Another Throw Away The Filth

I have to send all of my stuff to Texas.  I came across these shoes that I've had since my feet stopped growing.  The trademark on the soles said 1990.  The shoes leaked, and the soles squeaked on tile floors. But I had put a little oil on them, and they looked okay.  But I struggled to decide whether or not to send them to Texas.  I agonized over the decision.  I couldn't let these fifteen year old shoes go. 

As I was agonizing I remembered a radio preacher saying "Throw away the filth."  He was a screamer.  "THROW AWAY THE FILTH."  At the time, I had no real idea of what he meant.  But as I was staring at those shoes, I think I started to figure it out.

I cared for those shoes because I thought they said something about me.  I thought they showed or proved that I was frugal and conservative and a good steward of my resources.  I wasn't confident enough in my myself that I was really those things, so I needed those shoes to show I was a good man, a good person.  I started to look around and I saw more and more things like that.   More things that meant something to me because I thought they said something about me that probably wasn't true.  These things are the filth that we must throw away.

And there is only one way to really throw away the filth of life and that is fully trusting Jesus Christ.

Acts 16:30-31 (New International Version)

³⁰He then brought them out and asked, "Sirs, what must I do to be saved?"
 ³¹They replied, "Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved—you and your household."

Get Healthy

I pray, and I am told to "get healthy."

I listened to a priest discuss greediness.  He related it to the stories of people lining up at Wal-Mart on Black Friday for the proverbial $19 DVD player, and the fact that people get trampled at these sales.  He says that kind of material greediness is rampant in today's society.  But he went on to discuss the spiritual greediness that is prevalent in our society.  The fact that many people can't give all of their heart, all of their mind, all of their soul to Christ, to evangelizing, to really doing the work of the Lord.

As I've discussed before, I am not a fan of bashing selfishness.  But there is something to being too spiritually self-centered.  This idea is that we get so caught up in our own lives that we miss our greater connection to God and the surrounding world.

Here is my example:  I just got really upset about a perceived slight.  I was emotional about the fact that people "hadn't treated me right."  I didn't blame them in one sense, but I honestly felt like they had injured me due to their lack of caring.  But all I could think about was me and how "they" had made me feel.  At first, I couldn't find the faith in Christ needed to sustain my will to do His Will.  And that is what spiritual greediness really means.  It is what happens when we lose our faith and only see what is front of us.  And this loss of faith is unhealthy.  Very unhealthy.

A personal relationship with God is necessary.  It is essential.  But a personal relationship with God requires the trust to look past our own day-to-day problems and embrace the big picture that God has painted for us.  Being healthy is this embrace.  Being healthy is this wonderful balance of doing God's Will while also accepting and trusting God's Will.

Heavenly Father,
Help me to be healthy.
Show my Your Ways.
Help me to seek good things and reject bad things.
Help me to control my emotions and care no matter how uncared for I feel.
Lord, help to remember how much You care for me.
It is in Jesus' name I pray,
Amen.
      

Being A Fixer

I know this guy who "lives to serve."

Personally I like to "fix things."  I want things to work, and I believe I am the one who should make things work.  I am the one who can solve conflicts.  I don't know if "fixing things" is equivalent  to service, but deep in my heart, I want to fix things.  I want to make things right.

But the problem is I need someone or something to fix me.  I need someone to forgive me for all of those times that I broke something, for all of those times when I thought I was fixing, when I was really breaking.  I need someone to lift me from the pit of this worldly existence.  I need someone to help this brokenness inside of me to start healing.  And I need it bad, real bad.

I need the great I AM.  I need the peace of Jesus Christ.  It is one thing to serve. It is another to live a life of love and be faithful to the real fixer, to the one who served us so well on Calvary.

 

A Couple Of The Many Times That The Heavenly Father Has Reminded Me Of Who Really Is Boss

1.  I go to Kroger after church.  I buy a case of diet Big K soda.  It is rather late.  I ask my wife, "Do I go home?"  I ask my mom, "Do I go home?"  They both say "yes, go home."  I know I should go home.  The case of soda busts as I am walking up the stairs to my office.  Four or five cans burst and spill everywhere.  I make a mess by not listening to Him.

2.  I am in the office.  It is late.  Do I go home?  Do I stay?  I have an idea that I need to stay, get a few more things done before I leave.  Only the TV waits for me in my apartment.  I flip a coin.  Staying is heads.  The apartment is tails.  It comes up tails two times in a row.  I pack up.  I shut down my computer which has updates to install.  I am ready to go.  I look out the window.  It starts to pour.  The much needed rain proves that He is in control.

I have a long way to go in my life.  I have a lot of things to learn.  I have to learn to live a life of repentance.  I have to learn to live a life for Christ.  It isn't easy, but He is in control.  If I remain faithful, "walk upright," and pray, He'll lead me.

The Jefferson Bible

I've had always these conflicted thoughts about The Jefferson Bible (The Life and Morals of Jesus of Nazareth).  It was one of those readings that pushed me to be baptized.  But the underlying "cut and paste" mentality behind the book worries me.  I have no idea exactly what Jefferson's intentions were, but Jesus' miracles have meaning too.

The other day an elder gave a lesson where he went through Matthew and just recounted the miracles.  As a believer, it was a powerful.  But as a non-believer, I don't think it would have been powerful.  I needed the cold deism of The Jefferson Bible to see what Jesus was really about, what He really had to say.

I guess it gets back to the "what should be" versus "what is."  Yes, we should take the Bible as a whole.  But many people want rationality.  The desire for rationality is a fact.  Maybe it shouldn't, but if The Jefferson Bible gets one closer to Christ, then I am hesitant to condemn it.

