Raised from the Dead! Christianity’s unique truth

March 27, 2013 by ·

The trump card

Easter, the common name for the holiday marking Jesus Christ’s return from the dead, represents Christianity’s trump card- the unique claim to eternal life. All other world religions have had human founders that lived, then died. Their lives may have had meaning but ultimately their death meant nothing. In Christianity, Jesus Christ’s death meant EVERYTHING. It meant everything because by first-person historical accounts it was a death that lasted only 2 nights.

No other world religion has first-person historical accounts of their leader coming back to life. Why? For one simple reason- they all died and stayed dead and their decomposing bodies remain in the ground today. Jesus, on the other hand, left the tomb in which he was buried- and continues to live eternally today. This historical occurrence is what Easter Sunday, otherwise known as Resurrection Sunday, commemorates- not bunnies, baskets, or egg hunts.

Exclusive yet Inclusive

To affirm the claims of Jesus is not to be taken lightly. Belief in His death and return to life is a game-changer for our lives. His Holy Spirit renews us as we live out our time on earth, and after death we get new bodies to live eternally with Him.

While Christianity makes this exclusive claim to eternal life available solely through belief in these historical accounts of Jesus Christ, it’s offer is inclusive- available to all who choose to believe it. That’s it. Start with faith and the rest takes care of itself.

Do you want to believe but still doubt?

Need help with the “faith” part? Do you doubt the historical account of Jesus returning from the dead after he was hung from a cross to die? That’s ok. It is normal to doubt. The folks over at Gospel Centered Discipleship have written a great free eBook called “Raised? Doubting the Resurrection” to help people who struggle to believe in the risen Jesus.

Find a local church this Easter Sunday that preaches this message of the risen Jesus Christ. If you need help finding one, contact me and i will help you. If you are already a Christian and regularly attend a church, invite people to church AND offer to bring them. For your more skeptical friends, have a copy of “Raised?” ready to answer their concerns and doubts.

Filed Under: Christianity, Current Events, death, doubt, Easter, eternal life, Raised, resurrection · Tagged: ,

Thoughts on The New Pope and Unity in Christ

March 20, 2013 by ·

I am a born-again Christian who attends a non-denominational Protestant church. At first thought you might think the election of a new Pope should not matter to me, or that I might even scoff at Catholic claims of papal authority and the whole black smoke/white smoke conclave theatrics. However, a major characteristic (and dare I say “admirable quality”) Catholics have in their ranks is organizational unity (for the most part) of their 1.2 billion adherents worldwide. In contrast, under the Protestant umbrella which approximately 840 million subscribe to some flavor or another, there are more denominations (re: divisions) than you can shake a stick at.

At the top of this organizational unity within Roman Catholicism is of course the Bishop of Rome – the Pope. Since Pope Benedict announced his historic resignation, I have immersed myself in researching Catholic beliefs and theology out of mere curiosity and intrigue. As an adult convert to Christianity, everything is still relatively new to me so I just try to soak it all in with an open mind.

Now with the selection of the new Pope last week, Cardinal Jorge Bergoglio of Argentina who took the name Pope Francis, I’ve noticed an “evangelical flair” in his first few public remarks. For example, in his first homily (sermon) on March 14th Pope Francis explained –

“When we journey without the cross, when we build [The Church] without the cross, and when we confess a Christ without the cross, we are not disciples of the Lord: we are worldly, we are bishops, priests, cardinals, popes, but not disciples of the Lord.”

Catholics treasure their sacraments, liturgy, and symbols, but elevating The Cross as central to the Christian Faith is a theme typically championed by Protestants. Now if only we could agree that Jesus’ work on The Cross justified us once and for all in God’s eyes, and belief in it with a changed heart is all that’s required for salvation- but that’s another article.

Next, Pope Francis approached the subject of “mercy” in his first Sunday Mass –

“I think we too are the people who, on the one hand want to listen to Jesus, but on the other hand, at times, like to find a stick to beat others with, to condemn others. And Jesus has this message for us: mercy. I think – and I say it with humility – that this is the Lord’s most powerful message: mercy.”

Wow. This guy can preach! Now admittedly I have not studied any homilies of past popes, but Pope Francis really seems to have a knack for communication that I’m used to hearing each Sunday in my church.

Another character quality that has struck me with Pope Francis is his humility. In his first public appearance he asked the thousands in St. Peter’s square to pray for him. He also returned to the hotel where he was staying as a Cardinal for the conclave to pay his own hotel bill. And finally, he takes his name from St. Francis of Assisi who lived during the 1200′s and is venerated for championing service of the poor and less fortunate.

As I have continued researching Catholic theology I have gained respect for why Catholics hold certain positions- whether it is papal authority, praying to saints, or the centrality of Mary- among others. And while I don’t embrace many of theses key beliefs, and as a result wont be taking a “journey home” any time soon, the yearning in my heart is for more unity within the Christian Church as a whole. So as I continue in my Christian journey within the Protestant stream, I will pray for Pope Francis to represent the ENTIRE Church and Christ well to the world for the sole reason that many unbelievers see him as the central figure of Christianity.

