Walking down the sidewalk one day, I saw something interesting: a tree was growing out of a small crack, and it was breaking the concrete itself. In what would seem to be the worst place ever, life was growing, and overcoming the massive odds against it.
In the parable of the sower, the man throwing seeds threw them on all the types of ground. (Luke 8) We should do the same spiritually, because no matter how unlikely the place looks, even if it's paved over with concrete, you never know when that one tiny crack will allow a seed to sprout up with explosive, abundant, powerful growth. Those with the most stacked against them can be the strongest examples. Give them a shot.
"For the entire Law is fulfilled in in this one word: "You shall love your neighbor as yourself."—Gal 5:14
Sleep intertia.
Have you ever been unexpectedly woken up, and found that you just couldn't get going—were you all groggy, feeling like your brain just wasn't working right, and neither was your body? This is a physiological state known as sleep inertia, and it can be brief, but it can also last for very long periods of time! Often people battle it with caffeine, which is a stimulant.
When we become Christians, we can have some worldly inertia, with sin and stuff just trying to resist any change, trying to move forward in our lives with us. Just like sleep inertia, we can battle it with stimulants. Hebrews 10:24-25 tells us what sort of stimulant to take, saying,
"Let us consider how to stimulate one another to love and good deeds, not forsaking our own assembling together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another; and all the more as you see the day drawing near." Take every opportunity to get over the grogginess that the world produces—start spending time every day with Christians.
Murders on college campuses.
Why would someone murder college kids? Isn't that pointless? Why would someone propose marriage? Richard Dawkins’ assessment of human worth may be depressing, but why on atheism is he wrong when he says, “There is at bottom no design, no purpose, no evil, no good, nothing but pointless indifference...We are machines for propagating DNA...It is every living object’s sole reason for being?”
In a world where there is no objective good or evil, emotions in the moment ultimately rule supreme: there is nothing beyond them, and so marriage is no better or worse than how it makes someone feel, which puts it at the level of a mass shooting. There could not even be such a thing as free will, because human "will" is an intangible concept that supersedes the level of chemical reactions in the brain. Saying that someone can "choose" to do something else in the moment is nonsense—they are a mere physical machine, using chemicals instead of cogs, but cogs turn with pointless indifference.
Such confusion and such pointless indifference. There is no hope, only a desire for pleasure until death. 1 Cor 2:14 sums it up well, saying, "But the natural man does not accept the things of the Spirit of God; for they are foolishness to him, and he is not able to understand them, because spiritually they are discerned."
Two types of people. (And politics, too.)
Sometimes I see Christians spend tons of time worrying about evil government and its conspiracies who will be the next president, etc. This does not surprise me, but it is a tactic Satan uses to distract us. Let me make some simple points.
There was a conspiracy against Jesus, and it even killed Him. There were horrifically barbarous and evil governments full of plots. And the record is that Satan and his angels are often behind world powers (Dan 10; 11, Eze 28), and they are supernaturally strong forces that resist even God's angels. The record is also that yes, Christians may be killed by governments or evil men for their beliefs. (Rev 12:11, Rom 8)
But you know what Christ didn't do? He didn't talk about who took down the world trade centers or if Sandy Hook was a hoax. That would have been a distraction. Christ realized that the real struggle isn't against governments, because there are two classes of people: those in Christ, and those captive to do Satan's will. (Gal 3; 2 Tim 2) Indeed, we should expect all sorts of evil, but this thought should not overtake us with shock and awe.
You see, Christ's example and God's word are what we should follow, "For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places." (Eph 6)
There is only one way to change the world eternally and spiritually, and that's by making less people captive to Satan to do Satan's will. Otherwise, no matter how it seems, it's a passing, fleeting change, and it's not going to be stored up in heaven. Don't let Satan distract you. Follow Christ's example, even if it initially upsets you to ignore Satan's machinations playing out in the flesh and blood.
Rattlesnakes and salvation.
Want an antivenin for the Serpent's poison? In Luke 4:13, Satan kept trying his tricks with Jesus, but he failed, so 'he left Him until an opportune time." Notice that Satan is looking for opportunities. Have you ever failed again and again? Seen a brother or sister who keeps failing? Let's talk about our part in giving Satan opportunity, and what we can do about it.