More Thoughts On 'What Is' Versus 'What Should Be' Or Why I Never Understood The Rolling Stones' "Sympathy For The Devil"

There is a sense of fatalism in the crucifixion of Christ (Matthew 26).  It had to happen.  From a 'what is' perspective, Jesus' death is horrible travesty created by mankind.  From a God, 'what should be' perspective, it had to happen, "as it is written."  The 'what is' perspective is important here, but the 'what should be' perspective in the sense that Christ died so that we may live is more important.  Dwelling on the evilness of mankind and the fact that man could crucify God is telling and something a Christian needs to know.  But the real lesson, the 'what should be' lesson  that Christ died so we could be forgiven and Christ's death was always part of God's plan is the essence of Christianity.    

The point here is that Christianity requires Christians to be 'what should be' people.  A Christian cannot live with 'what is' attitude without compromising Christ.  He must continuously search and strive for 'what should be.'

    

Sacrifice And What Should Be

I've always had a problem with the term "sacrifice."  I don't think that sacrificing decisions are sustainable.  You can only hurt yourself for so long.  Eventually there has to be a pay-off.

From one perspective, being a Christian requires sacrifice today for eternal rewards.  Pain in this world for an eternity in heaven.  I would think this is the predominant perspective among Christians.

But another way to look at it (I think) is from a "what is?" versus "what should be?" perspective.  Sin is 'what is.'  It exists.  Sin feels good in a 'what is,' worldly sense.  Righteousness feels bad in a 'what is,' worldly sense, but it feels so good in a 'what should be' sense.  And sin feels so bad in a 'what should be' sense.  Righteousness is 'what should be.'

If we confine ourselves to thinking about things in a 'what is' sense, my sustainability question is very relevant.  I don't think you can keep telling 'what is' people that the rewards are heavenly.  In the Lord's prayer, Jesus says "...your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven (Matthew 6:10)."  We need to emulate God's will so earth will be more like heaven.  God's will is the ultimate 'what should be.'  

The Thing About The Thing

One of the struggles of being a Christian is how much to put in to the church, how much to put into benevolence, how much effort to put into evangelism, how much time to put in to Wednesday night invitations.  One must balance.  We can't completely tune out the world, and the Lord wants us to be involved in His work.

So I reflect on Luke 10:38-42.  It is a difficult passage.  Someone has to worry.  Someone has to "make the preparations."  Someone has to organize and plan.  Paul warns against idleness in 2 Thessalonians 3:6-14.   

My answer is somewhat cryptic:  If Jesus is teaching, then we need to stop the things we're doing and focus on Him. Now learning when Jesus is teaching, that is a more difficult lesson.  A lesson that will take a lifetime to learn.

Heavenly Father,
Help me to learn Your lessons.
Help me to recognize when You're teaching.
Help me to learn how to listen.
Keep me from idleness.
Help me to passionate for You.
It is in Jesus' name that I pray.

(Part Of) What I Was Trying To Get At In My Perceptions Versus Intentions Lesson

From Patrick English at www.audioevangelism.com:

"But who else is watching us? In Matthew 5:16, Christ told His disciples in His sermon on the mount to "Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven." 

We must realize that our neighbors, our friends, our co-workers, other Christians, children, and even complete strangers are watching us too! And because of this, we should be mindful of how we conduct ourselves in life."

Topics I Am Thinking About

1.  A preacher on Saturday discussed the idea: "If you exalt yourself, you will be humbled.  If you humble yourself, you will be exalted."  "If you want to kiss the sky, better learn how to kneel."

2.  Last Wednesday night, a teacher discussed the implications of humanism.  The "state of the world today" is a complicated issue.  But I heard a comedian discuss the problem in what I think are the correct terms.  Paraphrasing him:  "Today, we celebrate 'what is."  People want their sex tapes released.  They want people to know they were abused.  It used to be that people cared more about what should be.  Now there this total acceptance of the world as it is."  Like I said, this is a complicated issue.

3.  I was talking with a guy about service and what it means "to serve."  This is another one of a complicated situations that is most likely contextual.  But I think it might be a good topic to expand on eventually.

Memorial Day

So I woke up on Memorial Day memorializing the person I was. Not the person I am. Not the person I want to be. I went through my past. I thought about all of those great achievements in my past. And I realized that those past achievements weren't that great either.

Forgiveness is a powerful thing. But it can only come through a disciplined faith. It can only come through the grace of God. It has nothing to do with the person I was.

"Get Over Yourself"

I came into the office this morning worried about all of the unimportant things going on in my life.  And God told me "Get over yourself."  Isn't that the Truth?

I also read this by Stephen Bradd at www.audioevangelism.com/.  He goes over some of the sins of Sodom, and I am guilty of a few of them.

Morning Thoughts

⁸Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins. (1 Peter 4:8)

This morning I had the U2 song "Moment of Surrender" in my head.  It is a beautiful song that gets at one of the points I was trying to make in my Sunday sermon.  We can't worry about other people in our pursuit of Christ.*

But the idea of a a "moment of surrender" is also powerful.  We can only get out of the "black holes" that we fall into with a moment of surrender where we admit God's power.  And like the song says, these moments of surrender happen at unpredictable strange times.  Some times they happen daily.  Some times they take longer.  But they have to happen.

*I recently read an article that didn't like the idea of 'finding Jesus.'  The idea was that Jesus was, is, and will forever be a constant.  I don't know what I exactly think about this idea and line of reasoning.  I do think that Christianity is both a struggle and a pleasure.  I don't think that denying the struggles or forgetting the pleasures is an appropriate Christian strategy.  

Father Longenecker And The Lord's Prayer

Here and here.

I had to give another 15 minute lesson on Sunday night.  I tried to expand on the perception and reality topics I have been talking about here.  I tried to make it about how we have to teach despite and in spite of the world's perceptions of God's intentions.

I quoted Matthew 5:38-39, and said "We've all been slapped in the face by the world, but do we turn the other cheek and keep our focus on Christ?"  (Of course, I didn't say it exactly like that.)  Now I don't like using generalizations like "the world," but we all let the flesh and those things we don't need or want get in the way of our one true mission.  

How Old Do You Want To Grow?