Let’s save the theology debates for inside the church walls, and actually GO out together into the world AND MAKE DISCIPLES of all nations as Jesus commanded us- Protestants and Catholics ‘one for another’. This sentiment would take the form of Catholics and Protestants serving side by side at soup kitchens, in community events, and caring for the less fortunate with a single mission to love others.

Christians portraying unity to the outside world- imagine the possibilities!

Filed Under: catholic, Christianity, Current Events, mercy, pope, pope francis, protestant, the cross ·

In reply to an atheist mother’s complaints about God

January 19, 2013 by ·

Recently I was perusing CNN.com when a certain article, linked only about half way down the front page, caught my eye. The article was a community-submitted blog post called “Why I Raise My Children Without God“, and as someone who blogs about Christian perspectives I could not resist reading this mother’s take on things. I must admit I immediately felt an inner grieving of the Holy Spirit for her and almost clicked away after the first paragraph. However, I forged ahead and read through the whole article wincing with every sentence.

After finishing the article I sat in utter disbelief of this mother’s utter disbelief, and pondered what to do next. Should I just put it out of my mind and let her charges against God go unanswered, joining the large chorus of atheism becoming ever more prevalent in our fallen society?

Then I read it again, this time with the Apostle Peter’s words in my head:

…always [be] prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect. (1 Peter 3:15)

Now I realize she wasn’t asking for a reason for my hope, but anyone who reads my blog could very likely be looking for answers to the claims she made. God isn’t all those bad things she says He is (if she believed in Him), and it is misdirected to place at God’s feet every bad thing in the world she is attributing to Him.

So with gentleness and respect I will attempt to respond and humbly attempt to portray the God I know as a loving eternal Father.

For the sake of brevity I will only include her points against God (in bold) with a brief summary of her conclusion (in italics), then reply to each. I do encourage you to her entire piece to understand the entire scope of my responses.

From this point forward I may use the blogger’s CNN username TXBlue08 when referring to her…

CLAIM 1: God is a bad parent and role model.

Her conclusion: Good parents don’t allow their children to inflict harm on others… they step in and guide them.

This is true, but a couple points to make here. Some children, not matter how “good” of a job their parents do at raising them, make bad choices and go astray. A parent has a direct will for their children’s lives- what THEY want to see them do and accomplish. But children grow up, and yes have their own free will to make whatever choices they want. Any good parent will try to step in and guide them, as TXBlue08 points out, but many times that act pushes the child away even further.

Ironically, she’s stumbled directly onto how a relationship with God the father works. He most definitely wants the best for his children and attempts to guide us. And he has a direct (or true) will for our lives, but if we refuse it and assert our own will we end up going astray- falling into what is sometimes called God’s “permissive will.” But also with any good parent, God always accepts you back into his arms no matter what you’ve done, or the decisions you’ve made.

Finally, while we are all God’s children the point can be made that by definition His family are only those of us that actually believe in Him. So how can God be blamed for the actions of the very people that deny his existence and don’t even call him “Father”?

CLAIM 2: God is not logical.

Her conclusion: Why does God allow bad to happen?… It doesn’t make sense that he would allow murders, child abuse, wars, brutal beatings, torture and millions of heinous acts to be committed throughout the history of mankind.

Once again she’s blaming God for decisions and acts made by a human race that is sick. God offers us a way to get well, through the redeeming power of Jesus Christ, but that doesn’t guarantee everyone in this world has or will take him up on the offer. The fact that people commit these terrible acts proves much of society hasn’t, or have lost their way.

People don’t like to talk about the source of evil in this world unless they are pointing the finger at God. But these things happen because God has an adversary in this world. The name given this adversary is Satan, and he “runs free on earth” causing pain, sadness, strife, unbelief, greed, murder, and on and on. This unfortunate truth is why we as Christians look forward to the next life, or when Jesus Christ returns to set up his Kingdom on earth (whichever comes first), because only then will Satan and all of the pain and suffering that comes with him be done away with.

TXBlue08 also makes a connection with the tragedy in Newtown and the need for gun control. When the innocent are slain and caught up in the effect of evil (or sickness- as was the case with falling victim to Adam Lanza), no one is grieved more than God. And no, terrible things like that are NOT part of God’s plan. It turns out I wrote much about this subject of good vs. evil as it relates to Newtown and the human condition a few weeks back, so I won’t rehash it here, but check that article out to read more.

Lastly, concerning wars and heinous acts throughout mankind’s history- many more victims have come at the hands of dictators or other leaders with godless naturalist philosophies and belief systems than God-centered ones. Yes, sadly many have also committed atrocities ”in the name of God”, but when you add up the numbers throughout history those are the exception not the norm. But regardless of who commits the heinous acts and terrible atrocities, God does not condone them.

CLAIM 3: God is not fair.

Her conclusion (paraphrased): Silly prayers are answered, but serious ones are ignored. A fair God wouldn’t allow babies with birth defects, bad people to prosper, and good people to suffer.