Here it is again, opportunity for Satan: "For you brothers were called to freedom, but not the freedom for an opportunity to the flesh. Rather, serve one another through love." (2 Cor 5:17) Ah ha! It's the counteragent to sin and letting Satan win, and it's serving one another through love!
Something so simple? Can it be? Yep! If you're busy studying with the lost, you won't be out DUI driving. If you're taking your brothers and sisters in Christ on a hike, you won't be getting an STD with someone you met at a bar. Jesus' entire life was characterized by service, and He was perfect. Are you ready and willing to serve?
The safest road to hell—by CS Lewis.
Have you ever seen a Christian let bad habits slip in—and then after a while they're just totally gone? CS Lewis said, "The safest road to hell is the gradual one - the gentle slope, soft underfoot, without sudden turnings, without milestones, without signposts"
It's rare that a Christian just plummets away from Christ. Instead, it's usually gradual. Often their fellow Christians don't even risk confronting the sin, being scared to lose a friend or to cause offense. Heb 2:1 and 1 Thess 5:21-22 say in part, "we must pay much closer attention to what we have heard, so that we do not drift away from it," and "examine everything carefully; hold fast to that which is good; abstain from every form of evil. (1 Thess 5:21-22)
Let's pay close attention to what we've heard, and remember that part of what we've heard is that we need to keep out brothers and sisters from stumbling off alone into the darkness. Be there for them, even if it's tough.
CSI—ENHANCE THAT IMAGE!
Ever seen those CSI shows where they have some low-resolution digital photo and they tell the guy working the computer, "Enhance," and suddenly you can see all sorts of detail. That's not realistic. You can't take a few pixels of data and enlarge it to make it super clear, because you just don't have enough data to work with.
We can make that same mistake with the Bible when we grab just one verse and say, "See, it clearly means..." Satan did the same thing to Jesus, citing a snippet and taking something out of context, and Jesus' reply was, "On the other hand, it is written, ‘You shall not put the Lord your God to the test.’” (Mt 4:1-11)
It's important (even when I'm reading and writing these) to make sure we're reading everything in context, and not playing proof-text potluck. The more information we have, the more enhanced our understanding of what God was saying will be. The only way we can enhance our image of God's intent is by expanding the data, and that comes by reading more. :)
A reminder about what you are.
Sometimes a reminder of who we are really helps us get back on our feet. Hebrews 9:23 says, "Therefore it was necessary for the copies of the things in the heavens to be cleansed with these, but the heavenly things themselves with better sacrifices than these."
As Christians, we are the heavenly things. As Heb 12 would say, "you have come to Mount Zion and to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to myriads of angels." In Christ, we have received the best sacrifice and the best blessing. In Christ, we can accomplish far more than we ever thought possible. There's no reason to hold back from utter excellence, and to show up to others as something different than what the world has to offer—a truly heavenly thing.
I refuse to have my last emotion be anger.
Ever had bad blood between a brother or sister? My end goal when I have an issue with a brother or sister is not to see them get their just desserts, but rather to work with them as effective teammates, truly able to rejoice and love one another, embracing over successes in Christ, for Christ.
"Let no debt remain outstanding, except the continuing debt to love one another, for he who loves his neighbor has fulfilled the law." (Rom 13:8)
When I die, even if someone detests me, I want to die having a love for them. I can never control how someone feels about me, but I can control one thing: leaving only a debt of love. No bitterness or malice will exist in heaven, and I don't want to try and bring any of that along with me.
God's program by women, for women.
Did you know that God has a program by women, for women? If you're young or old, are you in this program? It goes a little like this:
"Older women likewise are to be reverent in their behavior, not slanderers nor enslaved to much wine, teaching what is good, so that they may train the young women to love their husbands, to love their children..." (Titus 2:3-4)
I find it interesting that women are to teach women to love this husbands and kids, and that a part of what makes a successful marriage is avoiding slander and being drunk. Does your assembly have a program like this? Do you think training centered around how to find a good Christian and have a good marriage would help some of your younger women?