"So really, the whole, hugely expensive campaign to extend life is morally neutral. Long life is good because life is intrinsically good, but a life is not a good life simply because a person isn't dead. The real quality of life is a moral quality. As I age I don't want to just be an old man, I want to be a good old man. I want to enjoy life--the joys and the sorrows--the agony and the ecstacy. I want to laugh and love and stay active and do stuff...and every now and again I guess I want to be a little bit grumpy too."


From Father Longenecker here.


"As I age I don't want to just be an old man, I want to be a good old man. I want to enjoy life--the joys and the sorrows--the agony and the ecstacy. I want to laugh and love and stay active and do stuff...and every now and again I guess I want to be a little bit grumpy too."


"I want to enjoy life..."


The other night I ate dinner with a great Christian family.  By nature, I am a loner, and the only person I want to have dinner with is my wife.  And I didn't have a good day at work.  But I decided to forget that filth and enjoy myself.  I decided to stop thinking for a few hours and just be.   


It was the best decision I had made in a while.  It is a decision I hope I can remember and bring closer to my heart.  Because it is a Christ-like decision.  


"I want to enjoy life..."   

A Thought

One day Jesus had to wake up and say: "I AM THE SON OF GOD. And like it or not, I have to fully accept that responsibility."

Wouldn't it be nice if we woke up each morning and said: "I AM MADE IN THE IMAGE OF GOD. And like it or not, I have to fully accept that responsibility."

Another Month Another Funk

I realized that I am fragile.  Emotionally I am young, immature, not up to the challenge.  I don't handle things well.  I let too many things get me out of my rhythm.

I was praying about this the other day.  And God came back with:  "I am writing your story.  I will reveal My Will for you in due time.  I am the Teacher.  You are the student.  Your struggles are My Lessons.  Love Me, Trust Me, and I will guide."

In other words, I need to stop worrying about where I am going or what I have done.  And start trusting and doing. 

I know this idea of moving past worry and doing and hoping has become a reoccurring them of this blog, but  Lord, help me to be active and faithful.  Because You know I need the help.

Grandmothers On Mothers' Day

(My grandmother (I called her Nanny) died last week.  I almost had to speak at the funeral.  Thankfully, I didn't have to, because I would have turned into a blubbering idiot.)

God gave us a lot of different relationships,  husband-wife, father-son, mother-daughter, brother-brother, grandparent-grandchild.  He also gave us a lot of different types of love associated with these relationships.  And all of these relationships teach us about God and His love for us, but there is no more special love than the love between a grandchild and a grandparent.

Parental love is an everyday struggle.  Parents must correct children.  Parents must guide children when children don't want to be guided.  And human parents have to spend so much time with their children that mistakes will be made by both parents and children.  Like a child of God's relationship with the Heavenly Father, there are going to be good times and bad times.  There are going to be times when a child looks at his parent and asks "Why?"  God cannot make mistakes, but He does do things that our human brains won't be able to understand (Isaiah 55:8-9).  There are many great Truths to be learned from the parental relationship and the love it requires.  Other relationships all produce satisfying types of love that can help us better understand God and Jesus Christ.

But a grandparent-grandchild relationship is a different type of love.  It is more of a spoiling love.  There is more adoration and less questioning.  I am sure most grandparents feel like they don't get to see their grandchildren enough.  I am sure by the time grandchildren get to be my age they wish they got to see and know their grandparents more.  I have learned a lot about Nanny in the last few days.  I wish I could have known more.  But the love between a grandparent and a grandchild encompasses just enough time for a great bond to develop.  A special bond that reminds me of Christ telling us that we must "become like little children" and "humble (ourselves) like (a) child" (Matthew 18:3-4).  Being young like a grandchild and being older like a grandparent allows more innocence to enter the relationship.  This innocence demonstrated by grandparents spoiling grandchildren is analogous to the way God spoils us with His love through giving his Son  (John 3:16).  Also the way a grandchild simply embraces a loving grandparent is a great example of how we should simply embrace Christ.   The bitter world that adulthood brings and the pressures that young families face can distract us from loving God with all our hearts, minds and souls (Luke 10:27).  Grandparents and the memories associated with grandparents can help us see the type of love we need to show God and what type of love God shows us.

This grandparent love reminds of the famous wedding verses in 1 Corinthians 13:4-7.  I also think these verses are the best descriptor of Nanny:

1 Corinthians 13:4-7

Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.

Heavenly Father,
Help me to mourn.
Help me to see your Truths.
Help me to embrace the many types of love you have given us.
Most importantly, Lord, help to to love You with all my mind, heart, and soul.
It is Christ's blessed name, I pray.
Amen.

1 John 2:6

1 John 2:6 (New International Version)

⁶Whoever claims to live in him must walk as Jesus did.

But I Knew The Guy

Yesterday a person I knew was sentenced to life in prison.  After the gospel meeting last night, I overheard a preacher and an elder discussing the sentence.  The preacher was frustrated because of the life sentence and not the death penalty.  I wanted to say "But I knew the guy."  I remained silent.



Two minutes ago, two colleagues commented on the situation and was dismissive to the murderer and a former colleague who publicly supported the murderer.  Their conclusion was "We didn't really know the guy, and we have to move forward."  I remained somewhat silent. 


Friday was the anniversary of April 16th.  Since that day, there has been a camp who believes we have to move forward.  Some want to move forward with respect.  Others just want to move forward.  Others want to continue to remember.  


I don't know what I want.  


Christianity and religion in general requires discipline.  It requires punishment.  It requires moving forward.  It requires being intentional.  It requires struggle.  But it also requires love, compassion, forgiveness, and peace.   


Unfortunately since Friday, I have been in a funk.  The previous paragraphs get into some of it.  I can't break from the past, but I can't embrace the future either.  This dilemma disallows enjoying the present.  And the present is all that matters.    