So much to address with this one… First, concerning silly prayers- there is no way to know these prayers were “answered by God” and not just part of regular every day life events. Therefore, I’m not sure where else to go with that one.

Concerning the supposed unanswered prayers of a parent praying for a dying child- this one is tough. No one knows (except God) all the mysteries to life and death, and why some are healed by prayers, and others pass away. What the Christian holds dear is that this entire time on earth is merely a short stop on our way to a place that is so much better. Death is only sad for those of us left behind. That is unless you don’t believe in eternity as is the case with TXBlue08 and her fellow atheists, then death is “the end” and therefore offensive and wrong. So therein lies the conundrum- unbelief in God causes people to be upset with this same God because for them there’s nothing to look forward to after this life.

Next, why do bad people prosper and good people suffer? Because, once again, not everyone in the world plays by God’s rules. There is greed, and God’s adversary uses rewards on this side of death to turn people away from God. But we persevere in this life knowing “in the kingdom of heaven, the last will be first, and the first will be last.”

Lastly, in regards to birth defects, God treasures all children born and unborn no matter their perceived shortcomings. We are to love our children even if our lives are made more complicated by their needs, or a sickness or defect takes them from us after only a precious few years. God values all human life, from conception into eternity. We would do well to follow His lead.

CLAIM 4: God does not protect the innocent.

Her conclusion (same as CLAIM 2): A good God wouldn’t allow bad things (such as kidnappings) to happen to children.

I feel my reply to CLAIM 2 addresses this complaint, and in an effort to be brief wont reiterate here.

CLAIM 5: God is not present.

Her conclusion: Since you can’t see, smell, touch or hear God then he isn’t real/present. He is an “idea” created based on our fears and hopes.

This one is interesting because while you may not be able to see, smell, or touch God, most if not all true believers have both heard God as well as felt His presence. There are few things more tangible in life than a personal relationship with the living God.

Many atheists, TXBlue08 included, mockingly label God “the big guy in the sky”- but this label shows their level of misunderstanding of God’s true identity. The Christian knows the sky is not his home. God, by His Holy Spirit, lives within our hearts always. And while we can’t see, smell, or touch Him, it is through His Spirit that He counsels us, helps us, and comforts us. And God gave us His Word, the Bible, so that we may hear him, and prayer time so that we may seek Him and rest in His presence.

And to the point that God is just an idea based on our fears and hopes- it is in fact the opposite of fear to affirm a God to which we will ultimately have to give an account of our lives, and face a judgement, whereas the atheist’s ultimate hope is that this judge is a myth. In short, the believer lives with the promise that God exists, while the atheist lives with the hope that He doesn’t.

CLAIM 6: God Does Not Teach Children to Be Good.

Her conclusion (paraphrased): Belief in God attempts to scare children into behaving, and therefore doesn’t work.

While I’m sure misdirected and even well-meaning parents have attempted to “put the fear of God” into their children to get them to behave, it totally misses the point of a God-centered home. Children learn by example, and therefore parents are to be examples of Christ’s love to their children, and instruct them in the ways of the Lord. Where a parent misses the mark in demonstrating this behavior, very often children follow. Where a parent becomes judgmental and lacks the grace of God’s love, so too will their children.

However, as a child of God grows in their personal faith they understand that behaving isn’t something they HAVE to do in order to avoid God’s wrath, but rather something they WANT to do in order to fully experience God’s love. And pleasing God isn’t something you even choose to do in order to “check the appropriate box”, but rather a natural result of an active faith where the Holy Spirit is stirring in our hearts. We would all do well to learn and remember this truth, and model it to our children.

Being inwardly focused as TXBlue08 suggests puts all the pressure on our own abilities and relies on our fallen nature to do what’s right, whereas trusting in God to lead and instruct us helps the believer to do what’s truly right.

CLAIM 7: God Teaches Narcissism.

Her logic with this one was a little hard to summarize, so I’ll save the space and just reply.

The humility required to “die to oneself” and truly follow God is the exact opposite of narcissism. Narcissism comes when we put our own self interests first, choose the path of least resistance, and discount the existence of something greater than ourselves. Admittedly, though, many self-professing Christians- myself included- have gotten this wrong at one time or another and have portrayed narcissism to the world around us.

A Christian that lacks humility lacks understanding of God.

Some Final Thoughts

I want to reiterate that my intended tone for this piece is one of gentleness and respect. It seems from reading this mother’s personal blog that she has felt persecution for being an unbeliever. There is no place for persecution of anyone’s belief system, and an open and honest dialog should be able to take place between people of all faiths, even those whose faith is based entirely in themselves.

As a Christian blogger, I’ve obviously written this piece from the faith perspective that I affirm as unique among all the other belief systems in the world, but I maintain respect for those who think differently- and encourage my fellow Christians to do the same. I would only ask that this same gentleness and respect is offered to the faith-based community by those who currently choose the road of unbelief. Unfortunately, much of the tone of the today’s atheists’ rhetoric against God, TXBlue08′s piece included, fail to do that.

