Christ Jesus.
• Job is one of my favorite books because of what we see Job declaring in the end (Job 42:2-6). After all that he went through (and it was a lot) Job points out essentially that it was all worth it. Why? Because he has seen things too wonderful for him. Things that he did not understand. He had heard of God before but now His eye had seen Him. You see everything that he went through in his mind paled in comparison to the greatness of what he learned about God. Is this a God bent on torture? or a God bent on doing whatever it takes to bring His people into a greater relationship with Himself. I think Job would join me in declaring the later.
• Revelation is God declaring that His Son will return and put down the rebellious fallen kingdom. He declares that He will establish a kingdom of peace and joy for His people. I guess Silverman and the other atheist would not like this book because they stand squarely on the rebellious losing side.

You see the truth of the matter is that the more one knows about the God of the Bible the more one sees God's grace being poured out in abundance. I would argue with Silverman against the other religions. Why? Because none of them is filled with the grace of God that comes through Jesus Christ. The problem in the pulpits today is very real but its not an attempt to keep people in the dark. It is more an attempt to address people's felt needs. As long as we continue to support ministers that teach in a man centered way then we will continue on this spiritual decline. I would encourage you to read your Bible. If you need some help getting focused get my book, "The God Focused Life." It is geared at helping you identify and sweep away cultural barriers to loving and pursuing a passionate relationship with God.

Silverman is missing the one important part that He needs (John 14:16-17). Silverman needs a real relationship with God brought about by the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. Pray for Dave Silverman (John 10:25-29). He may be an atheist but if God has set His love on Him he won't be one for long (John 6:37).

What we don't know might kill us

There is an AP article posted on Yahoo news today that caught my eye. It's titled, "Survey: Americans don't know much about religion." There is a video on CNN covering the some article here. It is interesting to note that overall atheist and agnostics have the greatest general knowledge about religions. In the video the the CNN anchor asked if we are taking faith on faith. It is a good question when Christians score lower than atheist.

The greatest problem that this article implies but does not analyze is that Biblical illiteracy cannot be good for a persons relationship with God. Christianity has been so co-opted by our culture, that church services have become very oriented around the perceived needs of the people in the audience. We cater to addressing "how" questions rather than "why" questions.

• How can I be a better neighbor?
• How can I have a better marriage?
• How can I be a better parent?
• How can I apply God's word to my life?

What is wrong with this is that these questions and others like them may make us feel like we are making headway. In reality they are focusing on us and the world around us. These questions are similar to the questions being addressed by secular psychologist every day (except the God's word question). When I come to meet with other believers my goal should be to worship God, and I am not just talking about singing here. Worship is an outward focus on God with the goal of glorifying Him and knowing Him better. It would be healthier for the church body if we were intent on seeking out answers to the why questions.

• Why has God made me a neighbor and given me neighbors? 
• Why did God create marriage?
• Why did God create children and by extension parents?
• Why did God give us this explicit verbal revelation of Himself that we call the Bible?
• Was it simply to help me live a better life or was there something higher and greater?

In a general sense we could answer most of these questions with a simple phrase, "For the sake of His glory". But the impact of a why question is far reaching because it leads us to more questions. These additional questions have a real Kingdom of God focus.

• If God made me a neighbor and gave me neighbors for the sake of His glory. Then how is He being glorified by me in the neighborhood?
• If God created marriage for the sake of His glory. Then how am I doing at bringing glory to Him in my marriage?
• If children and parenting was God's idea. Then how am I doing at bringing glory to God through my parenting and in the lives of the children that He has given to us?
• If the Bible is God's explicit revelation of Himself for the sake of His glory. Then how am I doing at seeking knowing Him in the midst of reading it?
• Ultimately am I going to a church meeting for me or so that I might know God better and glorify Him more?

Biblical illiteracy has its roots in bankrupt teaching and preaching (Proverbs 29:18). It also exist because we have stopped reading our Bibles and seeking to really know God. You can't come to really know God if you do not know His Word. The Bible is God's self revelation without it we are lost. Without it, relationship with God degenerates into religious ritual that holds less and less meaning for each generation that follows. Without it faith will ultimately die. Just look at Europe as an example. What we don't know will ultimately kill our faith and our relationship with God.

If there is no really good preaching and teaching in your area then open your Bible and begin to seek to know God in it. Perhaps you can be an agent of change in your church by encouraging your pastor to really preach and teach a God centered Jesus focused message. This will change the Biblical illiteracy factor. This is what our souls need more than anything else (Psalm 34:8).

When it comes to the next generation...

We could use a little less talk and a lot more action.

There seems to be a lot of talk about how to reach the next generation. There are a lot of different ideas out there. Many are good steps in the right direction. But in the middle of it all there is one thing that keeps getting tagged on almost as an afterthought. That these kids don't have a real commitment to their faith. Perhaps the faith is more the faith of their parents.

In case you have not noticed a lot of kids are growing up, leaving the church and never returning. We can lay the blame for this result at lots of feet with lots of different reasons. But at the end of the day lets face it, they are mostly lost kids who never really came to know Jesus. What the next generation needs is for this generation to get serious about living out their faith. If our kids never see us approaching our faith like it is a desperate life or death struggle for our very souls then they are never going to see this as something worth living for much less dying for...if it should come to that.