Heavenly Father, 
Guide me as I struggle with the world,
Show me Your ways,
Ease my pain,
Help me learn from the past,
Help me enjoy and achieve in the present,
So I can embrace the future,
Help me balance discipline and love,
Help me balance punishment and forgiveness,
Help me be intentional while also being compassionate,
Lord, help me live a life of repentance,
And forgive me for my many failures,
Help me to trust in Christ,
Because through Him I can do all things,
It is in His name I pray,
Amen.

Purpose

I have read a number of self-help books.  They all have a general theme:  Be purposeful.  Be intentional.  Plan.  Be proactive.  Understand your commitments, and fulfill your commitments.  Have discipline to say "no."  Have discipline to do the things you say "yes" to.  

This is another point that I was trying to get at with this post.  Our actions have to match our intentions.  There will be times when our actions and intentions get confounded.  Times when people perceive our actions different from what our intentions were.

God's call is to keep pushing.  Jesus told us to turn the other cheek and go the extra mile (Matthew 5:38-48).  To keep pushing, we have to be purposeful and disciplined.  We have to work to make our intentions and our actions mesh.  We have to trust and be faithful, and let our intentions be His intentions and our actions be His actions.      

   

Father Longenecker Does It Again

Here:

"If the resurrection of Christ is a historical fact, then we have a choice. We can get busy living or get busy dying. In other words, we can follow the path of Life or follow the path of Death. The path of Life is one that accepts the resurrection by faith and steps out to follow Jesus Christ as the Lord of Life. This path is a path of hope, a path of peace, a path of forgiveness and a path of joy. It is a proven path trod by millions of ordinary people down the ages. It is simply a new way of living opened up by the fact of the resurrection. It is available to all through baptism, faith and membership of Christ's Church.

The other alternative is the path of Death. The path of Death can be followed in two different ways: the Epicurean or the Stoic. These two classic philosophies assume that there is nothing after this life. Therefore, the Epicurean lives for pleasure in the present moment. "Eat, drink and be merry for tomorrow you die." While it is possible to follow this path in a crude and decadent manner it is also possible to follow it in a refined and tasteful manner. You can be an Epicurean by either loving porn, pizza and mud wrestling or by loving grand opera, haute cuisine and high class ladies. The stoic response to the fact of death is to live a dignified life of service to one's fellow man--hoping to leave the world a better place than you found it. Both philosophies end in despair."

What I Wanted To Say Last Night But I Couldn't Seem To Find The Words

For every blistery winter day, there are beautiful Spring days.  God remembers us.  God has chosen us to be His firstfruits (James 1:18).

Working An Idea To Its Fruition

Last Monday I had the worse travel day of my life.  I left my apartment in San Antonio at 4:30AM and did not get back to Blacksburg until midnight.  My flight was delayed in San Antonio.  I waited eight hours in the Atlanta airport.  I was diverted through Lynchburg.  I had to go to Pennsylvania at 7:00AM on Tuesday, so I had to get back.  The airline and airport people weren't mean, but they weren't nice either.  It was just a miserable day.

The Saturday before my wife and I watched the latest Twilight movie on DVD.  All I could say throughout the movie was "Can't we skip to the end?"  I wanted to know the ending, but all of the stuff in-between wasn't important.  Who wins?  The werewolves or the vampires?  I remembered an old song lyric that went "Why can't we skip to the final chapter of the book?"  And that is the same way I felt Monday evening.  Why can't I just skip to Wednesday and forget these travel woes?

The song that the lyric comes from alludes to Noah and the Flood (Genesis 6-8).  It discusses how Noah's family on the ark must have been afraid, have must been feeling like I did in the airport:  Why can't this all be over?  The song answers this question with "because we would have missed the point."  But I like Genesis 8:1 better:  "...God remembered Noah....and the waters subsided."

Keith read James 1 last Sunday.  James is imploring us to persevere and be patient.  Life will be difficult, but with Jesus and the Word, we will get through.  James 1:18 tells us that we are chosen so we might be the "firstfruits of His creation."  Like Noah, we are remembered.  We are chosen.  And if we continue to be faithful persevering and patient servants, the waters will subside.  I finally made it back to Blacksburg.  Lord willing,  I will eventually know who wins between the vampires and werewolves.  And if I remain faithful, I will reap even greater rewards.  

And for the record, the last verse of the last chapter of the book states "The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with you all.  Amen."  One text replaces all with "all the saints."

If you need to commit to Christ and become a saint of if you have lost the grace of Jesus Christ, you have the opportunity to come forward as we sing.

A Couple Of Other Things

1.  I was looking at the contribution board in church yesterday.  If you take the total contribution and divide it by the number of attendees, you get a number greater than my average contribution.  This realization made me remember the average-marginal rule.  Simply, if your (marginal) contribution is below the average then you are pulling the average (and total) down.  The point here is it made me consider my contribution.  I have always felt that contribution cannot be measured just by dollars, and I understand earnings and tithing life-cycles, but it is something I have to keep in mind.

2.  Part of what I wanted to get out of the airport and the "why can't we skip to the last chapter of the book?" posts is the temporary nature of the world and the temporary nature of strife.  Heaven is a great gift and should be remembered in times of strife (and also good times.)  Thank you Jesus.        

Just "Be"

After I read this post by Father Longenecker, I just listened.  All I heard was "be."  Just "be."

When things don't seem to be going my way or I get tired and lazy, I retreat, when what I really need is to be.

Heavenly father,
Thank you for being the living God.
Thank you for always being with me.
Help me to be Christlike.
Help me to be.
It is Jesus' name I pray,
Amen.

Other Things From Monday's Airport Experience

While I was waiting for in the airport for eight hours, I sat beside a young mother with 16 month old.  Again, the fearless, unconditional, innocent love of a child is a great thing.  Children are a powerful reminder of the devotion to Christ we must have.

But as I was sitting in the airport, wanting to cry, wanting to physically hurt the nearest Delta representative, I had to show an adult love.  I had to consciously choose "to love."  This type of love is also a great thing.  It is a reminder of the greatness we can achieve with God's grace.