Grace and Peace.

 

Filed Under: atheism, atheist mom, Christ in home, Christianity, CNN blog, Culture, mother, raising children, TXBlue08 · Tagged: ,

The Resolution that makes all the others possible

January 2, 2013 by ·

The year begins with big ideas and lofty goals. Then without notice hours turn to days, days to weeks, and weeks to months until suddenly we are back where we started- at January 1st again- with not much accomplished. Life seems so temporal- because it is.

So what can we do about the fact that life passes us by and we only seem to spin our wheels? The answer, though it doesn’t seem intuitive, is to slow down.

Unplug. Read. Reflect. Pray. Prioritize.

Unplug – Put away the electronic devices and turn off the TV. Get a warm drink (it is January after all) and just relax.

Read – Start a Bible reading plan if you haven’t already, and dive into today’s reading. Not a Christian? Start reading the bible anyway, your life will be changed because of it. Begin in the New Testament. The Gospel of John is always a good place to start.

Reflect on your reading. If you have a reading partner, ask and answer each others questions.

Pray for understanding. Get a Study Bible and reliable Bible commentary. Refer to them as you have time, but make the daily Bible reading your priority.

Prioritize – Finally, before turning your electronic devices back on, take a moment to prioritize what you will accomplish the rest of the day, over the next couple of days, and the week to come.

Busyness becomes a distraction, and will ultimately destroy us as our hectic daily schedules take over any sort of calm in our lives. Then, before you know it, years go by and not much gets accomplished. Only by reclaiming our time by simply slowing down do we gain the upper hand.

For the Christian the quiet time with Our Creator and His Word nourishes our soul like nothing else. To grow in a relationship with Jesus Christ is the one resolution that makes all the others possible.

12 I know how to get along with humble means, and I also know how to live in prosperity; in any and every circumstance I have learned the secret of being filled and going hungry, both of having abundance and suffering need. 13 I can do all things through Him who strengthens me (Phil 4:12-13).

Finally, don’t try to go through life alone. Seek a local church community.

 

Filed Under: busyness, Christianity, new year, prayer, reading, resoultion, strength · Tagged: ,

Kutcher vs Jones on ‘Two and a Half Men’ Filth comments

December 26, 2012 by ·

Late last month Angus T. Jones, the child star who plays the character “Jake” on the CBS “hit” show “Two and a Half Men”, became embroiled in a controversy when a YouTube video of him calling the show “filth” went viral. A large part of the attraction of this story is that these comments are a direct result of Jones’ recent conversion to the Christian faith. Despite this story’s convergence with two of this blog’s topics- entertainment and Christianity- I have initially refrained from writing about it.

The show’s co-star Ashton Kutcher has now weighed in, saying he wants Jones fired immediately, and calling him a “spoiled brat”- a rather ironic epithet coming from Kutcher for sure. As more time has passed to let the story play out, and in light of this recent criticism from Kutcher being made public, I feel the desire to opine why Jones’ comments were unavoidable given his recent life change.

First, let’s get one point out of the way: Angus T. Jones could not have been more accurate in his description of the show. Two and a Half Men is unapologetically ”filth”. While many TV shows enjoy pushing the limits of what’s appropriate in prime time, the one show that doesn’t even try to be coy about it’s crassness and trashiness is this one.

All of my opinion of this show in its current form is from seeing the commercial previews while trying to enjoy a Sunday CBS football game, or by simply reading the episode titles while browsing my on-screen TV guide. I have not watched it in many years. Back when I did watch it, before I had the conviction of the Holy Spirit working as a natural internal filter, I don’t feel it was as bad as it is now. But quite possibly the show has always been as raunchy as it is now, and I was merely ignorant to this fact. I honestly believe while the show has likely gotten worse, much more of the change was on my part. And it’s obvious to me this same change has taken root in Jones’ life as well.

However, this blog is not intended to be a Christian rant about what you should or should not watch on television. People that know me best realize that when I see or hear about anything seeming even remotely legalistic (so-called rules required to “be Christian”), I point out that the grace granted by faith alone in Jesus Christ is sufficient for salvation. But what I’ve found from personal experience is a natural by-product of true salvation, and evidence of a fully alive relationship with Jesus Christ, is when you turn on shows like “Two and Half Men” you feel absolutely no desire to continue to watch. In fact, you feel disgust and many times sorrow for the characters and acts depicted by these shows. But this isn’t a “holier than thou” attitude to look down on others. It’s an irresistible sanctification that occurs in the Christian believer, beginning with salvation and continuing until natural death.

Jones has been very apologetic to the show’s producers since his public comments of disapproval. I don’t see this as Jones being a moral coward for the sake of a paycheck. I see it as true humility in his attempt to show respect for those in leadership. In the end Jones will likely be written off the show. While this would result in he no longer receiving a hefty sum of money each week, I’m sure he will rest more easily each night (specifically from sundown Friday to sundown Saturday given his denomination of choice) because of it.