What happens to the church in the long run if the next generation ends up married to non-Christians, routinely drunk, gossiping, etc?
Emotions follow our investment.
As a spiritual principle, our emotions follow our investment. If we're invested in Christ, we'll have romantic emotions for those in Christ, joy around those in Christ, and love when we work for Christ. This is summed up in Christ's teaching that,
"For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also."
Our emotions follow our investment. If we find ourselves loving the things of the flesh, it's a sign that we need to invest more in the things of the Spirit. And when we do that, our love for the things of the Spirit will grow. Where is your treasure, and where is your heart?
It's all about the fruit.
The parable of the soil that I mentioned from Luke 8 is VERY interesting, but sometimes we can kind of think, "Ok, so the person who is baptized and confesses and yadda yadda, that's the best soil. That's what I'm lookin' for." For romantic interests, it can be tempting to say, "Ok, so I've gotta have this guy/gal become a Christian, then I know it's a definite match made in heaven!"
But the parable is actually a lot more specific than that. In fact, it mentions a rocky soil where there are those who, "when they hear, receive the word with joy; and these have no firm root;they believe for a while, and in time of temptation fall away." (13)
So what is the result that God's looking for, and that we should look for in others and in ourselves? Well, the "seed in the good soil, these are the ones who have heard the word in an honest and good heart, and hold it fast, and bear fruit with perseverance." (15)
It's all about fruit. If we always fall to temptation, if we never bear fruit for Christ, we're not what we need to be. So let's bear some fruit today!
How much is heaven worth?
What is heaven worth to you? “The kingdom of heaven is like a merchant seeking beautiful pearls, who, when he had found one pearl of great price, went and sold all that he had and bought it." (Mt 13:45-46)
The merchant wasn't content to just admire the pearl—he gave up everything in his life to get it. What sin would you not overcome to get it? What good would you choose not to do? How much is it worth?
Workout partners.
When I'm going on long distance hikes, there are times I'm in incredible pain and just flat-out exhausted. If I didn't have a partner along with me, I'd just sit down, or I'd flat-out turn back. Having a partner in tough times keeps us going.
Spiritually it's the same. Who we surround ourselves with really matters. God says that, "Therefore encourage one another and build one another up," (1 Thess 5:11), and that's exactly what we need. Are your closest companions going to push you to excel spiritually, to remain faithful to a spiritual workout regimen? Will you do it for your friends?
Confessing your sin and praying for one another—a tough struggle!
I used to hide stuff from facebook, because I didn't want my brothers and sisters to know what I was doing. It was shameful. I know of a couple of people who, like I did, lead double lives. They try and hide stuff, too, while keeping the spiritually good stuff—you know, assembly and whatnot—very public. I would have grown much faster if I'd had the guts to practice James 5:16,
"Therefore, confess your sins to one another, and pray for one another so that you may be healed. The effective prayer of a righteous man can accomplish much."
Do you have the courage to admit your struggles? Do you know what a relief it is to be able to open up to someone and say, "This is killing me—it hurts so bad and I feel like I just can't!" I got to do that at family camp, and man that was a relief. It builds confidence. Oh, and just as a freebie, if you're praying for someone, you'll be keeping him at the top of your mind.
What will your footnote be?
My dad chased my brother off with a shotgun. We had three SUVs of FBI agents show up once. His marriages number in the double digits. And when I was young, he "faithfully assembled" as a "Christian," and no one was the wiser because of his charisma.
I've heard people say, "Man, stay away from her, the family's messed up and so is she."
2nd Kings records a string of kings who appear as mere footnotes, "Did evil much like his forefathers and then died." "Reigned for a little bit doing evil like those before him and then got whacked." What would you want God to have written about you? "Crazy like her mother, kept sinning, then she died," or, "He was abusive like his father before him, showed up to all the family camps, continued in evil, then he died?"