Heavenly father,
Help me to devote myself to You.
Help me to choose love no matter how much anger exists.
Help me to be a Christian adult and not a worldly child.
It is in Jesus holy and blessed name I pray,
Amen.

Being A Christian, Job, And Airports

I woke up this morning at 4:30AM CST.  My 6:35AM CST flight was delayed by almost three hours.  I missed my connection.  I waited on standby for the next one even though I could get close to my destination on another flight.   I did not make the cut for my original destination.  Delta has not been helpful.  I debated about whether to rent a car and drive.   I am tired.  I am worn out.  I have to get back so I can drive and ride 10 hours tomorrow for my dissertation.  But I cannot curse God.  Because I still have a lot of good things.  I can even blog while waiting. 

The real power of Christ is to look at the world, to look at heartache, to feel like Job at his lowest points, and say "I still love God."  I don't understand Him, but I love Him. 

That is why we can't "skip to the final chapter in the book."  Because we would have missed the point.  Love isn't supposed to be easy.  It isn't supposed to be just about feelings and emotions.  It has something to do with Job sitting in ashes, something about Noah weathering the storm, it has something to do about spending a day in an airport and having nothing go your way.  It has to do with living by faith when it is hard to see what God's plans are for you.

Love isn't easy, isn't supposed to be easy, but it isn't hard either.  The only thing I know is to see the world with love is a beautiful thing that is well worth it.

Three Encouraging Posts By Father Logenecker

1.  The power of the parable prodigal son.  The following is a quote that reminds me of Eldredge:
  
"I suppose it is like this: each one of us, no matter how good our family and how fine our lessons in self esteem and how marvelously encouraging our education, still has a deep and unshakeable conviction that we are unloved, that we have to earn the love we need, that we have to please somebody. The negativities that result from this deep conviction are manifold. We feel guilt, we feel anger towards others, we long for what is wrong, we lust for all that is dust, we feel the need for greed. We reach for so many things to fill that gap which is really the need for total, unconditional love...the love of the Father above."

2.  The body, mind and spirit aren't always cohesive.  


"Don't misunderstand. I'm not arguing for a kind of wishy washy relativistic faith based only on subjective personal experience. However I am saying there is such a thing as personal experience in our faith, and it's a good thing, and it comes to us in as many different ways as there are people."

3.  The journey matters:

"We want it all organized and together, but life isn't like that. Life is messy. Love is messy. If we're going to walk by faith, not by sight, then we're going to have times when we're confused. We're going to mess up. We're going to stumble and fall. We're going to take wrong turnings and get lost in the woods. But this is the great adventure. This is the beautiful struggle."

(I am not going to discuss sacraments or the Catholic church in general.  I don't think that is an appropriate discussion for a young Christian struggling to be Christ-like.  There are bigger things.  Getting caught up in controversial theological debates reminds me of Titus 3:9-"Avoid foolish controversies."  There is a time and place  but not now.) 

Hopefully, Helping An Idea Come To Fruition

Building on this post, I try to expand on (Isaiah 6:9).

God is telling Isaiah that it is hopeless, but he is also calling on Isaiah to preach.  God is assuming the burden to educate His people even though they will misperceive God's intentions.  Intentions and perceptions get mixed up a lot in life.  Good intentions can pave the road to destruction.  But God so loved the world, that throughout history he ordained prophets to teach, and he so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son (John 3:16).  

There are three ideas concerning intentions and perceptions that I would like to discuss:

1.  God's intentions are given through Jesus and the Bible.  But since the beginning of time, these intentions have been misconstrued.  People's perceptions of God's intentions will not always line up with Jesus and Bible.

2.  Despite these mis-perceptions, we are called to preach and live righteously.  We must go the extra mile (Matthew 5:41).  We must forgive "seventy-seven times" (Matthew 18:22).  We must "turn the other cheek" (Matthew 5:39).  We cannot quit just because no one understands or appreciates our intentions.

3.  Building on number two, we must constantly evaluate our own perceptions and the others' perceptions concerning us, not only when it comes to spiritual matters, but also in our daily interactions.  Only when we become self-aware and empathetic can we fully recognize the importance of our daily burden to spread the Gospel.      

Why Can't We Just "Skip To The Final Chapter Of The Book"? Or Another Lesson I Am Planning

Because "If the weather holds we'll have missed the point."

The last verse of the last chapter of the Book:

 ²¹The grace of the Lord Jesus be with God's people. Amen.

A Lesson I Am Thinking About

Isaiah 6:9 (New International Version)

 ⁹ He said, "Go and tell this people:
       " 'Be ever hearing, but never understanding;
       be ever seeing, but never perceiving.

"Good intentions pave the road to hell."  Intentions are perceived.  When we do anything, other people will perceive our intentions.  They will take their own lesson.  This is life.  People will judge us, and the message we intend can be misinterpreted or misperceived.

The Old Testament and the work of prophets shows how God has been misperceived.  God had to continuously send prophets to chastise and explain His wishes to His people.  But God took the onus in explaining His will, and in the end, He "gave us His only Son" (John 3:16).

The lesson is that the burden is on us.  The Gospels gives a number of examples of how Jesus intentionally countered people's perceptions and how He taught and fought to change people's misinterpretations.

The first two examples that come to my mind is the parable of the unmerciful servant (Matthew 18:21-35) and the Samaritan woman (John 4).  In the parable, Jesus commands us to forgive and have compassion.  With the Samaritan woman, Jesus took the onus to spread the Word.  He forgave the woman's mis-perceptions caused by history and more fully explained God's intentions.

This onus, this burden has been passed to us.   

Opportunity

I woke up Friday morning with the word "opportunity" on my mind.  Everyday is opportunity to do something.  Something for the Lord.  Something for the world.  Something for yourself.  Something for the devil.  Something.  Everyday is an opportunity to do something.  

The Old Testament prophets are an example here.  God chose them.  Some disobeyed.  Some pleaded.  But they stood against a wicked world and spoke God's words.  Through Christ, God has chosen us.