Finally, considering Jones’ recent revelation and the fact that he is now over 18 years of age, it is perhaps more appropriate to label the childish Kutcher the “half” in “Two and a Half Men”.

–

Here is a YouTube video of Jones’ comments in their entirety, with the “Two and a Half is filth” part starting around the 7 minute mark:

 

Filed Under: Angus T Jones, Ashton Kutcher, Christianity, conversion, conviction, Entertainment, filth, Jake, Two and a Half Men, YouTube ·

Government cannot change the heart of mankind, eliminate evil

December 17, 2012 by ·

I join everyone in mourning over the Newtown, Connecticut elementary school massacre. Words cannot make sense of what happened at Sandy Hook Elementary School on December 14th, 2012. In people’s attempt to rationalize the actions of an obviously deranged 20 year old young man, many are already turning to the government for answers.

I try to put myself in the shoes of one of the parents dealing with the loss of their precious child. I almost immediately come to tears just imagining my 7 month old being ripped from this life into eternity so suddenly and cruelly. While my tears are nothing compared to the extreme sorrow, emptiness, and anger those parents and family members of the fallen must be experiencing, one thing is for certain- I would not be looking to my government or it’s leaders for answers. Nor would I be blaming them.

Many have opined what should be done so that all of those innocent lives who were slain do not die in vain. Life is but a vapor (James 4:14), and no amount of human effort can bring those that were lost back to us. As a result, our human instinct is to want to do everything in our power to prevent more incidents like it from occurring again. Those in positions of leadership honestly believe they have the power to do so. And naturally, with a large portion of the people who elect them calling for some type of action, our leaders are inclined to act.

But while government can and should take reasonable steps to protect it’s citizens, one thing it or it’s leaders can never do is change the heart of mankind. The only power that can make such a change is a moral authority outside of ourselves. As a Christian I believe this moral authority is in God the Father- the Creator of the entire universe. But because He knew we could never work our way up to Him, He came down to us in the person of Jesus Christ. And through simple faith in Jesus, the true heart-change of mankind occurs by the power of God’s Holy Spirit. However, the specific beliefs of the Christian faith are outside the scope of this article. I certainly realize and appreciate that many other traditions of faith accomplish the task of keeping evil at bay in our world by way of similar moral authorities.

The specific point that has been on my heart to discuss is that as God has been removed from schools and public places, it seems evil has invaded these same places. I do not believe this is a coincidence. Many people have been wondering why these massacres and other horrible incidents have been increasing in recent years, and their first instinct is to place blame- guns, mental illness, even God for not stopping it from occurring. It seems the only time some people believe in God is when they want to blame him for the bad things that happen in this world.

What’s often ignored and even scoffed at is the very real presence of evil in our world.

As Erick Erickson wrote recently-

Our society has turned its back on discussing evil. Evil, like God, is mythology to many in our country even when confronted with it at the barrel of a gun… The world is full of sin. It is easy for the non-Christian to look at what happened and rationalize away that the person was mentally ill, we need gun control, etc.

So let’s discuss evil, and it’s root cause- the human heart when left to it’s own devices (i.e, without a moral authority). Since this blog is on “Christian perspectives”, that’s what I will share…

Many people relegate evil, and more specifically Satan, to a myth because they immediately conjure up images of the incorrect human depiction of him- a red devil with horns and a pitchfork. But just as God is unseen, so too is his nemesis in this world. In the Bible, Satan- the representation of evil in this world- is called the “price of the power of the air” (Ephesians 2:2). More specifically, he is given the title “ruler of this world” (John 12:31).

But why does an almighty God, who is ultimately sovereign and definitely good, allow evil to rule this age in which we live? While I don’t claim to be a theological scholar, my understanding is because an unbelieving world has turned their back on him. Or as depicted in Genesis with the fall of man- ignored His guidance. But while unbelievers and scoffers of good vs. evil narratives are “caught in the snare of the devil” (2 Timothy 2:26) and “lie in the power of the evil one” (1 John 5:19), believers in God are no longer under the rule of Satan (Colossians 1:13). And no matter what you choose to call him- the devil, Satan, the evil one- the human vocabulary has it’s limits when attempting to provide a true and accurate representation of something we as mere mortals grasp to understand.

Why these little innocent children? Many have asked this question, myself included. It’s enough to shake one’s faith. God, in his sovereignty, does not spare us the effects of sin in the world- and sadly innocent lives, too, can be caught up in the effects of this sin. But the Christian knows by faith that Jesus weeps over every consequence of unbelief (Luke 19:41-44), and welcomes home the little children (Matthew 19:14)- safely into His arms. Furthermore, the day will come when there will be no more tears, pain, mourning, or death- all these “former things” will pass away (Revelation 21:4).

I welcome a conversation on topics such as responsible gun ownership, the mental health crisis in our country, the glorification of violence in our movies and video games- just to name a few. But let us not close our eyes to the true cause of death in this world, and more importantly, what can be done about it (hint: Romans 6:23 provides our answer).