Fundamentally we need to have a passionate pursuit of God as a characteristic of our lives (John 4:23-24). If our kids don't see us living life bent on pursuing God how can we ever expect them to do that? So join me in pursuing living a God focused life for the next generation.

The religion of the non-religious

There is an article on foxnews.com today that is well worth reading. It is by a columnist named Steven Crowder and it is titled, "Think Religious Extremists Are Scary -- How About Secular Extremists?" In the article Crowder talks about the marks of religious extremism. He then compares those marks of extremism with the Discovery channel hostage situation created by James Lee and his commitment to save the planet. You see Lee was really a religious extremist too. His religion was the planet earth. He sacrificed his life to make a statement about the earth. The problem is not really extremism itself. The problem is the focus of our extremism. Crowder rightly points out that people try and fill the void in their lives with something.

Paul talked about this in his letter to the Romans. He said that, "they exchanged the truth about God for a lie and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator" (Romans 1:25). Man was created to glorify God and enjoy Him forever. When that component of our lives was removed at Adams fall it took a huge part of mans reason for living away. Since we are now rebels against God we will embrace anything other than God in order to try to fill that part of us that was made for glory. Anytime anyone's focus of their faith (no matter what that faith is in) is horizontal in nature (i.e. focused on the people and world around us) there is a tendency toward abuses. The only time that extremism is good is when it is focused on the God of the Bible. Why? Because that God focused life is one that is shaped by the love and grace of God. I don't think anyone will ever object to an extreme pouring out of love and grace. The secular and the sacred worshipper can't give a grace they have never experienced. May God grant you the grace to pursue Him in the extreme so that you too might be an agent of His love and grace.

Inception: a reflection of longing for more

I saw the movie "Inception" a few weeks ago. The movie is a reflection of our post modern sensibility. Essentially we like to believe that reality is what we make it out to be. Inception turns that inside out and asks us if reality is really all its cracked up to be. Perhaps the reality in our minds is a better place to be.

What really struck me though was how the dream state in the movie was the thing that people longed for. There is a point where we see people lying in beds hooked up to drugs that allow them to dream. We are told that they have gotten to the point where they can no longer dream without the drugs. Supposedly this heightened dream reality is so great that it is worth giving up more and more of real life to live in the dream world. One of the students that is introduced to this world says that they are going to quit because of some things that were going on. Decaprio's character says with confidence that she will be back basically because the experience is too compelling. Sure enough she comes back.

Each person is enamored with what can be in the dream world. The characters reflect a dissatisfaction with how things are in reality. This is a true reflection of the heart of man. We all know that something is missing (Romans 8:19). We all feel the pain that tells us to long for something more something better. The problem for the unsaved man is that his longing looks like this:

I want something to satisfy. I will embrace anything that promises satisfaction with the hope that it will somehow make me fulfilled. I will accept anything that is except the all Sovereign God of the Bible that demands my soul, my life, my all. I will maintain my autonomy thank you (or at least what I believe is my own semblance of that autonomy). Romans 1:20, 24-25

 The true follower of Jesus has discovered that the longings they had prior to meeting Christ have been fulfilled. The true follower has been made whole and can testify to the satisfaction that is theirs in God. We were made for Him and our hearts are truly in a state of longing until they are satisfied in Him. If you believe you have committed your life to Jesus and yet you still feel the emptiness and longing that you always did then perhaps your pursuit of God has been corrupted by our culture. To really grapple with this I would point you toward my book, "The God Focused Life". There is a lot of help here for pointing you toward the God who will truly satisfy your soul. So if you have not yet done so, join me on the journey to live a God focused life.

True women's rights flow out of a God focused life

I ran across an article on CNN's Opinion part of their web site titled, "Will Afghan women's rights be bargained away?". Gayle Lemmon ponders what the future holds for Afgan women after the advances they have made in the last 8 years. The fact that there is even a threat to the freedom of women should be abhorrent to anyone, but especially to a Christian.

One of the favorite topics for agnostics, atheist and feminist to pick on when it comes to religion is the oppression of women. So lets throw out religion and see what that would get you. When you consider an evolutionary perspective of survival of the fittest -- you inevitably conclude that might makes right. In that scenario there is nothing but oppression awaiting women. Just because some of the religions of the world oppress women it does not follow that all religions of the world do. There may have been some people in the past that have misinterpreted scripture but the Bible clearly teaches that women are to be valued. Genesis 1:27-28 describes the creation of man and woman and in that description they are presented as equals. In verse 28 in God's eyes they are both given the cultural mandate. Before God, men and women are on an equal footing. Do they have different jobs and responsibilities before God? Yes. But even though they have differing responsibilities before God they are still held as equals in Christ (Galatians 3:25-28). Culturally there is no better safeguard for women then Christianity. It is a guardian of their equality and should cause anyone seeking to live a God focused life to cherish the wife He has been given. After all she will be a co-heir with Him of the promise that is theirs in Christ (Ephesians 3:6).