Heavenly father, help us to do something for You.
It is Jesus' name,
Amen.

Serious Business

I woke up this morning, and the first thought in my head was "this is serious."  I have no idea why I thought about seriousness as I was waking.  I am not a serious person.  I have always made fun of people who took themselves too seriously.  Those people who fail to see the humor in our daily world.  But maybe I am not serious enough.  Maybe that is why God put seriousness on my mind.

I see my world much like Paul saw Athens (Acts 17:16-34).  A place where people are worshiping unknown gods.  A place where there is a lot of intellect.  A place where there was a lot of talent and energy to debate.  But a lost place.  A place where ideas are constantly critiqued but a place where heart is suppressed.     Paul went into Athens and was serious.  He spoke the Word of God.   And I wish I had the courage of Paul, but I am admittedly weak.   

I also remember Titus 2:6-8.  I must work to be "self-controlled and set an example."  I must work to be serious.

Difficult Closing Prayers I Have Given (Hopefully A Continuing Series)

I once had to say the closing prayer after a visiting preacher had went over an hour.  His sermon was a meaningful, thoughtful, and thorough examination of Job, but it was Sunday night and people were tired.  Some people were hungry and/or had to go to the bathroom.  By the time it was my turn, most people wanted to go home or to the bathroom or to dinner.  And I had to say the closing prayer.  And I did the best I could.  I kept it short, but I did it.  The lesson here is perseverance.  We have to persevere in worship, in life.  We have to "face trials" and "consider it pure joy" (James 1:2).  Christ requires discipline.  The Living God put us here to work and not give up when we are tired, hungry, or have to go the bathroom.

Just Breathe

U2 has the following chorus in their song "Breathe:"


Every day I,
die again and again and reborn
Every day I,
have to find the courage
to walk down
into the street,
with arms out
gotta’ love you can’t defeat
neither down or out
there's nothing you have that I need,
I can breath
Breathe now 


In John 3:3-8, Jesus declares that we will not see the kingdom of God unless we are born again.  This is another one of those passages that you could study for lifetime.  But I think Bono says something important.  We need the Spirit to give us the courage to love everyday.  We need the Spirit to evangelize and take our Faith to the "streets."   We need the Spirit to breathe. Rebirth is learning how to truly breathe.    


Heavenly Father,
Help me find Your Holy Spirit,
Help me find courage,
Help me present a love that cannot be defeated,
Help me to breathe,
It is in Jesus' name I pray.
Amen.

Some Things

1.  I listened to my oral presentation of the last post.  You need to add "you know" to every sentence and twice in compound sentences.  I didn't know it was possible to say "you know" 250 times in less than 15 minutes.

2.  I am going to make a real effort to post more often.

3.  I do not vouch for any of the Google ads posted to the right.  I like the Google Adsense program because it keeps an accurate track of the number of visitors.  It also has some interesting links, but again, I do not vouch for them.

4.  I am thinking about trying to expand the readership of this blog.  I want to go from two or three readers to five or six. 

15 Minute Lesson From Last Night

(I apologize for the formatting.  The structure of the lesson came from here.)

Tonight is a continuation of last Sunday’s lesson on “The Seasons of Life” inspired by Ecclesiastes 3:1-8 and Genesis 1:14-15.  Last Sunday J______ and D_____ discussed the Spring and Summer of life which encompassed childhood and early adulthood.  Tonight I am the opening act and will discuss the Fall of life or mature adulthood.  And S______ will close the show discussing the last stage of life using the metaphor of Winter.    

What got me interested in this topic was one afternoon I was visiting my parents and I realized that I was married, realized I am still a student, realized my wife was in San Antonio, realized my school was in Blacksburg, realized my parents were getting older, realized my dog was getting old, realized I didn’t have a real job, realized that we live in a dangerous world, realized my thick comforter was in San Antonio and realized that we had a church picnic starting in an hour, and there was an interesting professional development seminar starting in an hour and a half in Blacksburg, and I was two and half hours away in Crozet.  I kind-of freaked out.  My life was getting complicated, my life was spiraling out-of-control, my life was changing rapidly, and I questioned how well I was handling it.  I remembered 1 Peter 5:7: “Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you.”  Other translations use the word “anxiety.”  “Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.”  I am not supposed to worry or harbor anxiety.  I am supposed to cast all my anxieties onto the Lord.  I needed to pray, but I realized I was still learning how to pray.  In other words, I wasn’t where I wanted to be.  I wanted to be better.  And I wanted it right then.  Even today, I want to be better right now.            

The next morning I made it back to Christiansburg and KW was telling a story in class about having to eat with and receive an award from a 3 star general, and how he was so nervous, but how in the end he got through it.  And I realized that my current situation was just life, that we find ways to get through things, and some day relatively soon my wife and I will live together, and I will have a job and that will lead to a whole new set of realizations and challenges.  This is just a season in my life.

In the context of this lesson, even though I am the old man of this class, I am still in and really just beginning the summer of my life.  I haven’t learned all the things I need to learn.  I haven’t learned patience.  I haven’t developed the habits needed to be a mature “man.”  I haven’t really learned what it takes to be a husband much less a father.   

And that is okay because the important thing for me is to continue growing, especially as a Christian. God designed us to grow.  1 Corinthians 3 is a powerful chapter in so many ways.  Paul is addressing a community of people, but his metaphors of moving from drinking milk in infancy to solid food and building on the foundation of Christ also applies to us as individuals today.  We as individuals must grow and build upon the foundation of Christ, and this requires time.  “For everything there truly is a season.”  There is comfort in the fact that we get to grow, we get to mature, and our past mistakes can be left behind.

The Bible gives us great examples of this principle.  Abraham, Moses, and David made mistakes, but they grew and became men of God.  Peter and Paul made mistakes, but they developed in to worthy disciples who spread the Word to the ends of this Earth.  Their growth didn’t happen overnight.  It took time.  They all went through tough times.  They all sinned, but they came out the other side as true Men of God.  If they can do it, why can’t I?  Why can’t we?  I found this idea of growth to be very comforting.  It doesn’t take away our personal responsibility to deny temptation and avoid sin, but it does help us appreciate more fully what Christ’s sacrifice really meant for us.  James 1:2-5 tells us:

² My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, ³ knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience. ⁴ But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing. ⁵ If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him.