***

My prayer for the families and friends of the children and adults killed-

Lord Jesus, I lift the surviving family members and friends up to you. Comfort them as only you can. Give them peace during this time of pain. Make it known to them that those they have lost are safe with you, that they have new bodies now, without pain, beautifully perfect again as you created them, anxiously awaiting their reunion in heaven. In Your Name I pray…”

***

Scripture references from this article (some partial, NKJV translation):

  • James 4:14: “…For what is your life? It is even a vapor that appears for a little time and then vanishes away.”
  • Ephesians 2:2: “…you once walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air,…”
  • John 12:31: “Now is the judgment of this world; now the ruler of this world will be cast out.”
  • 2 Timothy 2:26: “…and that they may come to their senses and escape the snare of the devil, having been taken captive by him to do his will.”
  • 1 John 5:19: “We know that we are of God, and the whole world lies under the sway of the wicked one.”
  • Colossians 1:13: “He has delivered us from the power of darkness and conveyed us into the kingdom of the Son of His love”
  • Luke 19:41-44: “41 Now as He drew near, He saw the city and wept over it, 42 saying, “If you had known, even you, especially in this your day, the things that make for your peace! But now they are hidden from your eyes. 43 For days will come upon you when your enemies will build an embankment around you, surround you and close you in on every side, 44 and level you, and your children within you, to the ground; and they will not leave in you one stone upon another, because you did not know the time of your visitation.”
  • Matthew 19:14: “But Jesus said, “Let the little children come to Me, and do not forbid them; for of such is the kingdom of heaven.””
  • Revelation 21:4: “And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away.”
  • Romans 6:23: “For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

***

Filed Under: Christianity, CT, Current Events, evil, gun control, massacre, mental health, Newtown, sandy hook elementary · Tagged: , ,

Advent season anticipates End to come, despite Mayan prediction

December 7, 2012 by ·

Setting the Stage

The Bangor Daily News recently ran a pretty extensive article on the often-cited approaching doomsday of December 21st, 2012 as set forth by the Mayan calendar. While most scoff at the possibility of there being any credibility to the Mayan prediction, there are conspiracy theorists and “doomsday preppers” that aren’t taking any chances- stocking up on everything from nonperishable food items to guns and ammo.

However, from the Christian perspective the reality of The End of our time here on earth coming before our natural death is nothing to be scoffed at. And even if it comes after we die, our short time alive must be spent in preparation.

During this Christmas season we celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ which marks the first time the Creator of this world came to earth to live side-by-side with His creation. But during that visit, a point in history now 2012 years ago by which all time has since been measured, He was just setting the stage. It’s when Jesus comes again, the day and hour no person knows (see Mk 13:32 and Mt 24:36), that He will close the deal. When He returns no amount of nonperishable food items or guns and ammo will serve any purpose, and for the believer these items will certainly not be necessary.

With Christmas we remember that God has come already to set certain events in motion, but as we live today he’s not yet ready to bring things to a close. For that, we should all be thankful. But this age of grace will not last forever.

In the above-referenced BDN article there is also a poll that asks, “Do you believe the world will end in your lifetime?” We are forced to choose one of two answers, “Yes” or “No”. But for the Christian two other answers would have been more appropriate- “I don’t know” or “I hope so!”.

The Promise of Advent

So how does all this correlate to Advent, a season most Christians relate to sturdy, decorative paper calendars with 25 little “windows” to open each day of December? The true significance of The Advent season, marked by the 4 Sundays leading up to Christmas, is not about paper calendars at all. It represents the situation of God’s people as we wait for Jesus to return to bring his eternal kingdom (a point in time that will certainly be the beginning of this world’s end).

A common refrain you hear from a Christian is “Come Lord Jesus, come”, and that is especially true this time of year. A familiar Christmas carol that best expresses this sentiment of Advent is “O Come, O Come, Emmanuel” as “Emmanuel” means “God, with us”- leading our cry with this song to translate to “Come God, be with us [again]“… Just typing those words stirs a longing in my soul. Amen.

Advent is intended to be a season of reflection, as well as one of anticipation. Anticipation that the violence, evil, and death in this world will be no more. Come Lord Jesus and put an end to the tears caused by those things, and establish a new heaven and new earth where there will be no more suffering, and no more pain (Rev 21:4). This is the promise of the Christian truth. And it’s accessible to whosoever calls on the name of Jesus as Lord (Romans 10:13). Whosoever means everyone- you, me, everyone- no matter what you have believed until now, or have done in the past.

The Great Expectation

To the people that scoff at any sort of end of the world prediction, be it Mayan or Christian, I want to ask what is so far-fetched with this realm in which we currently suffer from being over and done with at some unknown time to come? The lives of family and friends, as well as our own lives, are here today and then gone before we know it- like a vapor or mist (James 4:14).

Therefore, why is it beyond so many to accept that like our lives, this world will someday be gone as well? For the Christian, this ending is a good thing- the great expectation. It’s a promise that will be fulfilled.