If your family is dysfunctional, you don't have to be. You can change your footnote, but you have to admit that you're sick, and that your family is. You have to be willing to go through the pain of confrontation and breaking the cycle, of saying, "Mom/dad, I'm sorry, but I'm going to overcome where you have failed." Look at specific problems in your family, like alcohol abuse, abusive language, partnering with non-Christians, etc., and be on high alert for them in your own life. Change them. Don't quit doing bad, but instead start doing good, because "the one practicing righteousness is righteous." (1 John 3:7)
The Swiss Cheese Model of Sin and Catastrophe
WARNING: PG-13. Have you ever heard someone say, "I didn't mean to have sex, it just happened?" If you'd like, replaced "sex" with "I didn't mean to get drunk and then drive," or "I didn't mean to lie and then have to tell a bigger lie to cover it up." The concept in all of these is the same: something went from OK to disaster in one step. However, that's very rarely the case.
Look at the attached picture. The Swiss Cheese model of accident causation is a model used in risk analysis and risk management. It shows that we have multiple layers of defenses against accidents, and that multiple failures, when aligned, can spell disaster. This is also true spiritually.
Usually people don't just instantly fornicate. Instead, they like each other. They talk to each other. Then maybe they kiss, talk about sex, start spending time alone together, start taking off clothes, touching sensually, and THEN it happens. That's why God warns us, "But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh in regard to its lusts." (Romans 13:14) Each of those steps toward sleeping with someone is us allowing a provision for sin, but each is a chance for us to stop sin in its tracks.
James 1 explains it like this: "But each one is tempted when he is carried away and enticed by his own lust. Then when lust has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and when sin is accomplished, it brings forth death." (v14-15) Let's use every chance we have to prevent sin!
Respect in relationships.
I once dated a Christian who said she didn't respect me because I'd never be like a certain evangelist who, to this day, is one of the best men either of us have ever been blessed enough to know. Was this a relationship I should have pursued and stayed in?
No. God tells us, "Each individual among you also is to love his own wife even as himself, and the wife must see to it that she respects her husband." (Ephesians 5:33).
If a relationship lacks respect, it's not one to be in. Move on and find someone where both parties are edified and bring glory to God.
What's worship?
I've seen lots of debates which fundamentally occur because of a misunderstanding of "worship." One debate pointed out that singing is an act of worship, so we can't have pitch pipes used during it. In that regard, I looked at 2 Chron 29:28-29 and how it explains worship:
"WHILE the whole assembly worshiped, the singers also sang and the trumpets sounded; all this continued until the burnt offering was finished. Now at the completion of the burnt offerings, the king and all who were present with him bowed down and worshiped."
I noticed that the singing wasn't worship. The trumpeting wasn't worship. The offering wasn't worship. Worship is a physical act of prostration and bowing down—and that is the only physical act of "worship," and God doesn't need it from me. That's why Jesus said in John 4:21-24, "“Woman, believe Me, an hour is coming when neither in this mountain nor in Jerusalem will you worship (bow down/prostrate to) the Father. [...] But an hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for such people the Father seeks to be His worshipers. God is spirit, and those who worship Him must worship [prostrate before Him] in spirit and truth.”
Does God want my spiritual reverence and prostration before Him just for an hour? Nope. He wants it 24/7. Does He ever mention having a time or place for me to worship? Nope, that was for the Jews. Bowing down is worshiping, and it's the only worship. Some do it physically, but God wants it spiritually.
Winning people to repentance.
I have a very bad habit. I'm pretty chill in helping new Christians overcome sin, but when I encounter seasoned Christians who are still partying, cussing, or whatever, I lose my ever-loving mind. Yep. I go straight into "THAT'S-SO-HORRIBLE-HERE-LET-ME-BERATE-YOU" mode. Because everyone wants to repent when you clobber them with your own righteousness, right?
Wrong! God sets me straight by saying, "Or do you think lightly of the riches of His kindness and tolerance and patience, not knowing that the kindness of God leads you to repentance?" (Rom 2:4)
I want people to overcome, but by being hostile instead of kind, I just drive them away. If you're like me, join me in praying for opportunities to help people repent in the same way that God does—through kindness. Let's win them with kindness, tolerance, and patience. smile emoticon