 ^{We will go through trials, but if we hold on to faith and ask God for wisdom, we will receive the greatest gifts.}

Now, finally, getting to the meat of tonight’s lesson, with all apologies to D_____ and summer, I think the most fruitful season of this growth is fall.  It is when we get to reap the rewards of summer.  The shift from young adulthood into mature adulthood is the point where individuals start to understand more precisely what God requires of them and also understand the habits needed to meet these requirements.  It is the point where priorities are permanently established.  As one grows older, some strength and energy leaves, but wisdom increases.  Habits become refined, and the mistakes of the past that required extra strength and energy are avoided.  There comes a time in a person’s life when they know what to do, how to do it, and still have the ability to do it.  This is the fall of life.  This is the mature adult.

An example comes from working with my Dad.  He has always sold fruits and vegetables.  Banana boxes come in 40 pound boxes.  When I was young I would always lift two at a time and carry them to the display.  My dad always used a cart.  Let’s just say, as I have gotten older I understand the multiple benefits of using a cart. He could always fill up the bananas faster than I could.  Now the last time I was home he admitted that when he was young he always carried everything too.

Being a mature Christian also carries increased responsibilities.  The responsibilities center on continuing to build and share knowledge.  Now that one finally “gets it” they have to continue “getting it,” share what they know, and start to broaden their concerns and perspectives.  

Besides better habits and skills to deal with life, a mature adult continues to build knowledge.  He continues to build better habits.  He learns from failures.  He more fully trusts God, and this trust leads him deeper into Christ and the Bible.  By this time in life, the primary lessons of the Bible have been learned, and a mature adult moves to secondary lessons.  It is not enough to superficially know the Bible.  A mature adult must appreciate the deep lessons of Christ and the living God.  Last week, J____ implored us to read the Bible every day.  I am ashamed to admit that I have only recently learned how to do this effectively.  But mature adults in the fall of their lives have no problem with reading the Bible every day.  They not only read the Word, they live the Word.  We read this in Colossians 1:10: 

  10 rthat you may walk worthy of the Lord, sfully pleasing Him, tbeing fruitful in every good work and increasing in the uknowledge of God; 

 The Fall of life also requires the mature adult to take what they have learned and to share it.  This is another big difference from young adulthood.  A husband and father who has young children is rightfully limited.  His first responsibility is to grow and provide for his family.  A young wife and mother has similar and probably greater commitments to family.  But older men and older women have to take the next step to grow the Kingdom of God.  They have to begin to mentor others and teach classes and be involved in the church.  As Hebrews 5:12-14 tells us:

For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you again the first principles of the 2oracles of God; and you have come to need qmilk and not solid food.  13 For everyone who partakes only of milk is unskilled in the word of righteousness, for he is ra babe.  14 But solid food belongs to those who are 3of full age, that is, those who by reason of 4use have their senses exercised sto discern both good and evil.

Similarly, the Fall of Life also has to be a time when mature Christians broaden their concerns.  They have move away from themselves and their families and move towards greater selflessness.  The selfishness of youth disappears and the selflessness of Christ must start to appear.  Leadership qualities must develop.  Mature adulthood is the time when we can go on mission trips, where we can begin to really spread the Word and Good News of Christ to the ends of the Earth.  It is a time where we must go beyond our comfort zones. As Philippians 2:4 states:  

4 gLet each of you look out not only for his own interests, but also for the interests of hothers.

And it is in everyone’s interest to hear about Christ and the Living God.

To conclude, mature adulthood is about developing a toughness, an emotional toughness that prevents the foolishness of young adulthood.  It prevents one from losing sight of our heavenly home because of the ugliness of the world.  It is a certainty that comes with age and wisdom.  It is a peace and patience that allows mature Christians to be true lights to the world.  As Proverbs 20:28 says: 

“The glory of young men is their strength,

And bthe splendor of old men is their gray head.”

As a young man, I am comforted by the fact that if I study and pray, and cast all my anxieties onto the Lord, I will reap great rewards.  And this comfort and perseverance is something we really have to hold onto in the latter stages of our lives, the winter of our lives.

Weak Decisions

I have always had this concept of weak decisions.  The idea being that some times we make decisions based on safety, decisions that keep us from challenges and growth.  Notice these aren't necessarily bad decisions.  They are just safe decisions.  Decisions that are made so we don't have to grow and knock down our pre-concieved boundaries.  There are some Biblical examples of these types of decisions.  Most notably Peter denying Jesus (Matthew 26: 69-75) and Thomas doubting Jesus (John 20: 24-29).

But weak decisions don't doom us.  We still have the ability to grow and learn from these decisions.  The peace and forgiveness of Christ frees us from past weak decisions.  It also implores us to make stronger decisions. 

Heavenly Father,
Help us to make strong decisions.
Help us to grow.
You are always with us, because You are the one true Living God.
Let this give us the courage and power to go out in the world and do Your Will.
It is in Jesus' name,
Amen.

Snowy Sunday Mornings

I have always been intrigued and challenged by Matthew 18: 1-4, especially "unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven."  I think it is one of those verses that you spend your whole life studying, but here are two events that I think provide some answers.

I sit behind this family in church.  There is a grandfather, a grandmother, a mother, and her children.  The children love their grandparents.  I don't think the children get to see the grandparents that much.  And the grandparents probably spoil the children.  Well, one day the grandfather got up to take one grandson to the bathroom.  The other grandson watched his grandfather walk away, and his eyes showed how much he loved his grandfather.  They were big and empty and devastated.  When the grandfather came back, the eyes were filled with joy.  That is love.  It is innocent and unconditional and overwhelming.  It is overpowering.  If I could love Jesus and God like that, then I would be truly welcome in the kingdom of heaven.