The last Sunday of Advent this year is December 23, 2012, two days after the Mayan doomsday prediction. Let us celebrate that Sunday that the world did not end, and take some time to appreciate life between the two comings of Christ- reflecting on His birth with Christmas- and anticipating when He will return to establish His kingdom to make all things right. And finally, let’s be thankful God has given His creation more time to accept and expect this promise to be fulfilled- at least for now.

Have a Happy Advent Season and Merry Christmas. Grace and Peace.

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Excerpts for this article came from: The essence of Advent | The Resurgence. It is worth a read if you want to dig deeper. 

Filed Under: advent, bible prophecy, Christianity, end times, mayan calendar · Tagged:

Jesus didn’t have a Christmas Tree or a “Holiday” Tree

December 3, 2012 by ·

There recently has been an uproar over the City of Bangor calling the Christmas Tree a “Holiday” tree in downtown’s West Market Square- even though they made this change 15 years ago. I find it disingenuous for city officials to have made this change in the name of political correctness- especially because no other faith-based holidays use a tree as a major symbol. However, what I consider even more disingenuous is people getting all worked up about this being an example of “taking Christ out of Christmas” when a majority of these same people only want to talk about Jesus Christ this time of year, and only in this context.

What’s most unfortunate is the large percentage of the American population that have taken Christ out of their lives year around. Then when the Christmas season comes they become the flag-bearers for keeping His name stamped on pagan traditions and in the stores that promote the greed and materialism our Savior was so dead-set against.

To borrow a status update from one of my friends on Facebook:

Christmas is such a contradiction. It is the day (not historically accurate) we chose to recognize the most important birth to ever take place – God himself, coming to earth in the form of a man, the earthly embodiment of pure love. Yet, right on cue, “Christians” will get caught up in the annual feud of calling it “Christmas” vs “Holiday.” We are a funny people, are we not? Any way, this Christian would like to wish everyone a happy holiday season.

I couldn’t have said it better myself.

As we celebrate the birth of Jesus with Christmas, let us not forget he walked this earth proclaiming the life changing power of redemption through belief in him- all without a tree- until he was slain on one. His resurrection then changed the shape of history, the present, and what is yet to come. The more people that can live and proclaim that truth year around, rather than fighting petty battles one month every year, the better off we will all be.

 

Filed Under: Christianity, christmas, Culture · Tagged: , , ,

Moving beyond the marriage debate as Christians

November 7, 2012 by ·

It would be insincere to say I was surprised by the results of the same-sex marriage vote in Maine this time around. I uphold that as a supporter of traditional marriage, it was out of principle- not hate- to vote No on Question 1. But a majority of Mainers have spoken, and because we live in a democracy rather than a theocracy, we must begin to move beyond the debate over civil marriage as Christians.

While there are many places in Scripture that seem to exactly describe where our culture is today (Romans 1:24-32 is one New Testament example), the question that remains is what are we to do about it? One thing we should NOT do is just gloss over such warnings and ignore the Word of God at these uncomfortable points, or explain them away as not applying to our current situation. But correction and reproof from Scripture are for those inside the church, not those on the outside (see 1 Corinthians 5:12-13).

So what about the people “on the outside”? Like all of us, they too need the grace of God. We all fall short of His glory, and only the power of The Holy Spirit can change lives. We must refocus on bringing this message to our state, demonstrating the love of God in the process. I do not think we should retreat inside our church walls. As I’ve stated before, we need to be a counter-culture not a subculture. We must be “salt and light” in the world and be bolder than ever in declaring the truth of God’s Word.

As someone who made no place for the God of the Bible in his life until relatively recently, I understand how it’d be difficult for someone to give up or feel any need to have to change various behaviors and lifestyles. As a result, we must be ever vigilant about reaching the younger and next generations with the sincere and unconditional love found only in God the Father, through Jesus Christ. Children growing up in a world with all kinds of sexual confusion need to know things do “get better” when they commit to finding fulfillment solely by this love from their Creator, instead of by their own lusts and desires.

But children must see this exemplified by their parents. This must be the call of the Christian church moving forward. People of all ages need to seek purity in their own lives, especially when they demand it of others. Where society sees hypocrisy in our lives, they see hypocrisy in Jesus.

Finally, as is evidenced by the change in the marriage vote from 2009 to 2012, winning political battles are only temporary. Christians must stay engaged where necessary, but refocus on the mission of being disciples rather than political activists. The local church must seek ways to serve others, trusting in God’s sovereignty to provide for His church and protect it’s voice in this world. The harvest is plentiful in Maine, and the workers are few. Let’s get to work.

Filed Under: christian, Christianity, Culture, faith, question 1, same-sex marriage, scripture · Tagged: ,

Seek a local church community

November 1, 2012 by ·

Don’t try to “go it alone”…

Some form of a local church community is necessary for the Christian to continue to grow in their faith, and truly live out the life for which we are called during our short time here on earth. However, “local church” isn’t just meeting in a building every Sunday, nor does it have to be in a building at all. What is required, though, is fellowship with- and allowing ourselves to be accountable to- other Christians.

Don’t try to “go it alone”…

Despite the popularity of wanting to “go it alone” in our culture today, especially when it comes to our faith journey, this is not a viable option for the Christian who desires to live to their fullest potential.

I hear many self-professing Christians say, “I believe in God, but the whole church and organized religion thing just isn’t for me.” When pressed further on the topic, reasons typically fall somewhere on the spectrum of disagreeing with one or more topics they may have heard on any given Sunday, to very serious personal hurts caused by church leaders or fellow attendees. One thing is certain, there is no “perfect church”- once you think you’ve found one then chances are you’ve ended up in a cult. Furthermore, churches are just like the rest of the world in that they are made up of imperfect people.

So are imperfect people an excuse for never seeking a community of fellow imperfect believers in Christ, and having no “local church” in our lives? Absolutely not. To have an authentic relationship with Jesus Christ, we need to be active participants in His church. Without the accountability of a church community, and mentors to learn from and be in submission to, we are unable to mature and grow in all aspects of our lives. When our only moral compass is our own wants and desires, we will undoubtedly veer off course at one time or another. Unfortunately, I know this from personal experience.

If your only church community is your own family, then that is a good start. But as a Christian parent who chooses not to attend church as a family, are you truly leading your family in their Christian faith through consistent prayer and Bible study in the home? If not, why not seek a local church community to provide some direction in this department? If so- great- but why not ease the burden on yourself a bit by finding a local church that fits your family’s tastes and provides the extra spiritual guidance you need? Without the biblical foundation a good church can provide, you and your children will look to your peers for guidance on the job and in school- and that doesn’t always work out for the best.

What to look for in a local church community

Get connected at the local church

Regardless of the tradition you come from, or if you are new to this whole “church thing”, the following principles should help you find or reconnect with a local church community that grows your faith, rather than hinders it. Search for a community of Christians that want to LEARN about God, BE the hands of God in this world, and LOVE as God first loved us.

1) Get to know Jesus (LEARN about God).

First and foremost, only in knowing Jesus can we truly live an authentic faith. And the only way to know Jesus is to read his word- the Bible.

“For whatever was written in earlier times was written for our instruction, so that through perseverance and the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope.”- Romans 15:4

So look for a church that reads the Bible- often. If your “local church” is simply meeting with other Christians weekly in a home, then make sure the Bible actually opens each time you get together and it doesn’t just become a social hangout event. If the Bible is never opened, then something has gone astray.

While there’s various different belief systems in our churches today, make it a requirement to find somewhere that exalts Jesus as God- both Lord and Savior. You might be thinking, “well duh”, but there are plenty of houses of worship that label Jesus as “a really good teacher” and “a significant person in history” and just leave it there. Jesus is to be a stumbling block to those who don’t believe (1 Cor 1:23)- not made into some watered down “concept” in an effort to make him acceptable to every worldview.

2) Impact the Community (BE the hands of God).

“Faith, if it has no works, is dead…”- James 2:14

Without going off on a “grace vs. works” theological debate, allow me to offer that this verse can be simply paraphrased as follows: if your life has truly been changed by Jesus, then do something to change other people’s lives as well. Use your spare time to look for activities within the community that serve others. Volunteer opportunities abound, and a local church or community group has no excuse to stay holed up inside and out of touch with the hurts of the world.

While Christians should not be “of the world”, we still must be “in the world”- and reflect Christ’s compassion with our daily activities. So look for a church or group that goes out into the world, as Jesus commands us, rather than secludes itself within its own walls. Christianity should offer an alternative to today’s culture- a “counter culture” that people see as relevant and able to meet their needs- not isolate itself as some exclusive and elusive subculture.

3) Be Compassionate (LOVE as God first loved us).

“When he saw the crowds, he had compassion for them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd.”- Matthew 9:36.

The word “compassion” is of course very subjective in our culture. One person’s compassion is likely different than another person’s compassion. Speaking the truth, in love, likely will not seem compassionate to those who deny their need for Christ. But as Christians, we must seek to be compassionate within a world that many times doesn’t want to hear what we want to share with them. However, if you’ve found yourself in a church or community of believers that has lost any compassion for those that disagree with them, then perhaps it’s time to look elsewhere.

A final word

I considered adding links to this article of churches in the Bangor area that meet the criteria I outlined out above- then I thought better of it. I realized I would only offend people in the process of unintentionally (and intentionally) leaving out many local gathering places. However, while it was recently reported that Maine is the “least-religious” state, there is a definite undercurrent reversing that trend as people search for authentic Christian fellowship based on organic learning, serving, and loving- as opposed to being hindered by the tired traditions and over-the-top legalism of yesteryear.

So while organized religion might be dying, the desire of individuals for an authentic faith is growing. Seek a local church community that shares that desire.

Filed Under: christian fellowship, Christianity, community, local church, organic church, organized religion · Tagged:
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