The other day before the real snow there were flurries.  I saw this eighteen-nineteen year old freshman or sophomore sticking her tongue out to taste the snow. She didn't care how she looked.  Her passion and her innocence and her zest for life were on full display for the world to see.  That lack of caring for convention and the world is another quality befitting someone focused on the kingdom of heaven. Young children don't care how they look.  And neither should we.    

Lord, help us to remain childlike.  Help us to innocently love You.  Help us be righteous in your eyes and not follow the devil's whims.  Help us to be passionate and stop caring about how we look.  Help us to stop caring about the Jones next door.  Help us to remember that if the kingdom of heaven is our goal, then we must follow Christ like young children follow their parents and grandparents, unconditionally.  It is in Jesus' blessed name we pray.  Amen.  

Anger

Our Wednesday night lessons have centered on different types of anger and what the Bible says about anger for the last few weeks.  It has been an interesting study.  Last night we talked about the Diotrephes in 3 John and his inferiority complex.  His desire "to be first" caused him to be envious of other Christians.  It caused him to be angry.  The anger ruined his relationship with other Christians and Christ.  It ruined him.  

Heavenly Father,

Help me move away from anger and move towards love.
Help me to recognize that you are the Living God, and I am only your servant.
Help me to accept my limitations while appreciating and capitalizing my strengths.
Guide me to peace.

It is in Christ's name I pray.
Amen.

The Ordeal of Life

Recently I came across this paper written by an economics professor about medieval ordeals. Ordeals were how medieval Europeans decided guilt and innocence. An accused person had to "thrust his arm into a cauldron of boiling water and fish out a ring. If his arm was unharmed, he was exonerated. If not, he was convicted. Alternatively, a priest dunked the [accused] in a pool. Sinking proved his innocence; floating proved his guilt."  The paper spends 37 pages explaining that if everyone was a faithful believer, then the guilty would confess and never face an ordeal. And only the innocent would face an ordeal.

The author concludes that in a believing society (and a society without modern "CSI" technologies), ordeals were an efficient mechanism to separate the innocent from the guilty. He goes on to cite evidence about how most recorded ordeals found people innocent and suggests priests understood that only innocent people faced ordeals and "rigged" them to find most people innocent.

After I read the paper, someone was telling me about an "ordeal" they were going through. I think it had something to do with an Email program or a computer virus. This got me thinking about these medieval ordeals. It made me think about the early Christians in Acts, especially Stephen and Paul. I realized that I am pretty lucky. The ordeals that I face today are pretty tame and insignificant. Email just isn't that important in the grand scheme of things. But the paper did make me think about what it means to be a faithful Christian.

The author starts his paper with a quote from Hebrews 10:31: "It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God." This verse is what drew me to this article. It reinforces the underlying faithfulness that must have been required for any person who submitted to an ordeal. It also reminds us of the faithfulness required by us to be a Christian today.

There are really two scenarios to an ordeal or most of life. In an ordeal, the accused person is either guilty or innocent. In life, we are either wrong and in sin. Or we are righteous and following God. And no matter what side of that line we are presently standing on, if we are faithful and true believers, our options are clear-cut. If we are wrong we must admit our guilt; we must repent; we must pray for His forgiveness, and accept God's will. If we are right, we have to have faith in the living God, we have to accept the ordeals of life fully trusting in the ways of the Lord. And if we are truly faithful and submissive to God, there are no real ordeals, no extremely tough decisions. By believing and loving the Living God, we are truly blessed.

At this time if you have any need before the church, you are invited to come forward as we sing.

Scanning The Radio Dial

A while back, I was commuting back and forth to Richmond. When I am driving, especially when I am stuck in traffic, I have this tendency to scan the radio constantly. I listen to something until a commercial and then scan again. I listen to a song I like, then press scan when one comes along that I don't like. As I have gotten older, I prefer talk radio. I can never seem to find a station that consistently plays the songs I like. So I listen to talk radio. And there always seems to be preachers on some station. Some are good. Some are wrong. And most of the time I only get a snippet. But here are three snippets I listened to:

1. The first preacher was discussing the story of Elijah in (1 Kings 19). He discussed the story of Elijah sitting under the tree asking God to take his life. Sitting under a tree feeling sorry for himself, questioning why God had given him so much trouble even though he had been so faithful, even though he carried out all of God's difficult demands. The preacher talked about how we all feel this way some times, but I went out of range before he reached his conclusion.
   
2. And then I scanned to another radio preacher as he said that we have to "Throw away the filth." We get so caught up in the world, the everyday life, that we are trapped by own rebellion against God. As an example, Elijah became so focused on the world, on his everyday life, on filth, that he fell into a paralyzing depression. And to grow he had to throw away the filth. Unfortunately, I lost the signal before I could get to the preacher's final conclusion about how we, in practice, could "Throw Away the Filth."
   
3. Then one older preacher brought it all together for me. He said he always had difficulty fully trusting God, fully giving Him control of his life, fully submitting to God's will. For most of his life, he was afraid of flying, then one time he was flying on a flight from London and he was going through rough turbulence, and he started to pray for God to lead him and to take his control of his life. He prayed for submission, and he fell asleep "in God's love" even with the turbulence.
   

That was what the story of Elijah and "throwing away the filth" was telling us. Most of our daily worldly frustrations are unholy filth that we need to throw away. And the way to throw away the filth is to trust in Jesus, trust in the savior, trust the Bible and trust that He will never give us anything we can't handle. Like with Elijah, God will get us through if we submit.

To throw away the filth in our lives we have to submit. And for this submission we get the comfort of the Lord, we get to pray without ceasing (1 Thessalonians 5:17), we get the comfort of being away from the filth and depression that the world presents. To submit, we have to hear, believe, repent, be baptized, and live faithfully. At this time, if you have any problems with submission, or if you have any needs before the church, please come forward as we sing.